November 2009
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Lazarus at the Gate and
People in our Midst

The moment could not have been scripted better if we had tried.

It was the last Sunday school class in our series on justice, and Joe was reiterating the point that scripture gives priority to the poor, and that in the kingdom of God the last shall be first.

He used as an example Flannery O’Connor’s wonderful short story Revelation, in which the arrogant Ruby Turpin, who considered herself superior to everyone around her, has a shocking vision of a stairway to heaven. She was on the stairs, but at the bottom. Ahead of her in line were all the people she had looked down on all her life – the “white trash, the colored people” (to use her words), the poor.

Just as Joe finished the example, the door to the Founders’ Room opened and an African American man, neatly dressed, limped in and sat down on the front row.

Robert told his story to everyone in Sunday School, so I feel free to share it here. He needed help with his rent. He is a skilled construction worker, but can’t work because he badly needs a hip replacement. He has been denied disability and has no insurance. Grady Hospital refuses to do the hip replacement until he loses weight, but he can’t exercise because of his bad hip. He was losing weight by swimming at the YMCA, but had to stop because he couldn’t afford the $17 a month fee.

Robert, a proud and gifted man, who wants to work, has fallen through the cracks of the system, with no safety nets to catch him. And so he has had to swallow his pride and ask strangers for help.

Through my discretionary fund we were able to help Robert with his rent and give him a little extra. We also will try to help him connect with other avenues of assistance.

Robert may very well be our Lazarus. Lazarus, you may remember, is the poor man in a parable Jesus told, who sits at the gate of the home of a very rich man. Every day the rich man passes Lazarus and never even acknowledges his presence. When both the rich man and Lazarus die, it is Lazarus who is carried to heaven by Abraham.

The economic times in which we live have made life even more difficult for the Lazaruses among us, who even in the best of times occupy the bottom rungs of the economic ladder. But as the economy worsens it is not just the traditional Lazaruses who find they are in need of help.

As a church, we are committed to do what we can to help the Lazarus at our gate. We also recognize that there are people in our pews who have been affected by the economy. At parish meetings last spring people expressed anxiety and concern not only about their own financial well being, but about those on the margins and those in our own community who may need help.

We have in place the discretionary fund, which helps individuals who call the parish needing assistance, and outreach funds which go to organizations that provide services and aid to people in need.

Now, the vestry has voted to establish a Parishioner Relief Fund. Here’s how it will work. There is now a line item in the budget for the fund with a beginning balance of $10,000. If a parishioner ( Ú )

comes to me with a request for financial help, I will ask our treasurer to move the amount of money needed from the fund into the rector’s discretionary account. I will then write a check from that account.

The transactions will be confidential, meaning that no one but me will know to whom money from this fund is dispersed. I will report to the vestry how much money is dispersed and for what general purpose (to pay an electric bill, to buy medicine, to help with a mortgage payment), but no other specific details.

There are no strings attached to money dispersed from this fund. That is, it is a gift, not a loan. Some people may be able to repay the money; if they do, it will go back into the fund. Others may not be in a position to repay, and that’s okay.

Others who would like to help may make contributions to either the rector’s discretionary fund or the Parishioner Relief Fund.

Some of you may have noticed that I stumbled over the dismissal last Sunday. “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,” I intended to say, but what came out instead was “Go in peace to love and serve the world.”

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Announcements

Come all ye people, come and praise your Maker . November 4th, 6 p.m. Wednesday Evening Eucharist for Children, Families, and Everyone Else! Followed by Village Supper. A fun and joyous celebration to which everyone is invited.

Advent Wreaths November 22, 2009 Vicki Ledet will lead us in making Advent wreaths after the 10:45 service.  Bring a dish to share and we can enjoy a potluck lunch together before we get to work.  Please sign up in the narthex as soon as possible so that there will be enough supplies for everyone.  The cost of the materials is $15.00.  You may also order the materials to make the wreath at home.  For an additional $10 contribution to St. Dunstan's, Vicki will make the wreath for you or someone special to whom you might like to give one.

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A prayer of Thanksgiving

Almighty God, creator of all mercies, we give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, but giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days.

Amen.

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Save the Dates

• November 1 – All Saints’ Celebration with a Jazz Eucharist
  
• November 22 – Advent wreath making after church
  
• November 29 – First Sunday of Advent
  
• December 5-6 –St. Dunstan’s Art Show
  
• December 13 – 4 p.m. Service of Lessons and Carols
  
• December 16 – 6 p.m. Christmas Carol Sing followed by potluck supper
  
• December 19 – 2 p.m. seminarian Tim Black’s ordination to the deaconate at Cathedral of St. Philip’s
  
• December 20 – Annual Christmas Pageant during Sunday School hour
  
• December 24 – 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. Christmas Eve Eucharists

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Adult Christian Education

Is Stewardship Global?

Continuing the discussion of Justice in Adult Sunday School, the Stewardship Committee will take over in November to consider what it is that God requires of us in a global context. How do we "do justice" in today's world? Where do nice, middle-class American folks fit in the scale of global wealth, and what can and should we do about it? 

The four-session curriculum, entitled "Toward Economic Discipleship -- Living and Giving in a Global Context," uses scriptural reflections to help us figure out where we are in the spectrum of global wealth, find a platform to stand on as we look about us, and consider how our actions can enrich our own lives and those of others. Lively discussion -- not to say controversy -- is likely to break out!

Please join us at 9:30 a.m.

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Children and Youth

Special Sunday School, Nov. 15th

As a culmination of their studying the Exodus, the All Things New class, joined by the Middle School class, will re-enact the journey, 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.) All children and youth are invited to participate in this fun, memorable event!

Cathedral Bookstore visits St. Dunstan’s on Nov. 15th

Advent calendars, books, and gifts will be available for sale. Get a jump on your Christmas shopping and support Christian education at St. Dunstan’s, which receives 10% of the proceeds.

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Christmas Pageant Costumes

Many, many thanks to the wonderful people who gave up Saturday, October 25, to make replacement costumes for our Christmas Pageant: Nancy Dillon, Dick Harris, Lynn Hood, Tami Kimball, Lucy Kaltenbach, Susan Martz, Ethan Stansbury, Marilyn Stansbury, Jeanne Taylor, and Elizabeth Wong Mark. A special 'thank you' to the members of the American Sewing Guild who generously gave of their time and expertise: Martha Myers, Martina Gibbony, and Judy Cable. Two dozen costumes were made along with angel halos and wings.

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Music Notes

Music for the season of Advent

The quarterly pledge letters generated by our accounting system have a confusing way of showing total giving. I wrote about this in the letter you received with your pledge statement, but I left out the TOTAL line, so the explanation was not much help. Here is a better explanation:

Your third quarter pledge statement covers contributions made between January 1 and September 30, 2009. Payments made in October are not reflected, but pledges prepaid before the first of the year are. For those of you who prepaid, your total giving against your pledge is the sum of the last two columns in the ‘Pledge 2009’ line of the summary. For instance, the total unrestricted giving below (Flower Fund giving is restricted) is $1000, whereas the Total Giving line shows the total of all gifts since January 1.

Summary by account (Year to date as of 09/30/09)

~ Dick Harris

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Mary & Martha's Place