More about the Rev. Sarah Fisher

Fr. Dick asked me to write a bit about myself and the journey that led me to the priesthood. Truth be told, we clergy get asked to tell this story a lot over the years-in the beginning as we are discerning a call to the priesthood, it begins as a "this is how I'm hearing God's call" story and then it morphs, as we move into seminary, to "this is how I got to this point" story and then into interviews with parishes, it's often the ice-breaker question: "Tell me about your call to the priesthood." So most of us have our story down. I'm no different. I can tell you a fair amount about the journey that led me from sleeping in on Sunday mornings to being up before the sunshine. One of my dear friends in seminary had this crystal clear story, a dream, wherein Jesus handed her a flower and she knew, deep in her soul, that God was calling her to be a priest. My call has never been anything like that-nowhere near as clear or as concise. It involved a lot more trying things on, playing with ideas and fumbling (a theme, dear friends, you will soon discover, which is innate to who I am).

I've been ordained almost 10 years, although I began my professional ministry in the church as a lay person, serving as a college chaplain, Christian educator and youth minister. I'm grateful for the wild and winding road and for the constant learning, growing and joy that comes from being in ministry. It has taken me to some sacred and holy places. From being one of the first to hold a newborn, to hearing the last breath of someone leaving this world, I am invited into intimate and profound places. I find ministry, like many other areas in my life, to be one that is best described in journey language, as it's an ever-changing, ever-moving, living, breathing part of who I am. I am never separate from it, so we travel the world together.

More and more as I grow into my priesthood, I am less interested in talking about the role of the priesthood and far more interested in baptism. We welcome the newly baptized with these words: We receive you into the household of God, confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection and share with us in his eternal priesthood. What does it mean for you, for me, for us to be a part of the is royal priesthood as baptized people? Long before I was ordained, I heard a priest say "It will be a great day when our baptismal certificates are larger than our ordination certificates."I didn't understand it then, but I do now. Baptism is at the heart of our life together. The theology of the 1979 prayer book makes that abundantly and profoundly clear. It is our starting and ending place. All mission, purpose, and meaning can be measured against those questions that we ask and affirm in the waters of baptism.

One of my favorite hymns, that I often sing before baptisms, is "Wade in the Water." I love that idea that "God's gonna trouble the water." Because God does. And because baptism changes us-troubles us in the best way, when we dare to step into those waters. It's the hard and holy and hopeful truth, that in our baptism, all is not made perfect, but we are made whole, and declared Christ's own, and in doing so, we are called to spend the rest of our lives seeking and searching for how we might live into that great gift.

So, while I will be more than willing to sit down with you over a cup of coffee and tell you about the long and crooked trail that took me from being a child abuse investigator to my ministry as a priest, I'll warn you ahead of time that I'll want to spend equal time asking you about your ministry (and if you think you don't have one, I'll help you find it! Ministries are all around us, but often we don't realize we have one). And we can both share how we experience living into our baptism and together wonder how, as baptized people, we can make a difference in St. Patrick's, in Dunwoody, in Atlanta and in the world. I can't wait to wade into the waters with you!

Peace & all good,
Sarah+ (A lot of people ask me what they should call me. My preference is simply to be called Sarah, but I also go by Mofi (short for Mother Fisher) and Mother Sarah.)

PARISH HAPPENINGS

Office Closure: The church office will be closed Monday, Jan. 19 to observe the MLK, Jr. Holiday. 

Youth News!

• First: Ski Trip: We have the opportunity to go on a ski trip to Lake Junaluska Feb. 20-22. Some friends from Resurrection Episcopal in Sautee will be there at the same time and it would be a lot of fun to hang with them and hit the slopes. We'll need some parents as well as youth to participate. You can learn more here. Cost is $185/person. If you are interested in attending, please let Mother Sarah know as soon as possible  and NO LATER THAN JANUARY 20. We will need to coordinate transportation and chaperones.

• Second: The Mission Trip: Our final numbers are due soon, and once those are in, we won't be able to add folks in. Right now we have several spaces still open. In addition, we still need chaperones. St. Columba's has mostly male chaperones, so we could use female chaperones, although we need at least one male to go with us.

• About the trip: We will be going to Harrisburg PA from June 14-19, Sunday-Friday. We'll be joining with several other Episcopal Churches from the Diocese of Atlanta. It should be a wonderful experience with a combination of service work, relationship building and worship (Episcopal tradition). For youth, we request a $100 deposit to secure your spot. The deposit should be paid by the end of this month or the beginning of February at the latest. RSVP or questions to Mother Sarah. 

Annual Meeting and Call for Vestry Nominations: Vestry Elections are coming up on Sunday, Feb. 1 as part of our Annual Meeting. We will be electing four new vestry members for the 2015-2018 term, as well as a youth vestry member for a one year term.

Nomination forms and qualification details are available at the volunteer desk in the church office or in PDF form here.

Nomination forms must be accompanied by a photo of the nominee. Please email the photo and completed form to Amanda Vaughn by Wednesday, Jan. 21.   

 

Eligibility for the office of vestry member is determined by: Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Atlanta, Canon 31, Section 6.(d).(1).

 

"Those qualified for election to the office of Vestry Member shall be as follows: Any confirmed communicant in good standing of the Parish who is not less than eighteen years of age, a regular attendant at the services of the Church in the year preceding election, and known by the Treasurer to have made and fulfilled a stated financial commitment for church support in the year preceding election."

 

To nominate someone for the office of vestry member, as well as to be eligible to vote in the election, you must be: "confirmed communicant(s) (sic) in good standing not less than sixteen years of age as certified by the Rector or Vicar or the Vestry. Those voters so qualified and being present at the meeting shall constitute a quorum." Canon 31, Section 4.

 
Super Silly Surprise Saturday Social: Save the date - Jan 31 from 7-10 p.m. Bingo Night with Tom- he a dusey! More details to come. 

Pledge Cards Available Online:If you didn't pick up your 2015 pledge card at St. Patrick's, you can find one on our website. Click here to get to it, then print, fill out, and return to the church office.

 

Name tags: Remember, wear your name tag when you come to St. Patrick's! They're hanging alphabetically on the name tag board. Each Sunday the board can be found in the narthex. Otherwise it lives in the back hallway. If you need a nametag, please email Amanda Vaughn or fill out the form that can be found Sunday mornings in the narthex on the stand next to the visitor's book.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION

Nursery (newborn - 4 yrs old) - 9:00 a.m. 

Children (ages 2 ½ - 11)  Catechesis of the Good Shepherd - 9:00 a.m. 

Youth - Rite 13, J2A, and YEA meet at 9:00 a.m.  

Adults - 9:15 a.m. 

• Scripture Study - Room 8 (Board Room)
• Epiphany (through Feb 8): Lesser Prophets
• Christian Thought - Room 1 (Gathering Room)
• Epiphany (through Feb 8): St. Jonathan Daniels, Civil Rights Martyr
• Painting Looking Up - Art Lab
• Dreams: Listening to God - Library
• The Roundtable Discussion Series - Parlor

Adult Christian Formation classes for Spring 2015: Click here to see the full schedule and see which one interests you.  

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Parish Family Dinner and Study

Wednesday nights begin with dinner in our Parish Hall! Dinner is served 6:00-6:50 p.m. to allow participation in Adult Formation. Adult meals are $7, Youth and Children (3-12 years of age) are $5, with a Family Maximum of $20.  

Carl McColman, Jan. 7, 2015 (Photo: Carter Cooper)

CALENDAR   

This Week at St. Patrick's

For more detailed information, please check the website. If you are not on the weekly Shamrocks email list and would like to be, please email Amanda Vaughn.    

Thursday, 1/15       

12:30 p.m.          Holy Spirit Prayer Group, Library  

8:00 p.m.            The Male Room (AA - Men only), Room 14

Friday, 1/16

8:00 p.m.           The Dunwoody North Group (AA), Room 9

Saturday, 1/17

Sunday, 1/18                                           

8:00 a.m.            Holy Eucharist, Chapel    

9:00 a.m.            CGS and Youth classes

9:15 a.m.            Adult Christian Formation Classes  

Monday, 1/19                        

7:00 p.m.            EfM, Room 8 

7:00 p.m.            Men's Accountability Group, Room 1

8:00 p.m.            AA (open), Room 14

Tuesday, 1/13     

10:00 a.m.          Peachtree Pine Cooking, Kitchen 

6:45 a.m.            Men's Prayer Group, Room 8 

6:00 p.m.            German Ensemble, Choir Room     

Wednesday, 1/14     

11:00 a.m.          Malachi's Storehouse, Parish Hall     

12:15 p.m.          Holy Eucharist with Healing, Chapel    

6:00 p.m.            Wonderful Wednesday, Parish Hall