SCHEDULE OF WORSHIP
Week of August 29, 2024 PRAYER LIST
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Sunday, September 1: The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
9:15 a.m. Nursery Opens
10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist: BULLETIN
Wednesday, September 4
12:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist with Prayers for Healing
12:30 p.m. Mid-Day Music
Livestreamed services can be found on the Christ Church YouTube channel.
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MESSAGE FROM THE REV. CANON TODD D. SMELSER
I was a music major in college, with a focus on performance in voice, organ and the violin. The thought of spending endless hours in a practice room quickly changed my mind. I then thought I would pursue a career in teaching. For graduate study, however, I decided to enroll in a seminary, where I was the chapel organist. There I found my faith, a new home, and a different vocational direction. As an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church, serving parishes for over forty years, I loved to teach and preach, initiate outreach projects, and make house calls on prospective members. Administration and financial matters were a required necessity, and stewardship an annual task. I found out quickly that worship and pastoral care were my true passions, and for the last 15 years of my ministry I was able to focus on them at the Cathedral in Atlanta. As a very large congregation there were always folks in the hospital, and nursing homes and assisted living facilities to visit, and families needing end of life planning. I was assisted by another priest on staff, and countless Eucharistic Ministers who brought Communion to those unable to attend Church, as well as caring folks who kept in touch with our shut-ins. Our focus was not so much as caring for those who were present, but on those who were not visible—those who were ill, or elderly, or disenchanted.
Now that I have entered retirement and what geriatrician Dr. Louise Aronson calls Elderhood, I am even more sensitive to the ageing process, and the inevitability of change. Before she retired from writing for The New York Times, Jane Brody wrote a wonderful article in the Science section entitled "When Life Changes, Embrace the New Normal." She writes, "I now fully understand that a successful life is not necessarily the perfect one I had imagined it would be as I got older. Rather, it’s a life that rolls with the punches, adapts to changing circumstances, and makes the best of the here and now."
J.S. Bach, born in 1685, had a very distinguished career as an organist and composer, but when musical trends shifted from the Baroque to the Classical, he became a “has been”. He could have become embittered, but he spent much of the last 10 years of his life writing “The Art of the Fugue”, a musical work intended to teach the techniques of the baroque to his children and students. He reinvented himself and died beloved, fulfilled and respected.
As a parish, we are adapting to changing circumstances as we await our Interim Rector. I’m not sure we need to reinvent ourselves, but perhaps become more of who we already are. Perhaps God isn’t done with us yet, as we await a future of new possibilities.
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Transition Update from the Vestry
Bishop Logue has shared with us that there are 3 major phases of a Rector’s transition:
1. Celebrating the current Rector and seeking an Interim Rector
2. Searching for the next full-time Rector
3. Welcoming and integrating the new Rector into the life of the church.
We are nearing the end of the first phase, having celebrated Michael and Helen in June and with the Reverend Canon Cathy Zappa joining Christ Church on September 1! Her first Sunday will be September 8 and we have plans to welcome her to the church. We all owe a very big "thank you" to Reverend Samantha McKean, and the entire clergy & staff, who have managed seamlessly during this summer!
As a reminder, Cathy is currently Canon for Liturgy and Pastoral Care at The Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta where she has worked for ten years. Cathy enjoys teaching in multiple settings and styles, working with volunteers and guilds, mentoring staff members, and leading ministry training.
At the Cathedral, she was instrumental in expanding pastoral care through new community partnerships and support groups, including off-site worship services. She has deep experience in both homeless and prison ministry.
Cathy is originally from Atlanta and has received degrees in English and German from the Universities of Georgia and Texas, as well as a Master of Arts in German Literature from the University of Texas Austin and Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She and her husband are recent “empty nesters” with a child in college and two recent graduates. For many years, she has had a family home in Savannah and is familiar with the area. Cathy enjoys running, walking her dog, and doing jigsaw puzzles.
It’s also important to note that we have posted a role for a new Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries to fill some of Helen White’s many roles. A big thank you to Savannah Young, who has been coordinating Children’s church during this interim period.
About 6 months after we settle into this interim phase, we will commission a Search Committee. This phase will include writing a Parish Profile and doing the actual search. The entire process will likely take 12-18 months, and we will continue to provide updates throughout the process.
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Sunday's Preacher: The Rev. Canon Loren Lasch
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On Sunday we will welcome the Rev. Canon Loren Lasch, Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Georgia, to Christ Church. Canon Lasch is an integral partner in our transition process, supporting Christ Church through the both spiritual and practical aspects of moving through this interim phase. We look forward to her presence and preaching among us as we prepare to welcome our interim rector the following week.
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It's "Seersucker Sunday" on September 1!
All are invited to take part in the Christ Church tradition this Sunday! Break out your seersucker (or something else evoking summer) to mark our transition out of the summer season.
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Mid-Day Music
Wednesday, September 4, 12:30 p.m.
The second season of Mid-Day Music begins this week! This bi-monthly concert series is offered following the noon Eucharist on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. It is associated with the national musicians' movement If Music Be the Food... which seeks to use music to raise money to address food insecurity in cities across the country. 100% of the donations given at these concerts go directly to Emmaus House in support of their critical ministry.
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Adult Forum Series Begins September 8
From There to Here: Flourishing in Times of Transition
Parish House, Second Floor, 9:30 a.m.
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All are invited to take part in a special adult forum series beginning September 8 in the Parish House, led by Interim Rector, the Rev. Canon Cathy Zappa, and other Christ Church clergy. Together we will ask, What does it mean to be in an interim period? What might we expect during this time? Join us as we discuss the hope and promise of living into a season of transition. The nursery will open at 9:15 for those in need of childcare, with activities available for older and younger children alike.
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The Young Person’s Guide to the Organ
Sunday, September 8, 4:00 p.m.
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You and your family are invited to enjoy a free concert by George Fergus on Sunday afternoon, September 8, at 4:00 p.m. It is the first concert of the church’s 2024-2025 concert series which offers several varied concerts free of charge to the community throughout the year. All children and their families will be invited to sit near the organ console and get a close-up look at the action. George will perform works well-known to fans of the Bluey franchise, Star Wars aficionados of all ages, and more, as well as give a demonstration of the inner workings of the pipe organ. A projector screen will be available at the front of the church so that all audience members can see him perform and demonstrate the instrument.
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Listening Sessions for the Diocese of Georgia's Strategic Planning Process![](https://mcusercontent.com/5da6420af0ce411d2ce23d0bd/images/b2091a16-a374-a8a9-ba7f-8729b3e81b4f.jpg)
Your congregation and your Diocese need you to participate in the Strategic Planning process, which will provide a shared direction for the next five years. This process is primarily intended to help the people of the Diocese discern how the Holy Spirit is leading us into the future and then naming that shared vision in a clearly defined plan. In asking, "What does fidelity to Jesus look like in this moment?" we can confidently look to the Spirit to guide us into new ways of embodying our living hope.
The Savannah Convocation is invited to an in-person listening session on Sunday, September 8 from 2–4 p.m. at St. Thomas, Isle of Hope.
Online sessions will take place on August 27, 6–8 p.m. and September 10, 6–8 p.m.
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RSVP for Neighborhood Parties: Sunday, September 15
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A party is coming to your neighborhood! On Sunday, September 15, neighborhood parties will be held wherever Christ Church members are found. These casual gatherings are a great way to connect with your literal Christ Church "neighbors" in a fun and relaxed setting. No need to bring anything but a smile! To RSVP to your neighborhood party, please visit the Christ Church website.
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Go Purple Team!
Last Sunday, members of the Purple acolyte team came to church early for an acolyte training session (followed, of course, by celebratory donuts). The Purple team is one of this year's six acolyte teams, led by co-captains Finn and Thomas.
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Next Week at Christ Church
Sunday, September 1: Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
Monday, September 2
Church closed for Labor Day
Tuesday through Friday, September 3–6
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Docent Tours
Wednesday, September 4
12:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist with Prayers for Healing
12:30 p.m. Mid-Day Music. If Music Be the Food of Love
5:15 p.m. Chorister rehearsal
7:00 p.m. Choir rehearsal
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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
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Last Sunday, the Christ Church Choristers were welcomed with an installation liturgy led by George Fergus and the Rev. Canon Todd Smelser. This fall, you can join the choristers in worship as they lead sung Evening Prayer each first Wednesday of the month at 6:15 p.m.
Thanks to Katie Griffith for the photographs.
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Centered in Worship
All are Welcome
Joyful Living
Servant Leadership
We invite you to worship with us at Historic Christ Church.
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