While many people will choose to observe Lent in their own way – and while a strong case can be made that one’s Lenten practice this year should be continuing to live through everything that’s difficult about this season in the life of the world – we have several offerings and opportunities for the people and friends of St. Dunstan’s. To get more information about any of these programs, use the Contact Us box on the left side of the page or subscribe to our weekly E-news.
Mapping Repentance: A Lenten series, Tuesdays at 7pm OR at your own pace, Feb. 23 – Mar. 23: Mapping Repentance is an exploration of how injustice is embedded in our landscape. We’ll learn about the history of how Native peoples were moved off the land where we worship and live, and we’ll also learn about redlining and the radicalized housing landscape. We’ll meet on Tuesdays at 7pm on Zoom; we will also make resources available for people to watch, read, and reflect on their own schedule.
A Lenten Opportunity: Learning to Listen. Listening – to others, to yourself, to God – is an important spiritual practice. A Lenten resource prepared by Living Compass offers daily reflections and prompts to develop our practice of intentional listening this Lent. If this sounds like a good Lenten discipline for you, there are three ways to participate! First, you can sign up to get the daily reflections and questions every day by email. Second, you can join a Facebook group with others around the country to share your reflections throughout the season. Sign up for the daily emails or join the Facebook group at this link: https://www.livingcompass.org/lent-signup . (Note: Living Compass is an ecumenical resource, but most of its writers and readers are Episcopalian.) Third, we’re working on plans for a weekly Zoom gathering to reflect on these materials together. You can download the booklet here: https://shop.livingcompass.org/products/living-well-through-lent-2021-pdf-download . Put it in your cart and check out – it is free and you will not be charged anything, but will receive a download link in your email.
Lent Words: Lent Words is a simple daily invitation to reflection. View or print the calendar here (with thanks to St. Sephen’s Church, Orinda, CA). During the season of Lent, you’re invited to prayerfully consider each of the words, and respond with visually with a photograph, drawing, or pinging – or with a poem or prose reflection, or music, or any other medium you like. You can respond every day or just when it strikes your fancy. Share your Lent Words images on Facebook or Instagram (tag @stdunstansmadcity), or email or text them to Rev. Miranda (608-469-7085), and if it’s OK with you, we’ll your images in Zoom worship!
Lent Madness 2021 – Featuring Our Patron Saint! Lent Madness is a long-running program that encourages people to learn about the lives of the saints every Lent by offering a “bracket” of 32 saints. Every day in Lent, people can vote for their favorite of two saints; the ultimate favorite saint at the end of the season is crowned with the “Golden Halo” for that year. This year, our patronal saint Dunstan is on the list! He’ll be up for voting first on March 3. Over my years at St. Dunstan’s, I’ve learned a lot about him and come to have a great affection and respect for him. He was a person of stubborn faithfulness who worked hard to reform and renew religious institutions and improve life for ordinary people, in a fractured and desperate time. I hope more folks will come to know him through Lent Madness this year. Vote for Dunstan on March 3 at lentmadness.org – and the Middle School youth group would also like you vote for Simeon the Holy Fool on March 4! If you’re interested in following along, you can subscribe to get daily updates by email, on the right side of the Lent Madness page; like Lent Madness on Facebook; or follow on Twitter. We also have a few Lent Madness booklets available for pickup at church; tell Rev. Miranda know or email if you’d like one.
AuDivina, Feb. 28 and Mar. 28, 10:15AM: AuDivina is a practice of listening to non-churchy music and reflecting on how it enriches or reflects on church themes and stories. You don’t have to be an expert in either music or the Bible to participate and enjoy! For February 28, our theme is Out Of The Depths. We’re looking for songs written from the lowest points of human experience. Send suggestions to Rev. Miranda or Deanna (). Our March theme will be love songs – more on that when it gets closer. We gather on the same link as Sunday morning Zoom worship.