Maundy Thursday, Tonight, 6pm: in our Maundy liturgy, we will walk through Jesus’ final evening with his friends before his arrest, including a simple shared meal, foot washing (optional), and the stripping of the altar.
- Please bring 30 pieces of change (dimes, nickels, pennies) – or just a handful.
- People of all ages are welcome in this liturgy.
Night watch Vigil Sign-Up: From 8:30pm till midnight on Thursday, March 24, following our Maundy Thursday service, and from 6am till noon on Good Friday, March 25, members of St. Dunstan’s will keep a vigil of prayer in the church, in pairs. Sign up in the Gathering Area for your desired shift. Come in silence, sit or kneel in silence, depart in silence. Reading material will be provided.
Good Friday Liturgies, Friday, March 25, 12 noon and 7pm: A solemn liturgy recalling Christ’s death on the cross. Our 7pm service is followed by the Good Friday Wake, a one-hour vigil in which we honor Jesus’ death and remember our own beloved dead. Reflect on the poetry, art, and Scripture of Jesus’ death and the grief of his friends. Hot cross buns and tea will be served.
Friday, March 25, 4pm, Children’s Good Friday Service: This service is best for kids ages 3 to 10. We will walk the Stations of the Cross together, exploring the story and what it means to us.
The Great Vigil of Easter, Saturday, March 26, 8pm: The Easter Vigil is one of Christianity’s most ancient and beautiful liturgies: fire and water, music and art, darkness and light, death and resurrection! Please bring bells and noisemakers. We will use INCENSE at this liturgy. The Great Vigil liturgy is appropriate for adults, youth, and older kids; it is about two hours long.
Easter Sunday, Sunday, March 27, 8am & 10am: Celebrate Easter with the St. Dunstan’s community! After each service, there will be an Easter egg hunt for children. Visitors and guests are very welcome!
Easter Season Reflection Booklets: The young adults of the Episcopal churches of Madison (including two of our own) have written reflections for each day of Easter season. Pick up a booklet to enjoy in the weeks ahead!
Holy Week Offerings: As is our custom, offerings made during our Holy Week services will go to support particular agencies and ministries. Maundy Thursday offerings will go to Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) here in Madison. Good Friday offerings will go to the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East. Easter Vigil offerings will go to Episcopal Relief & Development. Thank you for your generosity.
THE WEEKS AHEAD…
Outreach Committee Open Meeting Invitation, Saturday, April 2, 8:00am: The Outreach Committee at St. Dunstan’s oversees and coordinates all the many ways that the people of St. Dunstan’s serve those in need beyond our parish, by sharing our time and skills as volunteers and by giving funds and other resources. Outreach Committee meetings are always open to interested folk, but we especially invite those who would like to learn more or get involved to attend our upcoming meeting. We’ll offer an overview of our core ministries, and we’d love to hear about your ideas or passions! We gather with a simple potluck breakfast at 8am, then move into the meeting proper at 8:30am.
Little Free Library Planning Meeting: On Sunday, April 3, at 9:15am we will have a brief meeting to familiarize interested folk with our Little Free Library and discuss how to organize a team to maintain it in the months ahead. All are welcome!
Retirement Celebration for Deacon Sybil, Sunday, April 3rd after the 10am service: The Rev. Sybil Robinson is a much-beloved elder of our parish, an Episcopal deacon, and a retired professor of theater and drama. Sybil has proclaimed the Gospel faithfully for us for many years, even at the age of ninety-one. Sybil will soon retire from serving in this capacity, though she will continue to worship with us as she is able. Come join us for a celebration of Sybil’s ministry. Please thank Sybil for the blessing of her beautiful and well-trained voice, all these years!
Evening Eucharist, Sunday, April 3, 6pm: Join us for a simple service before the week begins. All are welcome.
Birthday and Anniversaries will be honored next Sunday, April 3, as is our custom on the first Sunday of every month. Come forward after the Announcements to receive a blessing and the community’s prayers.
Healing Prayer, Sunday, April 3: Next Sunday, one of our ministers will offer healing prayers for those who wish to receive prayers for themselves or on behalf of others.
MOM Special Offering, Sunday April 3: Next Sunday, half the cash in our offering plate and any designated checks will be given to Middleton Outreach Ministry’s food pantry. Groceries are welcome gifts too. Here are the top ten items most needed currently: pouch/canned meat, sugar, size 6 diapers, meals in a can, ketchup/mayonnaise, canned potatoes, laundry detergent, non-perishable lactose free milk, plastic grocery bags, paper grocery bags. Quality bedding items such as comforters, sheets, blankets and towels are always in need too. Thank you for all your support!
Easter Season 2016: Healing Democracy, One Heart at a Time – On Sundays at 9am in Easter Season, starting on April 10, we will explore techniques for creating safe spaces in which to talk honestly, strive to transcend partisanship and reconnect as human beings across the political gulfs that divide us. We’ll experiment with five habits that author Parker Palmer believes will help heal our hearts and the collective heart of our nation:
- An understanding that we are all in this together.
- An appreciation of the value of otherness.
- An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways.
- A sense of personal voice or agency.
- A capacity to create community.
In a year of contentious politics, let’s claim this opportunity to engage in deep conversation and strengthen the ties connecting our faith, our hearts, our convictions and our communities. Watch this space for more details, but please consider participating in the weeks ahead!
Sing Out Loud! Sunday, April 24, 3pm: St. Dunstan’s Choir is hosting a choir festival on April 24th at 3 p.m., to benefit Middleton Outreach Ministries (MOM). Choirs from MOM congregations will be joining our singers to present an afternoon concert. Please bring personal care or household cleaning items for the MOM pantry. Al Ripp, the Executive Director of MOM will speak to us about MOM’s work in our area. Help spread the word!
Madison-Area Julian Gathering, April 13, 7:15 – 9:00pm: The Madison-Area Julian Gathering has been meeting for six years, reading and discussing the hopeful theology of St. Julian of Norwich, and practicing contemplative prayer together. Upon having worked our way carefully through Julian’s 14th Century masterpiece of trust and joy in the goodness of God, we’ve decided to start at the beginning and do it all over again! If you’re interested in getting in on the ground floor, please join us!