Dear Friends,
Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed
The Second Sunday of Easter, April 7, always celebrates the Easter evening appearance of Jesus to his disciples, and his appearance on the following Sunday to Thomas.
Jesus identifies himself to Thomas by means of his wounds. And it is by means of those wounds, and the living compassion of the one who bore them that Thomas recognizes his Lord and his God.
We still know Jesus as the crucified and risen one. Wounded and yet alive.Wounded and yet merciful and compassionate. And this is how we recognize other members of his body. Like Jesus we are all wounded, and while we shouldn't glorify our wounds, we shouldn't hide them. Our wounds show that we are real, and they show that we don't blame or hold grudges, we forgive. And we are not giving up.
This Sunday at Christianity and Culture we will all have a chance to hear directly from the Rev. Schneyder Couloute, the director of Ecole Saint Marc in Cerca la Source Haiti, a K-12 school with enrollment of about 350 and from Gabriel Dak, director of the Kelly School in South Sudan, a new school led by four teachers who have attracted 150 students.
We all know that South Sudan and Haiti are deeply wounded places. From Pere Couloute and Gabriel Dak you will hear about two communities of teachers each dedicated to helping their students fulfill their promise through education. Though faced with many challenges, they do not blame others. And they definitely have not and will not give up on their students. They have not and will not give up on Christ. He is the source of their hope and power to carry on.
There is a straight line between the Apostles' encounter with the risen Jesus and our life and work together two thousand years later. Through various personal encounters we are bound not only to the wounded Apostles and to the wounded Jesus but to these communities in Haiti and South Sudan.
Please tune in by zoom or in person to our conversation with Pere Couloute and Gabriel Dak on Sunday and consider how you might do something to share in their work, our work, Christ's work to bring healing and abundant life out of the wounds that the world inflicts.
With Gratitude,
Tuck Bowerfind (he/him)
Rector | Grace Episcopal Church
The week after Easter is the perfect moment to reflect on what we, serving as the earthbound hands and feet and heart of Jesus, might do to spread his divine love.
During our Christianity and Culture session at 9:15 this coming Sunday, April 7, we have the opportunity to spring forth with renewed commitment to grow Grace's international ministries, ones that are deeply rooted in this place. What better way to bring the beauty of last weekend's flowered cross to life than to cultivate opportunities for budding offspring of two nations we have so long nurtured: South Sudan and Haiti.
Sunday's Christianity and Culture session will feature two of our international partners, St. Marc's School and Kelly Academy of Hope, both at critical junctures, needing our support. Are we as Easter people prepared to live out the Alleluias through helping Children Aspiring to Education Across the World?
No one "is an island, Entire of itself, Every [one] is a piece of the continent, A part of the main" said John Donne--as Tuck reminded us in his Easter sermon. "Through the community of the church, Donne did see the heart of the Gospel," Tuck said. Are you prepared to see the heart of the Gospel in the eyes of the children at St. Marc's and Kelly Academy? Because you will!
Can we, together see ourselves as a "piece of the continent"--continents both near and far? Because that is what we are called to do in our Baptismal covenant, as we seek to see and serve Christ in all persons.
Are you ready to become "part of the main" when the directors of the schools speak to us by Zoom about their successes and challenges this Sunday morning at 9:15? I hope so, because they need to know that Grace continues to stand ready to learn about and support their missions.
Are we ready to live the Easter promise, as Tuck has invited us to do during this Easter season, embodying the love of Jesus in the most concrete ways--ensuring that on our watch here at Grace, divine love is at our Center, and that the "Center holds in this Sacred Circle"?
Join us at 9:15 this Sunday to center Beloved Community in our lives, through our international ministries here at Grace, so we might see divine love bloom in the faces of the South Sudanese and Haitian children we serve--just as brightly as the spring blossoms on our Easter cross. Alleluia!
~Susan Virginia Mead
Worship Services | Second Sunday of Easter | Sunday, April 7
Holy Eucharist | 8 a.m.
In-Person & Zoom
Christianity and Culture This Week| 9:15 a.m.
In Person | Parish Hall
April 7th: Samson Mamour, “Let's Connect With Children Aspiring to Education in Haiti and South Sudan!”
Description: With projected photos and videos, our Assistant Rector, Samson Mamour will show us the two schools, St. Marc's in Haiti and Kelly Academy of Hope in South Sudan that Grace is partnering with. By zoom, we will meet some of their staff and students in Q and A led by Tuck Bowerfind and Susan Mead. This program brings together these two missions of Grace and inspire you to live out our baptismal promise to "seek and serve Christ in all persons," making an enormous difference in South Sudanese and Haitian children's lives. There will also be some tasty treats from these two countries to sample!
Upcoming Sessions
April 14th: Anne Hansen and Committee of Twelve Report on RenewalWorks.
You took the survey. Now come see what we learned about ourselves! The Renewal Works team will present the findings and ideas for our continuing growth in relational love of God and our neighbors.
April 21st: Harvey Markowitz: Passover
Harvey will talk about Passover, the holiday, and will also discuss the question of the God “hardening” the Pharoah’s heart about not letting the Jewish people return to their promised land. Harvey will discuss the moral implications of God setting up the situation that led to the Passover.
April 28th: James Keane: Beyond a Binary God – Transgenderism and the Bible
Summary: A discussion on transgenderism from the perspective of tradition, scripture, and reason.
Holy Eucharist | 10:30 a.m.
In-Person and Youtube
First Sunday Lunch | After 10:30 Service
Susan Lawrence will be serving Chicken Divan, Roasted Herb Chicken & Tomato Pasta, Vegetarian Curry, Rice, Tossed Salad, Rolls and a variety of desserts! Please join us in the Parish Hall following the 10:30 a.m. service for food and fellowship!
Flower and Altar Guild
Thank you to the Flower Guild and Altar Guild for making our church look so beautiful for Easter. Your time and talents are a blessing that we all appreciate and love. Alleluia!
Easter Sunday and Lamb Dinner Photos
Morning Prayer | Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.
In-Person & Zoom
Paws to Connect
We had a lovely time at Paws to Connect last week! Join us again this week for more of your favorite four legged friends!
Chamber Music Society
Chamber Music Society of Lexington's Season Finale will be at Grace, 7 p.m., Saturday, April 13. Works by Carl Nielsen, Louis Spohr, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Yuko Uebayashi, and others. Artists include Martha Burford, Scott Williamson, Christine Fairfield, Mark Gallagher, Kristen Bacchiocchi-Stewart, and James DeWire. Free will donations appreciated.
A Farewell for Samson
Samson Mamour, our Assistant Rector, will finish his two-year tenure at Grace Church at the end of May. To celebrate his ministry with us, there will be a unitive service at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 5 followed by a reception. There will be time to honor him with gifts and cards. If you would like to give him a cash gift, please write out a check to him. We invite you to participate as you wish and to attend if possible. Cards and notes of appreciation are welcomed and encouraged. There will be a basket to collect them on the day of his party, but if you won’t be able to attend and wish to write something, please send to Melissa Cox at 107 Lee Avenue in Lexington. Please include Samson on the back of the envelope. Please join us as we celebrate Samson’s time with us and wish him Godspeed.
Habitat Build
Dr. Robert Glidden Services
On April 28 we will celebrate the life and ministry of Dr. Robert Glidden with a concert at 4 p.m. followed by Evensong at 5 p.m.. The concert will feature many local and out of town musicians, works by Haydn, Mozart, Copland, Puccini, as well as living composers who are friends of Bob and René’s. String quartet, choral works, and organ works will be part of the riches!
Backyard Compost Challenge with Boxerwood
Our Big Question: How much food waste could we keep out of the landfill if more of us used backyard composters instead? To answer that question we are enrolling 80 local households in a 10-week “citizen science” project, March 9 – May 18, 2024.
Each selected household will weigh and share data about its total food diversion weekly. Boxerwood will post this data anonymously on its project webpage. We will use this information to better understand the impact of diverting food waste with backyard composting. Your new compost kit (and our weekly tips) will also give you a way to start protecting the Earth right here at home.
Update on the Trex Challenge
Grace Episcopal Church is enrolled in the Trex Challenge to collect 1,000 lbs. of plastic film for recycling over a one-year period. If we meet this goal, we will receive a free Trex bench.
The Creation Care Committee, with the help of the Lexington Garden Club, is pleased to announce that we have collected a total of 199 lbs. of plastic film over the past 3 months toward our goal. This is the equivalent @ 10,000 plastic bags that did not end up in our roads, fields, waters, or landfill. Thank you so much for your efforts in this challenge.
While this is very commendable, we will need to average 267 lbs. each quarter over the next 3 quarters to reach the 1,000 lb. target. This means we need to increase our collections by 34% to meet the goal. Please keep up your collection efforts, and for those yet to participate, we need your help.
Please note that the plastic film collected is not only plastic bags but includes other plastic films that stretch; bread bags, bubble wrap, drycleaning bags, plastic shipping envelopes, Ziploc food storage bags, shrink wrap, salt bags, wood pellet bags, produce bags, etc... everything just must be clean before going into recycling. There is a blue collection bin for plastic film under the bridge between the Church and Parish Hall for your deposit of plastic films. Thanks again for your participation in this challenge.
Prayers for Peace in the Holy Land
A Note from Tuck:
I am writing to ask for your prayers for a de-escalation of violence between Israeli and Palestinian people and for return to the challenging work of building a sustainable and lasting peace.
I have reached out to the current student director of Hillel House, the Chaplain at VMI, and the director of Student Services at W&L to express our support of Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish and Muslim students.
I encourage you to reach out to your Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish and Muslim friends in recognition that this crisis creates the conditions for increased anti-semitic and anti-muslim behavior, as well the strong likelihood that they or someone close to them has been impacted by this crisis.
Finally, please read the following statement by the Episcopal Church and the accompanying statement by Churches for Middle East Peace.
Pray for peace.
Boys Home of Virginia Wish List
Please help us support the Boys Home of Virginia by supplying any of items on their wishlist. There is a basket on the stair landing to the Parish Office for the Boys Home donations. Please drop off at church. Thank you!
Effinger Community Announcement
The churches of the Effinger Community will be hosting a Rise Against Hunger Meal Packing event again this year. The event will be held on Saturday, April 13th at the Effinger Fire Station located on Collierstown Road. The set-up time is 8 a.m. with the actual packing event scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.. We should be finished at approximately 11 a.m. and will be having a hot-dog buffet for all those working the event afterwards.
50-60 people are needed and the cost to host is $4500.00 of which we have already collected already over $1200.00. Our goal this year is to pack 10,000 meals to help feed the hungry.
Anyone wishing to donate or wishing to volunteer can sign up here.
It’s a great way to spend a couple of hours, it’s a lot of fun, and, most importantly, it is needed to help those who may not know where their next meal is coming from.
Middle School (current 6th - 8th Grade) June 16-22
High School (current 8th - 12th Grade) June 23-29
8th graders can choose which week to attend
Cost: $200.00
If you need scholarship assistance or have multiple children attending contact Canon Jenni Faires. Questions? Our diocesan youth summer mission trips are back by popular demand for the fourth year in a row! Registration is open for a week of service, fun, and fellowship. Join us for this unforgettable time of service for our Appalachian neighbors as we also forge a strong bond as a team in the process.
Click on the buttons below to register now!
Also be sure to check out the 2023 summer mission trip recap video below to see the impact of our mission at Grace House!
Lodging: Our host will be Grace House on the Mountain located at 5100 Pewter Drive, St. Paul, VA 24283.
Transportation: We will offer a carpool from Evans House in Roanoke. More details will be released closer to the mission trips.
Adult Sponsors: If an individual or parish would like to send a volunteer for the week, please sign up here.
Wanted: Sunday School Teachers
Grace is looking for youth, college students and adults willing to help provide Sunday School for a few children each Sunday from about 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. We are willing to pay a stipend. Please contact Tuck to find out more.
Prayer List
Please pray for the wider Church and intercessions requested by our Congregants: Prayers for continued healing for Presiding Bishop Curry. Pray for the candidates for Presiding Bishop: The Rt. Rev. J. Scott Barker, The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez, The Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe, The Rt. Rev. Robert Wright. Pray for Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, and our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Mark Bourlakas. The residents and staff of Boys Home, their Executive Director Chris Doyle and their chaplain, The Rev. Anne Grizzle. Pray for Brendon, Michael Murphy, Timmy, Rick Alexander, Bradley Fairchild and Karen Junkin, John & Gloria June Perry, Glen Jones, Patricia Brown Boyer, Jack Hershbell, Laura Stearns, Worth & Katie Burnes & Family, Amelia Dull, Stephen deMaria, Polly Lawrence, Betty Cadden, Jeff Mason, Joe Irby, Kent Wilson, Don Ellis, Diana Kenney, Patrick Bowes, Ann Nay, Paula Cooper, Penny & Ned Henneman, Barbara Bova, Daniel Diener, Shelby, Clay Sadler, Sharon Humphreys, Eloise Adams, Nancy Mastin, Elizabeth Klein, Cullen Bahr (friend of Drusie Milford), Mary Etta Randolph, Amaree Cluff, Jeff Patnaude, Blake, Liz & Cameron (friends of Chris Young), Carl & Rachel Pattison, Wayne Fitzgerald (husband of Anna-Lisa Nay Fitzgerald), Brian Powers, Jane Drewry (sister-in-law of Ruth Smith), Barb Ostrander (cousin of John Milford), Nancy Walker, and those we name aloud or in our hearts. Pray for those who have died, Mary Jane Hubbard (wife of Fr. James Hubbard).
In Thanksgiving for April Birthdays
4/5 Gail Dickerson
4/6 Molly Brown, Jasper Murphy
4/7 Diana Kenney
4/8 Anne Sauder, Emily McClung, William Mackie
4/9 Lori Sadler, Aurelia Sorber
4/10 William McCorkle, Suzanne Keen, John Arpin
4/13 David Passmore
4/15 Helen Head, Beth Knapp
4/16 Don Ellis
4/18 Dennis Cross, Kevin Manning
4/19 Lisa J McGuire, Beverly Wirtz
4/20 Erika Brooke
4/22 Buddy Atkins
4/25 Genelle Gertz
4/26 Chuck Smith
4/27 Nancy Walker
4/28 Sharon Humphreys, Abby Moles, Madison Brown
4/29 David Hansen
We're so glad you're here! If you or someone you know is new to Grace and would like more information about Parish life, follow the link below.