STREAMING SUNDAYS 9a · 11a · COVID-19 UPDATES

  8011 Douglas Ave, Dallas  ·   (214) 363-5471  ·   Contact Us  ·         Give

Saint Michael and All Angels
  • Visit
    • Welcome!
    • Children & Families
    • Service Times
    • Getting Here & Campus Map
    • Membership
    • Upcoming Events
  • About
    • Clergy & Staff
    • Parish Events!
    • Calendar
    • Blog / Newsroom
    • Rector's Blog
    • Our Vestry
    • What We Believe
    • Book Shop
    • Annual Report
    • Architecture & Art
    • Our History
    • Staff News
    • Membership
  • Give
    • Give Now
    • The Foundation
    • Legacy Planning
    • Flower Memorials
    • Building the Kingdom: Stewardship 2021
  • Worship
    • SUNDAY 9 & 11 AM LIVESTREAMS
    • Service Descriptions & Schedules
    • Music
    • Watch Our Sunday Services
    • In-Person Worship and Communion
    • Liturgical Support Groups
    • Baptism
    • Weddings
    • Funerals
    • Saint Michael Presents
    • Understanding Episcopal Worship
    • Preaching Schedule
  • Serve
    • Local Outreach
    • Missions
  • Learn
    • Sunday Classes
    • Children & Family Ministry (CFM)
    • Youth
    • Parent Ministry
    • Adult Classes
    • Men of Saint Michael
    • Baptism
    • Confirmation
    • Saint Michael 101
    • Episcopal Christians
    • Class Recordings
  • Care
    • Chapel Details for Prayer During Pandemic
    • Prayer Requests
    • Pastoral Care
    • Support Groups
    • Obituaries
  • Connect
    • Parish Events!
    • Fellowship Groups
    • Study Groups
    • Support Groups
    • Immersion Experiences
    • The SMAA Foundation
    • Women of Saint Michael
    • Saint Michael's Farmers Market
    • St. Michael's Woman's Exchange
  • Media
    • COVID-19 UPDATES
    • Live Events
    • Blog / Newsroom
    • Archangel Magazine
    • Resource Guide
    • Sermons
    • Class Recordings
    • Rector's Bible Study
    • Sunday News
    • Annual Report
    • Vestry & Finance Minutes

NOW IS THE TIME FOR CHANGE by Rector Chris Girata

NOW IS THE TIME FOR CHANGE was published in the Katy Trail Weekly, "The Good Word" Column, May 22, 2020
Chris Girata is the Rector of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas, TX.


When people experience difficulties, especially as a big group, they often look for a spiritual connection. Whether you’ve lost your car keys, had a big fight with a loved one or are experiencing a pandemic, it’s normal to seek after a spiritual truth when life is hard. I was reminded about this truth last week, and I have a suggestion: find the holy in your friends.

In seminary, one of my professors spoke about holy friendships and the idea has stuck with me. Holy friends are not common and perhaps they’re not even the people we first choose to be around. But holy friends are the people we really need in our lives. Dr. L. Gregory Jones, current dean of Duke University Divinity School, described holy friends as the people who “challenge the sins we have come to love, affirm the gifts we are afraid to claim, and help us dream dreams we otherwise would not dream.” They’re the people who tell us the truth, the people who stick with us when the going gets tough and those who help us imagine a truly better future.

find the holy in your friends.

Holy friends challenge the sins we have come to love. We are all physically separated from one another and that tends to give us time in which we can lose ourselves. Perhaps we scroll through too much social media, allow ourselves to drown in too many news stories or succumb to fear in ways we had never imagined. Whichever way we “sin,” none of it is good for us. Holy friends remind us that it’s OK not to be OK and when everything is not fine, however we feel is normal.

Holy friends affirm the gifts we are afraid to claim. When we look back at hard periods in our collective history and hard periods in our personal histories, we find that the one constant is change. Change will happen to each of us, no matter what. Just think about this current quarantine. There are people baking like they never have before (seriously, sourdough is the breakout star of quarantine!). There are people sewing face masks for strangers when they’ve never sewed before. There are people riding their bikes, waving to neighbors, decorating their front steps, and showing kindness to strangers every day. Love your gifts, share your gifts, no matter what they are, even if your gift is making the perfect loaf of sourdough.

The moment to change the world is now, and we can be part of that change.

Holy friends help us dream dreams we otherwise would not dream. Change will happen in our world, and I believe the time for change is now. What our world was before this virus was not good enough. The inequality, insecurity, and pain of our neighbors and our world was not OK, and now this crisis gives us a chance to right those wrongs. What problem did you think was too big? What issue did you think you couldn’t impact? What box had others put you in that no longer fits? The moment to change the world is now, and we can be part of that change.

We may be separated, but we are not alone. We are surrounded by good and generous people, and we can find the holy friends we need to change the world for the good. Together, we can turn this ship, we can right so many wrongs, and we can be the change we hope to see. And I’m grateful to have holy friends to walk with me.

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


Tags: Blog & Newsroom

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

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Job Openings

Facebook
facebook.com/SMAADallas
Instagram
instagram.com/SMAADallas
Twitter
twitter.com/SMAADallas
YouTube
youtube.com/SMAADallas

Sunday Services:

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
8 p.m. Compline in the Church

Watch Live and On-Demand

Under normal circumstances, Saint Michael offers more services every day of the week. Learn more about our full worship schedule here.

Affiliates:

Saint Michael Episcopal School
St. Michael's Woman's Exchange
Saint Michael Book Shop
Saint Michael's Farmers Market
Jubilee Park Community Center
The Saint Michael Foundation

Download Our App:

avaialble-on-app-store_229get-it-on-google-play_921


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.

  View Entire Post

Service Times

WATCH LIVE


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

More about services at Saint Michael and All Angels here.

Location

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

Contact Us
(214) 363-5471

Newsletter Signup

To sign up to receive any of our e-mailed publications, please enter your information and click on your interests below:

Newsletter Signup

*
*
*

Thank you!

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.

Learn More
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
Give Now Flower Memorials The Foundation Legacy Planning Stewardship 2021

Thank you for supporting the mission and ministry of Saint Michael and All Angels!

Select from the buttons below to make your gift.

Give Now Recurring Giving Make Your Pledge

Flowers in our holy worship spaces are a beautiful gift to God and those who attend services at Saint Michael as well as those being honored or remembered. A contribution to the Flower Fund is a meaningful way to honor or remember a loved one for special life events such as birthdays, anniversaries, baptisms, confirmations, thanksgivings, or in memory of a loved one.

Flower Memorials

The Foundation of Saint Michael and All Angels is essential to the vitality, growth, stability and success of our parish. Its grants support the mission of the Parish, consistent with priorities established by the Vestry and the Rector.

Learn More

As God’s stewards, we build on the foundation left by those who came before us. We, in turn, have the opportunity, with a bequest to Saint Michael, to sustain and enhance our parish ministries and programs for the benefit of future generations.

Learn More

Building the Kingdom

Saint Michael and All Angels Annual Giving

Join us as we commit ourselves to the 2021 Stewardship Campaign.

Building the Kingdom