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Life With Grace | January 9


A priest in a white robe with a red stole gently places communion into the outstretched hands of a congregant during a church service, with another clergy member assisting behind her and stained glass windows glowing in the background.
Come and receive this Sunday.

Dear Friends,

This Sunday the Church celebrates the Baptism of our Lord.  At his baptism, three of the gospels agree, that the Spirit descended on him and a voice from heaven declared him the beloved with whom I am well pleased.

Which sounds very nice until we remember that this phrase, "the Beloved with whom I am well pleased" comes from Isaiah 42 and is used in relation to the servant who proclaims justice to the Nations without shouting, without wrangling, without force. And who may well be the same servant referred to in Isaiah 53:10 who life is made the offering for our sins.

It is often difficult to know which, among many voices, to follow.  I will simply observe that often the loudest voices are proclaiming and defending the necessity of force to execute justice and these same voices deny anything wrong is being done when guns are fired in the name of the law.

But the Beloved of God does not speak with a raised voice. The beloved of God, as I observe, quietly, often silently, comforts the grieving, patiently offers refuge to the frightened, and food for the hungry in their hiding places.

Those who loudly call for and defend violence will no doubt be condemned on the day of judgment by their own words for every careless word they utter.  (Matthew 12:36-37)

Celebrate rather the revelation of the Beloved of God. And listen for the quiet voice of the one who models gentleness, mercy, forgiveness and compassion. Follow that one.

With Gratitude,

Tuck Bowerfind



Holy Eucharist Rt I | 8 a.m. | In-Person and on Zoom




Christianity and Culture | 9:15 a.m. | In-Person and on Zoom

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11th - Dialogue with our Delegates - Tuck - Following the session on Tuesday, January 6th with Bishop candidates, parishioners can share insights and feelings with our delegates prior to the Diocesan Convention


Upcoming Christianity and Culture Sessions:

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18th

The New Testament Re-Examined

Don Samdahl

 

Don will focus on examining Christ’s advent and the New Testament in light of God’s prophetic program and Paul’s apostleship.  It will consider the messages of Peter and Paul, why Luke wrote Acts, and other related issues.

 

SUNDAY JANUARY 25th

Focus on Faust

Roger Crockett

 

Roger will speak about the Faust legend in German literature from the middle ages to the nineteenth century with most of the emphasis on Goethe's monumental two-part drama completed in 1831.  Goethe uses a primarily Christian framework for the pact Faust makes with the devil, but the work transcends the boundaries of any one religion, or even religion at all.  It’s surprising ending mixes the Christian reliance on God's love with humanistic ideals and a heavy dose of mysticism.

 

Holy Eucharist Rt II | 10:30 a.m. | In-Person and on YouTube



The nursery is available during our services.

Adults and older Youth trained in Safe Church are needed to assist in the nursery from 9-noon. We can pay $15/hour. Volunteers also welcome. Please contact James Keane for more information and to offer assistance. 


Celtic Contemplative Service with Healing Prayers | 5 p.m.
Six smiling adults pose inside a church with arched stained glass windows; one person holds a tablet displaying a group video call with additional participants.
Morning Prayer | Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.

In-Person & Zoom








Paws to Connect

Paws to Connect will pause while W&L and VMI are out of session. We'll see you soon!

Stewardship Campaign Update

Thank you to the 117 parish families who have pledged to the 2026 Stewardship campaign. As  of January 6, $551,181 has been pledged toward a goal of 125 households/$550,000.

Spaghetti Dinner With Bingo and Silent Auction!

To benefit CATE - Children Aspiring To Education, Our ministries In Haiti and South Sudan

Join your friends for a great evening in the parish hall

February 17, Shrove Tuesday

5:00 cocktails and silent auction

6:00 dinner with bingo to follow

Suggested donation, $50 per person

Tickets available:  sign up in the narthex or by email with Anne Hansen.

STEPS (Supporting Transitions By Engaging In Parolee Sponsorships) 

Letters from our returning citizens:

 

From Barry Bowles:

Hello Family, I truly hope y'all don't mind me calling you family, because the love and care I have received from each of you has given me a hope and strength to become the best that I can be, even through so many mistakes and poor choices I have made through life.  Each of you is the light that God is using to guide me from the darkness that once controlled my every thought and actions, but as the love y'all are showing me, it's breaking the chains of fear off of me that's allowing me to find my way to a healthy God-filled life.  So thanks with the utmost respect and love I have within me.  May God bless each one of you to the fullest.  Amen.


From Robert White:

Giving all glory and honor to our great and awesome Almighty God.  I, Robert L. White want to thank you all for your love, support and prayers since I've been a part of the STEPS program. This journey will not have been as enjoyable as it has been without you.  To the pastor, all the parishioners of Grace Episcopal Church, beginning with the Welcoming Reception, Friendsgiving at the Horse Center, and the reception for donors to the STEPS apartment, I could not have anticipated all the love, support and ceremony that I have been a part of in this short time that I've been here.  So I just wanna show my gratitude to you all, to let you know that the smiles on those pictures only scratched the surface to the impact in my heart that this parish has made on me.  I love you all, thank you all, and say God bless you all.  Robert L. White, one grateful returning citizen.  Thank you again in Jesus name. Amen.

 

Blessings, 

The STEPS Team 

Anna Crockett (aennchen3@gmail.com; 540-460-3254), David Connolly, Lynn Dent, Pat McGuire, Steve Riethmiller, Frank Settle and Fr. Tuck 

MLK Jr. Worship Service

Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Worship Service, Sunday, January 18, 4:00 p.m. at The First Baptist Church, 103 N. Main Street, Lexington.

MLK Day Parade

2026 CARE Rockbridge Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Parade, 10:30 a.m., January 19. Parade starts at the Randolph Street United Methodist Church.

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 Presiding Bishop The Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe. Pray for Diocese of Southwestern Virginia.  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 Christ, Pearisburg. 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, Margaret Midgeley (friend of the Milfords), Drusilla vanHengel (aunt of Drusie Milford).

In Thanksgiving for January Birthdays

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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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.


 
 
 

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