Life With Grace | December 19
- Grace Episcopal Church
- Dec 19, 2025
- 4 min read
Happy Advent,
One of the happy truths revealed by the birth of Jesus is that the sign of God's extraordinary presence among us in and through the ordinary. A babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger is the king of glory.
As you make your final preparations for the annual celebration of our Lord's nativity, may your heart and mind open to extraordinary joy in the ordinary moments of life illuminated by the Word made Flesh. May you enjoy being an instrument of Christ's peace, an instrument of his mercy.
Glory to God whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation in the church and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever.
With Gratitude,
Tuck Bowerfind
Worship Services | Fourth Sunday of Advent | Sunday, December 21
Holy Eucharist Rt I | 8 a.m. | In-Person and on Zoom
Christianity and Culture | 9:15 a.m. | In-Person and on Zoom
December 21 - Kairos Palestine - A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide - Presented by Tuck Bowerfind
Upcoming Christianity and Culture Sessions
December 28 - No Christianity and Culture this week
January 4 - South Sudanese student Luke Kur will be here from Chicago to speak about his experiences at Hope House International, a residential facility in Kenya where he lived while attending primary and secondary school. Kur, along with two other Hope House graduates also attending universities in the U.S., have taken the reigns at Hope House, ensuring that more children from remote South Sudanese villages have the educational opportunities that they did. Kur, along with Susan Mead, who has been involved with Hope House since its inception over a decade ago, will share the impact Hope House has had on its graduates, as well as their vision for its sustainability
Holy Eucharist Rt II | 10:30 a.m. | In-Person and on YouTube
The nursery is available during our services.
Christmas Services
Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24, 5:00 PM Holy Eucharist
Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24, 10:00 PM Christmas Carols, 10:30 PM Holy Eucharist
Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25, 10:30 AM Holy Eucharist
Parish Offices will be closed the week between Christmas and New Years. The bookkeeper will be in the office on December 29 until noon. Staff will be back in the offices on Monday, January 5.
Please review the introductions of the four candidates for Bishop of Southwestern Virginia and to plan to meet them in person at Grace at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
Morning Prayer | Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.
In-Person & Zoom
Lanford Mission Emergency Fund: Christmas Appeal
In the words of Teresa of Avila, we are “the hands, feet, eyes, and body of Christ in our world.” As we approach Christmas and reflect on those words, the Christian Outreach Committee asks you to consider a Christmas donation to the Lanford Mission Emergency Fund.
Begun in this parish in 1984, the LMEF assists residents of Rockbridge County who request emergency financial help with rent, utilities, and temporary emergency housing. Most requests come to Grace through RARA (Rockbridge Area Relief Association) which does the vetting to verify need. Grace continues to partner with RARA, Lexington Presbyterian, and St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church to share in payments.
Partial funding for the LMEF comes from Grace’s Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving loose plate offerings. A donation to the LMEF can be made through your Christmas offering in the form of a check made out to Grace Episcopal Church with “Lanford MEF” noted on the memo line as well as at https://onrealm.org/graceepiscopalVA/-/form/give/now and selecting "Christmas Offering" under the "Fund" dropdown menu.
Your continued, generous support for this long-time Grace Episcopal ministry is greatly appreciated!
Paws to Connect
Paws to Connect will pause while W&L and VMI are out of session. We'll see you in the new year!
Clothes Closet at Christ Episcopal
The Clothes Closet at Christ Church, Buena Vista, continues to need girls winter clothing sizes 10-12, and silverware forks and spoons.. They are not accepting any other items at this time as they are chock full! The Clothes Closet is open every first and third Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. until noon. You may drop your items off then. Alternately, you can bring your items to the Grace Episcopal Church office and Lisa will ensure your items are conveyed to the Clothes Closet. Thank you for your support of this valuable asset to our community.
Prayer List
Please pray for the wider Church and intercessions requested by our Congregants: Pray for the candidates for bishop: The Rev. Paul Canady, The Rev. Karin MacPhail, The Very Rev. Becky McDaniel, The Very Rev. Grant Stokes. Pray today for the people of Grace, Massies Mill and their rector, the Rev. Allison Caudill. Pray for Brendon, Timmy, Laura Stearns, Lynda deMaria, Betty Cadden, Jeff Mason, Joe Irby, Kent Wilson, Jerry & Ann Nay, Paula Cooper, Ned Henneman, Sharon Humphreys, Nancy Mastin, Elizabeth Klein, Carl Pattison, Virginia Poston (sister of Betsy Carter), Dot Fogo, David Austin (friend of the Keanes), Buddy Atkins, Stan Driver, Chris Clayton Syrrist (cousin of David Sorrells), Glen Jones, Charlotte & Mike Murphy, Jean & Mike Walsh, Cullen Bahr, Lane Hewett, Susan Martin, Carolyn, Nancy Hellwig, Dennis Coughlin, Mike Haire, Chuck & Biddy Watson, Rob Fleming, Patricia Williams, Patty Irving Sensabaugh, Richard Partlett, and those we name aloud or in our hearts. Pray for the people of Israel, Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, Ukraine, and pray for cessation of violence, and for reconciliation, and peace. Pray for those who have died.
In Thanksgiving for December and January Birthdays
12/19 Roger Crockett , Merce Brooke
12/23 Carol Gosse, Julianne Grimes, Betsy Carter
12/24 Jordan Kach
12/25 Harrison Edgar
12/27 Joy Harris
12/30 Maggie Lawrence, Willow Moles, Buddy Carter, Martha Robey
12/31 Grace Frascati
1/5 Elizabeth Branner, Martha Ann Burford
1/8 Laurent Boetsch, Kitty Farrar, Helen Moore, Connor Wolfe
1/9 Stepan Onyshchuk
1/10 Janet Lemmer, Peter Grover
1/11 Signe Lewis
1/14 Liz Moss
1/16 Gabrielle Frascati
1/18 Lee Sayre, Laurie Huger
1/19 Elizabeth Boetsch
1/20 Paul Strickland
1/21 Sarah Edgar
1/23 Virginia Cooke
1/26 Maille Carrington
1/27 Sean Carrington, Joseph Moles
1/29 Jane Brooke, Nan Partlett
1/30 Melissa Gladwell-Sayre, Cary Edgar
1/31 Tom Gosse, Don Robey, Stephanie Sandberg
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