Dear Friends,
This Sunday we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. Unlike the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins offered by John, the baptism of Jesus involves the Holy Spirit...Â
It is a great thing to be forgiven and move forward in life without the burden of guilt or the threat of punishment.
But it is another thing altogether to move forward in life in companionship with God and the people of God.
I have been lucky. I have always found companionship and friendship in the Church.Â
Recently I was in Jerusalem with some friends from Grace. I was surprised to find David and Irma Alvarado in our pilgrimage group. Delea and I met David and Irma over 25 years ago in El Salvador. It was so good to be with them again. What an amazing gift.
Amigos de Christos, we're friends of the Lord. Forgiven, yes. And that is good. Forgiveness makes life bearable. But God gives us so much more than forgiveness. God creates a new community of friends through his indwelling Spirit. The Spirit makes life joy. That is the miracle of our Baptism into the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
With Gratitude,
Tuck Bowerfind (he/him)
Rector | Grace Episcopal Church
Worship Services | First Sunday After the Epiphany | Sunday, January 7
Holy Eucharist | 8 a.m.
In-Person & Zoom
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Christianity and Culture | 9:15 a.m.
In Person | Parish Hall
Intergenerational Service on the Epiphany. We will be focusing on the Bible story and its different interpretations, making stars and decorating some crowns, and we will enjoy some delicious Three Kings' Cake made by our very own Mary Wilson.
Upcoming Christianity and Culture
January 14th: Tuck will be providing an overview of Renewal Works, a research based church-wide program that focuses on spiritual growth.
January 21st: Tim Gaylard will present on the well known oratorio ,The Messiah,by George Frideric Handel. Tim will share information about the story of this amazing piece of music, its religious and musical significance, and its famous composer.
January 28th; Unitive Service - no Christianity and Culture.
Feb 4th:Â This is a general meeting during which the Strategic Planning team, Tuck, and the architect will provide a critical update on the Parish House Building Project.
Holy Eucharist | 10:30 a.m.
In-Person and Youtube
Upcoming Evening Services
Morning Prayer | Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.
In-Person & Zoom
MLK Community Worship Service and Parade
Sunday, January 14, 2024 @ 4:00pm in the First Baptist Church
The MLK March/ Parade will be held on Monday, January 15, 2024 @ 10:30 AM beginning @ the Randolph Street United Methodist Church located 118 South Randolph Street in Lexington.
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.Â
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.Â
Rooted in Abundance
Thank you to everyone who has returned a pledge for the Rooted in Abundance pledge campaign to fund the 2024 operating budget of Grace Episcopal Church. Every pledge helps us with our planning for the year to come. We will list the names of those who have made a pledge every week, as well as the total pledged to date. Our goal is between 115-120 pledges totaling $480,000-520,000. To date we have received pledges from 125 households totaling $532,478.
Thanks to our contributing households thus far:
Anonymous
Eloise Adams
Lori Apgar
John & Cecilia Arpin
Buddy & Evan Atkins
Doug Ayer
Anne Blanken
Laurent & Elizabeth Boetsch
Peter Bowerfind
Tucker & Delea Bowerfind
Jane Brooke
Alexandra Brown
Madison & Katharine Brown
Martha Ann Burford
Catharine Burns
Bettie Cadden
Betsy & Buddy Carter
David & Marjorie Connolly
Virginia Cooke
R. David & Melissa Cox
Ed & Marlys Craun
Jay & Joan Crawford
Roger Crockett
Dennis & Susan Cross
Susan Denson
Lynn & Carol Dent
Barton & Gail Dick
John & Gail Dickerson
Punky Dod
Ed & Lu Dooley
Will & Cary Edgar
Don & Claudia Ellis
Carole Elmore
Jim & Kitty Farrar
Dot Fogo
Matthew Fogo & Kevin Manning
Mark Gallagher
Tim & Catharine Gaylard
Keith & Pat Gibson
Mary Stuart Gilliam
Rene' Glidden
Rose Gordon
Tom & Carol Gosse
Julianne Grimes
James & Anne F Grizzle
Peter & Julie Grover
Margaret Haberman
Kristy Hamilton
David & Anne Hansen
Sandy & Catherine Harcus
Elizabeth Harralson
Diana Harris
Winifred Hart
Helen Head
Jack & Anne Hershbell
Drew & Megan Hess
Harold & Kathryn Hill
Kay Horner
Judy Hotchkiss
Pierson & Ellen Hotchkiss
David & Chris Howison
Benjamin & Laurie Huger
Hank & Sharon Humphreys
James & Darlene Keane
Suzanne Keen
Diana Kenney
Deborah & Bill Klein
John & Beth Knapp
Mimi Knight
Helen Kostel
Bill & Kathy Kozak
Sharon & Frederick Kurtz
Steve & Susan Lawrence
Greg & Janet Lemmer
Buster & Signe Lewis
Mo & Julia Littlefield
Bill & Barbara Luton
William & Michelle Mackie
Samson Mamour
M.J. Mayerchak
Donnie & Heather McBrayer
William McCorkle
Pat & Lisa McGuire
Jo McMurtry
Uncas McThenia
Susan Mead
John & Drusie Milford
Rob & Susan Minor
Helen Moore
Liz Moss
Grigg & Cindy Mullen
Ann & Jerry Nay
Elaine Nelson
Mark Nelson
Elizabeth & Bill Oliver
David & Jeanne Passmore
George & Eleanor Penn
Michael Perry
Shay Peters
Henry Porter
Tim & Mary Price
Steve & Peggy Riethmiller
Joanne & Paul Robblee
Cynthia Robertson
Woody & Lori Sadler
Bill Sayre & Melissa Gladwell-Sayre
Judy Schram
Heidi Schweizer
Frank Settle, Jr. & Cecile West-Settle
Marjorie Sherrill
Sue & Steve Shultis
Ham & AP Smith
Jimbo & Ruth Smith
Sarah Stockton
Paul Strickland
Lisa Tracy
Spencer & Beverly Tucker
Tom Vinson
David Wade
Kitty Wainwright
Nancy Walker
Harry & Marnie Wheeler
Kent & Mary Wilson
Michael & Beverly Wirtz
Christina Young
Sounder "Beloved" Community Brainstorming Session
On Monday, January 8, from 7:30-8:30 p.m., in the Grace Episcopal Church parish hall at 121 W. Washington Street and by Zoom (Passcode: 285338), Sounder Community Circle participants will engage in a brainstorming session in honor of the upcoming Martin Luther King holiday. Â
January's topic is "Building a Sounder 'Beloved' Community Here and Beyond." We will first examine the concept of "Beloved Community" that Dr. King centered in his work. Then we will consider how the "Sounder" story, written by Rockbridge County native William Howard Armstrong, and published 18 months after King was assassinated, can illuminate the Beloved Community concept, locally and beyond. It is not necessary to have read "Sounder" before attending; facilitators will make sure everyone has enough information to contribute to the discussion.Â
Below are two important items: first, an excerpt on "Beloved Community" from The King Center, to inspire you to begin pondering the possibilities before we get together. Secondly, you will find the Zoom invitation information that we hope you will utilize if you cannot join us in person. We look forward to seeing you, one way or the other, for this important Sounder Community Circle tribute to Dr. King's legacy. For more information, contact Susan Virginia Mead.
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!
A Plea for Haiti
Our neighbors in Haiti are struggling through a period of political violence and chaos. With the government disabled, many Haitians rely on church schools to educate their children. Grace, as part of the Virginia Haiti Collaborative, supports one such school in Haiti, St. Marc’s in Cerca-la-Source. Every month the Collaborative sends $5000 to Haiti to pay the salaries of the 30-some teachers at St. Marc’s who teach the 350 students in grades K-12. That $5000/month pays the full salaries of 30 adults and provides education for 350 students. The Collaborative is the school’s only source of funding.
This season, we are also raising money so that the students can have computers at school. They will need some degree of computer literacy to take their graduation exams and to serve them as they seek jobs after graduation. If you can help provide schooling for these children, please put Virginia Haiti Collaborative on the memo line and send your check to Trinity Episcopal Church, 214 W. Beverley St, Staunton, VA 24401. Trinity provides bookkeeping for the collaborative. For more information, please contact Anne Hansen or Tuck.
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: The Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, and our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Mark Bourlakas. Pray today for the ministry of Grace House on the Mountain and its director Anita Boyd. Pray for Brendon, Michael Murphy, Timmy, Rick Alexander, Bradley Fairchild and Karen Junkin, Gloria June Perry, Glen Jones, Patricia Brown Boyer, Dolly Shumate, Carolyn Glenn, Jack Hershbell, Laura Stearns, Worth & Katie Burnes & Family, Amelia Dull, Barb Ostrander, Stephen deMaria, Polly Lawrence, Betty Cadden, Jeff Mason, Joe Irby, Kent Wilson, Rosemary Phillips, Don Ellis, Diana Kenney, Patrick Bowes, Ann Nay, Paula Cooper, Penny & Ned Henneman, Steve Riethmiller, Barbara Bova, Daniel Diener, Shelby, Anne Stenhouse, Clay Sadler, Lynn Butler, Sharon Humphreys, Eloise Adams, Nancy Mastin, Elizabeth Klein (daughter of Deb & Bill Klein), Linda Lanford and Erik Figueroa (family of Tim & Mary Price), Patrick Keeley, Matthew (SVU student), Dorothy & Bill Rodman (Lori Sadler’s family), Cullen Bahr (friend of Drusie Milford), and those we name aloud or in our hearts. Pray for those who have died. Pray for the people of Israel, Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, Ukraine, and pray for cessation of violence, reconciliation, and peace.
In Thanksgiving for January Birthdays
1/5 Elizabeth Branner, Martha Ann Burford
1/8 Laurent Boetsch, Kitty Farrar, Helen Moore
1/10 Janet Lemmer, Peter Grover
1/11 Signe Lewis
1/12 Carol Muir
1/14 Liz Moss
1/16 Gabrielle Frascati
1/18 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
1/30 Melissa Gladwell-Sayre, Cary Edgar
1/31 Tom Gosse
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.
Donations for Lisa's House – Project Horizon
Items we currently need: · High efficiency laundry detergent · Toilet paper, paper towels · Lysol disinfectant spray · Dish soap · Coffee · $10 gas cards At this time, we are only able to accept items on this list. Thank you for thinking of us!
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