Quick Notes

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! The next four Sundays offer exciting opportunities to connect, learn, and grow together. Here's what's coming up:

February 2

Embark on an exciting journey through the Book of Acts! Bill will guide us as we delve into the story of the early church, exploring its lessons and inspirations for our faith today.



February 9

Join the conversation about our future! Our architects will host a Master Plan feedback session, gathering input on how our worship and gathering spaces can better serve our ministry needs.

DID YOU KNOW...?

Dr. Sean Vogt Director of Music

I enjoy interesting factoids, etymology of words and phrases, and anything where I learn something. This last summer we saw many castles in Scotland. I don’t remember exactly how it came up, and had we not been in Scotland it likely wouldn’t have, but from the recesses of my memory I remembered that rounded staircases in towers typically ascend to the left. It was an architectural advantage for defense, since being left-handed was not considered ok, and soldiers trying to fight right-handed with swords going up stairs were at a serious disadvantage from those going down and defending those same stairs. Fascinating.

Historical context matters which is why I always appreciate the exegetical approach to sermons. We probably don’t think about the different types of shoes in biblical times and how they determined class/status. Whenever something as simple as sandals appear in scripture, it means something. There’s a reason they are being mentioned and simple details like that always give me pause. Don’t overlook the details. They are there for a reason.

This Sunday is the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord, also called Candlemas. It is always on February 2. Jesus is presented in the temple by Mary who, after 40 days from Jesus’ birth, is being purified according to Jewish law (Lv. 2:22-29). On this occasion, there is a meeting of Jesus with Simeon and Anna (a widowed prophetess, who worshipped in the temple day and night). Simeon is important here, because it his words where we get the Nunc dimittis (Song of Simeon, Luke 2:29-32) used in Evensong.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

The notion of light is immensely important here. We don’t think much about light because a flip of the switch solves the problem. Historically, though, consider an environment with little light in a temple in February. A Mass of candles, lots of candles, where the theme is light, is a big deal. [If you haven’t taken down your Christmas Tree, don’t worry. Technically, we are still in Epiphany, which has a light and star theme, and February 2nd is also an appropriate time to take down your tree.]

Candle Mass > Candlemas

We have a chance to showcase our hospitality this Sunday afternoon, as we welcome the parish of St. George’s Episcopal in Griffin for a Candlemas Evensong. There’s a reason why, when visiting Scotland and England especially, people flock to Evensong services. They are wonderful services.

Candlemas Evensong: 4:00 PM in the Nave

FOMA (Friends of Music & Art) has one nice reception for the year and this event on Sunday is it. Come for the music, the historical context of this uniquely Episcopal liturgy, and the food and camaraderie. Special thanks to my friend and colleague, The Rev. Ruth Pattison, who has organized a grand reception with help from many parishioners.

Answer to last week’s “Did you know?”: the Welsh composer who Dr. Paul Mealor studied with, who is also the composer of one of the Mass settings we sang in the fall = William Mathias.

Join us for a cherished Holy Innocents tradition—a weekend retreat filled with fellowship, games, singing, and meaningful connection for all ages.

This year’s theme, “Encourage One Another and Build Each Other Up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11), invites us to envision our church’s future as a welcoming, supportive, and faith-filled community. Enjoy deep conversations, shared meals, laughter, and even a local service project.



Our retreat leader, The Rev. Daniel P. Strandlund, brings expertise, humor, and a love for storytelling. Currently rector at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in NC, he combines academic theology with a passion for community building.

Click here to watch last Sunday's service!

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

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.