Dear Friends,

Well, hello! I have been away the past few weeks enjoying theater here and in Stratford, Ontario (four plays in two days!), reading novel after novel after glorious novel (Lydia Millet’s Dinosaurs and Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead were standouts in the field), watching movies (hurrah for Wes Anderson’s latest!), hanging out on the other side of Lake Michigan, and just generally enjoying friends and leisure and nature and culture. How grateful I am for that long, slow time! Huge thanks to Courtney, Colin, Edward, and all of you who ensure that worship and fellowship and pastoral care continue day in and day out. What a grace to be part of a healthy, loving parish like this one!

That all rather puts me in mind of the Kingdom of Heaven, the current topic of the readings we have from Matthew’s Gospel, at least last Sunday and the next two. I know many of us think of another place or realm, a place we might “go” after death, when we hear “Kingdom of God” or “Kingdom of Heaven,” but that’s not really what the Jesus is getting at when he talks about the Kingdom of Heaven being like lavishly scattered seed, or a good sower, or a hidden treasure, or a merchant seeking out a treasure, or, or, or . . . . The language in Jesus’ parables both reveals and conceals, surprises and confounds, sort of like poetry or a koan. You think you understand it and then, suddenly, you realize the meaning exceeds the words, your grasp, our intellect. 

And while there is a realm beyond this one, when Jesus invokes the Kingdom of Heaven, he is talking about now, here. We live within it, though we may not realize it. It is breaking into this realm, yet is not fully realized. We catch glimpses, then lose sight of it. 

Thinking about all of this reminded me of a poem that Marie Howe wrote about her brother who died of AIDS:

The Gate, Marie Howe

I had no idea that the gate I would step through

to finally enter this world

would be the space my brother's body made. He was

a little taller than me: a young man

but grown, himself by then,

done at twenty-eight, having folded every sheet,

rinsed every glass he would ever rinse under the cold

and running water.

This is what you have been waiting for, he used to say to me.

And I'd say, What?

And he'd say, This—holding up my cheese and mustard sandwich.

And I'd say, What?

And he'd say, This, sort of looking around.

Hope to see you in church where we get glimpses of the Kingdom of Heaven on the regular, what we’ve been waiting for.

Faithfully, Suzanne+

Back to School Collection

Next month, the women of Grace House at Saint Leonard's Ministries will be holding an event to support their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who are returning to school. To help them out, All Saints is collecting new backpacks and school supplies for kids K-12. Starting Sunday, July 30 through Sunday, August 13, you can leave donations in collection boxes in the Reading Room. If you have any questions, feel free to email Nancy Kipnis.

Not sure what the kids may need? Here's a list of things they could use:

- Backpacks

- Colored pencils

- Composition notebooks

- Spiral notebooks

- Washable markers

- Loose leaf paper

- Regular calculators

- Scientific calculators

- USB drives

- Protractors

- Crayons

- Glue

- Pencils

- Binders

- Rulers

- Pens

- Folders

- Pencil cases

Back to School Blessing for all Teachers, Students, and Back Packs!

Sunday, August 13 at ALL services and

Celebratory Coffee Hour at 10:00am

As students and teachers prepare to return to school and as we collect school supplies for the children of the women who live at Grace House, we will offer a blessing for all students and teachers preparing for the school year. And we particularly want to bless our parishioners who are heading away to school or other adventures this fall—college, boarding school, military, or something else! 

We will bless all backpacks—so bring your backpack, tote bag, or briefcase to be blessed!

Formation and Fellowship

Please consider hosting coffee hour!

We've lightened the burden of coffee hour on our hosts (and on the earth) by adding new compostable materials and collection receptacles thanks to our All Saints Sustainability Committee. You can find the sign-up for July, August and September here. Please reach out to Chad Kruse with questions. 

Thank you all for making coffee hour happen!

All Saints Book Club

Summer 2023

The All Saints Book Club meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30pm on Zoom. If you're not a regular attendee, email Mike Burke at [email protected] for a meeting invite.

Our next meeting will be on August 10 to discuss the second of three books tied to the "Black Lives Matter" initiative: Deacon King Kong by James McBride.

The All Saints Book Club supports the book sanctuary initiative. We plan to include at least one banned book each year in our 2023 reading plan. 

Outreach and Justice

Thirsty Ears Festival:

August 5 & 6, 2:00-10:00pm

Access Contemporary Music’s Thirsty Ears Festival is Chicago’s only classical music street festival! For two days, Wilson street between Hermitage and Ravenswood is closed to feature stellar ensembles and soloists performing music from Beethoven to Shostakovich to Reich and everything in between on the main stage. It also features delicious beer and wine, vendor booths, kid-friendly activities, and food trucks on both days. For more information, visit www.acmusic.org.

Are you in a caregiving season?

Thank you to the brave souls who joined us at our previous meetings of Caregiver Connections, a monthly gathering of caregivers for listening, venting, sharing experiences, comparing notes, and hearing from experts on specific resources.

If you haven't been able to make it so far, we look forward to connecting with you at our upcoming meeting Monday, August 21 at 7:00pm in the Reading Room. Please email Kelly McNees with any questions.

Want to help refugees in Chicago?

Thanks to everyone who has supported our refugee efforts this summer. People continue to arrive, needing basic supplies, so if you're interested in doing some more shopping, this week's Amazon wish list supports the Refugee Community Connection mobile free store: a volunteer's car that travels to police stations and shelters so that new arrivals can choose what they need. 

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/32X1SUMSPDJXJ

Any questions? Have a yoga mat to get rid of? Email Annie Logue at [email protected].

Did you know you can listen to All Saints sermons on Apple Podcasts?

www.allsaintschicago.org

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