Tonight: Revelation Study Group, Thursday, November 2: “To whom does the earth belong? Who is the ruler of this world?” Fiorenza thinks that’s the question that drove the production of Revelation, and it’s certainly front and center in chapters 4-7. All are cordially invited to the study of Revelation this Thursday at St. Dunstan’s after Sandbox, 7-8:30 PM. This week focuses on Rev 4-7. Extra copies of the book in manuscript format will be available. There will be some historical orientation, but we’ll mostly focus on trying to hear the text together today. Fr. Tom McAlpine is facilitating.
THIS WEEK…
All Saints’ Day, Sunday, Nov. 5: We will celebrate this holy day with an opportunity to remember the faithful departed; renewal of our baptismal vows; and, at our 10am service, a kids’ saint procession.
Piece Be with You! Fall Giving Campaign Celebration Pie Brunch: Please join us on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 9:00 between services for an all-parish potluck brunch celebrating the ingathering of pledges for our prayers, hopes, and financial pledges for our parish life in the coming year. We will enjoy fellowship, delicious pies, quiches, and other offerings. Please sign up in the Gathering area to bring your favorite pie or quiche. Thank you!
Naming our Saints: In anticipation of All Saints Day, please fill out one or more Saint Slips, available in the Gathering Area. Tell us about a saint, well-known or known only to you, whom you remember with love.
Remembrance Station: Consider bringing in a token of one of those saints whom you remember with love and respect, as an extension of our All Saints commemorations. Our Remembrance Station this year will include a place to hang pictures or notes, and a table where you may place a photo or other memento. Please don’t bring in anything precious or irreplaceable. On Sunday, November 26, we will commend these faithful departed to Christ our King.
Birthday and Anniversary blessings and Healing Prayers will be given this Sunday, November 5, as is our custom on the first Sunday of the month.
MOM Special Offering, Sunday, November 5: This Sunday, half the cash in our offering plate and any designated checks will be given to Middleton Outreach Ministry’s food pantry. Here are the current top-ten, most needed items: toilet paper; heart healthy cooking oil; canned chicken; ketchup and mayonnaise; baking soda & powder, salt & vanilla; boxed meals; cake, brownie & muffin mixes; toothbrush, paste, & floss; laundry detergent; size 4, 5 & 6 diapers. Thank you for your generous support!
Falk Friends Pantry Prep, Sunday, November 5, 11:30am: Our partner school, Falk Elementary School on the southwest side of Madison, now has its own food pantry which is serving families well! However, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items are still in need, as in most pantries. This year we’ll partner with Falk by providing toilet paper, feminine hygiene items, detergent, and other similar items for their pantry. Helpers of all ages are welcome to help pack our Falk Friends Pantry bags after the 10am liturgy!
Evening Eucharist, Sunday, November 5, 6pm: Join us for a simple service as the week begins. All are welcome.
Helpers Wanted for our Pie Brunch (November 19)! We’ll celebrate the conclusion of our fall Giving Campaign with a potluck pie brunch at 9am, between our two Sunday services. This is always delicious and fun! This year we are looking for a few new helpers who can assist with decorating, set-up and clean-up. If you’d like to help, sign up in the Gathering Area or contact Laura Bloomenkranz.
Childcare, Saturday, November 11: Looking for some child-free time? The middle school youth group would love to spend time with your child on Saturday, November 11, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. Dunstan’s. There is no charge, however, any tips will go towards our summer trip.
Military and College Student Care Packages: The Youth Group is collecting donations during November to be included in care packages for military personnel and college students. There is a list of suggested items by the donation box. If you have a college student or service member whom you would like a care package sent to, please provide name and address to Sharon Henes. The youth will be assembling and mailing the care packages the first week of December. Thank you for your support!
Bring Christmas Cheer to St. Dunstan’s! Celebrate what’s important to you with a gift that helps us decorate for Christmas and honors a loved one or a special event. Please see the red Christmas Flowers sign-up sheets in the Gathering Area. Write “Christmas Flowers” on the memo line of your check or on the envelope containing cash. Suggested donation is $25.
Coffee Hosts Needed for November 26: Please consider being a coffee host and talk with Janet Bybee for more information.
THE WEEKS AHEAD…
Madison-Area Julian Gathering, Wednesday, November 8, 1:00 – 2:45pm: St. Julian of Norwich: 14th Century feminist? 14th Century heretic? No, although a reader might at first think so. 14th Century psychologist? Sort of . . . she understood the human heart and, through her sixteen revelations of Jesus, she understood the heart of God. Thomas Merton called her “the greatest theologian for our time.” Come to one of our monthly meetings and find out why — and learn about contemplative prayer. We meet the second Wednesday of each month. We’d love to see you. For more information, contact Susan Fiore.
Revelation Study Group, Thursday, November 9: (Rev 8-16) What are all these divine judgments for? What, if anything, does martyrdom accomplish? These are among the many questions we might wonder about in chapters 8-16. All are cordially invited to the study of Revelation this Thursday at St. Dunstan’s after Sandbox, 7-8:30 PM. This week focuses on Rev 8-16. Extra copies of the book in manuscript format will be available. There will be some historical orientation, but we’ll mostly focus on trying to hear the text together today. Fr. Tom McAlpine is facilitating.
Men’s Book Club, Saturday, November 11, 10am-12pm: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, first published in America in January 1885, has always been in trouble. It was condemned by many reviewers in Mark Twain’s time as coarse and by many commentators in our time as racist. But, according to Ernest Hemingway, it was the “one book” from which “all modern American Literature” came, and contemporary critics and scholars have treated it as one of the greatest American works of art.
Fall Gospel Fest, High Point Church, Saturday, Nov. 11, 7:00pm: Chris and Marian Barnes invite any St. Dunstan’s members to meet at their home at 6pm for snacks and fellowship, then continue on to this local concert. Tickets are $30 ahead or $40 at the door. Contact Chris Barnes with questions, and read more about the event or buy advance tickets here: fallgospelfest.com.
Attending to Scripture in the Anthropocene, 9am, Nov. 12 & 26: “Anthropocene” – have you heard this word? In Nature, a top-ranked scientific journal, earth scientist Clive Hamilton writes: “[It arises]…from the new discipline of Earth-system science. Earth-system science takes an integrated approach, so that climate change affects the functioning of not just the atmosphere, but also the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, the biosphere and even the lithosphere…. [the] human imprint on the global environment has now become so large and active that it rivals some of the great forces of Nature in its impact on the functioning of the Earth system.” Between services in November, Biblical storyteller Pamela Grenfell Smith invites you to listen and reflect on some key Biblical stories with her as people of the Anthropocene Age. What happens when we pay careful attention? How do they sound to us now?
Sunday School, Sunday, November 12, 10am: Next Sunday our 3 year olds to kindergarten class will learn about the Ten Best Ways, while our Elementary classes will explore the meanings of the parable of the bridesmaids who didn’t have enough oil for their lamps.
What Does Racism Look Like, and What Can We Do About It? Saturday, November 18, 10 – 11:30am, at St. Dunstan’s: Eliot Smith is a cognitive scientist who studies and teaches about prejudice and stereotyping. He’ll help us understand what racism is from the perspective of social science, and how we can begin the work of change. All are welcome!
Black Friday Craft-In: VOLUNTEERS WANTED, Friday, November 24, 1 – 4pm: This year we’ll hold our fourth annual Black Friday Craft-In, a free public crafting event. We can use all kinds of volunteers – whether your skill is sewing, woodworking, stamping, papercrafting, helping little kids with simple crafts, smiling at people and saying “Welcome!”, setting up tables, or putting cookies on plates. If you’d like to plan and set up a craft station of your own, let Rev. Miranda know, and we have some Michael’s gift cards available to help you cover materials expenses. A new hope this year is to help kids make teacher gifts – your ideas needed! Sign up in the Gathering Area to help out, or email Rev. Miranda at .
Creating for a Cause, Holiday Art Fair for MOM, Saturday, December 2 (10am-5pm) and Sunday, December 3 (11am-4pm) in the MOM Food Pantry at 3502 Parmenter St. in Middleton: Come enjoy a wonderful art fair with local artists. The Brass Arts will perform holiday classics on Sunday from 1-3pm. Partial proceeds will go toward ending hunger. Entry is free! For more information go to artfair.momhelps.org.
Capital Campaign Possibilities: Parish Presentation, Sunday, December 3, 9am: At this meeting, the Capital Campaign Discernment Steering Committee, along with our consultant and our architect, will present the ideas we’ve been developing in response to the hopes and needs that the parish has named over the past many months. This presentation – and your responses – will help us decide whether to move forward to the Study phase of the capital campaign. Please plan to attend! NOTE: The 10am liturgy will begin at 10:30 that morning in order to allow sufficient time for our presentation and discussion. If you can’t attend that day, look for materials to come out by email, on our church website, and by snail mail to those who prefer information by that route.