Dear Friends,

For the past couple of weeks we’ve heard about what the Kingdom of Heaven is like, according to Matthew’s Gospel. Spoiler alert: it involves radical forgiveness. First, we are told how to forgive (18:15-20) and then we are given a parable that overthrows the whole notion of keeping track of debts and wrongs (18:21-35). This upcoming weekend, though, we get the motherlode of what the kingdom of heaven is like: a landowner who keeps hiring workers throughout the day but who pays them all the same wage (20:1-16)! This is surely a challenge to all of us—what are we to make of such a parable!?!

Well, on Wednesday we had a fantastic conversation at the All Saints Annex (aka O’Shaughnessy’s) about that last parable with Professor Olivia Stewart Lester, who led us in conversation about the nature of parables and possible ways to interpret them and then invited us to think about who we identified with in the parable, what we think the meaning might be, and then challenged us to realize that parables ought to make us a little bit uncomfortable (in other words, WE are not usually the “good guy” in the parable). 

Often we imagine that the Kingdom of Heaven is about, well, HEAVEN. But what if it’s about how we are living . . . now? What if the parables are challenging us to consider how we treat one another right now in our daily lives rather than (only) pointing us to the way God is or will be in the future? 

Are you intrigued? Then join us for one or both of the next two Wednesdays to consider other provocative parables with some instruction from Olivia and lots of conversation with one another. See below for more information!

In other news, we have the opportunity to think about our own little Kingdom of Heaven here at All Saints and to support this good place as we kick off our Pledge Campaign on October 1. Stay tuned for more!

See you in church!

Faithfully, Suzanne+

Worship and Service at All Saints

Interested in serving as an Acolyte?

Acolytes - adults and youth ages 9 and up - serve an important role in our 9:00 and 11:00am liturgies. Acolytes help lead our processions in and out of the sanctuary and serve at the altar as we prepare for Holy Communion. 

Training for YOUTH interested in serving as acolytes will be on Saturday, September 30 from 10:30am - 12:00pm and again on Thursday, October 5 from 4:30-6:00pm. 

Please sign up here. Contact Courtney with any questions.

November 2023 Baptism Preparation

Baptism will be offered on our celebration of All Saints' Day, Sunday, November 5, at both the 9:00am and 11:00am services. If you're interested in baptism for yourself or your child, please let us know by visiting this page and filling out a Pre-Baptismal Form.

Preparation sessions are also offered and little ones are absolutely welcome! If you have any questions, please email Suzanne.

Calling all percussionists!

As part of our worship services this fall, we'll be singing a spirited new setting of Glory to God which would only benefit from the addition of percussion. If you'd be willing to play percussion, please either stop by and see Colin after services on the weekend or send him an email.

Formation and Fellowship

THIS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 12:30pm:

Lunch for Adults Considering Baptism

If you'd like to learn more about how adults prepare for baptism here at All Saints, please join us for lunch this Sunday. This is a chance to learn about the history and theology of baptism and the process of preparing to be baptized at the Easter Vigil here at All Saints. This is a no-pressure meeting—come to lunch for fellowship and learning!

Interested? RSVP HERE.

Parables at the Annex

Wednesdays at 7:00pm: September 27 and October 4

All Saints’ Annex, aka O’Shaughnessy’s Public House (corner of Ravenswood & Wilson)

What does economic justice look like? What does it mean to love our enemy? This event series will dive deeper into the power of storytelling to help answer these questions. We'll look at some of the most provocative parables of Jesus, locating them in the rich history of Jewish storytelling and within the vibrant context of the New Testament gospels.

Our conversations will be led by Olivia Stewart Lester, Assistant Professor of New Testament/Early Christianity at Loyola University Chicago. Her research specializes in prophecy and gender. When she's not teaching, she loves enjoying the Uptown neighborhood with her spouse, 3-year-old daughter, and rambunctious hound dog. 

Join us as we consider what scholar Amy-Jill Levine has called "The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi," and ask what they might have to say to us today.

Episcopal 101 & 102

Are you new here at All Saints? Been coming for a while, but still have lots of questions about what this “Episcopal” church is all about? Would you like a deeper understanding of our worship and why we do what we do? If so, then Episcopal 101 is for you! If you've already participated in Episcopal 101 but want to go deeper, please join Episcopal 102; if you want a review, then take 101 again!

Theses classes will meet on Wednesday, October 11 and Wednesday, November 8 from 7:00-8:30pm in the Parish Hall. Topics include an introduction to the Episcopal Church, discussion about how Episcopalians view the world, sacred scripture, theology and ethics. The class also serves as preparation for adults seeking to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church. 

Sign up here by October 4. The sign up form includes a place to note topics or questions you want to make sure we cover in the class. 

All Saints Youth Group: Fall Plans

All Saints Youth Group meets from 3:30-5:30pm on the Sundays below. We welcome youth ages 12 and older, and you can email [email protected] with any questions.

• September 24: Board Games and Crafts
• October 8: Scavenger Hunt at the Lincoln Park Zoo (more details about transportation and permission forms to follow)
• October 22: Pumpkin Carving
• November 12: History of the Bible
• December 10: Cookie Decorating

Hope to see you at our next meeting! 

All Saints Book Club

Autumn 2023 - Winter 2024

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.

This year, the club continues to support the book sanctuary initiative by including at least one banned book in its reading plan. 

The books chosen for this autumn and early winter are:

October 12: The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

November 9: The Good Nurse by Charles Graeber

December 14: Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep

January 11, 2024: Marley by Jon Clinch

Outreach and Justice

Open House Chicago 2023: October 14 & 15

Once again, All Saints has been invited to participate in the Chicago Architecture Center's Open House Chicago.

Our hours will be: Saturday, October 14th from 10:00am to noon and Sunday, October 15h from 12:30 to 5:00pm.

If you'd like to volunteer your time as a greeter or guide, please contact Ann McKenzie by emailing [email protected] or calling 312-952-1470.

Making Good Trouble:

All Saints’ United Power

and Social Justice Ministry

All Saints has been working with other institutions for social justice through United Power since 2019.  Much of this work is done through public actions with our elected officials to keep pressure on them to support our work.  

This past year, members of All Saints participated in two city-wide actions focused on Mayor Johnson’s support for the Reclaiming Chicago campaign to build 2000 homes on the west (North Lawndale) and south sides of Chicago. All Saints also turned out to support a stabilization housing pilot at the Diplomat Hotel on Lincoln Ave. 

We've also begun the hard work of listening and discerning what issue we need to address for our community here at All Saints. During our first listening session in June, we heard about anger and concern for crime and safety, housing and homelessness, the rise in hatred/discrimination, and the climate. We'll continue this work in the months ahead. 

Read more here about how All Saints got started in this work, the progress and impact being made, what’s next, and how you too can help us change the world as it is.  

Contact: Barbara Manley, 312-953-8802, [email protected].

Spread the love and clean out your closet!

Imagine trekking all the way from Venezuela to Chicago. Imagine the strange and wonderful things you would see and do along the way. Then imagine facing a Chicago winter!

Thousands of new Chicagoans will be experiencing it for the first time and they'll need coats. Like most of us, you probably have perfectly good coats in your closet that you don't use. Maybe you have a pair of snowpants your kid grew out of, a ski jacket left behind by an old roommate who moved to California, or a parka that you're tired of. 

If so, bring them to All Saints and leave them in the waiting area outside Suzanne's office. We'll collect them October 1, October 8, and October 15, then distribute them through Refugee Community Connection. New coats are welcome, too, preferably the puffy type. Costco often has good deals on them.

Also: has an Amazon delivery person abandoned a package carrier in your neighborhood? These are in demand by families moving from shelters to housing. Amazon doesn't want them back, so bring them here!

Questions? Contact Annie Logue.

Church Business

À vos marques, prêts, partez:

"Oui" Run 5K returns this Sunday, September 24

Ravenswood’s Lycée Français de Chicago will hold its annual 5K run this Sunday from 8:00-10:00am. For more information and registration, you can follow this link.

Please note that parking restrictions within the Ravenswood and Lincoln Square communities will be in effect starting at 12:00am. Streets will reopen as the race progresses with all streets should reopening by 9:30am. The finish line area (Winchester & Sunnyside) will re-open at 12:00pm.

The 2024 Pledge Campaign is Coming . . .

And we need some Polaroid cameras! Have one we can borrow? Let Suzanne know and/or drop them off in the Sacristy with your name and contact information. Thank you!

Vestry Report: Summary of September Meeting

The All Saints Vestry met over Zoom on September 19, 2023. In attendance were June Coyne (clerk), Chad Eric Bergman, John Dufour, Margaret Ferguson, Susie

Griffith, Katrina Kasten, Craig Maki, Ann McKenzie, Courtney Reid, Doug

Renkenberger, Gina Shropshire, Jacqueline WayneGuite, Nina Wilfred, Suzanne Wille,

and Skip Yates.

The following items were on the agenda:

• Katrina and Susie discussed the new pledge campaign, which will run through 4

Sundays in October

• Margaret and Suzanne discussed the Phoenix Fund and how money will be

allotted.

• Susie mentioned checking in with ministry leaders on an annual basis to see

what is working and what is not.

• Vestry members discussed their one-on-ones and how they will proceed over

the next few months to reach more parishioners.

• A Buildings & Grounds update noted the ongoing tuckpointing of the parish hall

and that scaffolding is present; the church hallway will be freshly painted.

• Suzanne mentioned we have a new calendar on our website.

• Plans for a 2024 vestry retreat in March are in the works.

Banns of Marriage

I publish the Banns of Marriage between Jacqueline Saldaña and Kevin Refior of Chicago. If any of you know just cause why they may not be joined together in Holy Matrimony, you are bidden to declare it. This is the first time of asking.

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

www.allsaintschicago.org

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