Dear Friends in Christ,
As many of you know, Margaret Manoharan goes to great lengths to nurture several houseplants throughout all seasons. During the summer months, most are moved outside to benefit from fresh air, sunlight, and rain. A few days ago, while turning the corner of the driveway at St. Bart’s these stunning peace lilies caught my attention! Gathered off the side of the road their white blooms pointing upward standing at attention shouting Peace!
Today is International Day of Peace, an initiative of the United Nations to encourage peace throughout the world. This year’s theme is Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals. Seventeen goals were adopted in 2015 with progress continuously tracked since then. St. Bart’s is supporting at least three of these goals. Goal #2 – Zero Hunger – support of Toco Hills Community Alliance, and Briar Vista Elementary School Backpack Buddies helps eliminate food insecurity for students over the weekend; Goal #4 Quality Education – for more than a decade funds have supported St. Marc’s school in Haiti, Goal #13 Climate Action – LED light bulbs, programable thermostats, and composting. All these actions and more help foster peace beyond the ongoing need for cessation of war, conflict, and violence.
In a world filled with strife, we are encouraged to pause today and recommit to being practitioners of local and global peace.
A prayer attributed to St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Voices of Hope Children’s Choir (Virtual Choir)
Faithfully,
Angela+
Karen Dickey was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina and has called Atlanta home for the last 28 years. She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from North Carolina A&T State University and her master’s degree in accounting from Keller Graduate School of Business. Karen has been involved in church accounting for the last 10 years. She considers church accounting “her ministry” where her skill, working with God’s people, and passion for social justice intersects. Her hope is to use her gifts to enhance St. Bartholomew’s community centered mission.
Maquita is a published storyteller with a deeply rooted dedication to truth-seeking and narrative change work in overlooked communities. Maquita has seven years of experience in marketing and content communications for the financial, higher education, and government sectors. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in Journalism. She was the editor-in-chief of two teen magazines, the author of three books, and now ghostwrites and documents some of life’s precious moments through video, podcast, and an online journal.
My name is Rev. Shirley Porter. I am a Priest Associate at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church at the invite of the Rector, Rev. Dr. Angela Shepherd, and I look forward to meeting with you!
Hello, I’m Kristi Painter is St. Bartholomew’s Parish Administrator. Kristi has a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology and a degree in Industrial Engineering from The Georgia Institute of Technology. She recently moved back to Atlanta after spending several years in Philadelphia working as a United Methodist young adult missionary with a homeless services organization. Her calling is assisting congregations in living out their faith through both service and advocacy.
Hello, I’m 
The Rev. Alex Sherrill
The Rev. Canon Dr. Angela F. Shepherd 
Debbie Kerr 
The Rev. Peter Wallace 
The Rev. Dr. Stefanie Taylor
Audry Gagnon
Stephen Frketic 
Kenneth Hilson
Deacon Katharine Hilliard-Yntema
The Rev. Bill Deneke,
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