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Ruth's Reflection
Red and pink construction paper hearts, crayons, perhaps some glitter and glue, but always the ephemeral paper doilies. We decorated brown paper lunch bags and taped them along the chalk tray (back in the day when classrooms had chalk boards!)
Elementary school. Before the age of the crush or the clique when for some reason hearts are turned and circled up with boundaries and borders that define the worthiness of another.
At least that’s the way I remember Valentine’s Day. Love with abandon. Love without distinction. Love in abundance. A brown paper bag overflowing with it, stuffed full of colorful cards each in its own little envelope with my name printed in thick lead pencil. Each child brought a valentine for each child.
Oh, to love with abandon. To love without distinction.
We need more of that. I find myself longing for that sometimes. A general kindness and generosity that extends to everyone, simply because of our shared humanity. Or as our Baptismal Covenant places it as a promise on our lips, each of us striving for justice, peace, and dignity, for every human being.
Let’s love like that! Each of us with a valentine for each of us. This one day a year, what a fun-filled invitation to live out our baptismal vows with a particular joy and playfulness.
Nothing to lose. Everything to gain.
Walking in love, as Christ loved us . . .
Ruth+
[Reminder notes to myself]
Love
Valentine’s Day.
Matters of the heart
What a simple practice
Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. I Thessalonians 5:11
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Sunday Formation Hour: Join Us for Learning, Fellowship, and Coffee!
Start your Sunday mornings with coffee, doughnuts, and great conversations in Inglett Hall during our Formation Hour at 9:00 am. Here's what's coming up:
February 16
Stewart leads the Bible Study while the rest of our friends are at Kanuga on the Annual Parish Retreat.
The Importance of the Church and Community
Our Bible Study on Acts Resumes February 23
What do we value? What does the church value?
Bill, Stewart & Ruth lead us in the discussion in the weeks ahead.
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Realm Updates
We’re excited to remind you about our new church management system, Realm! If you haven't already, please take a moment to register with Realm and upload your photo. This will help us ensure your information is up-to-date in our parish directory. We have already uploaded those photos we took several weeks ago.
Important Update: The parish directory feature will go live next Friday, and after that, you’ll need to log in to update your privacy settings. This is a great opportunity to control what information is shared with others in the system.
About Realm: This is our new cloud-based platform designed to enhance communication, streamline accounting, and manage events efficiently.
As a parishioner, you’ll benefit from easy access to giving records, the parish directory, and church events. With secure financial transactions and a mobile app, Realm is helping us stay connected and engaged in our ministry.
We encourage you to register today and be part of this exciting new chapter in our church’s administration!
If you need more help or want to email us your photo please contact Renee Stephens.
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Third Friday: Men of HI
February 21
Enjoy warm hospitality, engaging discussions, and a fresh sausage and biscuit breakfast. Come for the conversation and stay for the fellowship—7:30 AM in the Frost Youth Center.
Contact Charles Crosby | charles@corepm.net
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Ash Wednesday
March 5, 7:30 AM, 12:00 PM, & 6:00 PM.
As the solemn beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday invites us to realign our hearts with God and His calling in our lives. This service offers a meaningful opportunity to reflect, renew, and deepen our faith within our church community.
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Reading Connections
March 10, 6:00 PM
Join us for the Reading Connections March meeting in Inglett Hall Room C. Our March 10 meeting begins at 6:00 PM with light refreshments and the discussion starts at 6:30. This month’s reading selection is The Happy Hour Choir, by Sally Kilpatrick. Please note, that we have moved our meeting from the large conference room by Christ's Chapel to the conference room just outside of Bishop Commons, Inglett Hall Room C.
Please feel free to come and join the fun, even if you haven’t read the book. We would love to see you and spend time together with you and the other members of our wonderful community.
Contact Michelle Driscoll | dris1296@yahoo.com
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Men's Dinner and Book
March 11, 6:30 PM
The next Men's Dinner and a Book is Tuesday, March 11 at 6:30 pm and the book is The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel by Douglas Brunt. Davis Smith is hosting. If you would like to attend, please contact Jeremy Webber at jhwwebber@gmail.com for details. All men at Holy Innocents are included and invited.
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Master Plan Meeting
Sunday, March 16
Our incredible architectural team from Houser Walker is coming to seek feedback from the whole community.
As we cast a vision and plan for the church through our master plan process, we hope everyone in the parish will come to one or both meetings to discuss who we are and what we value as a church!
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Church of the Common Ground
March 16
HI will be packing 80+ lunches for our unhoused brothers and sisters who attend Church of the Common Ground in Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta. Please join us in Parish Hall after the 10:15 AM service to help make sandwiches and assemble lunch bags. An additional part of our outreach is to worship with the men and women of CCG at their 1:00 PM service in Woodruff Park.
Contact Robin Hickey | hickeys5040@gmail.com | churchofthecommonground.org.
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Men of HI Retreat
April 25-27
The Men of Holy Innocents will gather at Lake Logan Episcopal Center in Canton, North Carolina, near the Blue Ridge Parkway, for a weekend of spiritual enrichment, fellowship, and renewal. Set on 300 acres at 3,000 feet in elevation, Lake Logan offers comfortable lodging, dining, and gathering spaces alongside a stunning mountain lake. The retreat begins with dinner on Friday evening, followed by a Saturday morning program. Saturday afternoon is free for activities like hiking, a visit to Waynesville, golf, fishing, or relaxing on the porch. We’ll wrap up on Sunday morning with the Eucharist and final discussions.
The Rev. Brad Whitaker, a former Holy Innocents’ clergy member and recently retired Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Chattanooga, will lead the retreat. Brad’s sessions, focused on Finding God in Everyday Companions, will help us explore how relationships—whether lifelong or brief—reveal God’s love and presence in our lives.
Register now: Fees include lodging for Friday and Saturday nights and all meals.
Single occupancy: $495 (13 single rooms available)
Double occupancy: $356
Contact John Harris | harris4338@gmail.com
678-761-6765
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Youth Group: Study Hall
February 23, 4:00-6:00 PM
Our 6th-12th grade students will meet for Youth Group: Study Hall on Sunday, February 23rd. We will gather in Frost from 4:00-6:00 to practice some spiritual exercises before catching up on homework and studying. Students are invited to bring their schoolwork and use this time to recharge and get ready for the week ahead. Light dinner will be provided and friends are welcome!
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Pancake Supper
March 4, 6:00-7:30 PM
On Tuesday, March 4, the youth group is hosting a pancake supper from 6:00-7:30 PM in honor of Shrove Tuesday. Our wonderful Men's Group will help cook a delicious breakfast for $10 for adults and $5 for children. All proceeds will go toward the youth group.
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Click here to watch last Sunday's service!
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Pastoral Notes
If someone is in the hospital, has died, or has some other pastoral emergency, we hope you will contact our clergy directly. Please call the church office at 410-255-4023 and follow the prompts. This will connect you directly with the clergyperson on call for the week.
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
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Warning about email scammers
When you receive an email from a Holy Innocents staff member, please check if the sender's email address ends with 'holyinnocents.org'. If it does not, it is likely not from us. Unfortunately, some individuals are attempting to scam various church members, posing as clergy and requesting gift cards. We never ask for money in this way. If someone claiming to be Bill, Stewart, Ruth, or another staff member contacts you, please let us know immediately. Report the email, block the sender, and delete the message. If you have any doubts, please give us a call.
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