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Christ The King
How can we keep hold of peace in the storm of campus shootings and murders (not at UGA, thank you God!), planning holiday travel and gatherings, not to mention whatever challenges, griefs, and joys we’re experienced in our own daily lives? I believe that on this Christ the King weekend, as we follow our King to Golgotha, where, in his innocence, he is lynched between the dying bodies of two criminals, we can do what he does. What does he do? He chooses to be exactly where he is, fully and completely, moment by moment. Vulnerable and honest in his suffering; compassionate, generous, and rejoicing when a soul asks to be with him in paradise. He’s present and responsive to all of it, even as his circumstances claim so much of his remaining energy, feeling, and thought.
Perhaps as we too, practice the spiritual discipline of being present, we can find ourselves present in the moments of our own suffering, and that of others, as we pray for the families of the murdered, the families of the shooters, and all the students who remain. We can also be present to the joys and laughter of being together with family and friends, as we thank God for the gift of connection and the blessings of being alive. We can be present to the fatigue of busy-ness, the pain of loneliness in the face of loved ones gone, AND present to God’s goodness of being present with us in ALL of it. I love how St. Paul said it, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) This includes our being ‘with’ ourselves and ‘with’ God in each moment. This is abundant life, being real and being ‘here’, moment by moment with God in days that have mountain tops, and valleys, and mud holes all at once.
Great love and many blessings,
Mo. Nikki+
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STEWARDSHIP REMINDER. If you have not yet returned your 2023 stewardship pledge form, you can do so by bringing your completed form to worship (additional forms are in the narthex), by mailing your pledge form to church, or on our home page via the QUICK LINKS tab GIVING TO ST. GREGORY’S.
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This Sunday, Nov. 20, the Adult Spiritual Formation Class will wrap up their study of Luke. There will be no class on Sunday, Nov. 27; and on December 4, Mother Nikki will begin her Advent class. See below for that description. | |  |
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The Parish offices will be closed from Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 22, through Friday, Nov. 25.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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ADVENT OFFERINGS
This Advent Season your Adult Spiritual Formation Group is offering a program over three Thursday evenings with guest speakers from our wider community to share their work in what we call building Beloved Community. Invoking the Advent themes of Revelation, Journey and Restoration, and inspired by our learning through Sacred Ground, we invite direction along paths our neighbors have taken in pursuit of racial justice.
December 1: Revelation
A selection from Athens Vignettes: A Dialogue with the African American Community by Dr. Roshaunda Breeden and directed by Dr. Freda Scott Giles will be presented by Dr. Giles to illustrate the local history of Linnentown, the Baldwin Hall remains, exploring the relationship between UGA and the Athens African American community, and the impact of urban renewal.
December 8: Journey
Jubilee Partners will come to share their experience of ministry caring for those on the journey of immigration who face challenges unimaginable to most of us.
December 15: Restoration
From the Friends of Brooklyn Cemetery, formed in 2006, we will learn about the work of family and community restoration to honor African American ancestors and the historic community which surrounded their final resting place first established in 1882.
Each evening will begin with a simple meal of soup and bread at 6pm in the Education Building. The presentations will begin at 6:30 following a short meditation and opening prayer, and then be followed by a time for reflection, questions and small group discussions, ending at 7:30. Please join us and invite your friends and family. Also, please notify the church office if you require the Nursery to support your attendance.
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Praying with Pictures:
Contemplative Christian Practices with the Tarot
Have you considered entering this brand new church year (Advent is the beginning of it, yay!) with a brand new spiritual practice? If you are intrigued by the symbolism and puzzles in the parables of Jesus, love to worship through the symbols offered in our liturgy, and hear God speaking to you through the symbolism of dreams, the beauty of creation, music, visual arts and stories, then this Advent class may be for you!
Mother Nikki will offer a 3 part workshop series (these classes are interactive, not lectures) on Sunday mornings at 9:15am at Adult Formation (in the parish hall), designed to explore communing with God through the symbolic pictures offered in the tarot. Contrary to popular opinion, this 78 card deck of both archetypal and daily life images is neither so much in modern times, a tool for fortune telling or occult practice, so much as it is a means to pray without words … akin to the contemplation or writing of the intricate and symbolic artwork of a religious icon. The tarot is now much more often used as a tool for Christian mysticism and the deep work of self-awareness and growth in spiritual formation, than for other pursuits.
Following the works of Brittany Muller (author of the book, The Contemplative Tarot: A Christian Guide to the Cards) and Lindsay Mack (founder of Soul Tarot, a spiritual formation process using “heart centered tarot learning for transformative growth),” we’ll explore the following:
December 4: Where is God in the Tarot? Christianity’s relationship and roots in relation to the Tarot
December 11: Where am I in the Tarot? Interpretation, meaning, and basics for prayer with the Tarot
December 18: How is God conversing with me and what do I hear through the Tarot? Finding your Personal Prayer Practices with the Tarot
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Mark your calendars for Sunday, Dec. 4! St. Nicholas will be visiting St. G's at the 10:30AM service! | | |
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ATHENS MASTER CHORALE
The Athens Master Chorale cordially invites you to experience a beautiful compilation of great music from prestigious composers. Come and hear in The Classic Center Atrium on Sunday, December 4 at 4:00 pm. We passionately devote our energy to prepare and present these magnificent gems of classical music.
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Our beloved “Band of Believers” will be preparing once again to lead us in music for the Family Christmas Eve Service.
All adults and youth are encouraged to come and contribute whatever musical instrument you wish. If you are interested, or just want to inquire about it, please contact Vicky Travernier at 706-201-5264. Rehearsals will be forthcoming.
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Parents and Children: It is time to prepare for the Christmas Eve Children’s Pageant. As is our tradition, all children are invited to participate in the 5PM Family Christmas Eve Service. Throughout Advent (beginning Sunday, November 27), we will use the weekly Children’s Chapel time to practice readings and characters for the pageant. We will likely have a Sunday afternoon rehearsal the week before Christmas Eve; watch the church news for specific announcements regarding that. All children are encouraged to join us!
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The Altar Guild Needs You!!
The altar guild is looking for new volunteers! You will be trained! Please contact Barbara Dean at 706-354-4269 or via email.
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CALL FOR NEW ARTWORK FOR CARD MINISTRY
Saint Gregory's is blessed with many artists of all ages and we are looking for new artwork for our 2023 cards. The Card Ministry sends cards to members of the congregation who are bereaved, in need of encouragement due to illness or circumstance, and for birthdays for folks 70 and older and 18 and under. If you have a work of art that you would like to share please send a jpeg file to Jenifer Borg. We will choose a two images for each category for 2023. Images should be photographed and submitted at 300 dpi. The deadline is 11/20/22. We look forward to seeing your artwork!
Email to jeniferaborg@aol.com
Please put Card Ministry Submission 2023 in the subject line.
Include your name, the title of the artwork, the dimensions of the work in the email.
Attach your jpeg file, 300 dpi Please email submissions by Nov. 20, 2022.
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idle
from warm to cold
from dry to wet
autumn weather
may cause upset
but i enjoy
a rainy day
in respite from
all outside play
and tuck in warm
to read a book
or glance outside
to stop and look
as droplets cling
then fall to ground
beyond the fray
of traffic sound
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. | | |
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Instructions for Live Streaming
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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.
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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!
* St. Gregory's Book Club meets the first Friday of the month in Parish Hall @ 7PM ongoing for the foreseeable future. Email Lois Alworth if you are interested in participating.
*Threads of Prayer meets on the 1st Tuesdays of the month @1PM! 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 St. Gregory's library and 2nd & 4th & 5th Saturdays at the Somerville's house ! Email Peter Rice
* group(s) meeting in person
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