July and August, 2008
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Summer Reading

I’m not sure we really have more time to read in the summer, but it seems to be a time to focus on books that entertain and nourish us. Here are some of the ones I’ve read in the past year. If you want to add to the list, or comment on what you’re reading, go to our website and follow the link to our new blog, maintained by Andy Delfino, and tell us what you recommend. Happy reading!

Non-fiction

Here if You Need Me by Kate Braestrup. When our former parishioner Mary Sadler, who now lives in Hartwell, called me last summer and asked if her sister-in-law Kate Braestrup could hold a book signing at St. Dunstan’s I said yes, just to do a nice favor. Turns out the favor was to me and everyone else who came that night and bought Kate’s book. Kate is a widowed mother of four (her husband and Mary’s brother Drew, a Maine state trooper, was killed in a car accident), a Unitarian minister, and a chaplain to game wardens in Maine. Kate intersperses the story of her life in with stories of the people she serves on search and rescue missions. Here is an example of her fine writing: “Nowhere in scripture does it say ‘God is a car accident’ or ‘God is death.’ God is justice and kindness, mercy, and always, always love. So if you want to know where God is, look for love.”

The Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg. If you were intrigued by Marcus Borg’s comments in the Living the Questions series in Sunday School this spring, you will love this book. In it, Borg writes of an emerging new paradigm of Christianity, which is about loving God and loving what God loves, rather than rigidly adhering to a specific set of beliefs. Borg offers an intelligent, compassionate view of Christianity that offers a welcome counterpoint to much of what is presented as Christian today.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen. This is hands down the most powerful book I have read in the last year. Mountain climber Greg Mortensen became separated from his group on an expedition in Pakistan. Lost and alone in some of the world’s most breathtaking but inhospitable terrain, he stumbled into a remote Pakistani village, whose people literally saved his life. When Mortensen realized that the village was so poor it had no school, he promised to return and build one. Three Cups of Tea is the story of how he built not only that school, but more than 50 others in the remotest areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, areas that have become strongholds for terrorist groups. Mortensen offers a powerful witness for peace in a part of the world torn apart by war.

Speaking of Faith by Krista Tippett. Every Sunday morning on the way to church I listen to a snippet of Krista Tippett’s NPR show Speaking of Faith. In her book by the same name, Tippett weaves the story of her own life with the conversations about faith she has had with many of the world’s greatest theologians, philosophers, scientists, artists and authors. The intelligent conversation about faith that Tippett offers radio listeners is echoed in this thoughtful, well-written memoir.

Amish Grace by Donald Kraybill, Steven Nolt and David Waver-Zercher. In a time when shootings at schools have become sadly almost routine, the shooting of 10 Amish schoolgirls in Pennsylvania still shocked the country. Even more surprising than the shootings was the Amish response to the killer and his family – total forgiveness. Amish Grace tells the story of the community’s response to the tragedy and explores the Amish people’s countercultural, but deeply Christian, practice of forgiveness.

Fiction

I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming. How can I resist a mystery series where each book begins with an epigraph from the Episcopal hymnal or Book of Common Prayer, and the protagonist is a female Episcopal priest, the Rev. Clare Fergusson? I Shall Not Want is the sixth, and best, of this series. As with many mystery series, it is best to begin at the beginning, which in this case is In the Bleak Midwinter. Spencer-Fleming does an excellent job of combining the suspense of murder mysteries and the suspense of character development with Clare and the chief of police in the small upstate New York town in which she works, Russ Van Alstyne.

World Without End by Ken Follett. Eighteen years ago, Follett wrote Pillars of the Earth, an epic novel about the building of a great cathedral in 12 th century England. The Kingsbridge cathedral is also at the center of this sequel, set 200 years later, as the descendants of the cathedral’s builders engage in love and intrigue, and battle the Black Death that is racing through Europe. You don’t have to have read Pillars to enjoy World Without End, but I ended up rereading it and enjoying them both.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. When I first read Harper Lee’s classic novel about growing up in the South during the Depression, I, like Scout, had to look up the word rape in the dictionary, and still wasn’t sure what it meant. Despite that, I loved this book and its commentary on race and justice and the pains of growing up. More than four decades later, I still love it. If you’ve never read it before, do it now. If you read it as a child or teen-ager, read it again. You won’t be disappointed.

Song Without Words by Ann Packer. Packer’s beautifully written novel is about the place of friendship in women’s lives, what brings us together, and what can tear us apart. Sarabeth and Liz, now in their 40s, have been friends since they were teenagers. Their friendship helped Sarabeth survive her mother’s suicide. But a crisis in the life of Liz’s daughter threatens to tear the life-long friends apart.

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Announcements

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O God of unchangeable power and eternal light

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light:
Look favorably on your whole Church,
that wonderful and sacred mystery;
by the effectual working of your providence,
carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation;
let the whole world see and know that
things which were cast down are being raised up,
and things which had grown old are being made new,
and that all things are being brought to their perfection
by him through whom all things were made,
your Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God,
for ever and ever.

Amen.

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Blogging with St. Dunstan

St. Dunstan's is hitting the web! Again! There should be a link on our website soon, or go to http://stdunstans-atl.blogspot.com to visit our blog, which discusses religion, faith, and more. Just like our church, this blog is an inclusive place for thinking, commenting and sharing our faith and ideas.

Right now, I am the primary administrator, (I blog during Hannah's naps, so if no posts go up some days, pray for me), but Tim Black will hopefully be helping in the fall; Tricia will occasionally post too, in the form of sermons, op-ed pieces and more.  Everyone is welcome to contribute posts, and ideas are always welcome and appreciated!  And all parishioners are encouraged to read and comment regularly. This is an exciting new way to participate in the life of our wonderful parish. You can contact me through links on the blog.

~ Andy Delfino

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Christian Formation

VBS ... It took a parish

We had wonderful participation in VBS this year – by both kids and adults! Over 25 children and youth participated. The youth – Nora Beard, Sophie Goldwasser, Molly Herman-Gallow, Allie Summerville, Meg Withers, and Andrew Young – were a tremendous help shepherding the younger kids. Several of them also ‘stayed after’ one day to make the beautiful pastel image of the earth that is displayed in the parish hall. Michele Smither, a new parishioner, directed our youth on this project. Rhonda Woodard led music activities and provided music for chapel. Jane Lamkin led art activities, no easy feat with kids ranging from 3 to 8 years of age! Alaine Wong helped in the art room. Helen Branch read wonderful stories to our children. Pat Berman provided a healthy snack each day for our children and baked sugar cookies with them. Vicki Ledet helped them make bread for communion. Tami Kimball, with amazing patience and good humor, tended our youngest participants. Elise MacIntyre and Lucy Kaltenbach dropped in to help. Tricia led us in chapel every day. Others of you helped with financial contributions …thank you so much! Some highlights included releasing butterflies, a visit from the Chattahoochee Nature Center (with King snake in tow), and a eucharist at which our children were commissioned as stewards of the earth. Through all of this creativity and caring, God’s love was present with our children during our week together. Thank you, all! Thanks be to God!

Some Thoughts on Commissioning
Our Children as Stewards of the Earth

Uh-oh…we did it. We asked each child how they could take care of the earth. They responded: “I can take care of a butterfly.” “I can take care of endangered animals.” “I can take care of my family.” We wrote these down on papers with the children’s colorful handprints. In chapel we asked each child to come up, one at a time. We read to all assembled what this child would do. We put the image of their hand, with the written words, next to a beautiful image of our earth. Tricia said to each child “We commission you to help God take care of the earth.” and made the sign of the cross on the child’s forehead. We did it. We commissioned them. We sent them out as ministers to do God’s work in the world. But we are a church, so we do not send them out alone. We have the responsibility to support them in their ministry, to help them “walk the walk”. How might we do that? Maybe by using the bags they made in VBS. Maybe by asking them to remind us to turn out lights. Maybe by setting up a recycling bin in the parish hall and taking turns dropping off its contents behind the Whole Foods on West Paces Ferry. Our commissioning service was the end of VBS, but the beginning of a ministry. How can we, as families and as a church family, empower our children to be good stewards of God’s creation?

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From the Organist and Choirmaster