It’s Here

For several weeks now you have been hearing about it. Letters have been written, information has been shared in e-Connections and the bulletins, announcements have been made during the worship services and I have spent a couple of weeks talking about it in my messages. I’m speaking, of course, about both Consecration Sunday and Isabelle Demers in an Organ Dedication Concert.

First, a word about Consecration Sunday. I hope you remembered to make reservations to attend the Consecration Luncheon on Sunday afternoon. We have prepared two seatings, one following Sunday School at 11:00 a.m. and the other following the Traditional Service at 12:00 p.m. Through an anonymous gift by one of the members of the church, your meal will be complementary. Come and enjoy the food, fellowship and being a part of this great church. We have made a few extra places available for those who did not make reservations, but it will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Of course, one of the most moving moments of the whole morning will come during the worship services. It will be the moment when you will have the opportunity to fill out your financial commitments to Dunwoody UMC for 2020 and then place your pledge cards on the altar of the church. It is always amazing to watch people act by faith and every time I have seen this done, it has moved me to the core of my being.

As you reflect on your giving for next year, I remind you that none of the ministries of the church are finalized until the congregation makes their commitments. This means that every single ministry depends in large part on your willingness to give generously and sacrificially. Or, to put it another way, the ministries begin when the DUMC family make their financial commitments to Christ.

Now, a word about Isabelle Demers in an Organ Dedication Concert. For years before I came to be your pastor, the church had talked about getting a new organ. It was an unrealized dream that, through God’s grace and your generosity, has now been realized. So, at 4:00 p.m. this Sunday, we will have the joy of dedicating the organ. There will be a short liturgy and then we will have the opportunity to enjoy a concert by renowned organist, Isabelle Demers.

Isabelle Demers has enraptured critics, presenters and audience members around the globe for her entrancing performances. She has appeared in recitals at the cathedrals of Cologne and Regensburg (Germany), St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral and the Royal Festival Hall (London), the Royal Opera House of Muscat (Oman), Melbourne Town Hall (Australia), Auckland Town Hall (New Zealand), as well as major universities and concert halls in the United States, among them Davies Hall (San Francisco), Disney Hall (Los Angeles), the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), the Wanamaker Organ (Philadelphia), Yale University, the Eastman School of Music, Benaroya Hall (Seattle), Spivey Hall (Georgia) and the Spreckels Pavilion (San Diego).

This is one of those wonderful opportunities that usually come only once to a church. It promises to be an experience you will not want to miss.

Personally, I believe this is going to be a great Sunday. I have been looking forward to it for weeks and now that it is here, words can’t even begin to describe the excitement I feel. I hope you will join us for every aspect of this historic day in the life of our church.

Blessings,

Dan