the The Newsletter for Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
September 2014
Homecoming: More than a Day at Saint Michael and All Angels
Fall at Saint Michael and All Angels
One summer I visited the great abbey of Whitby, built high on a cliff above the northeastern coast of England. I expected to have the place to myself. Not too many people have heard of, much less are interested in, the saint of Whitby Abbey, Lady Hilda.
Fall at Saint Michael and All Angels will be one of the most spectacular ever with opportunities for everyone – old, young, or in-between – to get enthused, excited, and engaged.
the
7
Homecoming Sunday - Larry Gatlin Yout BBQ Kick Off
10
Women of Saint Michael
13
Acolyte Training
18
World Class Welcome
27
Acolyte Training
28
Saint Michael and All Angels Day
The area was swarming with visitors. They were climbing over the abbey ruins and cemetery with its strange gravestones weathered an eerie black. I inquired at the mobile ice cream stand parked by the church as to whether the crowds meant it was a special holy day. “Oh my, no,” said the ice cream vendor. “These people aren’t here to see the abbey because of religious reasons; they’re here because it’s the place that inspired the author of “Dracula.” They’ve come to imagine vampires and ghouls among the ruins.” I wondered if these people could imagine anything else among the ruins. This was an abbey that housed hundreds of monks and nuns. Could these people in search of vampires and ghouls picture the monks and nuns teaching orphaned children and tending to the sick? Could they hear psalms and hymns sung faithfully around the clock? Could they conceive of the mutual affection within that community, the hospitality offered to strangers, the millions of prayers they uttered to God? Could the vampire hunters
Volume 25, No. 11 Volume 26, No. 9
cont. on page 19
It begins with Homecoming on Sunday, September 7 as we gather to sing the Great Gospel Hymns with Larry Gatlin at 9:00 and 11:00 in the church, have breakfast under the tent, watch the kids dunk a priest, and see the many ways to get connected at the Ministry Fair. There is new energy at every level: Adult Formation with stimulating Sunday morning classes and six new midweek study groups; Youth, Children and Family Ministries blending faith with experiences for young impressionable minds; Pastoral Care touching lives reaching out to us in need; Mission and Outreach working down the street, across the country, and around the world; Saint Michael Presents; Distinguished Lectures; Retreats; A World Class Welcome; and more. Read about it here... and get connected!
Fall at Saint Michael