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Invitations
Greatly Beloveds,
Hello! I love how God is so often pleasantly relentless. The Divine is always giving us invitation, after invitation, after invitation into ways to live out the reality of God's Commonwealth (aka kingdom, aka Beloved Community). Take for instance our Bishop Rob Wright's conversation with Archbishop Foley Beach, who left the Episcopal Church to join the Anglican Church of North America, a church which came into being in June of 2009, due to differences with the wider Anglican Communion on LGBTQ+ marriage and ordination, women's ordination, and other issues. Or consider almost every book by the late Archbishop Tutu, or the dinner Jesus has at a Pharisee's house in the gospel reading for this Sunday. The peace we pass in church on Sundays is very real, AND it doesn't mean we have to agree with folks on other sides of issues. What it does mean is that we're in conversation and community (if we aren't being hurt or abused in either, or then we gotta talk loving boundaries), and in prayer with and for our siblings in Christ's body. We don't bait or denigrate, but listen AND respond with honesty, and kind authenticity. It's doable with the help of the Holy Spirit that lives within us, when we live drinking in God's love.
As it says in Luke 12:29-32 (MSG):
“What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.
much love and with great joy,
Mo. Nikki+
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50 Years of Music & Worship!
and still celebrating
In honor of our 50th anniversary, please join us in worship for the world premiere of St. Gregory’s first commissioned choral work, “Living Christ, Our Rock and Foundation”. Written by renowned composer Lloyd Larson, this piece will be featured on Sunday, September 25th at the 10:00am service (the only service that day). This work will feature the St. Gregory’s choir with brass + percussion along with composer Mr. Larson in residence with us that morning! Reception immediately following the service.
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Sacred Ground is a sensitive, prayerful program of learning and group conversations created by The Episcopal Church to promote transformative dialogue circles on race and racism. 24 parishioners from St. Gregory the Great have completed the Sacred Ground Program via Zoom in 2021, as have many faith centered groups throughout the Episcopal Church.
We are planning to begin our first in-person Sacred Ground Circle at St. Gregory’s weekly on Thursday evenings 6:30 to 8:00 pm beginning September 15 and concluding with the last meeting on November 17, 2022. Online reading materials and films will be made available online for participants to prepare for each circle discussion.
Participation is welcome for all adults 18 and older in the St. Gregory’s community who are prepared to commit themselves to one another for the 10-week duration of the program and the time required to prepare for and to attend the meetings. Friends and family members beyond St. Gregory’s are also welcome as long as the commitment to the full program is honored, and not brought as drop-in guests.
If you would like to sign up for this Sacred Ground journey, please notify Kendall Kookogey at the church office by email or phone 706-546-7553 by September 9 so that you will have time to receive your materials and prepare for our first session. If you have questions please contact Ellen Richardson via email or 912-660-0151 or Ron Balthazar via email or 706-338-0625.
If you would like to read more about the program, follow this link: https://episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground . We hope you will prayerfully consider this opportunity at this important time of seeking understanding and healing in our fragile communities and our wider world.
Ellen Richardson and Ron Balthazar
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As families are settling into the school routine, don't forget to "settle in" to our weekly routine at St. Gregory the Great. We continue our Sunday schedule as we did prior to the summer:
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Children's Sunday School, 9:15-10:15 in the Christian Education Building (meeting in the chapel)
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Children's Church - meeting during the 10:30 service
Please see Doug Adkins if you have any questions about details for our children's ministry. Doug will be convening a parents meeting after Labor Day in effort to plan some family ministry events for the fall.
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GEORGIA FREEDOM LETTERS
Georgia Freedom Letters was formed in the summer of 2020 by a group of organizers, educators, and people who care about building connections across the walls of Georgia’s criminal legal system through letter writing. Due to an overwhelming amount of interest in recent months from those currently experiencing incarceration, GFL is eagerly asking us to get out our pens and paper and participate in their recently launched pen pal project.
Especially now, people experiencing incarceration need our support. Since COVID, many of the programs and visitations at our prisons have been significantly reduced if not cancelled--letter writing is one way we can help provide human connection and companionship especially until these programs can be re-instantiated. If you would like to sign up to correspond with one of the 55,000 people on the inside of Georgia's prisons you can do so by visiting this website.
Streamlined instructions penpal signup:
Here's the address you can use for your mailing address, instead of giving your home address:
The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany
2089 Ponce de Leon Avenue, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30307
Please email the Rev. Nicole Lambelet, at nlambelet@epiphany.org to let her know that you are using their church address, and to give her your real address so that their church can send you any mail you receive from your pen pal.
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After a long hiatus, Les House will be restarting the live Lectionary class on Sunday, September 11th. The class will meet in the Library at 9:15AM on Sundays. We will be studying the assigned readings for each Sunday. Please contact Les House at 478-733-2939 or lwhouse9@gmail.com if you have any questions. Ken Taylor will continue the Zoom classes on Thursday at least through the end of September.
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Adult Spiritual Formation |
Adult Spiritual Formation meets this Sunday to continue our exploration of the Gospel of Luke. All are welcome in the Parish Hall from 9:15 to 10:15 with no need to have attended earlier sessions. Bibles will be available but feel free to bring your own favorite.
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RespirOpera
RespirOpera is excited to announce its next production, The Old Maid and the Thief, presented in “old time radio style” (fun, radio “commercials” included!) on Saturday, Sept. 10 @ 7PM at Quinn Hall (the theater at Memorial Park) 293 Gran Ellen Drive. Purchase tickets at respiropera.com ! The Old Maid and the Thief was originally composed as a radio opera in one act by the Italian-American composer Gian Carlo Menotti.
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Meridian Women's Chorus
Come sing with us! Stacie Court and Amanda Sacchitello invite all women of the Athens area to join the Meridian Women's Chorus. No audition is required, and rehearsals are on Thursdays from 12:30-1:45PM at Holy Cross Lutheran Church starting Thursday, September 8th. Our next concert is Saturday, December 3rd. To register, contact Director Stacie Court or 706-424-9516
www.meridianwomenschorus.org
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action
too much time spent
in fear and doubt
i need to make
a turn about
caught up within
survival mode
my way forward
is now too slowed
with caution i
must push ahead
and cast off from
past years of dread
to join with those
with whom i share
a want to do
more active care
alice mohor
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If you're in your 20s or 30s and would like to stay up to date on events for your age group please reach out to Wade McGlamery, 770-624-4837, to join our group chat. | | |
Due to the lack of volunteers, there may or may not be coffee hour on any given Sunday. If you are able to host or bring a baked item for a future coffee hour, contact Melissa or Catrina to sign up. A sign up sheet will also be posted at the event.
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We are in need of a few more acolytes to give a bit of relief to those in our current rotation. Never served before? That's fine- we will teach you! Acolyting is a great, low commitment, way to get involved in the life of the parish! Reach out to Wade McGlamery, 770-624-4837, if you would like to volunteer. | | |
Athens Area Emergency Food Bank |
Needs for September
--Fruit juice (bottles or individual servings)
--Snack foods (chips, cookies, etc)
--Odd shelf items (condiments, salt/pepper, spices, cooking oil, sugar, coffee, tea, etc.)
The Athens Area Emergency Food Bank is in a "paper bag crisis" at the moment.
When you are shopping if you ask for "a few paper bags for the food bank," most stores will give you some. If we all do this for the month it would be a huge help--and they could put this crisis to rest.
PAPER, not plastic, bags are needed because of the system the Emergency Food Bank uses to serve families of different sizes. Paper bags hold more than plastic, hold their shape while they're being filled, and require less space to contain the prescribed amount of food for the different size families.
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Instructions for Live Streaming
- Just go to the St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church
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Near the time for service, underneath our channel logo, you will see our video for that day, with the word ‘live’ on it. The page will look like this:
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If you don’t immediately see the video that says ‘live’, (for instance, if you opened YouTube before the service begins) keep refreshing it. To ‘refresh’ go up to the top of your screen and on the left or right of the web address you will see this image (little curvy arrow to the right -->). Click on it to ‘refresh.’
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When you see the video square that says ‘live’, click on it.
Welcome to worship!
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Meeting Opportunities
Parish community offerings via Zoom or in person:
*Community Yoga is back for fall (Aug. 10 – Nov. 30, 2022), Wednesdays, 5:15-6:15 PM; the 4th Wednesday of every month will be Chair Yoga. Parish Hall or Zoom, Passcode: 509230. Come thrive with us! Email Anna Hiers for more information, or just show up! The class is free; donations to the church are welcome. *Please bring a yoga mat*
Hebrew Reading meets on Zoom every other Wednesday from 11am-1pm. Contact Joel Hunt!
Stacie Court hosts "Let's Chat!" for women of the parish. The days and time vary, and not everyone can join every time, but everyone is welcome to join whenever they can! Email Stacie!
Book Club first Friday of the month @ 7PM ongoing for the foreseeable future. Email Lois Alworth if you are interested in participating.
Lectionary Discussion Group via Zoom, every Thursday at 6:00pm. Email Ken Taylor if you are interested in participating.
*Threads of Prayer will meet only the 1st Tuesdays of the month @1PM for June and July, and likely August! We'll meet outside if the weather is good and inside the Christian Ed building if the weather is bad. Email Annette Bates if you are interested in participating. All knitters and crocheters welcome!
*Men's Group: 9AM on Saturdays. 1st & 3rd Saturdays at the Somervilles and 2nd & 4th Saturdays in the library at St. Gregory's ! Email Peter Rice
* group(s) now meeting in person
Other groups have been meeting via Zoom as well, so if you've got a group already meeting in Zoom rooms, and want to widen your circle, let Kendall know so we can get the word out there!
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