The Source of Our Hope

Exquisitely Beloved, 

To watch the news or scroll through any social media feed is also sometimes to simply wonder how such atrocious horrors and crimes against humanity come to pass. I like the way presiding Bishop Michael Curry describes it in his book Love is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times: 

“Faceless systems and power structures can do horrible things that good and decent people benefit from, often without even knowing. I knew that. 

I understood how easy it was for us as individuals to be moral personally and at the same time be immoral as part of the society, the class, the race, the religion. When the mob does evil, we blame it on the mob, and ignore that we are complicit when we are passive. I knew all of that.  But when Eva raised her hand and that sleeve dropped, exposing that tattoo, I was speechless. I had seen pictures, but this was the first time I had seen the numbers up close, on the frail arm of a hand I had gently shaken. It hit me then as never before: that tattoo was who and what she was to her captors. A number. A thing. An object. An ‘it.’ That number rendered her an ‘it.’ And when a person, a human child of God, my sister, my brother, my sibling, becomes an ‘it’ to society or any of its members, then the unthinkable becomes thinkable and the horrible possible. That's how someone sits by while evil is done.” 

Gracious God, through the power of your compassionate grace, may we be still and know that you God. And then, may we make time in our lives to pause and recognize your divine presence in absolutely, positively everybody else, no exceptions. Your extravagant Love in and for each of us, is the source of our hope. Amen. 

In Peace and hope, 

Mo. Nikki+ 

Stewardship - this Sunday, October 29, is our Stewardship In-gathering Sunday. Please bring your completed Giving Estimate cards and Ministry Interest forms to worship or return your cards and forms via U.S. mail, drop-off, or online.

ingathering

after prayerful

consultation

and with thoughtful

calculation

we ready with

our estimate

of giving to

then allocate

for both our church

community

and neighboring

locality

to bring us all

to know god’s peace

as we all strive  

for want to cease

alice mohor

Trunk-or-Treat and Halloweenie Roast

Sunday, October 29, 5:00-7:30

    If you do not plan on attending, but wish to contribute candy for the Trunk-or-Treat, you can drop off bags of candy in the copier room across from Kendall's office.

Just remember: no peanuts.

Make plans to join the St. Gregory’s family for a fun Halloween fellowship. The evening will consist of:

       Supper

• Gathering in the Parish Hall for supper. The church will provide hot dogs, chips, buns, and condiments, as well as tea, lemonade and supplies for s’mores. Please bring a side such as slaw, potato salad, baked beans. There will be a fire outside for roasting marshmallows and making s’mores.

       Carved/Painted Pumpkins

• There will be a couple tables designated in the parish hall for our display of carved or painted pumpkins. Everyone is invited to prepare a pumpkin at home and bring it for all of us to enjoy. Be as creative as you wish!

        Pumpkin Carols

• We will join in our second annual “Singing of the Pumpkin Carols” around the dinner tables.

        Trunk-or-Treating

• After supper, we will have Trunk-or-Treating for kids. There will be time to get your trunk/car ready before we realize our young goblins. Trunk-or-Treating will take place in the larger parking lot (nearest the parish hall). If you plan on decorating your trunk, park on that side. If you are not preparing a trunk, please park in the lot nearest the children’s playground.

        In Event of Rain

• If the forecast calls for rain, we will move the trunk-or-treating indoors as we did last year, and participants will decorate a room in one of the church buildings. Any such changes will be announced during morning worship on the 29th.

In Preparation:

• All Gregorians are encouraged to bring your Halloween treats of choice to distribute from your own car trunk in the parking lot. If you don’t have a trunk, we will give you an assigned space to hand out your goodies. Remember: we are a peanut-free parish.
• Carve or paint your own pumpkin to bring for the pumpkin display.
• Plan on bringing your side dish.
• Invite your friends and neighbors.

FINAL WEEK



Every Fall, St. Gregory’s sponsors a parish-wide clothes drive to support our neighbor, Barnett Shoals Elementary School. This year, we are seeking donations, in the following prioritized order, to replenish the school’s clothes closet:

•  boys’ pants/sweatpants/shorts -all sizes, youth XS-XL
•  girls’ pants/shorts/leggings -all sizes, youth XS-XL
•  boys’ and girls’ underwear -all sizes, XS- XL
•  boys’ and girls’ shirts -all sizes, XS-XL (can include t-shirts in multi-packs, not necessarily gendered)

Boys’ and girls’ pants may include new and gently-used, clean items.

Donations will be collected from Sunday, October 1 through Friday, November 3, in the boxes located in the lobby of the Parish Hall. If you have any questions, please contact Gail Eilers, or Jane Sheridan. Thank you, in advance, for your support.

Sunday, November 5, we will celebrate the Holy Eucharist and Feast of All Saints at both services.

You are invited to walk St. Gregory’s Labyrinth in the parish hall Monday, October 30 through Saturday November 4 in honor and remembrance of All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day. The labyrinth offers you the opportunity to “put feet on your prayers.” Experience a walking meditation that connects your mind, body and spirit. 

Lane Norton has placed votive candles in our Memorial Garden, They will be there from Friday afternoon - 11/5 for anyone who may like to come and light a candle in memory of someone. There are matches provided in a ziplock bag for you to use. Please remember to extinguish the candle(s) before you leave.

We found 1! but the nursery would still love 1 more weekly staff member. This person should be a responsible teenager or kind adult that would be interested in having a background check, completing a short Safeguarding training online, and are current with their CPR & First Aid. The hours are 9am - 12pm each Sunday. We could also have volunteers rotating if they take the training and pass the background check. 

St. Gregory's is holding a special Thanksgiving food drive for the Athens Area Emergency Food Bank during the week of November 5-12. Please bring donations on any time during the week or either of the 2 Sundays. Donations brought during the week/Sat. may be left in the entryway hall of the office building. The following foods have been suggested:

Canned pumpkin

Cranberry Sauce

Fresh or Canned Sweet Potatoes

Stuffing Mix

Turkey Gravy

Chicken Broth

French Fried Onions

Mushroom Soup

Salty, Savory Snack Foods 

Community Christmas of Oglethorpe County is gearing up for their annual toy and clothing drive! But in addition to and prior to that, they are in need of funds in November to help qualifying families pay their bills in December so hopefully they have a bit left over for Christmas! Thanks to neighbors like you, in 2022 they provided Christmas gifts and assistance plus emergency funds throughout the year totaling $93,552 to 412 children from 175 Oglethorpe County families. The amount of aid needed was up 16% from 2021, and the number served increased by 94 children. Financial donations can be made online at their website, www.CommunityChristmasOglethorpe.org, dropped off at The Commercial Bank in Crawford, or mailed to 143 Bowen Farm Road, Crawford, GA 30630. There are many more details on the webpage.

TICKETS ARE GOING FAST!

Athens Creative Theatre (ACT) presents Sweeney Todd at the Morton Theatre in downtown Athens Thursday, November 16 through Sunday, November 19. (Melinda Jones & Kendall Kookogey and the rest of the Bono gang are performing!) Sweeney Todd (with Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler), is the unsettling tale of a Victorian-era barber who returns home to London after fifteen years of exile to take revenge on the corrupt judge who ruined his life.

Show times are Thursday-Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3:00pm. Tickets are now on sale online at www.mortontheatre.com, by phone at 706-613-3771, or in person at the Morton Theatre Box Office located at 195 W. Washington Street Mondays through Fridays from 12n-4pm. 

Emmanuel Episcopal invites us to

Dia de los Muertos

on Thursday, Nov 2 at 7PM.

Bilingual Eucharist, followed by a potluck and mariachi band!

Instructions for Live Streaming

• Just go to the St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church YouTube Homepage

• 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:

• If you don’t immediately see the video that says ‘live’, (for instance, if you opened YouTube before the service begins) keep refreshing it.  

• When you see the video square that says ‘live’, click on it. 

Welcome to worship!