Wonders by Their Hands

Anonymous

Sydney, Australia

Greetings!

Were you at church this past Sunday? At each service, we had a “Blessing of the Backpacks,” and the biggest group was at the 10:00 celebration. And it was wonderful! Stretched across the front of the Great Hall were kids of all sizes, as well as a number of adult students, teachers, and administrators. Everyone was gifted with an ODEC tag for their bag/backpack, and all were lifted to God in prayer for a good school year and then heartily blessed. And I would guess that all of us love seeing the children up there, and we are grateful to have them here as a part of the church. But here’s the thing to remember: they aren’t “the future of the church.” No—they are the church NOW! Now is the time to include them, to engage them, to teach them, and to have them serve. Now is the time to recognize that we can be a tremendous resource for them and their families…we can love them, share with them, sing with them, pray with them, and provide a safe place where they are accepted and respected. Therefore, now is the time to pay attention! So be sure to welcome, speak to, thank, or work with our children and youth. Because if we don’t do it now, there will be no reason for them to be with us later. Everyone counts! So everything we do to welcome and include each other is important.

Faithfully yours,

Mimi+

Thursday

10:00am Holy Eucharist Healing Worship

11:00am Bible Study in Canterbury

THIS Sunday, 30 August! We are ODEC Potluck!

Come together to share what has formed us individually, and as a congregation. A celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary! Bring a favorite dish from your childhood, or something that your state is known for. Bring an index card with the name of your dish, which state, and the number of years you have been at ODEC. We’ll have a map and a chart with pins so we can visually see our commonality and our diversity. Click the graphic to read everything!

Liturgical Notes: This past Sunday we started sharing the announcements at the beginning of the service. There are two reasons for this. The first is practical: I have spent the last 20 years doing announcements at the beginning of the service, and several times I have done it here at ODEC without thinking—so I accidentally started it anyway! The second reason is theological, in that the celebration of the Eucharist is set up in a way that is to lead us through the service seamlessly. In other words, the first part of the service—The Liturgy of the Table—sets us up to hear and reflect upon the Word of God, and then pray, confess, be forgiven, and rise to share Christ’s peace with each other. This, then, has prepared us for The Liturgy of the Table—the Great Thanksgiving—which is celebrated in response to the Word, when we literally re-member the Last Supper and share the Body and Blood of Christ. The challenge with having the announcements in the middle of the service, then, lies in the fact that we completely lose the thread of The Liturgy of the Word, as we are distracted into thinking about the reminders and news that are shared—and it’s hard to get that thread back. So please give this new practice a try: exchange the peace, save conversation for later, and thus enter into The Liturgy of the Table still engaged with what has come before. Questions? Let’s talk! Mimi+ 

Ushers Unite!

Be the first smile people see and the reason they feel at home. As an usher, it's not just about bulletins—you set the tone for every service, and help create a warm, welcoming space for all. Step into a role that makes a real difference each week. Join the usher team—you belong here. Already trained and ready to usher? Sign up HERE.

NEXT Week

Art Group

Every Tuesday 2:00pm in Alfriend House. Questions? Contact Karen Ludwig.

Vestry Commission Meetings

Wednesday, 2 September 6:30pm

Knit Wits

Thursday, 3 September 1:30pm Alfriend House

SCOPE

Singles ☩ Couples ☩ Parents ☩ Episcopalians

Thursday, 3 September 5:30pm Alfriend House

Contact Annamarie Ginder for info!

Have you completed the Formation Surveys and Registration yet? Please click the graphic and then the Survey boxes to do so. We want your input!

Cycles of Prayer - Week of August 30

Those serving in Wyoming—at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Camp Guernsey, the 153rd Airlift Wing Air National Guard, Laramie Readiness Center, and the Cheyenne VA Medical Center.

Those serving in Wyoming—at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Camp Guernsey, the 153rd Airlift Wing Air National Guard, Laramie Readiness Center, and the Cheyenne VA Medical Center.

Altar Flower Dedications

Would you like to dedicate flowers in loving memory of or thanksgiving for someone dear to you? Email Janet, and we will let the Flower Guild know. The dedication is included in the Sunday bulletin. The cost is $75.

Building Security

Just a reminder that our doors are programmed for opening and closing, in collaboration with our groups, to keep our building secure. Please do not prop the doors open as that defeats the whole purpose. If your group needs the times adjusted, please contact Gretchen.

REALM!

All active members have received an email to REALM, our new platform for parishioners. The email address from which it came is : and will look like the graphic below.



You will need to download the app and choose your preferences of what to show to others. At that point, you will be part of the directory. Exciting, but there are growing pains. Please be patient!

Click below to download the app to your phone:

Interim Rector: The Rev. Mimi Lacy

Senior Warden: Bill Waide

Director of Administration: Gretchen Hood

Parish Secretary: Janet Castro

Attribution: Anonymous. Wonders by Their Hands, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt University Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://act.library.vanderbilt.edu/artworks/55766 [retrieved August 24, 2026]. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67953162@N00/7999088559.