September 10, 2026

Greetings!

There is something about the weeks around Labor Day that feels like a beginning. For many of us, the rhythms of life shift even before the holiday arrives. Schools start back. Calendars fill. Meetings and activities that slowed down for the summer return. Even for those whose lives aren't shaped by a school calendar, this time of year often brings a return to routines and responsibilities that feel distinctly different from summer.

There is good in that. I like rhythm. I like the feeling of life settling into some kind of pattern again, and I see it happening here at church, too. Our ministries for all ages have started back. Our next book group begins on September 16, Adult Bible Study begins on September 20, and this Saturday is the Crop Drop. There is plenty to be part of, and I hope you will find your place in it. All of it is good. But all of it together can also be a lot.

I've been thinking about that as I've had several conversations over the past week in which, for one reason or another, we ended up talking about something as basic as breathing. It has made me wonder whether, as we establish the rhythms of another fall, we might also establish—or reestablish—some rhythms for our spiritual lives. And maybe they don't need to be complicated.

One of the simplest spiritual practices I know is breath prayer. It is exactly what it sounds like: allowing the natural rhythm of our breathing to become a rhythm of prayer. Choose a short prayer with two parts. As you breathe in, silently pray the first phrase. As you breathe out, pray the second. For example:

Breathe in: God, you are here.

Breathe out: I am not alone.

Then do it again. God, you are here. I am not alone. You can do that for five minutes, or you can do it for three breaths.

You can pray it before you get out of bed in the morning, sitting at a stoplight, walking across campus, waiting in the school pickup line, before a meeting you're dreading, or in the few seconds before you respond to an email that has gotten under your skin. You can pray it when the house is finally quiet at night and your mind isn't.

What I appreciate about breath prayer is that, unlike nearly everything else I've mentioned here, it doesn't ask us to add one more thing to an already full calendar. It takes something we are already doing—something we have to do—and turns our attention toward the presence of God. Breath is, after all, among the first gifts of creation: God breathes into the dust, and there is life. And perhaps that is part of what spiritual practice is meant to do—not to make God present, as though God were absent until we remembered to pray, but to help us notice the God who is already here.

So as the rhythms of fall begin to take shape, I want to invite you to try this one small practice this week. Somewhere in the middle of everything you are carrying, stop for just a moment. Take a breath: God, you are here. And let it out: I am not alone. Then take another. And when you're ready, return to whatever comes next, a little more aware that you do not enter it alone.

Blest be the tie that binds,

STEWARDSHIP UPDATE

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your generous financial gifts to the Congregation for our fiscal year ended June 30th.

Donations and pledge payments received for last fiscal year totaled nearly $415,000, significantly above the prior year!

We began our new Congregation fiscal year in July and look forward to our continued growth and support.  Please reference the Congregation giving webpage, congregation.chapel.Duke.edu/giving, for a variety of avenues for Congregation financial giving. Please contact your tax and/or financial advisor for specific guidance on the most effective method for you.

Gifts may be made online, or via check made payable to The Congregation at Duke University Chapel.  Checks may either be placed in the offering on Sunday or mailed to the office at: Box 90974, Durham, NC 27708.

CALLING EVERYONE TO THE CROP DROP THIS SATURDAY!

Join the Duke Campus Chaplains and students for the annual Crop Drop this Saturday, September 12. This fun event gives our Congregation members an opportunity to mingle with members of the Duke Community while serving those in need by sorting and packaging potatoes for distribution to local food service organizations. Ninety-minute slots are available from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Bring the whole family! Sign up here and then meet outside the East Duke Building at 1304 Campus Drive. This annual event is organized by our Missions Grant recipient, The Society of St. Andrew, which brings people together to harvest and share healthy food, reduce food waste, and build caring communities.

ADULT FORUM: A CONVERSATION WITH JIA CUMMINGS

Join Senior Pastor Ryan Wilson and our new Divinity School Intern, Jia Cummings, for an informal conversation and an opportunity to get to know Jia better. Bring your questions for Jia and Ryan—and anything you’ve been wondering about church, faith, ministry, or life together. We’ll see where the conversation takes us!

Adult Forum is open to everyone and meets from 9:45–10:45 a.m. in the lower level of the Westbrook Building at Duke Divinity School and Zoom.

ADULT FORUM

With a variety of guest speakers, Adult Forum offers presentations and discussions on a wide range of thought-provoking topics, including Biblical studies, current social issues, and the work of mission agencies. Adult Forum Zoom link is here.

September 20: Andy Rook - "Birmingham 1963 — When the Church Says 'Wait'"

September 27: Harry Rodenheizer, Congregation member

October 11: Matt Shadle, Catholic theologian, ethicist, and author of the Window Light - "Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas, on AI and human finitude"

GOOD FOOD. GOOD COMPANY. GOOD FELLOWSHIP

Stay after worship for lunch and fellowship! Join us at the Brodhead Center for good food, conversation, and community this Sunday! Choose lunch from one of the many dining options, then meet us in the dining area by Roasts & Chops. Everyone is welcome!

SEPTEMBER BACK PEW COLLECTION

Help Stock the Food Pantry

September 13 & 20

Want another way to help fight hunger? During our September Back Pew Collection, we’ll collect much-needed, non-perishable foods for Durham-area families served through the Food Bank.



Staff at the new Durham Food Bank have identified several healthy staples that are especially needed, including:

• Protein: Peanut butter, canned chicken, tuna, and salmon
  
• Beans & pantry staples: Dried or canned beans and lentils, soups, stews, chili, and pasta sauce
  
• Whole grains: Brown or whole-grain pasta, oatmeal, and quinoa
  
• Breakfast foods: Whole-grain, low-sugar cereals and granola bars
  
• Cooking & baking essentials: Spices, flour, sugar, olive oil, and canola oil
  

Bring your donations to the back pew on this Sunday, September 13 or 20.

Every donation helps put healthy food on the table for neighbors in need. Thank you for helping our congregation care for our Durham community!

Questions? Contact Lee Tyrey at ltyrey@duke.edu.

LASAGNA DINNER FOR HUNGRY DURHAM NEIGHBORS



Join us this Sunday, September 13, as The Congregation serves dinner at Urban Ministries Durham! We’re still looking for volunteers to help make sure everyone has a warm, filling meal.

We currently have 6 people signed up to cook, but we need 16 lasagnas total — so we still need 10 more lasagnas. We also need a team of 6 people to help serve, and 2 serving spots are still open.

Children are welcome and invited to join their parent or guardian in helping with this important ministry!

Here's how you can help:

• Cook: Sign up to bring 1–2 party-size lasagnas (each serves about 12 people). Please deliver them to 410 Liberty Street by 5:15 p.m. We need 18 lasagnas to help meet the growing need at the end of the month.
• Serve: Stay from 5:15–7:00 p.m. to help serve dinner. We need a team of 6 volunteers, and teens are welcome to join!
• Donate: No time to cook? You can sponsor the cost of a lasagna (about $35 for two), and we'll make sure every plate is filled.

Ready to help? Sign up here.

Questions or would like to donate? Contact Nancy Wawrousek at nwawrousek@gmail.com.

Thank you for helping us serve our Durham neighbors with compassion, one lasagna at a time!

NEW BOOK GROUP STARTING SEPT. 16

Our Book Group begins a new year with Gregory Boyle’s Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times. Drawing on decades of stories and relationships from Homeboy Industries, Boyle invites us to consider what might happen if we truly believed that everyone is inherently good and that we belong to one another—no exceptions.

Join us for this four-week study, September 16–October 7, as we explore belonging, compassion, kinship, and the kind of community we are called to become.

Wednesdays by Zoom | 10:00 a.m. or 7:00 p.m. Choose whichever group works best for you.

YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS

Our Sunday morning Youth group continues their studies centered around the theme of Loving God through Prayer. At the start of this session, we looked at several resources available to us when we feel the need for prayer. The youth were then asked to work with a partner and create a prayer that related to their lives and times when they felt the need to seek God's guidance and support. The prayers they created were truly thoughtful and inspiring, and below is another of their creations. We thank our Youth for agreeing to share their prayers with the Congregation:

School Day Prayer



Lord, wipe our nerves away.

On this brand-new school day,

keep our friendships close at heart

and keep our minds very sharp.

Help us to learn and grow.

Teach us what we want to know.

We thank you, Lord, for our teachers,

for our friends and preachers.

For all the gifts we give, thanks to you

Amen

SAVE THE DATES: FELLOWSHIP EVENTS

Mark your calendars and join us for these upcoming opportunities to gather, connect, and enjoy time together!

Sunday, October 18

Congregation Picnic

4:00–6:00 p.m. | Piney Wood Park Picnic Shelter, Durham

More details and information about each event will be shared as the dates get closer. We hope you’ll join us!

ADULT BIBLE STUDY



Beginning next Sunday, September 20, join us for 8 weeks as we explore Wisdom Literature in the Old Testament (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs). What do we do with our Christian faith when surrounded by neighborhoods of chaos? Join us for a discussion on God and meaning as we explore these ancient texts and their relevance for our lives today. This Adult Bible Study will be led by Congregation intern Jia Cummings. Class will meet in Westbrook 0013 and by Zoom.

OCTOBER SERVICE PROJECT

Help Fight Hunger in Our Community

Saturday, October 24 | 9:00–11:30 a.m.

Join the Congregation at Duke University Chapel and friends for a morning of service, fellowship, and making a difference at the Food Bank CENC at Durham.

We’ll spend the morning sorting and packing donated food that will help provide nutritious meals to families and individuals experiencing food insecurity in our community. The Food Bank notes that volunteers are an essential part of its hunger-relief work—and a single volunteer shift can help provide more than 160 meals for local families.

• Location: 1607 Hamlin Rd., Building F, Durham, NC 27704
  
• Time: 9:00–11:30 a.m.
  
• Parking: Convenient parking is available adjacent to the ground-floor entrance.
  

Ready to Serve?

Space is limited, so sign up early! Congregation members have reserved spots until Thursday, October 22, when remaining spots will be opened to the public.

To register: Click the volunteer link and select “warehouse project–Durham,” then choose “sign up for your reserved slot.” New volunteers will be asked to complete a short volunteer profile. Learn more about the Food Bank and its work to fight hunger:

Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina

Questions? Contact Mary Tyrey at mjtyrey@gmail.com.

eNEWS SUBMISSION REMINDER



All committees’ completed eNews submissions are due to Kirsten Ford by Monday at 5:00 PM.

JOYS AND CONCERNS

John Weinerth: John passed on September 2. More information will be shared soon. Please keep John and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Harry Nolan:  Harry continues his cancer treatment and recently had a CT scan to monitor his progress. Please join us in praying that his abdominal tumors have shrunk or gone away.

Susan Nolan:  Good news about Susan! Her CT scan in June showed she is still in complete clinical remission from cancer. She continues to experience fatigue – a long-term effect of her cancer treatments. Thankfully, she is improving. Please continue to keep her in your prayers for continued improvement.

Leroy McCrae: Great news! Leroy is doing better and is now recovering at home. Please continue to lift Leroy up in your prayers as he recovers.

Lois Oliver:  Lois died on Sunday morning, August 9, after a long illness. A memorial service for Lois is being planned at Duke Chapel on Tuesday, November 3 at 11:00 AM. You may view Lois's obituary here. Please hold Lois's family and all those who cared for her close in your thoughts and prays during this difficult time.

Layne Baker: Remains in Pettigrew Rehabilitation Center.

CHECK OUT EACH COMMITTEE'S MEETING

Committee Meetings listed below are open to all who wish to attend

Visitation & Care Ministry

Sunday, September 20

📍 Congregation Office

The Visitation & Care Ministry meets every other month.

Racial Equity Group

📍 In person and via Zoom

The Racial Equity Group meets the 1st Thursday of every month. Please contact Mindy for meeting location and with any question.

Mission & Outreach Committee

📍 Chapel Kitchen

The Mission & Outreach Committee meets every 1st Sunday immediately following worship in the Chapel Kitchen.

Fellowship Committee

Sunday, October 4

📍Congregation Office

The Fellowship Committee meets every 1st Sunday immediately following worship in the Congregation Office.

Administration Committee

📍Congregation Office

The Administration Committee will meet the 1st Sunday in October.

Stewardship & Finance Committee

📍 Via Zoom

The Stewardship & Finance Committee meets on the Tuesday before the 3rd Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.