The

Gregorian

Chant

Dear Incredibly Beloveds,

Happy All Saints Day this Sunday!!

Most of us have at least heard of the Beatitudes…

Jesus said: Blessed are the spiritually poor—the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

   Blessed are those who mourn—they will be comforted.

     Blessed are the meek and gentle—they will inherit the earth.

And these blessings go on through verse 12 of the 5th chapter of Matthew in this Sunday’s reading. Still, as often as some of us have heard and read them, it remains hard to know exactly what Jesus meant. This All Saints Day in particular, I’m loving how author Micha Boyett thinks about the Beatitudes in her book Blessed Are The Rest of Us: How Limits and Longing Make Us Whole.

Here’s an excerpt of what she says about those who were listening:

"This crowd had lived a script that said blessing was equated with empire, wealth, and ease. Jesus was there to take their old script of what it meant to be human and toss it. Jesus recited a radical litany of blessings, all of which have nothing to do with being good. He listed nine human experiences of suffering, generosity, and longing, then he pronounced blessings. He blessed those who have known what it is to be weak, to grieve, or to hope for a better world, calling them favored, whole, and drawn into the holy gravitational orbit of love. The ones who flourish, Jesus said, are the weak, the broken, the beat-up, and the burned-out….  He was presenting a new vision of life as it is meant to be lived: in a community, whole and healthy, where those with the least power are given priority and honor. It’s a way that just might shake the systems of the world like a snow globe, releasing what has always lived on the bottom into the wild equality of the upside down, a way in which the powerful and the weak are equally necessary to the flourishing of everything."

For her, the beatitudes are a statement about who is important in God's Commonwealth, and that's everybody. What do you imagine the world looks like when "the powerful and the weak are equally necessary to the flourishing of everything?" Something to dream and pray about this All Hallow's Eve, All Saints and All Souls....

Deep Blessings,

Mo. Nikki+

ALTAR OF REMEMBRANCE & MEMORIAL GARDEN



Rest eternal, grant unto them, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon them.



All Saint’s Day is the time in the liturgical year when we pause to celebrate the lives of those saints who have gone before us; loved ones who made us who we are today. All parish families are invited to place the names their departed loved ones, small photos, and other mementos on this altar, which will be in Parish Hall. Candles will be available for prayerful lighting. 

Lane Norton will also place votive candles & flowers in our Memorial Garden. They will be there 10/29-11/4 for anyone who may like to come and light a candle in memory of someone. There are matches provided in a ziplock bag for you to use. Please remember to extinguish the candle(s) before you leave.

LABYRINTH

You are invited to walk St. Gregory’s Labyrinth in the parish hall Saturday, October 31 through the morning of Tuesday, November 3 in honor and remembrance of All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day. The labyrinth offers you the opportunity to “put feet on your prayers.” Experience a walking meditation that connects your mind, body and spirit. 

The new volume of Forward Day by Day is available! Be sure to check the magazine racks in the narthex & outside the nursery, as well as the mailbox outside Parish Hall for those who come by during off-hours.

We provide Forward Day by Day to parishioners as a simple and effective daily prayer practice. Each day features a Bible verse from the daily readings and a related reflection written by a different author each month, all in less than 200 words. It even includes the daily feast days, as well as prompts to take faithful action in your daily life.

BARNETT SHOALS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 2026 CLOTHING DRIVE

** FINAL FEW DAYS **

It’s time again for the annual parish-wide drive, sponsored by your Outreach Committee, to help our neighbor, Barnett Shoals Elementary School, provide students with items they need to attend and succeed in school. Because you have done such an amazing job in previous years of outfitting Clothes Closets for these student, their list of requests is a little different this year. Please note that the school DOES NOT NEED: shirts of any type, pajamas, socks, sweaters or jackets or any clothing not suitable for school.

PRIORITY ITEM: SHORTS/ PANTS- All sizes, but especially youth sizes 4-12/14. Easy-wear items, such as elastic waist shorts, leggings, and athletic pants for boys and girls are desperately needed!

OTHER NEEDS: UNDERWEAR - Boys and Girls sizes 4-16 (XS-XL). Sports bras or tank tops with built-in support, in a variety of sizes, are also needed.

Like-new closed-toe athletic SHOES between the sizes of little kids’ 9-12.

Unopened, full-size (not Travel-size) TOILETRY ITEMS, such as soap, deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo (especially for curls and coils), etc.

Extra, unused, disposable DIAPERS & PULL-UPS for children. Does not have to be a full, unopened package. Extras are welcome.

ALARM CLOCKS - Basic, electric with backup battery. Available at Walmart (for example) for approximately $12. The school gets many requests for these to help students get to school on time.

Donations will be collected from October 4 through November 1 in the boxes located in the lobby of the Parrish Hall. If you have any questions, please contact Gail Eilers. Thank you, in advance, for your support and amazing generosity.

Looking for new Parish Life and Ceilidh leadership 

Dear fellow Gregorians,

Since Jeff took on the role of Youth Minister this summer, our family's calendar has been lovingly filled through year's end and beyond with Youth Sunday School, EYC, Confirmation, and Blindspot activities, on top of both of our demanding full-time jobs. With that in mind, I am stepping down from my roles as head of the Parish Life Committee and facilitator of the Ceilidh service so that our family can find a sustainable rhythm with our full presence for the community and each other.

It's been a joy to serve our community in these roles, and we are so thankful for these two ministries and the people that support them. We're now looking for someone to take on each of these roles:

    •    Head of the Parish Life Committee (perhaps 2 co-chairs)

    •    Leader of Ceilidh Service

Please note that the Ceilidh service will be on hiatus until a new facilitator is found and will not happen in October.

If you're interested in either role, or just want to learn more about what they involve, please reach out to me at lillianbh@gmail.com.

With love and gratitude,

Lillian Ballance ☮️

St Greg's Youth (6th-12th Grades) have the following activities planned:



• Friday, October 30 - Halloween Movie Night - 7pm-9ishpm - after the Halloweenie Roast
• Sunday, November 1 - Youth Sunday School - 12:00pm-1:30pm, lunch provided 📙 "Who are the Saints?"
• Sunday, November 8 - Youth Sunday School - 12:00pm-1:30pm, lunch provided 📚 "I was a stranger, and you welcomed Me"
• Saturday, November 21 - Meal Prep for El Refugio - see details in upcoming email

Our email list gets specific details about our events and an expanded calendar, please reach out if you are interested in being added.

Please reach out to Jeff Ballance (stgregathensyouth@gmail.com - 478.278.3628) for more details/questions and to be added to our email list.

The sign-up links for Oct - Dec for acolytes, readers, and EMs are below!

Adult Sunday School

Adult Discussion Group: (Parish Hall)  The Adult Discussion Group will not meet until the first Sunday of Advent when we will begin our year-long read through the Bible using the Walking with the Word program (https://walkingwiththewordga.org/).

Lectionary Class: (Office #1) This class has been suspended until further notice. 

Spiritual Self Discovery (Library) This discussion group focuses on lived experiences, exploration of faith, and theological fundamentals. The class aims to offer an accessible space for both new and longtime members that are seeking a space to explore personal faith and the stories and practices of others. Grab a warm beverage and a snack, get comfortable, share your story, and learn from someone else's. We will meet in the library.

saints

our mural done

with artist paints

reminds us of

more famous saints

but each of us

is also one

because we love

as god the son

and use our gifts

for better good

as our savior

tells us we should

and know that when

we each have passed

our souls will live

as is forecast

alice mohor

Instructions for Live Streaming

• Just go to the St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church YouTube Homepage

• Near the time for service, underneath our channel logo, you will see our video for that day, with the word ‘live’ on it. The page will look like this:

• If you don’t immediately see the video that says ‘live’, (for instance, if you opened YouTube before the service begins) keep refreshing it.  

• When you see the video square that says ‘live’, click on it. 

Welcome to worship!