722 N. 145th St. | Shoreline, WA 98133
St Dunstan's: Love Your Neighbor, Come and See

How Did You Get Here?

How did you get here? Actually, an even more interesting question is, why did you come back? Each of us has as story of how we found our way to St. Dunstan’s Church for the first time. I remember one couple who were in the neighborhood to visit a different church and discovered that the congregation was gone, at a picnic or some other event. Disappointed, they drove by St. Dunstan’s on their way home, saw our parking lot filling with cars, and decided to come in. We welcomed them.

We each have a story about how we got to St. Dunstan’s for the first time, and we each have a reason why we came back, and why we keep coming. For many of us, the music is important. We celebrate a broad range of worship music, from our traditional hymns to the wonderful American Christian folk traditions, including spirituals, Gospel music, and occasionally Dixieland Jazz. We have long enjoyed the classical choral music of the Anglican tradition with its complex, four-part vocal arrangements. The first time I attend a worship at St. Dunstan’s I was stunned by the quality of the music.

Each of the reasons we choose to affiliate with this congregation have one thing in common: someone welcomed us. If you are a part of the St. Agnes Guild, you are there because one or more of those fine women made you feel welcome and important. If you are a part of the choir, you felt the camaraderie of singing together, that experience of producing something beautiful by working together that no one of us could have done alone. If you are a part of the feeding program, you were welcomed by Josef and the team and given a meaningful role, a way to make a difference while working with a great group of people.

We have a banner at the entrance to our church building that reads, “Who welcomes a stranger welcomes Christ.” You were welcomed. You may not even remember who welcomed you, but you were welcomed. That is what we do as followers of Jesus. We seek to be a neighbor rather than judging who is worthy to be our neighbor. We seek to love our neighbor as ourselves. We seek to welcome.

Yours in Christ,
David+