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Saint Michael and All Angels
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BEING AWED BY ONE ANOTHER by Rector Chris Girata

BEING AWED BY ONE ANOTHER was published in the Katy Trail Weekly, "The Good Word" Column, December 18, 2020
Chris Girata is the Rector of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas, TX.


'Tis the season, right? Everywhere we look, there are signs that Christmas is upon us, but this year, Christmas will be very different. Parties aren’t as frequent and certainly aren’t as thoughtlessly fun (small talk over Zoom just doesn’t work). And God only knows how hard it will be to spend time with family this year, especially if you’re trying to travel and stay safe. Which got me thinking about how we stay connected, and more specifically, how we talk to one another.

Holiday gatherings — especially with extended family — are notoriously painful. Countless versions of “the difficult family Christmas experience” have been told on the large and small screens, and to good effect. We all know that navigating family holiday gatherings are treacherous in the best of times, and 2020 is not the best of times. So how do we proceed? I believe we have the opportunity to be caring and thoughtful this year, perhaps in a remarkably vulnerable way, that might be very good for us.

We all know how good people are at creating their proper personas. We all like to look a little better than normal when we go out, to have our house a little cleaner than normal when company comes over and perhaps exaggerate to our friends about just how well we’re doing. It’s normal and we’re only human. But when we are tired, stressed and raw, those personas begin to crack. Cracks are good because they let the light in. Perhaps this year, we can stop fighting the cracks forming all around us and actually get real.

This year, instead of trying to just get through family gatherings, what if we approached one another with awe?

This year, instead of trying to just get through family gatherings, what if we approached one another with awe? C.S. Lewis once wrote that humanity is amazing and that each person has infinite possibilities. “It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people.”

We are each a treasure trove of ideas and hopes and dreams. Perhaps there are layers of life hiding the essence, but that’s where the cracks become helpful. This year has been exhausting and each of us are less able to create the masks that have defined us in one way or the other. Instead, we have a unique opportunity to dig deeply into who we truly are, what motivates and delights us, and ultimately, what inspires the awe. In other words, perhaps this year, we can connect in new, life-giving ways.

The cracks give us a unique opportunity, but those cracks have come at great expense. 2020 has been painful for everyone. We can wallow in the pain or we can welcome the pain as a way of connecting with those around us. This year, I invite you to be courageous and allow people to see you for the awe-inspiring, beautiful human you are. And I invite you to see those around you as equally awesome.

This year, I invite you to be courageous and allow people to see you for the awe-inspiring, beautiful human you are.

The world needs us to do more. We need to do more than tolerate and respect one another. We need to dig deep, be honest and be vulnerable. We need to be willing to understand the very roots of our disagreements if we ever hope to find solutions. Ultimately, we need to see one another with truth in order to love.

At Christmas, we are called to be more polite, more cheerful and more patient. This year don’t waste your time being shallow, but instead, care enough about the people in your life to see them in their pain, while allowing them to see you in yours. We’ve been cracked open in this crummy year, so why not let the light in?

"The Good Word" Column is published bi-weekly, and can be picked up at the Saint Michael South Entrance.


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Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
8011 Douglas Ave
Dallas, TX 75225
(214) 363-5471

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9 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite II)
9 a.m. Joy: A Children’s Service
11 a.m. Contemporary Rite II Service in the Parish Hall
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Saint Michael and All Angels is a member parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas. We practice The Way of Love as members of The Episcopal Church.

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Sunday Services:
9 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite II)
11 a.m. Contemporary Rite II Service
8 p.m. Compline

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Saint Michael and All Angels
8011 Douglas Ave
Dallas, TX 75225

Contact Us
(214) 363-5471

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Welcome Children Service Times Getting Here & Campus Map Membership

Welcome! | Saint Michael and All Angels is a community of passionate people seeking to follow Jesus in a meaningful way that impacts both our own lives and that of the community around us. We are blessed with our parish home and so glad to share it with you. If you find yourself in Dallas, we would love to have you join us for worship!

- The Reverend Dr. Chris Girata, Rector

Welcome to Children and Family Ministry!

Our team in Children and Family Ministry provides children, ages 0 – 5th grade, and their parents with the tools they need to become faithful disciples of Christ. We achieve this through fun and interactive programming that allows children and families to explore their faith together.

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Sunday Services:
7:30 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite I) in Saint Michael Chapel
9 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite II) in the Church
9 a.m. Joy: A Children’s Service in Saint Michael Chapel
11 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite I) in the Church
11 a.m. Contemporary Rite II Service in the Parish Hall
5:30 p.m. Evening Prayer and Eucharist Rite I in Saint Michael Chapel
8 p.m. Compline in the Church
Saturday Services:
8:30 a.m. Eucharist in Bishop Moore Chapel
5:30 p.m. Candlelight Mass in Saint Michael Chapel
Weekday Services:
7 a.m. M/W/F: Morning Prayer in Bishop Moore Chapel
7 a.m. T/Th: Holy Eucharist (Rite I or II) in Bishop Moore Chapel
10 a.m. Wed.: Healing Service in Bishop Moore Chapel
Click here for service descriptions and more info

We are located just south of Northwest Highway off of Douglas Ave. at Colgate Ave. Via Northbound Tollroad: Exit Lovers Ln, continue straight on Lomo Alto a few blocks to Colgate. Church is on your right. Via Southbound Tollroad: Exit Northwest Hwy, turn left to Douglas Ave. Turn R on Douglas and church is a few blocks down on your right. Via US 75: Exit Northwest Hwy and go west to Douglas Ave. Turn R on Douglas and church is a few blocks down on your right.

Maps & Directions

If you are new to Saint Michael, curious about the path to membership, or simply want to learn more about life at our parish community, we invite you to join us for two different class events we have throughout the year: "Saint Michael 101" is an introduction to life here at SMAA, and "Episcopal Christians", where we explore what it means to walk as a Christian in the Episcopal tradition, discussing topics like our Anglican heritage, worship, the Bible and formation etc.

Saint Michael 101 Episcopal Christians
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