October 2009 Contents
Last summer I drove to Nashville to attend a celebration of the 150th anniversary of St. Ann’s, the church that sent me to seminary. I got to town earlier than my friends were expecting me, so I decided to take a nostalgic drive through my old stomping grounds. I realized I hadn’t eaten lunch, and wondered if my favorite Thai restaurant, the International Market, just a block from my old house, was still there after all these years. It was. As soon as I opened the restaurant door I heard a voice call out from across the room, “Tricia! Where you been? You want some pad thai?” I moved from Nashville 18 years ago, in 1991. Although I returned often during my seminary years, I probably had not been in that restaurant in at least 15 years. And yet within moments after my arrival I was seated at a table of honor, and the restaurant’s owner was serving me a heaping plate of my favorite food, smiling as she welcomed me back. I felt like I was home. I think that moment in the International Market was a glimpse of the kingdom of God, and not just because I’m pretty sure the kingdom has great pad thai. God is like the owner of the restaurant – it doesn’t matter how long we’ve been away, or why we’ve been gone. All that matters is that we’re back. And when we do come back – to church, to faith – God is there to welcome us, to call us by name, to embrace us, to serve us heaping plates of our favorite food. Maybe you haven’t been to church in a while. The parable of the Thai restaurant invites you back. Maybe you have friends who don’t have a church. The parable of the Thai restaurant urges you to invite them. This month is full of special activities and events at St. Dunstan’s. There is the rich feast of worship and classes that we serve up every Sunday morning. But there are also many other opportunities to invite your friends to, or to ease back into yourself.
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Announcements
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| 12:00 – 12:30 | Senior Chorister Girls |
All rehearsals are in the choir room.
Don't Forget to "Fall Back" Be sure to set your clocks back one hour when you go to bed on Halloween. Daylight Savings Time Ends at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2009. |
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Prayer for Justice
Grant us, Lord, a vision of our land as your love would make it:
a land where the weak are protected,
and none go hungry or poor;
a land where the benefits of life are
shared, and everyone can enjoy them;
a land where different races and cultures
and faiths live in tolerance and mutual respect;
a land where peace is built with
justice, and justice is guided by love.
And give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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October Special Events Calendar
- October 4 – The Blessing of the Animals, 10:45 a.m.
- October 17 – Flying Pig Barbeque, 5:00 p.m.
- October 18 – Choral Evensong, 4:00 p.m.
- October 23 – An evening with singer/songwriter Keith Miles, 6:30 p.m.
Blessing of the Animals – THIS Sunday, October 4, 10:45a.m. Your furry, feathered or finned friends are a blessing to you. Bring them to receive a blessing at this annual service. This year we will be collecting dog toys for the Small Dog Rescue organization, which parishioners Lindsey Reece and Fair Sutherlin are actively involved with. Please make sure your animals are on a leash or in a cage. Remember no Sunday School this day.
Flying Pig Barbeque – October 17 (SATURDAY) 5 p.m. Come for a late afternoon/evening of the best barbeque in town, along with good music and good times for all ages. (Going to the Georgia Tech game? Come here afterward for dinner.) Tickets are $12 for adults; $6 for kids.
An Evening with Keith Miles – Friday, October 23. Nashville singer/songwriter Keith Miles, a former journalist and colleague of Tricia’s, will perform at St. Dunstan’s. Doors open at 6:30; show begins at 7 p.m. Bring your own appetizers and beverages. A review of Keith’s new CD “Beyond the Headlights” says his songs “emerge from a place where bluegrass, country, the Grateful Dead, and Jack Kerouac converge.” Check him out on iTunes. CDs will be available.
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Adult Christian Education
Faith that Does Justice
Our series “Faith that Does Justice ” continues this month, taught by Joe Monti. Class begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Founders’ Room. The schedule of topics is:
- October 11 – Justice and Race: White Privilege, Affirmative Action, and the Obligations of Reparation. (Extra – during coffee hour the film “Traces of the Trade” will be shown in the Founders’ Room).
- October 18 – Justice and Gender: Taking Others’ Experience Seriously: Women and GLBT Christians (Extra – during coffee hour the film “The Bible Tells Me So” will be shown in the Founders’ Room).
- October 25 – Justice, Forgiveness, and the Law: What Would Jesus Do?
Christian Education Opportunities around Area
- October 24 – The Intersection of Prayer and Life in the 21 st Century: A Day with Richard Rohr at St. Philip’s Cathedral. Rohr is a well-known author and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in New Mexico. He founded the center in 1987 to serve as a place of discernment and growth for activists and those interested in social service ministries – a place to be still, and learn how to integrate a contemplative lifestyle with compassionate service. His most recent book is The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See. The program is from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The $40 cost includes lunch. Register by October 16 at www.stphilipscathedral.org.
- October 29 – Our old friend Walter Brueggemann will be speaking at All Saints’ Episcopal Church on “The Common Cup: The Meaning of Eucharist in the 21 st Century.” The lecture begins at 7 p.m. A hospitality hour and dinner begin at 5 p.m. Dinner tickets are $20 and may be purchased online at www.allsaintsatlanta.org. Brueggemann is one of the nation’s leading Old Testament scholars.
- November 6 – Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schorri will preach and celebrate at the Eucharist at the annual diocesan council, held at the Cathedral. The service begins at 5:30 p.m. The service is open to all.
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Children and Youth
Wednesday Evening Eucharist
for Children, Families and
Everyone Else
October 7, 6:00 p.m.
Followed by Village Supper
New this year, the first Wed. evening Eucharist of the month
will be geared especially for children and their families …
a fun and joyous celebration to which everyone is invited.
Thank you to Keith Latimore for repairing the shelving in the storage closet.
Christmas Pageant Costumes Need to be Replaced; Workday Planned: Unfortunately, the flooding problems that we had in our basement this summer rendered most of our pageant costumes unsafe to use due to mold and mildew. Ginny Harris has graciously volunteered to spearhead replacing them. We need both material for the costumes and a few willing ‘costume makers’ to work with Ginny. A workday will be held here at the church on Saturday, October 24th. If you can handle a pair of scissors, you can help! Please contact Ginny if you can donate either material or your time. If you have any old clothes that you think might work as a costume, please let her know as well.
Looking ahead to some special events in Sunday school:
- Sunday, October 11th, the All Things New elementary class will have a surprise visitor to tell the story of the plagues as part of our study of the Exodus.
- Sunday, November 15th, both the All Things New class and the Middle School Class will re-enact the Exodus, climbing the mountain (aka the Nature Trail) and coming down into the Promised Land (aka the Beech Grove). There, they will be joined by the Godly Play class for a celebration, including milk and honey (graham crackers.)
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Music Notes
St. Dunstan’s Choir has been devoting a lot of rehearsal time to the newly commissioned anthem by Thomas Addison that will be sung for the first time at Evensong on October 18. The new piece has some interesting harmonies that show a jazz influence—a contemporary way to “sing to the Lord a new song,” and its overall approach to Psalm 24 is very sensitive to the tone of each verse of the text. The Choir will be joined by a few guest singers, and because there is a prominent organ part, we will be assisted by guest organist Steven Schneider, Music Director and Organist at St. James’ Episcopal in Marietta. Evensong is a wonderful opportunity to pray, to sing, to listen, to be still, and to reflect. St. Dunstan’s offers an especially beautiful setting for all of these things: please come.
The Choir has also begun to look ahead to Advent Lessons and Carols, scheduled for Sunday afternoon, December 13. And right now is a great time to say “thank you” to the members of St. Dunstan’s Choir for their hard work and week-by-week attention to their musical and liturgical roles in worship.
“Thank you” also to the Senior Choristers, who sang beautifully on Choir Commissioning Sunday. Our Junior Choristers are having fun learning songs that are connected to their Christian Education theme for the fall, the Old Testament events surrounding the Exodus. We will get to hear them in church soon.
All adult and children’s choir rehearsals conclude with the Choristers Prayer:
Bless, O Lord, us your servants who minister in your temple.
Grant that what we sing with our lips, we may believe in our hearts,
and what we believe in our hearts we may show forth in our lives.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Congratulations, Lindsey!
St. Dunstan’s own Lindsey Reece was the Small Dog Rescue’s volunteer of the month for September. Here’s what they had to say about her:
Lindsey has become not only a star "youth" volunteer, she is also a star among all volunteers. Lindsey cares so much for the dogs. How do we know this? She always does her homework by studying the website so she always knows the dogs' names, even the brand new ones. Lindsey also doesn't shy away from work. She walks dogs, fills water bowls, tracks which dogs have been walked, ensures that the public is handling the dogs correctly and she always keeps on eye on safety for our dogs at adoption events. And of course, we can always find a very happy dog in Lindsey's lap. Lindsey is becoming the adoption events "go-to" person because she is so willing to help. SDR is so lucky to have Lindsey a part of our organization. She is a pleasure to spend our weekends with. And the dogs love her! Thank you, Lindsey, for everything you do for the dogs!
2010 Bridge Group
Are you new to St. Dunstan’s? Have you recently retired and find yourself with time on your hands? Do you play bridge?
In early November we will be setting the 2010 bridge group host schedule. The group plays intermediate social bridge on the first Friday evening of each month in the parish hall. If you enjoy playing at this level and would like to join the group (as a regular player or as a substitute to be called on an occasional basis), please call Daria Jones no later than November 15 please!
Members take turns hosting, which involves calling all members to determine number of tables, providing refreshments as well as setting up and taking down tables & chairs, etc. Every player puts $2 in the “kitty,” which is then given to the church to help defray the costs of our use of the building. Joining the group is not an absolute commitment to play every month (we all travel and have other conflicts), but it’s fair to say that most of our members play most months. There are usually 3-5 tables playing from 7:30 to about 10:30 p.m.
Our bridge group does not include an experienced bridge teacher, so our monthly gatherings are just to play social bridge. If you don’t already play, but want to learn this great card game, several of our players recommend teacher Fred Strickland at the Peachtree Presbyterian Church recreation program.
Episcopal Church Women
ECW Plans Energy Audit Program
In October, St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church Women will be discussing the recently completed parish energy audit. Katy Hinman of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) will speak to the ECW meeting on October 21 at 10:30 in the Founders Room. GIPL conducted the energy audit for the Vestry and Renée Kastanakis has prepared a summary of the results with suggested actions for the Vestry to consider. Copies of this summary will be available in the church office for those interested in reading it before the meeting.
All female members of the parish are members of the ECW, but anyone is welcome to attend meetings, which begin with Eucharist and business meeting, followed by program and lunch. Two hostesses to prepare and serve the lunch are still needed for the October meeting.
Remember, every woman in the parish is a member of the ECW. Childcare is available for meetings by prior arrangement. ALL members of the parish and their friends and neighbors are welcome at our meetings, so plan to come and bring someone with you!
Treasurer's update
The year continues to look good. As you can see, at the end of August we were above our anticipated income and below our anticipated expenses. A nice place to be. Giving a little peek into the future (well, OK, the very recent past) contributions through September also seem to be very robust.
And now it’s Autumn – a new school year, a new budget to prepare, but thankfully no panic about this year’s numbers. Thank you all very much.
August |
YTD |
Budget |
% Difference |
|
| Income | 30,122 |
220,540 |
212,173 |
104 %
|
| Expense | 25,353 |
196,464 |
212,155 |
93 % |
| Total | 4,779 |
24,076 |
18 |
~ Dick Harris
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Mary & Martha's Place
MMP classes are held Thursday, October 7 and 21, from 11:30 a.m.– 1:00 p.m. Each week we’ll discuss a portion of Barbara Brown Taylor’s new book, An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith.
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October 31 (Saturday) from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Join Rebecca Parker, MMP’s Program Director, on Honoring All Hallows Eve. Discover its origins and how it can be used as a touchstone in your personal journey.
- Mark your calendars for MMP’s Women, Chocolate & the Arts – November 12 (7-9 p.m.) Brenda Bynum, acclaimed Atlanta theatrical performer, will be our evening’s presenter. Top the evening off with a glass of wine, some sweets and affordable art. Our annual fundraiser. Cost: $40.
And remember our wonderful Artists’ Market continues November 13 & 14 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Thanks to Pat Berman, Keith Latimore, John Morgan, Steve Mark, and Peachy Horne for devoting a Saturday to working on the grounds.
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Our sympathy goes to John and Lucy Kaltenbach on the death of John’s nephew, Clayton Blackburn.
We welcome new members John Chandler and Beth Tanis from St. Luke’s.
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Deadline for articles for the November Bellows is October 15.
Please email your articles or leave them in Susan Teat’s
mailbox in the church office.
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Sundays
Holy Eucharist at 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
Christian Education for all ages at 9:30 a.m.
Wednesdays
| 4:30- 5:20 PM | Senior choristers (3rd grade and up) |
| 5:30- 5:50 PM | Junior choristers (ages 4 - 2nd grade) |
| 6:00- 7:00 PM | Village Supper |
| 7:00- 9:00 PM | St. Dunstan Adult Choir |
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Craig Withers—Senior Warden |
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Wayne Hood—Junior Warden |
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Christie Brown |
Sibley Fleming | |
Claudia Gimson |
Bill Hancock | |
Reneé Kastanakis |
Nancy Knight Latimore | |
Steve Mark |
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Our Staff
The Rev. Patricia Templeton, Rector
The Rev. Maggie Harney, Priest Associate
Ellen Gallow, Director of Christian Education
Thomas Gibbs, Parish Musician
Susan Teat , Parish Administrator
Dick Harris, Treasurer