Seeing is Always Believing

The Rev. Dr. Bill Murray

I wrote about our contract with Cherry Street Energy and the installation of solar panels on the roof in the January newsletter. We presented more details about the panels and the process during the Annual Meeting. We voted and approved all this in the Finance Committee and during Vestry meetings. We have been talking about it for the better part of two months. The great news is that...

The update is pretty simple and direct. The solar panels are installed and on the roof. They cover maybe 30-35% of our available roof space. The electricians are wiring the panels together and will connect them to our power grid on Monday or Tuesday next week. We will have a display that shares how much power the panels are producing and how much they are saving our community by shifting to a renewable power source.

The funny part is that humans have always been the same about things like this. We can get a million reports, be told of the economic savings, and even get reports about how it functions. At the end of the day, one photo makes it all real. When we posted images on our social media, everyone got much more excited, and the questions started rolling in. Seeing is believing. 

I will be the first to agree that we want to see things. That is why I climbed a ladder to get on the roof and then climbed all over the place to see what it looks like to have some panels about 18 inches from the roof. I was expecting them to be taller, but the installer helpfully explained that it makes them easier to blow over or just literally blow away like a sail if they are high. They did not use screws in the roof. Instead, they weighed the solar panels with concrete blocks. Their method has proven effective up to Category 4 Hurricanes!

In this season of Lent, we are called to be good stewards of what is given to us. We are called to think about how our spending reflects what we believe. Are we really caring for the poor? Are we truly prioritizing loving our neighbor? Are we acting shrewdly with what we have? I can say that the church can answer "Yes!" We pay close attention to our budget, and through projects like these solar panels, we are caring for our world and for our pocketbook. We are due to save something like $16,000 this year alone in power costs and up to $500,000 over the next 20 years with these solar panels. 

Thanks to Chris Devine, who researched the solar power companies, our Finance Committee, and the Vestry, we are proving that seeing is believing- and that acting to help our planet can also help us be better stewards of all we have.

Adult Forum

Join us for donuts in Bishop Commons on Sunday and stay for the next session of our series on Jesus as Healer. Lawson Kelly will use clips from The Chosen as well as her experience with Healing Prayer through the Daughters of the King, grief programs, and other therapeutic work in her background.

Ready to Take the Next Step?
Join us for a 5-week Confirmation Class beginning next Sunday after the 10:15 AM service in the Parlor. We’ll share snacks, learn together, and get to know one another more deeply. Whether you’re new, returning, or ready to go deeper, this is a welcoming, no-pressure next step at Holy Innocents.


The Rt. Rev. Rob Wright will be with us May 31 to confirm and receive new members.

Email the Rev. Ruth Pattison (rpattison@holyinnocents.org) or the Rev. Stewart Lucas (slucas@holyinnocents.org) to sign up.


The Gospel versus Tony Soprano:

What Are Ethics in the 21st Century?

Sundays at 9:00 AM | March 8 - 29

During Lent, Bill Murray and John Porter will lead a lively, thoughtful exploration of the HBO series The Sopranos as a modern morality play. Using selected scenes and guided conversation, we’ll wrestle with questions of sin and self-deception, happiness and misery, integrity, and compartmentalization, asking what it really means to live a morally good life. Set alongside Jesus’ teaching that we are known by our fruits, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, and Post-modern Nihilism, this class invites honest reflection, spirited discussion, and a deeper look at the stories that shape us.

Sacred Law or Sacred Lore: Why Do We Do What We Do?

February 26, March 5, 12, 19 | 7:00 PM



This Lent, we are delighted to partner once again with our friends at Temple Sinai for our annual shared series, led by Bill Murray and Rabbi Ron Segal. Together, we will explore what practices and rituals our respective faith traditions specify as actual requirements, which are informed by regional and cultural norms, and which long-held beliefs and practices originate in superstitious lore. Refreshments at 6:30 PM, program from 7:00-8:15 PM. Meetings will alternate between Temple Sinai and HIEC, beginning at Temple Sinai.

Habitat for Humanity Build 

February 7-March 28

Holy Innocents, along with several local churches, is sponsoring Atlanta Habitat for Humanity’s Faith Build. Adult parishioners and teens ages 16 and up are invited to take part in this meaningful work. Each Saturday, at least four members of Holy Innocents will have the opportunity to serve. No skills required, just the desire to help an Atlanta family buy a home at a very affordable price.

Women of HI: Corks and Conversation

February 25, 5:30-7:00 PM

Women of HI are invited to gather for an evening of relaxed conversation and connection at Corks & Conversation. Join us on Wednesday, February 25, from 5:30–7:00 PM for a casual time to unwind, meet new faces, and build meaningful relationships across generations. Whether you’re new to HI or have been here for years, this is a space to connect, laugh, and encourage one another in community.

Prayer Shawl

March 3, 7:00-8:30 PM

Join us in the Parlor on Tuesday, March 3, 7:00–8:30 PM. We knit and crochet shawls for those in need, but bring any project—needlepoint, cross-stitch, even mending—and enjoy fellowship while you work.

Contact Cammie Ives | cammieives@gmail.com

Third Friday: Men of HI

March 20, 7:30 AM

Enjoy warm hospitality, engaging discussions, and a fresh breakfast in the Frost Youth Center. Come for the conversation and stay for the fellowship.

Contact Charles Crosby | charles@corepm.net

Men's Retreat

April 24-26 

Bill Harkins returns as retreat leader for the Men of HI Retreat at Lake Logan Episcopal Center in the mountains of North Carolina. This year’s theme is “Arete, Faith, and a Rule of Life for Connection Among Men.” Bill will serve as both facilitator and homilist, offering the grounded presence and depth many have come to value over the years.

Contact John Harris harris4338@gmail.com

Reading Connections

March 9, 6:00 PM

This month’s book is Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout. Amy and Isabelle is the author’s debut novel, focusing on the strained relationship between a single mother, Isabelle, and her 16-year-old daughter, Amy, in the fictional mill town of Shirley Falls, Maine.



Contact Michelle Driscoll

dris1296@yahoo.com

Bucket List Book Club

March 3, 1:00 PM

This co-ed group is reading Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. We’ll meet at 1:00 pm in the Parlor room.



Contact Audrey Sumner audreysum4833@gmail.com

Men's Dinner & a Book

March 10, 6:30 PM

The book is Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian’s Journey Home by Chris La Tray. Rolf Meinhold is hosting. All men at H.I. are invited! 



Contact Jeremy Webber

jhwwebber@gmail.com

Click the video above to watch last Sunday's service!

Realm Access

Realm is our database system, which allows us to communicate all of the things that the clergy and staff do behind the scenes to make Holy Innocents' our home. You are also now able to connect to your record with instant access to the directory, your giving, event registration, and more. To connect to your account:

• Email Renee Stephens at rstephens@holyinnocents.org for an invitation link.
• Create your password and remember it!
• Use your email address and password to log in through a browser or the Connect app

Connect app for iPhone: click here.

Connect app for Android: click here.

Once you have your account access, update your contact information and upload a picture that will be used in the directory. Contact Renee for help. rstephens@holyinnocents.org

Pastoral Notes 

If someone is in the hospital, has died, or has some other pastoral emergency, please contact our clergy directly. Call the church office at 404-255-4023 and follow the prompts. This will connect you directly with the clergyperson on call. 

If you have joys to share, new births, grandbabies, graduations, or job announcements, we will gladly share them in our weekly Hi-Lights email if you send a note to communications@holyinnocents.org