SHARE:  

The


Gregorian


Chant

Hello Deeply Beloveds!


As we continue on through the ending of summer and entry into the school year (and all the parents said "Amen!"), as well as continuing through the 6-month season of Ordinary Time in the liturgical year, I have found the words from Jan Richardson's blog very helpful and beautiful. Ordinary Time for me offers space away from the large and full celebrations for high holy days, though all are glorious and nourishing in their own right. But Ordinary Time, for me, allows for slow transformation, budding growth, and holy exploration. Here is where are spirits can gently enter the new and the mystical. I love how Jan Richardson writes about such transformation in her blog "The Painted Prayer Book"*:


In my retreat work, I often encounter folks who claim that they don’t have a creative bone in their bodies. I understand this; can see all too readily how our culture chips away at the creative spirit that is innate to us. It is alarming, how easily we participate—however unconsciously—in societal patterns that seek to keep us within certain confines; that keep us from being too distinctive, too creative, too noticeable. That keep us from standing upright.


But in these past weeks, I watched a woman create a sculpture for the first time since her mother’s death more than a decade before; I heard a woman in her 80s declare that she was going to spend the rest of her life painting; I saw people take the scriptures into their bones as they sang and worshiped and prayed and danced the sacred texts of our tradition; I saw them piece together words and images that drew them more deeply into their internal terrain where they found the presence of God in ways they had not noticed before. I saw them holding one another in community, walking with one another into new landscapes.


As these scenes and moments of the past weeks play through my memory once again, I see, too, among them a shadow: a woman bent, moving, rising, standing, praising. Healed and free.


And so I, the preacher and writer and artist who perpetually circles around the same message, am come this day to ask you: What are the patterns you are enacting in your life and your community? Do you have any habits and routines that, once comfortable, have become constricting and confining? Are there ways that you participate in keeping others in rhythms that are comfortable for you? Do you allow others to do this to you, letting yourself absorb assumptions and prejudices that keep you bound, however subtly? Do you resist moving in ways that might challenge and conflict with the patterns of others? What would it look like to place yourself in the healing path of Jesus, and know sabbath down to your very bones?


Prayer for All Things Rising


For all things rising

out of the hiddenness of shadows

out of the weight of despair

out of the brokenness of pain

out of the constrictions of compliance

out of the rigidity of stereotypes

out of the prison of prejudice;


for all things rising

into life, into hope

into healing, into power

into freedom, into justice;


we pray, O God,

for all things rising.


In the coming days, may you place yourself in the path of the Christ who desires our wholeness. Together. Blessings to you!


[“Prayer for All Things Rising” © Jan L. Richardson from Sacred Journeys: A Woman’s Book of Daily Prayer (Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1995).


Peace, healing, and joy to you,

Mother Nikki+


*blog entry, "Freedom in My Bones" (This entry was posted on August 15, 2010 at 9:26 PM and is filed under artGospel of LukelectionaryOrdinary Time., Jan Richardson.) 


A message from Jonathan Klein of the Capital Improvements Committee (CIC); Jonathan is the lead member for the Organ portion of the CIC but also would like to address the construction of a enclosed walkway connecting both our Sanctuary & Parish Hall buildings this week:


I have had the privilege of working, worshiping, and being a member of St. Greogry’s for the last 25 years. During this time you can easily imagine that our wonderful church has gone through a variety of seasons. Some of these seasons have asked us to focus on parish in-reach activities, some seasons with outreach projects, some with the calling of new clergy; some seasons have been about simply maintaining, navigating a pandemic, and a few of them have even been about building new things.


It appears that this season of Capital Improvements is calling us to partner with God and move forward once again into something new. One of the focal points that I am excited about is the prospect of connecting our two buildings with an enclosed walkway. 


The connecting of our two spaces benefits St. Gregory’s in the following ways:

— Provides a seamless flow from worship in the Nave to post-worship gatherings in the Parish Hall

— Creates a new and ideal location to house the Sanctuary & Parish Hall HVAC systems. This in turn would yield the following benefits:

1) Greatly reduce HVAC noise during worship

2) Create more storage space in our Nave & Parish Hall due to the relocation of HVAC systems

3) Make climate (and again, acoustic) conditions more favorable for worship (and future organs)


— Increases safety (for all ages) when walking between buildings during poor weather days

— Creates more space for the welcoming of parishioners to worship (i.e. extension of Narthex)

— Allows us to relocate our kitchen space into the parish hall building and gives us the ability to host any gatherings with food under ONE roof.

— Opens up additional space in Christian education building (because of the kitchen change) — Adds beauty to our grounds (the enclosed breezeway would feature many windows and replace the incomplete gable overhanging currently on the sanctuary)


Personally, my imagination delights at the possibilities of such a walkway and relishes in the symbolism of “connecting” us all with this type of structure. It is my hope that we can leave St. Gregory’s grounds & buildings better than we found them by revitalizing our spaces for the continued welcoming HOME of both friends, strangers, and those who seek to deepen their faith now and for generations to come. 



Below this space you will find a QR code that will take you to a website where t-shirts and caps with the capital campaign logo are available for purchase. These are quality items at a fair price. Once you order and pay for your t-shirts and caps, they will arrive at the church the week before Family Night. You’ll be able to pick up your items at the church on Sunday, September 15 or anytime during the following week that the office is open and then proudly wear them to Family Night. And you’ll have them to wear for many subsequent occasions. Just be sure to order before August 30th, when the online shop will close down to give the manufacturers time to process the orders. Click here for the online shop! see below for QR code.

Volunteer Opportunity


St. Gregory the Great needs an Assistant Treasurer to assist our current Treasurer, Les House, and to assume the duties of Treasurer when Les’s term expires at the end of 2025. 


To better understand the Treasurer’s role and responsibilities and to learn what tools are available to help the Treasurer succeed, the Episcopal Parish Network is offering a free webinar on Tuesday, July 30, at 2:45 p.m. Click here to read more about the webinar and to register. Webinar leaders will be Jackie McLaughlin, Certified Public Accountant and Learning Manager, Chazin & Company, Washington, D.C., and Gary Hacker,Vestry Treasurer, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Baltimore, Maryland.

Family Promise Week: Aug 11-18


Our next Family Promise commitment is August 11-18. As our week gets closer, there will be more detail, but here's a first look at what we will be responsible for:

  • $25 Kroger gift cards (how many depends on number of people in shelter)
  • Three dinner commitments, August 13, 14 and 15; make or buy dinner
  • Possible van driving Monday August 12, a.m.
  • Monitor for the Day Center 1:00-5:00 p.m. (even an hour would help) Saturday August 17; help with kids activities at least part of this time
  • Back to school supplies possibly.

Questions, contact Annette via email or 706-255-5839. To sign up for any of the above, click here. Thank you for your past generosity in helping families in housing crisis!

Seeking Volunteers


We need volunteers at the Food Bank for August, September, and October! 2-3 volunteers are needed each month. A signup sheet is in the narthex. We meet at 640 Barber St. on 3rd Mondays from 9AM-1PM.  



Building and Grounds would like to open up a Qualtrics survey so that parishioners may help us pinpoint areas of improvement around the church. This will aid us in developing Church workdays for families and individuals to participate in and help grow our sense of community and appreciation of our home.


Suggestions can be made anonymously or with names attached. Please click here for survey!


EXCHANGE STUDENTS

If any families are interested in hosting an international exchange student in the area please contact Karen Brill 706-540-4455 for requirements and details. 


Adult Sunday School


Adult Discussion Group: (Parish Hall) There will be no ASF this Sunday, July 28. We will reconvene August 4 when we will begin studying the Gospel of Matthew. The Adult Spiritual Formation Sunday morning Bible Study meets at 9:15AM in the Parish Hall. Please join us! 


Lectionary Class: (Library) The lectionary class meets in the Library at 9:15AM. We study the assigned readings for each Sunday. Please contact Les House at 478-733-2939 or via email if you have any questions. 

The Athens Area Emergency Food Bank needs canned salmon, pasta sauces, and pork 'n' beans! Please help us fill the Little Red Wagon!

summer sound

 

activated

by motion near

i hardly can

my own thoughts hear

 

when cicadas

sing out their call

meant to entice

to then enthrall

 

a breeding mate

from all the rest

to satisfy

their only quest

 

to propagate

and then to die

no wonder then

their longing cry


 

alice mohor

Instructions for Live Streaming



  • 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!

Ongoing Services/Meeting Opportunities

Parish community offerings via Zoom or in person:


Holy Eucharist and Healing Service Please join us on Wednesday evenings at 6PM in the sanctuary for eucharist and prayers for healing.


Ceilidh Folk Service St Gregory's offers a monthly Ceilidh service (pronounced kay-lee) on the 3rd Friday of the month (August 16). Based on a Gaelic tradition of celebrating community and hospitality, a folk liturgy complete with live folk music and a meal will be offered in the Christian Education building at 6:30PM. Foot washing and hand anointing will also be available before or after (not during) these services for anyone who wants to take part, starting at 6PM. Food will be provided, but we always accept more dishes to add to the table if anyone wishes to bring something! Any musicians that are interested in helping to provide the music for these services, as well as anyone with questions about the service, are encouraged to reach out to Wade McGlamery.


Blindspot Group Our 20s and 30s group meets on the last Thursday of each month at 6:30PM and the 2nd Sunday of each month at 6PM for dinner and a small group study (usually off-site of the church). We also meet at least once a month for game nights, dinner and drinks, movie nights, and more. Newcomers are always welcome! Contact Wade McGlamery, 770-624-4837 for more information.


*Hebrew Reading meets via Zoom on Wednesdays from 1-3PM. If you're interested, email Joel Hunt for more info!


St. Gregory's Book Club meets the first Friday of the month in the library @ 7PM ongoing for the foreseeable future.  Email Lois Alworth if you are interested in participating.


Threads of Prayer will take the months of June and July off. Starting back in August, we meet on the 1st Tuesdays of the month @1PM! We 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 on Zoom


Acolyte Sign-Up

Give online
See what's happening on our social sites:
Facebook  Instagram  
St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church | office@stgregoryathens.org
706.546.7553 | www.stregoryathens.org