Dear Friends,
Thursday night we will begin our annual celebration of the Teiduum: the Great Three Days: the Passover of our God.
Please join us for the celebration of Eucharist at 6:30 p.m. concluding with the stripping of the altar in preparation for our celebration of Good Friday.
On Good Friday we feast on the word alone in our services at noon and 6:30 p.m. Please give generously to the Good Friday offering for the support of the Episcopal diocese of Jerusalem in the Middle East.
The first celebration of the Resurrection begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday with the lighting of the Paschal candle in the church courtyard, and continues through the Easter vigil with baptism and the celebration of Eucharist and a lamb feast served in the Parish Hall.
Services on the day of Resurrection are at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. A community service will be offered at Trinity United Methodist Church at 7 a.m.
This celebration of our Lord's lifting up - to death, to life, to glory is for the healing of the world. The healing that began so many years ago continues as each generation confronts it's need for help to live in the world in a way that is not of the world.
The sin and evil on full display in the passion of Jesus is on full display today around the world where violence and false witness demonization and hatred are used to dehumanize for the sake of political and economic power.
Into tge malevolent darkness of sin we are called to proclaim the light of Christ, the power of his humility and obedience and love, not only with our lips but in our lives, our souls and bodies. Christ calls and leads us a different way. A way we can see in the living hope and humble service of the doctors and nurses and caregivers of Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza who continue to pursue their humanitarian mission at great risk in unimaginable conditions independent of ideology, politics, or reward.
These three days confront us with our need for help. For divine intervention. Our need for a savior. Our need for a power of healing, forgiveness and new strength to refocus on our humanitarian and God given mission to change the world with God's help.
God gives that help freely and abundantly to all who turn to the sign of Christ and commit themselves to following him in the way of his cross, into his resurrection and ascension and reign.
May God help you follow through the cross and tomb, not around, over, or under it - through it to life in the power of the resurrected and reigning Lord.
With Gratitude,
Tuck Bowerfind (he/him)
Rector | Grace Episcopal Church
Flowering of the Cross
On Easter morning, our parishioners are asked to bring flowers to decorate the cross that will be in front of the church. This is a very special cross in that David Connolly made it out of our beautiful Chrismon tree; it's truly a symbol of Jesus coming and his ascension.
Holy Week Worship Services
Maundy Thursday | Thursday, March 28
Good Friday | Friday, March 29
Holy Saturday | Saturday, March 30
Easter Sunday | Sunday, March 31
Holy Eucharist | 8 a.m.
In-Person & Zoom
No Christianity and Culture This Week| 9:15 a.m.
In Person | Parish Hall
March 31st: Easter - There will be Coffee Hour and Flowering of the Cross out front.
Holy Eucharist | 10:30 a.m.
In-Person and Youtube
Renewal Works
Renewal Works is a program we have engaged in to find ways to make spiritual growth a priority for our parish. Thank you to the 109 of us who submitted a Spiritual Life Inventory some weeks ago! Our results show that many of us, despite long church attendance, still consider ourselves to be in the early stages of spiritual growth. And that we want to grow in our love of God and all that He has made. Our workshop team has been meeting faithfully, and we plan to present our findings to the parish during Christianity and Culture on April 14.
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!
Community Easter Sunrise Service
The Rockbridge Area Minister’s Alliance invites you to the Annual Community Easter Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024 7:00 a.m.. It will be held at the Trinity United Methodist Church 147 South Main Street, Lexington, VA 24450 Guest Preacher: Pastor Drew Ditzel of Lexington Presbyterian Church. A Complimentary Community Breakfast will be served immediately following the Easter Worship Service --The Reverend Anita Mays Lucord , Host Pastor
Lanford Mission Emergency Fund
Easter Appeal | The Lanford Mission Emergency Fund (MEF) was begun in this parish 40 years ago to assist residents of Rockbridge County who request emergency financial help in meeting rent, utility, medical, or temporary housing expenses. The MEF primarily receives its funding from Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas offerings as well as a small number of pledges that are designated “Mission Emergency Fund”. Requests for assistance are usually made because of sudden illness, loss of health insurance, unexpected job loss, or other unanticipated crisis situations. RARA (Rockbridge Area Relief Association) does the vetting to verify need, and then contacts Grace Episcopal along with Lexington Presbyterian and St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic churches to share costs with RARA.
As we approach Easter, we ask you to consider a donation to the Lanford Mission Emergency Fund. If you would like to make a gift in the form of a check, the check can be made out to Grace Episcopal Church with “Lanford MEF” noted on the memo line. A donation to the Lanford MEF can also be made on Grace’s Website at www.gracelexva.org. The Christian Outreach Committee sincerely thanks you for your faithful and generous support of this long-time Grace Episcopal outreach ministry!
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.
March Fundraiser for Project Horizon
Friends--here is a simple way to help Project Horizon and eat well--for the carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, or even the vegan and gluten-free!
Every day in March you can round up to the next dollar at Jersey Mike'sto contribute, and/or just donate $1, $3 or $5 at the cashier (for $5 you get a coupon for a free regular sub with a purchase of another--which comes to 1/2 price!!).
On March 27, 100% of Jersey Mike's proceeds go to the non-profit they have chosen--in the Lexington store, that is Project Horizon! Our local Jersey Mike's has set a goal of raising $10,000 to help stop domestic and sexual violence in our community--won't you help them by droping by?
Remember, any day in March you can make a difference by donating when you order, but especially on Wednesday, March 27--your participation will make a huge difference! And since we don't have a Lenten supper that night, let's all go to Jersey Mike's and support Project Horizon!
Habitat Faith Build
Just a reminder that Pat McGuire is looking for a few more volunteers to participate in the Faith Build. If you are interested, or have questions, please contact Pat.
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.
Dinner Groups
If you did not sign up for a dining group or are new to Grace Church and would like to be a part of a dinning group, (lunch, dine in or dine out) do let Ruth know and we’ll find you a group. Give Ruth a call at 910-409-9325 or send Ruth Smith an email. This is a fun way to get to know other Grace members. If you are in a group that eats in homes, you will be responsible for one meal, planning the date, creating the main course, and assigning other items to those in your group. If you dine out, you are responsible for setting the date and planing where to eat making reservations for the group.
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!
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.
Haiti and South Sudan
Let's Connect with Children Aspiring to Education in Haiti and South Sudan!
Mark your calendar for April 7 at 9:15 in the Parish Hall. Rev. Samson Mamour will present a Live Connection by Zoom and Tasty Treats from Haiti and South Sudan.
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
Prayer for the election of the next Presiding Bishop: Almighty God, source of all wisdom and understanding: Look graciously on your church, and so guide the hearts and minds of those who will choose our next presiding bishop, that we may receive a faithful pastor who will care for all of your people, equip us for our ministries, and proclaim your word to us and to the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Please pray for the wider Church and intercessions requested by our Congregants: Prayers for continued healing for Presiding Bishop Curry. The Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, and our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Mark Bourlakas. Pray for the people of St. James, Roanoke. Pray for Brendon, Michael Murphy, Timmy, Rick Alexander, Bradley Fairchild and Karen Junkin, John & Gloria June Perry, Glen Jones, Patricia Brown Boyer, Carolyn Glenn, 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, Mary Jane Hubbard, Nancy Walker, and those we name aloud or in our hearts.
Pray for those who have died, Carolyn Glenn (friend of Judy Schram), Lynn Butler (cousin of Melanie Griffis). Pray for the people of Israel, Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, Ukraine, and pray for the cessation of violence, and for reconciliation, and peace.
In Thanksgiving for March and April Birthdays
3/27 Kathryn Hill
3/31 Will Edgar
4/2 David Connolly
4/3 Dot Fogo, Punky Dod
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.