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Pastoral Notes
We give thanks for the birth of Olivia Jean to Amanda and Darrick Wilkins and celebrate with her older sister Ella and older brother Ryan.
We celebrate the marriage of Bill Comer to Barbara Minter Ames yesterday in Christ Chapel.
And we send our love and prayers to Suzanne Gill upon the death of her son Sean Walsh and stepdaughter Debra D’Amico. A service for Sean will be held in our Memorial Garden in early November. Suzanne moved to Tennessee several years ago but now worships regularly with us on Facebook live.
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Holy Heat
Weather is changing just a bit and soon we will turn the calendar page to October. I’m inclined to look forward to fires and cozying up! Camp fire, bonfire, even the gas logs in my living room fireplace that so easily poof into view when a match is set. Our delight in the fire is really our holy longing for community and for the Divine One to nest up in our souls.
We don’t always recognize it as such, but to me it is (like most things in life) sacramental: An outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace. The outward sign in flame and fire and our scooting in close, expresses our inward desire to know and be known. The fire draws us toward both God and the others who, like us, gather round the mesmerizing flame, content to pause and stay awhile.
While we might not say such things in an ordinary conversational kind of way, unless you’re given to writing poetry, we do in fact, sing such things. Singing gives us permission. Singing can even surprise us with holy passion, by putting the words in our mouths. Words like these:
“Seek this soul of mine”
visit it “with thine own ardor glowing”
God. . . come down,
seek me out,
“within my heart appear”,
“kindle it”, “Let it freely burn. . .”
We admit our yearning strong with which the soul will long,
Your glorious light “Clothe me round”
Oh for God’s holy flame to turn all my passions to “dust and ash”, save for my want for him.
We invite, invoke, pine, and plead for the holy one to light us up, fill us, wrap all around us,... We call for God’s consuming heat. Right there, in the middle of church!
This is the gift of worship. We get to sing outrageous things that if we just said them plain and ordinary out loud, we might blush.
God bless us in our want for Holy Heat and singing our way to find it,
Ruth+
Hymn #516
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An Evening with the 1872 Legacy Circle
September 19
You're invited to celebrate the 1872 Legacy Circle, honoring parishioners who have included Holy Innocents in their estate plans to ensure our church’s mission and ministry continue for generations. Whether you’re already part of the Legacy Circle, curious about planned giving, or simply want to enjoy a lovely evening with fellow parishioners, we encourage you to attend. We hope you’ll join us for a meaningful evening of fellowship, reflection, and inspiration on September 19 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM in Bishop Commons. Light refreshments will be served, and everyone is welcome. If you have any questions, please reach out.
Contact Meredith Johnson | mgj30327@gmail.com
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Women of HI: Progressive Dinner
September 26, 6:00-7:30 PM
Let’s begin the year progressive dinner style! Each course will invite a new combination of dinner guests to the table with fun get-to-know-you conversations, to cultivate the depth and breadth of our relationships with one another. Bring a bottle of wine to add to the table, as you are able. Please RSVP.
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Compact Wisdom Series
As we delve into these brief yet profound books, we will uncover their timeless wisdom. Join us in exploring these compact yet powerful books, each offering unique insights into faith, perseverance, love, and redemption. We will deepen our understanding and find relevance in these scriptures for our lives today. This study will nurture our faith and grow our community as we break open the scriptures together.
September 22: 1, 2, & 3 John led by Bill Murray
September 29: Mini Parish Meeting - Master Planning, Mortgage & Stewardship News
October & November: a class with John Porter and Bill Murray as well as the last three weeks of the Compact Wisdom Classes.
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Foyers Sign Up
A Foyers group is a random collection of 8 people from church, who don’t already know each other, with the sole purpose of sharing a meal and getting acquainted. Foyers captures Holy Innocents’ fall theme of Nurturing Faith, Cultivating Community.
The meals are meant to be simple, inexpensive, and stress-free. For each dinner gathering, two participants co-host a meal.
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Third Friday: Men of HI
September 20
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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Church of the Common Ground
September 22
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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Newcomers Dinner
October 3, 6:00-8:00 PM
Join the Holy Innocents’ Church Clergy, Vestry, and Welcome Team for a BBQ dinner while making new friends. Alex Allen is hosting!
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Matthew Dickerson, Dulcimer
October 6, 4:00 PM
Come and hear the unique Alpine sounds of the hammered dulcimer; played by virtuoso artist Matthew Dickerson, who tours regularly on the instrument. The hammered dulcimer is acquainted with many countries and regions, often heard at Bavarian, Swiss, and Austrian festivals as well as folk events in Hungary, and other Eastern European countries. The “sweet sounds” [dulcimer = sweet sounds (Greco-Roman origin)] will be perfect in the intimate acoustics of Christ Chapel. We hope you’ll join for this “sweet sounding” opportunity on Sunday, October 6 @ 4pm.
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Blessing of the Animals
October 6, 5:00 PM
Calling all pet owners! Our youth group and 4th-5th graders will be hosting this event and will provide tons of fun and fellowship for our pet families. We are also collecting old Halloween costumes for Agape Youth and Family Center, an organization that serves underserved children. Please bring your pet and your old costumes and join us October 6th!
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Men of HIEC Low Country Boil
October 6, 5:30 PM
Join the Men of HIEC for food, fellowship, and fun at our annual Low Country Boil on the banks of the Chattahoochee.
$30 per person, includes food and beverages
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Iconography Workshop
October 6-11
This year, we will be painting the icon of Jonah. Jonah may well be the perfect prophet for this moment as we think and pray on our election, our nation, and our world. Where is God in all of this? Where is Jonah? Where are we? Noted iconographer Mary Jane Miller will be joining us again and leading us in prayer, reflection, and conversation around this unique icon of faith, daily from 9:00 AM-4:30 PM. The class is open to all but limited to 15, register online.
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LaAmistad Needs Volunteers to Teach Basic ESL Classes October 7-December 18
LaAmistad returns to Holy Innocents offering adult immigrant students in our community the opportunity to improve their English fluency in its English for Successful Living (ESL) program. The curriculum focuses on the use of English for everyday situations, and volunteers are trained and mentored by experienced and certified ESL professionals. Speaking Spanish is not required; conversational English is the goal of this basic class. Classes run October 7-December 18, on Mondays and Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30 pm.
Contact Howard Clark | ghowardclark@gmail.com.
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Gallery Opening: Spaces&Places
October 17, 6:00-7:30 PM
Art lovers are invited to a special gallery opening showcasing the works of two remarkable artists, Susan Westmoreland and Sharmila Ghose Roy. Both artists bring unique perspectives to their art, drawing inspiration from nature, travel, and everyday life, but their approaches are as diverse as they are captivating.
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Reading Connections
October 21
Readings Connections is the women’s book club!
The book for October is Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr.
Contact Kathie Larkin | kathie.larkin@retired.paceacademy.org
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Youth Group: Study Hall & Coffee Cart
September 22
The Frost Center will be open from 4:00-6:00 PM with dinner, a free coffee cart, and tons of whiteboard space for studying. Bring your books and join us for an evening to catch up on school work or just relax with friends.
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Club 45 Kickoff Event
September 25, 6:00-8:00 PM
4th & 5th graders are invited to a very special Club 45 Kickoff Party. Join us for pizza, an escape room, and a time of fun and fellowship as we start an exciting new year of Club 45. RSVP by September 18.
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Buddy Bags
October 1-27
Our students will be collecting items during the month of October to create buddy bags for our unhoused friends. You can bring your items to church or use our Amazon Wishlist to have them shipped directly. The youth will assemble these bags and distribute them to our church members during the Fall Festival on October 27th to keep in their cars for those in need. You can use the link below to view our Amazon wishlist.
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Click above to watch Stewart's sermon from last Sunday! | |
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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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