So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for God. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what God wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Romans 12:1-2
Life in God, with God, is intentional and creative. To have that daily practice of intent, to have that spiritual discipline of creativity (and we're all creative...it's simply a function of being made in God's image), requires dependence on the power of the Trinity, and interdependence within the company of our family, friends, and neighbors, those both in and outside of the Body of Christ. It can get complicated. And I love what author, painter, and poet Jan L. Richardson says about encountering and navigating those complications, in her meditation on complications in her book, In the Sanctuary of Women*:
The Complicated Places
Simply put, the creative life invites us to envision and discern what God is trying to accomplish in the world. It employs the intellect but also takes us beyond it, down into the deeper levels, to the realms of intuition and imagination. The creative process, in its many forms, involves bringing back the treasures of those realms and of offering them to the world.
Here's how Gary put it one day: "Life is too complicated to deal with only in words. If you can only deal with stuff that's simple enough to put into (regular) words, you're not going far enough. And that's where God is--in the complicated places."
BLESSING
May you go
into the complicated spaces
with courage
with wisdom
with the protection of God
who meets you there.
*(pages 242-243)
Love and Blessings,
Mother Nikki+
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Please watch your mailbox for a letter from our church. The letter will include a stewardship estimate of giving pledge card and a ministries interest checklist. In-gathering for our pledges and ministry interests will be Sunday, September 29, 2024. | |
Parish offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 2 for Labor Day.
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Threads of Prayer
We gather again on Tuesday, September 3, 1PM in the library. Please join us if you like to or want to learn to crochet or knit. We make baby blankets, lap blankets, baby hats and prayer shawls large and small. You are welcome! For more information, contact Annette at 706-255-5839 or email.
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Wanted: Sunday School Teachers
Join us in welcoming children into our St. Gregory’s community as a Sunday School teacher or shepherd. Even one Sunday a month helps! We have a curriculum for teachers to use, and shepherds provide support with activities, lessons, and snack time as needed. Contact Mother Nikki, Berni McCranie, or Jenifer Marquardt for more information.
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PARENTS AND KIDS!
Join us for a back to Children’s Sunday School reception at 9:15 AM September 8th in the Children’s Chapel in the Education Building. Enjoy snacks, fill out a registration card, see the classrooms, and meet some of the teachers!
The Children’s Sunday School program returns SEPTEMBER 8TH. Children K through 5th grade gather in the Children’s Chapel in the Education Building beginning at 9:15 am. At 9:30, we go to the upstairs classrooms for a Bible based lesson, activities, and snacks. Around 10:20, children return to the Chapel. Parents, please drop off your children in the Chapel so we can touch base with you as needed, and pick the kids up again in the Chapel or from the upstairs rooms. Thank you!
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FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
The Finance Committee will meet on Sunday, Sept. 8, in the office next to Kendall’s immediately following the 10:30AM service. All are welcome!
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OUTREACH COMMITTEE MEETING
The Outreach Committee will meet on Sunday, Sept. 8, in the library, right after the 10:30AM service. Anyone is welcome to join!
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Little Women - the Musical
You are invited to our production of Little Women, the Broadway musical! This is Collective Artists Workshop (CAW)'s inaugural musical production! Sept. 13-15 & 20-22 at the Oconee Civic Center (2661 Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville). Here is the link to buy tickets!
Tickets
Here also is a link if you'd like to make a tax-deductible donation to help with production costs!
Donation
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Candlelight Vigil
St. Gregorians and all members of the greater Athens area are invited to a Candlelight Vigil during National Suicide Prevention Week, in order to raise awareness, share resources, and practice remembrance. Tuesday, Sept. 10 from 7:30-9PM.
Labyrinth
In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week, we will have the labyrinth out in Parish Hall for anyone to walk between Monday, Sept. 9 and Thursday, Sept. 12.
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Confirmation Classes
Confirmation classes will begin on October 20. If you or your child are interested in getting confirmed, received, reaffirmed, or if you just want to learn more about the Episcopal Church, then make sure to come to confirmation class starting on October 20 after the 10:30 service. The class will run every Sunday for 7 weeks leading up to the confirmation service at the Cathedral of St. Philip on December 8th. If you're interested please let either Wade McGlamery or Mother Nikki know.
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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.
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Adult Sunday School
Adult Discussion Group: (Parish Hall) The Adult Spiritual Formation Sunday morning Bible Study meets at 9:15AM and is currently studying the Gospel of Matthew. Wayne Coppins is leading this discussion. All are welcome.
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.
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The Athens Area Emergency Food Bank needs cold breakfast cereals, canned corn, and canned soup! Please help us fill the Little Red Wagon! | | |
adundance
children of god
church is our base
to go out from
to be god’s face
out in the world
to all we see
to be the love
that sets us free
from fear that more
will become less
forgetting that
god does all bless
with gifts enough
to spread around
church is from where
love does abound
alice mohor
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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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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 (September 20). 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 meets 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
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