THIS WEEK….
Clergy Presence during Rev. Miranda’s Travel: Rev. Miranda will be away from June 22 through 29. Father Tom McAlpine will celebrate and preach on Sunday, June 23. If you need the care or counsel of a priest during Rev. Miranda’s absence, you may reach Father Tom at 608-208-3793 or Father John Rasmus at (608) 345-4110.
Ladies’ Night Out, Friday, June 28, 6pm: Come join us for good food and good conversation among women of all ages from St. Dunstan’s. This month we will meet at Tanner’s bar & Grill, 1611 Deming Wai, Middleton (Greenway Station). For more information please contact Debra Martinez.
Seeking Sponsors for Middle School Mission Trip: St. Dunstan’s Youth Group is headed out on a mission trip from July 29 to August 1! They will visit other churches around the Diocese of Milwaukee and help out with service projects. We’re sending a big, lively group of kids this year! Would you like to help sponsor the trip? Your $25 sponsorship helps cover trip expenses. Each sponsor will receive a postcard from one of our youth, during or after the trip. You can contribute with a check in the offering plate with “Camp Sponsorship” on the memo line, or online at donate.stdunstans.com . Thank you!
Last Sunday All-Ages Worship, Sunday, June 30, 10am: Our last Sunday worship is intended especially to help kids (and grownups who are new to our pattern of worship) to engage and participate fully. NOTE: Our 8am service always follows our regular order of worship.
Birthday and Anniversary blessings and Healing Prayers will be given [next] Sunday, July 7, as is our custom on the first Sunday of the month.
AA Meeting: A Beginner’s group of Alcoholics Anonymous meets every Tuesday evening from 7-8 pm at St. Dunstan’s. For more information, contact Joe W. at 608-338-5359.
THE WEEKS AHEAD…
Cookie Church Returns! 6 – 7pm, Wednesdays in July: Cookie Church is simple bedtime church. It is child-centered but not just for kids; we find that youth and grownups like it too! We will share singing, story, Eucharist, and a snack. (Yes, there will be cookies.) We end with bedtime prayers and it’s OK to come in your pajamas! Cookie Church is planned for Wednesdays in July. If you’re away for a weekend but still want to come to church, come try it out! Sign up in the Gathering Area if you’d like to make a batch of cookies for us one week. We ask for at least 20 cookies, and it’s OK to drop them off Sunday morning (clearly labeled so they don’t get eaten at Coffee Hour).
Farewell Party for the Rev. Jonathan Melton & Family: Father Jonathan, the Episcopal chaplain at UW-Madison and friend of St. Dunstan’s, and his family are moving to Texas for a new ministry position. There will be a farewell party for the family at St. Francis House (1011 University Ave.) on Tuesday, July 9, from 5 – 8pm. Please RSVP to Sharon Henes if you plan to attend!
Madison-Area Julian Gathering, Wednesday, July 10, 1:00 – 2:45 PM: During a time of great turmoil in England and Europe, Julian came to believe unshakably that “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” Please join us for contemplative prayer and discussion of Julian’s optimistic theology! For more information, contact Susan Fiore, ObJN.
Learning about Solitary Confinement, Sunday, July 14: WHAT IS SOLITARY CELL CONFINEMENT? As the name suggests, solitary cell confinement in the U.S. criminal justice system separates individuals from the general prison/jail/detention center population, housing them alone in a concrete cell the size of a walk-in closet, where their movements and privileges are highly restricted. In solitary, you get your meals through a slot, you do not see other inmates, and you never touch or get near another human being. You get a couple showers a week and are allowed less than an hour for exercise in a small caged area a few times a week. Otherwise you are alone, hidden away in your confinement cell, week after week, and too often month after month or year after year. If you respond to the extreme sensory deprivation by shouting or screaming, your time in solitary is extended; if you hurt yourself by refusing to eat or mutilating your body, your time in solitary is extended; if you complain to officers or say anything menacing or inappropriate, your time in solitary is extended. The sensory deprivation frequently produces night terrors, flashbacks, anxiety, depression, and insomnia – psychological trauma that lasts long after release from custody. Not infrequently the isolation drives inmates to attempt suicide or commit other acts of self-harm. The United Nations advocates for banning solitary cell confinement that exceeds more than 15 days except in rare exceptional circumstances.
On Sunday, July 14, we will have the opportunity to go inside a Solitary Confinement Cell on our way into or out of the morning services. And during the weeks of August 11 – 31, we will have multiple opportunities to join in reading and discussing the New York Times bestseller “Just Mercy.” Stay tuned!
Saturday Book Club, August 3rd at 10am: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. Getting a hard copy of the book: I recently discovered that the Madison Central Library (next door to the Overture Center) has a Book Club section – located on the western end of the second floor. This section contains multiple copies of selected books. The next meeting’s book – The Ocean at the End of the Lane – is available in this section. If you check it out at the main desk and say it is a Book Club book, they can also give you an extended time to read it. Don’t worry if via your online account you are put on a lengthy hold list; the Book Club copies aren’t included in the online catalog
Creation Care Ideas, Summer 2019: Our open Creation Care meeting in May generated some great ideas. Plans already in the works include a Creation-focused all-ages Vacation Bible School on the evenings of August 4 – 8; and some opportunities to seek God in Nature on summer Sundays. With some ideas, we’re seeking a group of interested folks who can move it forward. Are you interested in contributing to an Idea Fair to share green practices you’ve taken on or things you’ve learned about caring for the world? Do you have a green crafting or “upcycling” project to share? Would you like to help care for the nearby Heim Fox Mound with some seasonal weeding? Is there a “green” product you find really useful that you’d like us to explore bulk buying? If you have thoughts on any of these fronts, sign up at church in the Gathering Area or email our office coordinator Ann at .
It’s Time to Update our Parish Directory! If you are new to St. Dunstan’s and would like your address and contact information to be in our church directory, or if you have a change of address or contact information, please let our Office Coordinator Ann know at 608-238-2781 or . Our church directory is shared with members; it is not posted publicly.
Update on our Church Neighbors Foundry414: For several years we’ve shared space with Foundry414, a friendly and open-minded non-denominational church. Foundry meets in the Parish Center, which will be renovated this summer for use as youth group space (lower level) and meeting and community space (upper level). Starting on June 2, over the summer, Foundry will be meeting in our nave and Meeting Room on Sundays at 4:30pm. Please help leave the church tidy for them, and if you have a reason to stop by on a Sunday evening, be respectful of their space. Thank you!
SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES…
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2019: SAVE THE DATES – AUGUST 4 – 8! Plans are just starting to take shape but we expect to spend a lot of time outdoors, and to invite the adults of St. Dunstan’s to join our kids and youth for shared learning and fun, as we did in 2018. Mark your calendars!
Women’s Mini-Week, August 8 – 11: The mission of Women’s Mini-Week is to provide an annual retreat event for adult women, offering refuge, friendship, relaxation, and fun. Mini-Week combines opportunities to learn with fellowship, spiritual exploration and delicious food as we invite all women to participate as much or as little as they would like and need. Mini-Week is held at a beautiful lakeside camp in northern Wisconsin. Many members of St. Dunstan’s have attended, planned, and led, over the years. Visit womensminiweek.org to learn more and make Mini-Week part of your summer plans.