On Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, Midtown’s Peachtree Christian Church held a special Service of Prayer and Remembrance for Newtown, Conn., that began with bells tolling in tribute for the victims of the Dec. 14 tragedy. The turnout in the church sanctuary was sparse with about 25 people attending the noon service on one of the final shopping days remaining before Christmas. But the words were powerful as Peachtree Christian Church (PPC) Senior Minister Dr. Barry McCarty guided the 40-minute service that featured musical interludes from PPC organist Brad A. Hughley. Said McCarty, “Father, we think …
Peachtree Christian Church in north Midtown will be holding a special Service of Prayer and Remembrance for Newtown, Connecticut on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. The church sanctuary will be open at 11:30 a.m. for silent prayer, with a brief service of hope and remembrance from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. Church members invite all to come join as they remember the families, teachers and staff of Sandy Hook Elementary, while also praying for the “safety and peace of mind of our Atlanta schools, first responders, and Midtown community.” Peachtree Christian Church is located at 1580 Peachtree Street at the …
This year, Hanukkah begins on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 8 and ends on the evening of Sunday, Dec. 16. The Temple, located at 1589 Peachtree Street in Midtown, has a week full of events starting Dec. 9. Check the schedule of events here. Observing the Festival of Lights goes hand-in-hand with making special Hanukkah foods. Before you light the menorah, make sure you have all the ingredients for some great brisket, latke, and sufganiyot. Although there are many recipes, below are a few to try during the eight nights. Potato Latkes Ingredients 3 medium/large potatoes - washed, peeled and …
The Christmas season officially starts in many churches in Midtown this weekend with the beginning of Advent. Here are a few things to know about the season. 1. Advent has a different start date each year Despite the fact that most people associate the beginning of the Advent season with Dec. 1, the official dates of the season actually change each year. An anticipatory recognition of the “second coming of Christ,” in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Moravian, Presbyterian and Methodist traditions; Advent is the period of time preceding Christmas, beginning on whatever Sunday is …
On Sunday, as the day draws to a close, the Jewish community will ring in year 5773 as part of their celebration of Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year. The festivities will continue until nightfall on Tuesday, Sept. 18. The Temple, located at 1589 Peachtree Street in Midtown, is celebrating the High Holy Days with several events including a 2nd Day Rosh Hashanah Lite Lunch on Tuesday. See here for a calendar of events at The Temple. Rosh Hashanah, which literally means “head of the year,” signals the beginning of the High Holy Days. Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, marks the end, and …
Isn’t it funny how priorities change? My grandmother has an old photograph in her home office that I like to look at almost every time I’m there to visit. The picture is of my cousin Aimee and me when we were very young, running hand in hand in my grandmother’s back yard. It was taken on Easter when we were both decked out in our best clothes, frantically searching for eggs that had been hidden for us by our family. I asked myself the other day why it is that I still enjoy looking at this old photograph after all these years? Is it just the fact that I think it looks like it could be in one …
Today is Palm Sunday, which begins Holy Week that will culminate next week with Easter Sunday, the most important date in the church calendar. According to the Bible, Palm Sunday marks the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, where cheering crowds bearing palm fronds greeted him. Orthodox Christians mark Palm Sunday next week. Churches throughout Midtown, such as Grace United Methodist Church, will be celebrating today with a Palm Sunday procession and worship. According to Israel's Tourism Ministry, 125,000 visitors are expected in Jerusalem during Holy Week and 300,000 throughout …
Music Director Robert Spano will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus in a performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion March 8 and 10 in Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center. This Theater of a Concert presentation with stage direction and set design by Anne Patterson, will enhance the concert experience by adding various visual elements to the concert hall. In past seasons, Theater of a Concert presentations have included film and projected images synchronized with the music, lighting effects, art installations, and semi-staged performances of …
Two days before the Arizona and Michigan primaries and nine days before Super Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said Sunday that President Barack Obama demonstrated “weakness’’ when he apologized to the Afghanistan government for the recent burning of several Korans. The Koran burnings by NATO troops at a U.S. military base near Kabul have led to a series of violent protest across three Afghan provinces that has resulted in about 30 deaths. Among those are a pair of senior U.S. military advisers who were shot dead Saturday and who were said to be targeted for not taking…
Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent in Western Christianity, is quickly approaching. For those who might not know, Lent is when observants commit to a form of fasting or choose to temporarily give up other forms of luxury. In particular, Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of those who so choose as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered after the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned. Lent is observed by Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans and some Baptists. It…
As hard as it may be to believe, Jesus was not a Christian. He was God, and people have been doing great things, as well as making terrible mistakes trying to be “Christ-like” ever since. I will be the first to admit, even as a Christian, that religion can be terrible. People do hurtful things to others in the name of religion. Pastors get power hungry and do wrong under the pretense that God has given them that authority. Violence is also committed in the name of God — unspeakable acts that make no sense to the rational mind. There is a difference between God and religion, though. They are …
Whenever a new love enter our lives, we tend to view everything about that person through a rose colored lens. In our eyes, they can do no wrong and seem to be nothing short of perfect. Of course, we all know in the back of our minds that no one is truly without flaw, but we just can’t seem to find anything about them to complain about. We’ve fallen in love and everything about being with that person just seems so easy. We are overwhelmed with the feeling of love. At some point during the relationship, though, a switch flips and we begin to see that person in a new light. Through this …
