September 2006
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"I Am Among You As One Who Serves"

I recently finished reading The Illuminator, a novel set in late 14th century England, a time when the old feudal order is starting to unravel, but when the whim of a lord or a bishop can still seal anyone’s fate.

One of the most striking aspects of this novel is its description of the role the church played in people’s lives. That role was not optional or voluntary. Bishops had the power to impose taxes on all who lived in their geographic region. They also had the power to pardon those charged with crimes, or to condemn them to death. What passed as “pastoral care,” saying masses for the souls of those who had died or giving last rites, came at a cost. Those who could not afford such “care” did not receive it.

That system was beginning to crack by the late 14th century. One of the subplots of The Illuminator is the secret effort to translate the scripture into English. Such an act was considered heretical and treasonous. The church maintained that scripture should be read only in Latin, the beautiful language of the educated and influential; not in the common language of the people.

Of course, the real reason those in power did not want the words of scripture to be accessible to the masses was fear – fear that when people heard the actual words of scripture they would understand how those in power had manipulated and abused those sacred texts.

In short, the church existed to be served by the people, not to serve them. And those in power did not want to rock that boat.

It was a happy coincidence that I was reading this novel at the time of our vestry retreat in mid-August. The theme of our weekend was “servant leadership.”

Servant leadership offers a theology of the church that is the polar opposite of the one so vividly portrayed in The Illuminator.

At its core are the words of Jesus that church leaders of the 14 th century definitely did not want their parishioners to hear – “I am among you as one who serves.”

Jesus was a servant leader. Paradoxically, his leadership came from his willingness to be of service, particularly to those on the margins of society, those whom the rest of the world was likely to ignore or abuse.

Jesus shows us that it is the role of the church to serve the world, not the other way around. As I once heard someone say, John’s gospel does not say, “For God so loved the church that he gave his only begotten son,” but that “God so loved the world.”

At its best, the church is a community of service – to one another, to those we meet in our daily lives, and to those who are on the margins of society.

That is the reason we chose Jesus’ words, “I am among you as one who serves” as the theme for this year’s ministry fair. All the different ministries and activities at St. Dunstan’s are opportunities to serve, either within our own community or outside the church walls.

At our retreat, the vestry acknowledged that their primary role is to be of service to the members of St. Dunstan’s. There was much discussion about how best to be a servant leader, and you will hear more about that in the weeks to come.

The vestry also selected three areas in which they will focus attention and energy in the coming months – stewardship, communications, and membership (both bringing new members into the church and strengthening the community that is already here). Task forces of vestry members and other parishioners are being formed for each of these areas.

The vestry also made a covenant with one another that they would regularly pray with and for one another and spend time at each vestry meeting talking about specific examples of servant leadership.

In addition, they recommitted themselves to the mission of St. Dunstan’s: “to worship God, to witness to Christ’s love in the world through outreach to others, and to provide an environment for spiritual renewal.”

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Announcements

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Adult Sunday School

When I watch the news in the evening I am acutely aware of how large a role religion plays in the many conflicts going on around the world. If there is ever to be true peace, it must begin with an understanding and respect of different religious traditions. We will begin the new program year in Adult Christian Education with a look at world religions. I am grateful to Jon Herman, Ellen Gallow’s husband, for putting together what promises to be an educational and stimulating four weeks. The class will be held in the Founders’ Room and begin promptly at 9:30 . Here is the schedule:

Sept. 17 – Religious practice in Hindu communities, taught by Paul Courtright, professor in the religion department at Emory. Dr. Courtright received his BA from Grinnell College, MDiv from Yale University and PhD from Princeton University .

Sept. 24 – Confucianism, Taoism and Chinese religious syncretism, taught by Jon Herman, associate professor of religious studies at Georgia State University. Dr. Herman received his BA from Grinnell College and MTS and PhD from Harvard University.

Oct. 1 – Common misperceptions about Muslim faith and practice, taught by John Iskander, assistant professor at Georgia State. Dr. Iskander received his BA from Santa Clara University, MA from UCLA and PhD from the University of California Santa Barbara.

Oct. 8 – No Sunday School because of the annual Blessing of the Animals.

Oct. 15 – Wrap up session led by Jon Herman.

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Save These Dates

Mark your calendars now for these upcoming events. More details coming soon.

• Oct. 1, 8, and 15, 2 p.m . —The Fall Film Series at the home of Eleanor Ringel Gillespie. The first film will be “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore’s film on the environment. Other films to be announced. Look for sign up sheets in the narthex.
• Oct. 22, 4:00 p.m . – Choral Evensong and Organ Recital
• Oct. 28 – The Annual Flying Pig Barbeque (note that the barbeque has moved to Saturday this year).
• Nov. 5 – Come celebrate All Saints Sunday with a jazz Eucharist at the 10:30 service.
• Nov. 9 – Mary and Martha’s Place Annual Dessert Party, held this year at St. Anne’s. Speakers are Atlanta Journal Constitution film critics Bob Longino and Eleanor Ringel Gillespie.
• Nov. 22 , 7:00 p.m. – Thanksgiving Eve Eucharist.

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For Youth and Children

Sunday School Status Report

First of all, a BIG thank you to Lori Asbury for all her hard work in the nursery. Lori has sorted through and cleaned toys and is purchasing storage bins and some furnishings. When she is done, the nursery should be a much more nurturing place for the babies and toddlers of St. Dunstan’s! Perhaps even more importantly, Lori is also putting together a rota of volunteers to assist Luciane Rocha, our caregiver. For the children’s safety and for parents’ peace of mind, it is very important that more than one adult be available to the children. In the spirit of “many hands make light work,” please consider volunteering for this ministry. It’s a great way to get to know the youngest members of our congregation! Also, please let Lori know if you have any toys or books that your children have outgrown that could be used in the nursery. Finally, if you would be interested in helping me to put together a notebook of activities that could be done with the children in the nursery, please let me know.

Preschoolers/Kindergarten (ages 3 through K) will once again engage in Godly Play. Godly Play is a Montessori-based approach which teaches children through story-telling, ‘wondering’ questions, and an art or play response to the story. This fall the children will experience stories from the Old Testament, beginning with the Creation story. Mary Summerville, one of the Godly Play teachers from last year, will continue to teach this year. Her co-teacher will be Vicki Ledet.

Elementary students (1st through 5th grade) will use the Episcopal curriculum, All Things New. As with Godly Play ,this fall the children will read and hear stories from the Old Testament, including stories about Creation, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, and Joseph. Through art, creative writing, movement, and drama, the children will respond to the stories and relate them to their own lives. Some activities will be done by the whole group while others will be done in smaller groups comprised of children of similar ages. The teachers for the class are Jane Lamkin and Lucy Kaltenbach.

Middle School students (6th, 7th, and 8th grade) will continue with the Rite 13 curriculum, which they began last year. This is a two-year curriculum that focuses on the creative power and responsibilities that are part of adulthood. It culminates with the congregation’s celebration of the students’ transition to adulthood, Rite 13, during a Sunday service. I will be teaching this course. I need a co-teacher; please let me know if you would be interested.

Middle School and Upper Elementary (4th through 8th grade) will engage in a service-learning activity, Practicing Compassion. Roughly once a month, usually during the Sunday school hour, this group will meet to explore their gifts and what needs in our community their hearts respond to. Together they will plan and eventually carry out a service project or activity. This will be followed up by reflection, presentation, and celebration!

High School students will engage in Conversations with Tom ... Tom Schneider, that is! Drawing on extensive experience working with teens, Tom will engage the students on a broad range of topics which may include the Creed, ways to read the Bible, the Ten Commandments, the Self, sexuality, feelings, and careers and money. The class may also decide to attend some of the adult education offerings, including the fall series on world religions.

Children’s Chapel will gather three out of four (or, in some cases, four out of five) Sundays a month. It will be geared for toddlers through lower elementary-aged children. The children will join their parents in the church at the Peace. I would appreciate it if three or four people would volunteer to take turns leading the chapel. This would be fun to do with a spouse, friend, or older child.

Please register your children for Sunday School. Registration forms (one per family) can be found in the narthex and the church office. You may also register by clicking here and filling out the form.

Come learn more at the Open House, Sunday, Sept. 10, 9:30 a.m.

Peace, Ellen

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From the Organist and Choirmaster

• NEW CHURCH DIRECTORY: Included in this issue of the mailed Bellows is a form to be filled out by everyone who wishes to be in the 2006-2007 St. Dunstan’s Directory. (You do not need to be an official member of St. Dunstan’s to be in the directory; it is only a reference.) Please take a few minutes to check your personal information in the current directory and fill out the form with your/your family’s information. If the current directory information is correct, all you have to do is check one box and fill in your name(s)! Place the form in the offering plate on Sunday, leave it in the box labeled “2006-2007 Directory Forms” in the Narthex, or send it to Kim Branch in the church office. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

• MINISTRY FAIR, SEPTEMBER 10th - Please mark your calendars and plan to attend our annual Ministry Fair. St. Dunstan's many ministries range from the Worship ministries that you see every Sunday to Outreach to teaching a Sunday School class. Come to the Parish Hall at 9:30 a.m. on September 10, you will have the opportunity to meet the chairpersons, learn what is involved in our ministries, and sign up for them. See you there!

• Outreach Opportunities : Josh Taylor led a meeting of the Outreach Committee on Sunday August 27th where we discussed the ongoing need for funds and volunteers:
  • Holy Comforter . Watch for a sign up sheet in the narthex to help with the October 4th reception.
  • There is also a need for a liaison person from St. Dunstan's to Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, the organization founded by Woody and Carol Bartlett

  Watch for Outreach displays at our Ministry Fair on September 10. Plan to attend the next informative meeting of the Outreach Committee on September 17th after the 10:30 a.m. service where we will continue our discussion of Emmaus House, RRISA, Mary and Martha's Place, ABLE, Lifespan, and St. Teresa House.
  
  ~Nancy Dillon/Vestry Outreach

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This and That

Passages

We give thanks for the August 16 birth of Georgia Ellis Wardner, daughter of Brook and Andy Wardner and granddaughter of Fair and George Sutherlin.

Please refer to your printed version of this month's Bellows for contact information for Matt Taylor and Kieran Cannistra, who have moved with their children to Oakland, MD.

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Mary & Martha's Place
2006 Fall Calendar