Dear friends,
We are coming up on Memorial Day weekend, which means it’s time to switch to our summer schedule. Beginning this Sunday, May 25, we will have one service at 10 a.m. There is no Sunday School. We stay with this schedule through Labor Day weekend. Things usually slow down in the summer, but I have a lot to report on, so please stick with me on this longer than usual email.
I have some good news to report. Julie Bunn, who has substituted for Cameron many times, has agreed to be our interim organist, beginning this Sunday. Notice I said organist and not choir director/organist. That is because the choir is taking the summer off. All ministries at St. Dunstan’s are important. But being in the choir is a huge dedication. Choir members have rehearsals on Wednesday nights. They are present every Sunday, at every special service (Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Christmas Eve), and many funerals. Many of our choir members have been doing that year in, year out for a long time. So I have suggested they take the summer off and enjoy sitting in the pews with their friends or families, and even taking some time away. Then in the fall they can return rested and ready to start a new chapter in our musical life.
One of the hallmarks of the Eucharist in the Episcopal Church is drinking from the common cup. Many other denominations serve communion in individual cups, or don’t serve the wine at all. This tradition of drinking (or intincting or dipping) from the same cup ended with the pandemic. Even after we returned to in-person worship communion was bread only for a long time. Then we offering the wine by intinction only.
It is hard to believe that this all began more than five years ago. The diocese lifted all restrictions about communion a long time ago. The vestry has discussed returning to the common cup, but it seems like every time we considered it there was a fresh round of Covid or the flu. We have been far more conservative about this than other churches. But the vestry and I have decided it is time to return to that tradition.
Here’s how it will work. You may either “sip or dip.” If you want to sip from the cup, please hold the bottom and help the lay reader guide it to your mouth. If you prefer to intinct, please let the lay reader take the host from your hand to dip it and give it back to you. That alleviates the concern of people’s fingers getting into the wine. And of course, if you prefer not to receive the wine simply cross your hands over your chest.
This summer we will be working on a new pictorial directory. Tom Wilson has agreed to be the photographer. He and his camera will be set up from 9-9:45 am and after church until noon on June 15th, June 29th, and July 13th. There will be a form for you to fill out with the contact information you want listed in the directory. If you can’t make it to any of those sessions you may submit your own photo to Tom Wilson. We hope to have the new directory ready to hand out in the fall.
Tom is also spearheading another summer project. As a fun way of sharing how we take Jesus into the world, we will be making available these little Jesus figures for you to take with you this summer. We invite you to take pictures with the figure in it at the places you go. It may go on vacation with you, it may go to work with you, it may go to the places you volunteer, it may be with you at graduations or weddings. It’s a fun, community building exercise that we will try to share on our Facebook page. It’s also a reminder that we take our faith with us every day and everywhere we go. Your little Jesus shots can also be sent to Tom Wilson.
The little Jesuses are available in the narthex. And I can’t resist posting this clip of Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke singing Plastic Jesus. Enjoy.
With love,
Tricia