What’s Happening at St. Dunstan’s

Sabbatical Summer is Coming!

With input gathered from parishioners, St. Dunstan’s Sabbatical Committee has planned a slate of activities that will reflect Rev. Laurel’s pursuits during her three-month clergy renewal: a deepening involvement with music, nature and prayer. The Committee hopes these activities will sustain our connection with her and refresh our connection with one another during her sabbatical, which begins Sunday, May 31, and concludes Sunday, September 6.

Some of these activities have been scheduled; others will go on the calendar as the summer rolls along.

Meals hosted by several parishioners to foster fellowship.

Neither the host nor the guests will know who’s coming until they arrive!

Mystery hosts and guests, good food, and great fellowship – whether you bring just yourself, your spouse, or the tribe! Don’t miss the details that will be announced at the 10am service on June 21!

Our goal is to bring parishioners together in a fun and welcoming way. Families with children will be matched with others who have children of similar ages.

These Sabbatical Summer potluck dinners will be held Saturday, July 11th.

Flyers and sign-up sheets will be available on the welcome table after the service.

Grab one and sign up!

Weekly June 21–August 2.

This seven-week study is meant to awaken our visceral knowing of the Creator through the creation, reconnect us with the sacred landscapes we call home, encourage us to provide space and time for spiritual reflection in nature, and to live in greater harmony with God’s Earth.

Long before there were synagogues, churches or even the Bible, God made God’s self known through the creation. The Scriptures are packed full of examples of people coming to understand God through the fig tree, the sparrow, violent storms, and of course Living Waters.

Today, we live largely separate and disconnected from the Earth and its ecological processes, and yet this knowing of God in and through God’s creation is still embedded deep within us. We experience it in a sunrise or a sunset, an awe-inspiring mountain range or a gentle stream.

This program includes videos, discussion questions, and a suggested spiritual practice in nature for each week that can be done either individually or as a group. The study also encourages participants to examine and transform their own lifestyles to help bring health and wholeness to God’s beloved creation.

There is no text for this program. Simply show up each week, watch a short video and engage in the thought-provoking discussion questions provided by your facilitator. Please plan to join us as we walk alongside Rev. Laurel on her sabbatical journey through nature.

All meetings will take place in the Guild room.

Sundays at 9:00AM
Wednesdays at 11:00AM (Women’s only group)
Wednesdays at 5:30PM

A veddy, veddy fun baking experience Saturday, July 18, with the goodies presented with High Tea the next morning, July 19, after the 10 am service (yes, there will still be coffee, too!).

A list of articles and books that reflect Rev. Laurel’s “Disconnect to Connect” sabbatical themes of nature, music and a rhythm of prayer.

Last year as the sabbatical committee was planning the grant request to the Lilly Foundation, we decided to compile a list of books reflective of Rev. Laurel’s planned activities while away. The list has been assembled containing her focus areas of prayer, Celtic spirituality and worship, the community of Iona, experiencing God in nature, and experiencing God in music. To view the complete list, please see the link sent in our weekly newsletter.

One book on the list, Sounds of the Eternal: A Celtic Psalter by John Philip Newell, is the source for our opening prayers in Sunday and Wednesday worship this summer. This is the same prayer book Rev. Laurel is taking on her sabbatical travels… a prayerful way for us to stay connected.

If you enjoy reading, selecting a book or two from this list is another way to stay connected with Rev. Laurel as she goes about her spiritual renewal activities. Just do a Google or Amazon search if you want to know more about a title or author that sparks your interest.

Happy reading!

(One service at 10am)

A joyous day that will include a transition ceremony from Rev. Shelley back to Rev. Laurel.

A catered luncheon follows.

This post-sabbatical event will celebrate Rev. Laurel’s return with music that will resonate with her clergy renewal experience.

August 16-September 27, a 50-day journey through the entire Bible, selecting passages that address how we should care for all of God’s creation.

Stay Tuned! In the planning stages!