A New Year

Dear friends,

 

Over the holiday break I took my kids to see the new blockbuster film Avatar: The Way of Water. This sequel, a compelling narrative on its own, is a continuation of the story of the original Avatar, which debuted in 2009. Good series are like that: able to stand on their own, yet enriched by having familiarity with the original.

 

Epiphany, and the Sundays that follow, could be seen in a similar light: Epiphany is the sequel to Christmas - Christmas continued, if you will. Epiphany, twelve days after Christmas Day, celebrates the arrival of the Magi, and the traditional name for this Principle Feast of the Church is The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. This season is all about living out the implications of what we experienced at Christmas. God has appeared in human flesh; and you and I are now called to participate in his incarnation, of bearing Jesus into the world.

 

Immediately on the heels of Epiphany we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, and the Sundays that follow focus on the calling of the disciples, the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, and the implications of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. The movement of God is always outwards, bringing into the fold those who have longed to hear the Good News. The story of Jesus is a continuation of the story of the people of Israel - a people whom God has blessed, in order that they might in turn be a blessing to all the world.

 

This week we will be celebrating Epiphany with a simple noonday Eucharist on Friday, January 6th. At this liturgy we will follow an ancient custom of blessing chalk, which can then be used to write the inscription of the wise men on the door of your home for an Epiphany house blessing. This chalk and the accompanying prayers will be available in the cloister hallway for the next several weeks (until we run out) for those who would like to observe this custom.

 

I have always viewed church as a type of “home base,” or charging station. A place to come and recall who I am in Christ. All of our worship and all of our programs are carefully crafted to be a source of strength for you to go out into the world and share the love of God. If you, like the Magi, are still looking for the Christ child; if you, like the disciples, are still longing for the Messiah; if you are looking to live out the implications of Christmas, come and be a part of our parish community this season of Epiphany.


Grace & peace,


More Announcements

November 11, 2025
We’re partnering with Grace Episcopal Church this year to share the spirit of Christmas with local children in need. Choose an angel from the tree, located in our Cloister, and bring your UNWRAPPED gift back to the Great Hall between December 7 and 14 . The toys will be distributed through Grace’s annual Christmas meal giveaway. If you’d like to help with distribution, volunteers are welcome at Grace Episcopal Church on December 16 from 8:30am to 10:30am. Thank you for helping bring joy and hope to so many children this season. For more information connect with Sally Elwood, sallyelwood@gmail.com
A row of lit candles on a black background with the words centering prayer and saturday november 9
November 10, 2025
Centering Prayer is a simple but powerful pathway of transformation that illuminates what it means to ‘put on the mind of Christ.’ Join us for the Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop on Saturday, November 15, from 9:00am to 12:00pm , where Bryson Waldo will guide you through this ancient Christian meditation. This workshop is grounded in recognizing God's inner presence within each of us. It will feature four concise presentations that explore prayer as a relationship, the Centering Prayer method, managing intrusive thoughts, and deepening your spiritual connection. You'll also experience two guided prayer sessions to practice what you've learned. Interested in attending? Reach out to Bryson at bwaldo10@gmail.com . For more details on Centering Prayer, or to stay updated with Contemplative Outreach Birmingham, visit www.contemplativeoutreachbirmingham.org .
November 4, 2025
Gather with us for Wonder-Full Wednesdays. Share dinner, enjoy the company, and connect with community in meaningful ways. For more information connect with the Rev. Ranie Neislar, rneislar@allsaintsbhm.org . UPCOMING November 12: 'Annual Chili Cookoff' from 5:30-6:30pm in our Great Hall! Bring your homemade chili in a crockpot, container, whatever you have. We will provide cornbread, drinks and a prize for the winning recipe! November 19: We will pack hygiene kits and make a craft to spread God’s love to the Women at The Lovelady Center. All ages are welcome. We are planning to have "Thanksgiving Sides" for dinner. December 3: Advent Festival Spaghetti Dinner. Prepping for Advent with things crafty and cool. December 10: St. Nick at Night Pizza Dinner. Come be a part of the story of St. Nick. December 17: Caroling in the Neighborhood Chick-fil-A dinner. Sing your favorite carols with a hot cup of cocoa.
St. Martha's Lunch may 19
November 3, 2025
All women are invited to our St. Martha's lunch, Monday, Nov. 17 at 11:30am in the Great Hall. Bring your lunch. Drinks and desserts are provided. Susanna Whitsett, Executive Director of Founders Place Ministry, will be our speaker.  Founders Place is a ministry of St. Lukes Episcopal Church that seeks to enhance quality of life for individuals living with dementia-related brain changes through an atmosphere of joy and a community of support while providing respite to caregivers.
A chili cookoff is taking place on wednesday november 13th
October 7, 2025
Bring your heat! Or mild, for those of us with heartburn issues. Our 'Annual Chili Cookoff' will take place Wednesday Nov. 12th, from 5:30-6:30pm in our Great Hall! Bring your homemade chili in a crockpot, container, whatever you have. We will provide cornbread and drinks. Come hungry and ready to vote!
A person is holding a cell phone with a scam stamp on it.
September 28, 2025
Alert! To be clear, All Saints' Clergy, Vestry, Warden's or staff will NEVER ask for money or gift cards from you! If you receive any communication asking for money in any form at all, it is a SCAM! Or if you get texts asking for a private conversation, it is a scam! These scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, so it’s important to approach texts and emails with caution. One quick way to spot a scammer is to check the email address it came from. No matter the name, look at the email address. Emails from All Saints staff will always end with "@allsaintsbhm.org" (i.e. office@allsaintsbhm.org). Never reply to, click on, or enter any information if you receive one of these suspicious EMAIL/TEXT messages. Most schemes involve scammers mimicking church staff, typically posing as someone in a position of authority asking you for money transfers or gift cards. Many times, the scammers will manipulate the email address, name, or even the area code of phone numbers, so that it appears to be coming from someone you know. Even if the email or text seems legitimate, if a request seems even remotely “off” or is asking for anything from you, don’t act on it until you confirm it with a phone call ( 205-879-8651 ) or face-to-face conversation with someone at All Saints. Some general suggestions: Check sender details carefully. Any suspicious emails or text message should be investigated before replying. Pay attention to the message content, including attachments and URLs. When in doubt, call: If there are questions about any email, do not reply. Instead, call our office - 205-879-8651 Label it spam: If your email service has the ability, report the email as spam. Here’s how you can report these scams: Report Phishing Attacks: the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team has an Incident Reporting page to report email phishing, as well as an email to forward them to, at https://www.us-cert.gov/report-phishing . Forward all emails to the Anti Phishing Working group at phishing-report@us-cert.gov . Report text scams to through the Federal Trade Commission’s Complaint Assistant which helps the FTC detect patterns of fraud and abuse.
Show More