THE FIVE HOLY THEMES THAT EMERGED FROM LAST SATURDAY'S

"LET'S GROW" GATHERING

Dear Beloved Members of St. Gregory's,

Last weekend nearly fifty members gathered for our "Let's Grow" gathering to discern new insight and direction from the Holy Spirit as we move into a new stage of our life in Christ at St. Gregory's. What emerged from our gathering were five themes. I incorporated these themes into my "State of the Union" Rector's Address during last Sunday's worship. (Please see the video to the left). I invite the congregation to join me in further prayer and reflection on these themes. The vestry will be discussing the next steps at our February meeting. Click here or the button to the left to view the themes. I look forward to this new journey of faith.

Blessings in Christ,

Andrew+

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Choral Evensong

This past Sunday evening we held our first Choral Evensong since returning to our beloved sanctuary. The service was a truly magical and transformative experience for everyone including those in the choir, myself, and all in attendance. We had several first-time visitors for whom this was their first worship experience at St. Gregory’s.

Evensong is perhaps one of the most beautiful of all services that comes out of the Anglican tradition. It is basically Evening Prayer, except that most of it, apart from a few prayers and scripture readings, is sung by a choir and cantor. The office of Evensong traces its history of origin all the way back to Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I under whose hand he was burned at the stake in Oxford during her attempt to return England to Catholicism. Cranmer was trying to figure out a way to reduce the number of services within a day as there were a series of services known as The Hours which required one to attend many services throughout the day. He ended up combining two of the final services of the day which were Vespers, sung at sunset, and Compline, so called because it completed the day, into one service. We find that the two major canticles of Evensong, the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, come from Vespers and Compline respectfully. The form of the service with the psalms, scripture, collects and prayers all originate from these two services and hasn’t changed too terribly much since first appearing in the 1549 Prayer Book.  Click to read Tim's full Making a Difference article.

CONGRATULATIONS TO

OUR NEW VESTRY MEMBERS

Congratulations to our four new Vestry members:

Carole Boucard

Rachel Bruno

Philip Hall

Zim Reid

Thank you for serving

on St. Gregory's Vestry.

THANK YOU FOR

SERVING ON THE VESTRY

We'd like to extend a heartfelt "thank you" to the Vestry members who have just completed an outstanding term on the Vestry.

Cheryl Fells

Paula Holgerson

Ayanna Reid

Scott Wing

Thank you for serving on St. Gregory's Vestry.

We are so grateful for all of your hard work and contributions.

THE REALITY OF BEING

“An attitude of vigilance leads us in the direction of a more objective life. It is difficult to accept the idea of having both an objective life and, at the same time a personal life - that is, to be subjective, to let oneself live a personal life. It is even more difficult to accept that, in a sense, we have to pay with our personal life. Of course, we cannot be otherwise than personal - subjective, with our own body, our likes and dislikes, our personal feelings. This subjective life will always remain. Yet I must know it, I must experience it. My subjective life is what I am, it is me. At the same time, there is something in me that enables me to be objective in relation to it. If I am also to open to what is higher, my subjective life must be put in its place, sometimes given more, sometimes less. I cannot have new strength on top of all my weakness. I can never come to quietude if I do not sacrifice my agitation and my tensions. I cannot have a free attention if I do not sacrifice what keeps it enslaved. Everything I wish has to be paid for. If I wish to have a new state, I must sacrifice the old. We never get more than we give up. What we receive is proportional to what we sacrifice.”

- Jeanne de Salzmann

This Week, our group work continued within The Reality of Being.

As always, we gathered ourselves through meditation. The prayer of the heart that opens us to being objective in our subjective lives. The seat of paradox continues.

In the world, but not of the world.

Negotiating between the worlds is ongoing as we live in translation. Voluntary suffering, as we’ve discussed, is an exchange that occurs within the heart of mercy. A look from above with outstretched hands.

We will continue where we left off last week, pp. 264 - 268, (sections 127 - 128). Contemplating seeing the radiance of Presence as reality itself. We will then visit pp. 279 - 284, (sections 134 - 136). Remembering that the mind can concentrate without boundaries, when our subjective lives become porous to objective reality.

In order to see consolation, we have to first see desolation. The feeling of lack is often what can drive us in the direction of growth - if we can watch and see. The poet Mary Oliver hits the heart of this in an excerpt of her poem, In Blackwater Woods:

“To live in this world

you must be able

to do three things:

to love what is mortal;

to hold it

against your bones knowing

your own life depends on it;

and, when the time comes to let it go,

to let it go.”

Or, as de Salzmann puts it:

“An attitude of vigilance leads us in the direction of a more objective life.”

Or, as the red-headed Italian Australian Open winner, Jannik Sinner, said just yesterday in an interview after winning his first Grand Slam:

“Pressure is a privilege […] I like to dance in the pressure storm. I don’t know how to say it.”

Perfectly said. Dancing in the pressure storm. Teilhard de Chardin would agree. Sensation purifies our feeling. And purified emotions vivify sensation.

See you next Wednesday.

This will be an ongoing group meeting on Zoom every Wednesday morning at 10:00 am - 11:30 am ET.

Zoom link here. Your desire is your compass.

Meeting ID: 854 5001 9587 Passcode: 1+1=3

Bless you,

Benjamin

NEW CLASS STARTS SOON!

The Cloud of Unknowing with Fr. Ben+

Begins Soon

Fr. Ben will be starting another fascinating spiritual exploration beginning soon. The book being used for this series is The Cloud of Unknowing: With the Book of Privy Counsel.

About the book:

This anonymous fourteenth-century text is the glory of English mysticism and one of the most practical and useful guides to finding union with God ever written. Carmen Acevedo Butcher’s new translation is the first to bring the text into a modern English idiom—while remaining strictly faithful to the meaning of the original Middle English.

The Cloud of Unknowing consists of a series of letters written by a monk to his student or disciple, instructing him (or her) in the way of Divine union. Its theology is presented in a way that is remarkably easy to understand, as well as practical, providing advice on prayer and contemplation that anyone can use. Previous translations of the Cloud have tended to veil its intimate, even friendly tone under medieval-sounding language. Carmen Butcher has boldly brought the text into language as appealing to modern ears as it was to its original readers more than five hundred years ago.

Also included in the volume is the companion work attributed to the same anonymous author, The Book of Privy Counsel, which contains further advice for approaching God in a way that emphasizes real experience rather than human knowledge. Please email Fr. Ben for more information and to register.

A MESSAGE FROM TIM

This Sunday, we will feature the Choristers singing the Choral Introit at the 10 am service! I’m so excited to have them back after a three-year absence due to Covid and renovations! They will be singing beautiful anthem by Walford Davies entitled “Blessed are the Pure in Heart.”  The Choristers are made up of children in grades 3-7 and we have a great roster of about 10 this season! They learn not only some of the most beautiful choral music composed but also how to read music, ear training, and music theory. This is an excellent way for children to experience the richness of our musical heritage and tradition. If your child is interested in singing, please contact me. We rehearse on Thursdays between 5:45 and 6:30 pm. Helping me with the leadership of this wonderful ensemble is my Music Assistant Ms. Emily Carter.

Also, at the 10 AM service we will hear the Choir of St. Gregory’s sing a lovely setting of the antiphon at the Visitation of the Sick entitled “O Savior of the World” by John Goss. This pairs as a meditation on our Gospel reading from Mark “And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons”. We will also hear Ms. Anja Yargici sing a most beautiful setting of “Ave Maria” attributed to the Italian composer Caccini although it is thought by many to have been created by the Russian guitarist Vladimir Vavilov in 1972. Whoever composed it, this setting is one of the most beautiful and is rarely sung. Anja served as our soprano choral section leader for three years before moving back to her native Turkey this past summer and I’m so happy to have her here for a visit singing with us! 

Blessings to all,

Tim

SERAPHIC FIRE IN CONCERT AT

ST. GREGORY'S

Sunday, February 25 at 4:00 PM

Enlightenment Festival: A Visit with Haydn

Patrick Dupre Quigley, Conductor

A special visit to the Esterházy palace by war hero Admiral Lord Nelson and his mistress, Lady Emma Hamilton, inspired this concert of works by Haydn. Amateur soprano and scandalous socialite Lady Hamilton struck up a friendship with Haydn and they performed together multiple times during her stay at Esterházy. The palace’s resident composer, Haydn provided entertainment for the diplomatic visit with the premier of the Te Deum for the Empress Marie Therese and two works dedicated to Lord Nelson: Missa in angustiis (later coined the “Nelson” Mass) and the song “The Battle of the Nile,” with Emma singing. Step back in time to relive the political and social intrigue of Haydn’s time in a concert for chorus and chamber orchestra that will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a salon at the Austrian palace.

ALTAR GUILD POT LUCK BREAKFAST

Saturday, February 3 at 9:30 AM

In Harris Hall

The Altar Guild will be meeting on Saturday at 9:30 AM in Harris Hall for a Pot Luck Breakfast and Meeting. Please bring your favorite breakfast dish!

RISE AND SHINE FAMILY SERVICE RESUMES!

Sunday, February 4 at 10:00 AM

In Harris Hall

Calling all families! Rise and Shine is back! Join us in Harris Hall on Sunday for our popular Rise and Shine Family Service at 10:00 AM. Rise and Shine Services are offered the first Sunday of each month. If you are newer to St. Gregory's, join Father Andrew and Anita in the Rectory at 11:45 AM for a Newcomers Welcome Brunch. Children are always warmly welcomed!

NEWCOMERS WELCOME BRUNCH

Sunday, February 4 at 11:45 AM

at the Rectory

New to St. Gregory's? Join Father Andrew and Anita at the Rectory for the Newcomers Welcome Brunch on Sunday, February 4th immediately following the 10:00 AM service! It is a warm and wonderful way to make new friends and learn about life in Christ at St. Gregory's! Classes will begin on Sunday, February 11th following the 10:00 AM service.

KNITTERS MEETING

Monday, February 5 at 10:00 AM

Knitters of all levels are warmly invited to join in the fun! The knitters will be meeting on Monday at 10:00 AM in the conference room.

ECW FEBRUARY MEETING

Thursday, February 8 at 2:30 PM

Attendtion ladies of St. Gregory's! Join us in Harris Hall on Thursday, February 8th for this month's ECW meeting. Note: the ECW meets the second Thursday of the month and all the ladies of St. Gregory's are warmly welcome to join us!

DAUGHTERS OF THE KING MEETING

Saturday, February 10 at 10:00 AM

The Order of the Daughters of the King will meet on Saturday, February 10th at 10:00 AM on Zoom.

NEWCOMERS CLASSES BEGIN

Sunday, February 11

Newcomers classes with Fr. Andrew will begin on Sunday, February 11th following the 10:00 AM service. Newcomers are invited to join Father Andrew this Sunday for Newcomers Brunch at the Rectory.

BIG RED BUS BLOOD DRIVE

WILL BE AT ST. GREGORY'S

Sunday, February 11 from 8:00 AM - Noon

Blood is essential to life and cannot be made or manufactured. Generous blood donors are the only source of blood for patients in need of a blood transfusion. If you are able to donate, please consider giving on Sunday, February 11th from 8:00 AM - Noon.

ECW THRIFT STORE

REOPENING SOON!

Look forward to shopping in the newly renovated St Gregory’s Thrift Shop - Coming Soon!

MOMMY & ME GROUP

Sunday, February 18 at 9:00 AM

This newly formed group will have its first meeting on Sunday, Feb 18 at 9am in the St. Gregory's nursery. Dads are welcome, too! For more information, please contact Margaret O'Connor at magaret.ellard.oconnor@gmail.com.

SAVE THE DATE FOR

THE ECW TEA

Saturday, April 13 at 2:00 PM

Mark your calendars for a delightful afternoon at St. Gregory's ECW Annual Tea, set to take place on Saturday, April 13th, from 2 PM to 4 PM. This cherished event is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a cozy tea experience while enjoying fellowship. Additional details about the event will be shared soon, so stay tuned!

SAVE THE DATE FOR ST. GREGORY'S DEDICATION AND OPEN HOUSE

Sunday, April 21

Save the date for St. Gregory's dedication service and open house! Mark your calendars for Sunday, April 21st. More information to follow.

LOOKING AHEAD

Mark Your Calendar

for these Important Dates

Saturday, February 3: Altar Guild Pot Luck Breakfast (Harris Hall)

Sunday, February 4: 10 AM: Rise and Shine (in Harris Hall)

Newcomers Brunch at the Rectory: 11:45 AM

Sunday, February 11: Big Red Bus, Blood drive: 8 AM to noon

Brothers Breakfast after both services; Newcomers class after breakfast

Tuesday, February 12: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and Burning of the Palms begins at 6 PM

Wednesday, February 14: ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES: 7 AM, NOON, 6:30 PM. ASHES TO GO: 9 AM - 10:30 AM - South Beach Park Pavillion (In Boca at A), Mizner at Noon, Whole Foods at 2:30 PM.

Saturday, March 2 - Haiti Food Packing

Sunday, March 3 - Rise & Shine Service -10 AM (Harris Hall)

Sunday, March 10 - Visit and Presentation from South Florida Wildlife Center (11:45 AM In the Courtyard)

Sunday, March 17 - Lenten Lunch Youth Group Fundraiser - Following the 10 AM Service in Harris Hall. Youth Volunteers are needed for prep on Saturday and servers/helpers on Sunday. You can earn community service hours for volunteering.

NEED A LITTLE EXTRA SPACE OR ASSISTANCE FOR SERVICES?

To ensure our services are accessible and comfortable for everyone, we have now designated spaces specifically for members of our congregation who use mobility devices such as wheelchairs or walkers. These areas are designed to provide extra room, ensuring full participation in our services for everyone. If you require assistance upon arrival, please don't hesitate to ask an usher for help.

CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES

A Place to Belong

THURSDAY, FEB 1

5:45 pm - Choristers Rehearsal (Choir Room)

NEXT SUNDAY, FEB 4

9:10am: Confirmation Class (Conference Room)

9:30am: Nursery open

10am: Rise & Shine Family service; (Harris Hall)

No regular classes or Youth Upper Room Time

THURSDAY, FEB 8

5:45 pm - Choristers Rehearsal (Choir Room)

SUNDAY, FEB 11

9:10 am: Confirmation Class (Conference Room)

Brothers Breakfast

after the 8:00 am and 10:00 am services

9:30 AM - Nursery Opens for Dropoff

9:45 am: 3yrs - 5th (Designated Rooms)

9:45 am: Youth Upper Room Time (Youth Room)

11:45 AM - Parents Gathering at Brothers Breakfast

SCENES FROM LAST SUNDAY'S SNACK/CHAT/CHILL/PLAYTIME

We had fun while parents attended the Annual Meeting! Many thanks to Silvia Hall for providing fun activities for our younger members!

BRIYA TRIP TO MIAMI

Monday, February 19th

The trip to Miami includes a visit to the Holocaust Memorial with Holocaust Educator Jack Rosenbaum, Lunch, and a visit to South Pointe Park and Pier. Bus Transportation will be provided.

Grades 6-12 are warmly welcome. Please wear BRIYA (Boca Raton Interfaith Youth Association) shirts. Shirts will be provided to you if you don't have one. No shorts, please.

Please RSVP to Gena Vallee at

GVallee@st-gregorys.com

or Cathy Berkowitz at

CathyB@bnai-torah.org

ST. GREGORY'S NURSERY

Open for Dropoff on Sundays at 9:30 AM

Did you know that St. Gregory's nursery is open on Sunday mornings? The beautifully renovated nursery provides childcare during for the 10:00 AM service. Drop off for little ones begins at 9:30 AM.

ADULT FORMATION

Classes and Formation at St. Gregory's

Wednesdays

8:00 AM - Men's Spirituality Hour (Zoom) 

Meeting Link

10:00 AM - The Reality of Being with Fr. Ben (Zoom) The Reality of Being is an ongoing group, initially composed of the fruit that has fallen out of a three-year Gospel of Thomas circle, and will meet via Zoom every Wednesday from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM EST. Zoom link here.

Meeting ID: 854 5001 9587 Passcode: 1+1=3

6:00 PM - Rector's Bible Study with Fr. Andrew - Hybrid - On Zoom and In Person (In the Conference Room). Zoom link here Meeting ID: 841 7545 8345 Passcode: 086160

Thursdays

1:00 PM - Women's Bible Study (Youth Room) - For information, contact Evelyn Anderson at ebunn@stanfordalumni.org  or Susan D’Ambrosio, sldambro@gmail.com

ST. GREGORY'S IS NOW LIVESTREAMING

TO THE HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBSITE

stgregorysepiscopal.org

If you are unable to join us in person for services on Sunday, please join us online! In addition to livestreaming each Sunday's 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist to our Facebook page, St. Gregory's is now livestreaming the service to our homepage for your convenience. Click here to view the service on our homepage (it is located in the middle of the page) or click here to view it on Facebook.

SPOTLIGHT ON ANDRANOVORY

(An.dra.new.voory)

ANDRANOVORY (An.dra.new.voory) is a parish within Toliara where Bishop Todd McGregor and Rev. Patsy McGregor served for more than ten years. Andranovory is St. Gregory’s Parish Link in Madagascar. What does this mean? Well...we have committed to praying for our brothers and sisters in the parish of Andranovory and in turn they are praying for us! Yes! The Andranovory youth, men’s and women’s groups are all praying for us at St. Gregory’s. And, St. Gregory’s youth, women’s and men’s groups, as well as our corporate prayers, are committed to including our brothers and sisters in Andranovory.

Our intent is to form more personal relationships with our brothers and sisters. Fiadanana lives in the Andranovory parish and can introduce us to the culture and people of this area of Madagascar. Nolavy, who is the very first female Malagasy Anglican priest ordained in Madagascar, has already sent us video clips of the Malagasy children demonstrating the pronunciation of Andranovory. We, in turn, will send clips to them to get better acquainted. We will share the fruits of our communications with you. Stay tuned!

We want each of you to become involved in some way. Please add Andranovory to your personal nightly prayers and meditations. If you would like to be involved in sharing video clips or photos, or just want more information about our mission, you may contact Mary Herin at cmnkd@comcast.net.

PASTORAL CARE

St. Gregory's Is Here For You.

St. Gregory's provides a variety of support ministries that are here to support you. Our clergy, staff, and Stephen Ministers are here to answer your questions, pray with you, and for your pastoral needs. Contact the church office at 561-395-8285 or by email at office@st-gregorys.com. Learn more.

PRAYER

Daily Prayer and Prayer Requests

Join us in prayer. Click here to submit your prayer request. To pray for others, click here to view this week's prayer requests. If you'd prefer to receive a daily written prayer, click here to receive each day's word from Daily Prayer (a resource of Forward Movement).

VOLUNTEER GRANT WRITERS NEEDED

Make a Difference

with Your Talent for Grant Writing

Volunteer grant writers needed to help our various ministries at St. Gregory's. Do you have experience researching and writing grant proposals to secure funding from The Episcopal Church, other foundations, corporations, and government sources? The focus will be on supporting our many missions, requiring coordination of grant applications, and fostering growth in funding strategies.  This volunteer position offers a chance to contribute significantly to our community-focused ministries and make a real difference in the lives of many. Please contact Kristen Chaney at kchaney@st-gregorys.com. 

ST. GREGORY'S LOVES COFFEE HOUR!

Join the Tradition of Fellowship by Volunteering

THE ST. GREGORY FAMILY LOVES COFFEE HOUR!  Join the tradition of fellowship by volunteering for our Sunday Coffee Hour, following the 10 AM service. We are currently seeking volunteers to coordinate and serve our fellow parishioners each week (except for the Brothers Breakfast Sunday). If you are interested in being a part of this ministry, please contact Kay Holt at kholt@st-gregorys.com.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteers are needed for various ministries.

Our Lay Eucharistic Visitor volunteer group is looking for members of our St. Gregory’s family to join them as they:

1. Deliver communion and enrich the religious experience of those unable to attend church due to illness or incapacity

2. Visit and spiritually support those in need of the comfort and companionship of St. Gregory’s

3. Maintain contact with those parishioners with whom they are assigned to assure them that they are still a part of our St. Gregory’s community.



If this type of ministry appeals to you, please contact David Cominole 561-376-9056 or email him at david.cominole@att.net for more information.

GIVING AT ST. GREGORY'S

Your Support Makes An Impact

Your support of St. Gregory's and our ministries makes our mission of Transforming Hearts and Community Through Jesus' Love a reality. Please click here to give online now. For more information, please email the Church Office or click on these links: Altar Flower Dedications, Capital Campaign, Meals with Meaning, Stewardship, and South Florida Haiti Project.

CONNECT WITH US

Engaging With St. Gregory's

We're grateful that you're part of St. Gregory's growing community! Visit our website at www.stgregorysepiscopal.org for more information or click the links and social media buttons below:

Contact Information

Volunteer Information

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