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

Saint Michael and All Angels
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"Seek JOMO, Not FOMO" by Rector Chris Girata

Seek JOMO, Not FOMO was published in the Katy Trail Weekly, "The Good Word" Column, October 8, 2021
Chris Girata is the Rector of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas, TX.


Earlier this week, Facebook and its most popular apps, like Instagram and WhatsApp, went dark for nearly six hours. It seemed to throw people for a loop all afternoon, albeit for a small window of time. For me, I see it as a wonderful gift that I wish people would take advantage of. Social media, for all its gifts and advantages, has been far more harmful than helpful and I think it’s time we recognize its troubling impact.

I am no social scientist, but it doesn’t take much effort to find countless articles warning of social problems that come along with social media use. Study after study cite negative impacts such as feelings of isolation, depression, and anxiety. It can be a playground for cyberbullying, for self-absorption, and the modern evil of FOMO (fear of missing out). Mental and emotional health are necessary to promote, and anything that draws us away from health should be reduced or eliminated altogether.

Social media, for all its gifts and advantages, has been far more harmful than helpful and I think it’s time we recognize its troubling impact.

This column doesn’t give me time to address the true dangers of depression, anxiety, and cyberbullying, but I can address one of the more deceptively serious side effects of social media use: FOMO. Just a few weeks ago, I preached about the subtle dangers of FOMO and the negative rabbit hole one can fall into. Most social media users know the sensation of seeing wonderful photos of “friends” in beautiful places doing fun things and feeling as though they’re missing out.

That sense of missing out only gets worse when users begin to compare their normal, day-to-day with what seems so exceptional in online profiles. Never mind that people only post the best pictures of themselves doing the most exceptional things. The feeling of missing out—the FOMO—can begin to tear down one’s self-image and confidence. So, what’s the alternative? I think we can learn something from our dear friend, the pandemic.

The pandemic introduced us all to the idea of spending time away from crowds, away from travel, and away from the attempt to sensationalize our lives. While quarantined, many discovered the quiet joy of missing out on all the fun, exciting, and sensational experiences that had become a drug on social media. The beautiful idea of JOMO—the joy of missing out—was born.

The beautiful idea of JOMO—the joy of missing out—was born.

When Facebook and its family of apps crashed, social media users were given the gift of quiet and peace, if only for a few hours. That window caused many a bit of anxiety. I can just hear the internal dialogue of so many: How can I let everyone know what I’m doing right now, in this very moment, and I have such an awesome selfie to share?!

Perhaps we can begin to shift our opinions about social media use and try to find a balance between sharing our lives with one another and the sick dependence on validation that causes such pain. We can begin to recognize the gift while being sophisticated enough to guard against the danger. And we can help one another take a healthy step back out of the bad habits we’ve formed.

We are fascinating and beautiful and worthy of love—every single one of us. This can be a moment of invitation to all of us to reconsider how we choose to live. I can only hope that we can choose joy more and more. And when possible, choose the joy that affirms our priority to miss out on what is superfluous, to seize what is most important.

"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

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Sunday Services:

7:30 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite I)
9 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite II)
9 a.m. Joy: A Children’s Service
11 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite I)
11 a.m. Contemporary Rite II Service in the Parish Hall
5:30 p.m. Traditional Service (Rite II)
8 p.m. Compline

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Saint Michael also offers weekday services every Tuesday-Thursday.

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Saint Michael Episcopal School
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Saint Michael's Farmers Market
Jubilee Park Community Center
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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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Service Times

IN-PERSONLIVE STREAMS

We are currently offering worship in-person. Several of our Sunday services are also streamed live.

Sunday Services:
7:30 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite I)
9 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite II)
9 a.m. Joy: A Children's Service
11 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite I)
11 a.m. Contemporary Service (Rite II)
5:30 p.m. Traditional Service (Rite II)
8 p.m. Compline
Weekday Services:
Tuesdays, 7 a.m. Morning Prayer
Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m. Eucharist Service
Thursdays, 7 a.m. Morning Prayer

More about services at Saint Michael and All Angels here.

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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. Traditional Service (Rite II) in Saint Michael Chapel
8 p.m. Compline in the Church

Helpful Links

Service descriptions and more info
In-person worship information
Watch services live and on-demand

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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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.

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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.

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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.

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