Dear friends,
Tomorrow in Sunday School we are going to look at two events that have been front and center in the news in the past week. The first is the shooting at Apalachee High School in nearby Winder. There is a very small Episcopal Church there. Bishop Wright was with them last Sunday and preached one of the finest sermons I’ve heard. I have a copy of it, and we’ll all see and hear it tomorrow.
The second thing we will discuss (if there is time) is the lie begun by vice presidential candidate JD Vance, and amplified by former president Donald Trump in the debate — that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating our pets. There have been a lot of funny memes about that outrageous lie. I have laughed and passed a few of them on myself. But it is not funny to the people of Springfield, who have endured bomb threats and other threats of violence since the debate. We’ll talk about the roots of this lie, how similar atrocities have been used before to drum up fear and hatred of immigrants, and what the consequences have been and are. We’ll do that against the backdrop of what scripture has to say about how we treat the immigrants among us. Spoiler alert — it has nothing to do with fear and hatred.
I have a couple of dates for you to add to your calendar:
September 29 at both services — the blessing of the animals. Usually we have this service on the first Sunday of October, but we’re moving it back a week this year. It is still the week that we celebrate the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. This is great time to invite your friends (and their pets) to St. Dunstan’s. No Sunday School this day.
October 20 — the annual Flying Pig Barbecue. This is one of the most fun days of the year. We will have one service at 10 a.m., followed by the BBQ. Everyone is asked to bring a side dish. More details to follow, but put it on your calendar now.
Below is an article/announcement from our outreach chair Suzanne Johnson about important work we are doing. Thanks for sharing this, Suzanne.
With love,
Tricia
Immigration is one of the most difficult public policy dilemmas in our country and one of the thorniest political divides. For us as people of faith, it is requires us to confront the calls to justice and mercy from the Old Testament prophets and the teachings of Jesus and determine what we are called to do in these times.
September 22nd during the Sunday School hour we have the opportunity to learn from three staff members of the International Rescue Committee about what is happening now with refugees and immigrants in the Atlanta area.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Atlanta creates opportunities for refugees and immigrants to integrate and thrive in Georgia communities. Since opening in 1979, the IRC’s locally funded office in Atlanta has welcomed more than 30,000 refugees from over 65 countries to resettle in communities across the state. A committed staff of more than 100 professionals work together with volunteers to assist families in reuniting and rebuilding their lives in the greater Atlanta area. The IRC in Atlanta offers a broad range of programs including resettlement and case management services, adult education classes, youth programs covering ages 5 to 24, employment assistance, asset building resources, community health response programs, and immigration services, all of which serve more than 4,000 clients each year.
The Atlanta office is part of the global International Rescue Committee, founded in 1933 by Albert Einstein and a group of other humanitarians. To learn more about the work of the IRC go to rescue.org.
During coffee hour, the discussion with the IRC staff will continue in the Founder’s Room with a focus on how St. Dunstan’s can be more involved with the IRC’s work, especially the feasibility of our sponsoring a refugee family under their auspices. Three of our members volunteer as English as a Second Language teachers with the IRC; this would be a chance to explore more possibilities of engagement with them.
Suzanne Johnson