Life With Grace | November 14
- Grace Episcopal Church
- Nov 14
- 15 min read
Dear friends,
Sometimes the chances and changes of life surprise us like a thief in the night. It may be a symptom that leads to an unexpected diagnosis. It may be a change in weather that brings a storm. It may be a political change. Perhaps we simply trip, as I have sometimes done, and fall, but this time we can't get up.
We may wonder why God has not protected us. Where has God's protection and blessing gone? What have we done to deserve catastrophe?
God, of course, has not gone anywhere. God is always with us. The protection of God is not a bubble that keeps us apart from the world as it is. The protection of God is the knowledge of inviolable worth that being loved awakes in the soul of the beloved. And we remember that we are beloved. So beloved that God has come among us to live and die and rise for us to know the reality of God's love.
The knowledge of God's love is tested in the crucible of adversity. And in that testing we come to realize nothing can separate us from the love of God. And we can bear witness with and in our own lives, freely giving of ourselves in the spirit of Christ to help others grasp the reality of God's love, and to let it continually move us to good works, and to give thanks and praise to the one in whose name we are baptized, by water and fire.
With Gratitude,
Tuck Bowerfind
Worship Services | Twenty Third Sunday After Pentecost | Proper 28 | Sunday, November Sixteenth
Holy Eucharist Rt I | 8 a.m. | In-Person and on YouTube
Christianity and Culture | 9:15 a.m. | In-Person and on Zoom
November 16 - Impact of the Pentateuch on the Old & New Testament - Rich Warkowski - Rich will focus on portrayals of Jesus in the Pentateuch (atonement, priesthood, liturgy, etc. For example, in Genesis 3:15, after the Fall of Adam & Eve, God gives the first promise and gentle “hint” of a rescue by another Adam (Jesus) that is to come. That tiny kernel of information (revelations) is characteristic of Divine Progressive Revelation.
Upcoming Christianity and Culture Sessions
November 23 - Introduction of Vestry Candidates: please meet four candidates for Vestry- Lori Apgar, Patrick Hugg, Maggie Leventis, David Partlett. If you would like to present yourself as a candidate or nominate another communicant in good standing, please contact the Clerk of the Vestry, Lisa McGuire. Nominations for Vestry are open until immediately prior to voting at the Annual Meeting December 7.
November 30 - First Sunday of Advent - Thanksgiving Weekend Chrismons - Joanne Robblee
December 7 - Annual Meeting - Tuck, Bishop
December 14 - Christmas – Messiah - Tim Gaylard - Tim is back to share more about the selected pieces of music and meaning of Handel’s glorious Messiah as we prepare during Advent for the coming of Christ.
December 21 - TBD - Tuck
Holy Eucharist Rt II | 10:30 a.m. | In-Person and on YouTube
The nursery will be available for both the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services.
Community Sing | 5 p.m.
Sunday, November 16. Raising funds for Project Horizon in Honor of The International Day of Eliminating Violence Against Women. Sponsored by our Outreach Committee and led by our music minister, Martha Burford--also a practitioner in the organization Music That Makes Community--the event will focus on songs that embrace life, encourage empathy, stir hearts, call for healing, and lift hope. All free will donations will go to Project Horizon.
Nativity Sets
Do you have a special nativity set that you would share with the Church for a few weeks? We will display Nativity sets in the windows of the Nave during the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Please bring your set to the Parish Office by November 26. Thank you!
Tell Out My Soul 2026 Stewardship Campaign
If you did not receive your pledge card at church, you should receive it by mail. Let Lisa know if you need one.
Thank you to everyone who has already pledged to the Tell Out My Soul stewardship campaign to fund the 2026 operating budget of Grace Episcopal Church. Every pledge helps us with our planning for the year to come. Our goal is between 120-130 pledges totaling $540,000. To date we have received pledges from 69 households totaling $367,661.
Cecilia & John Arpin, Cynthia & Roger Baroody, Anne Blanken, Elizabeth & Laurent Boetsch, Peter Bowerfind, Delea & Tucker Bowerfind, Jane Brooke, Betsy & Buddy Carter, Marjorie & David Connolly, Virginia Cooke, Melissa & David Cox, Marlys & Edwin Craun, Susan & Dennis Cross, Susan Denson, Carol & Lynwood Dent, Gail Dick, Gail & John Dickerson, Punky Dod, Page & Langston Donkle, Lu & Ed Dooley, Cary & Will Edgar, Claudia & Don Ellis, Carole Elmore, Matthew Fogo & Kevin Manning, Catharine & Tim Gaylard, Rene' Glidden, Carol & Tom Gosse, Julianne Grimes, Margaret Haberman, Becky & Woody Hall, Catherine & Sandy Harcus, Elizabeth Harralson, Diana Harris, Anne Hershbell, Kathy & Harold Hill, Kay Horner, Chris & David Howison, Laurie & Benjamin Huger, Virginia Jardim, Darlene & James Keane, Helen Kostel, Sharon & Frederick Kurtz, Janet & Greg Lemmer, Signe & Buster Lewis, Barbara & Bill Luton, Lisa & Pat McGuire, Jo McMurtry, Drusie & John Milford, Su Minor, Liz Moss, Cindy & Grigg Mullen, Ann & Jerry Nay, David O'Connor & Linda Merrick, Elizabeth Oliver, Jeanne & David Passmore, Eleanor & George Penn, Michael Perry, Sharon Peters, Henry Porter, Mary & Tim Price, Peggy & Steve Riethmiller, Cynthia Robertson, Martha & Don Robey, Lori & Woody Sadler, Marjorie Sherrill, Ruth & Jimbo Smith, Paul Strickland, Beverly & Spencer Tucker, Mary & Kent Wilson.
Annual Meeting
Dear friend,
The Annual Meeting of Grace Episcopal Church is scheduled to convene 9:15am Sunday, December 7, 2025 in the Parish Hall. The purpose of the Annual Meeting is for the members of Grace to elect vestry members who have responsibility for all the temporal affairs of the church. We are grateful to David Passmore, Ruth Smith, and Drusie Milford for their three years of vestry service as well as to Buddy Carter, William Edgar, Cecilia Arpin, Connor Wolfe, Melissa Cox, Carole Elmore, Sharon Kurtz, and Don Robey our continuing Vestry members, and to Lori Apgar Maggie Leventis, Patrick Hugg, and David Partlett who have accepted nomination for election. A quorum of 20% of all adult communicants in good standing is required for an election (41). Please attend and participate.
with gratitude,
Tuck Bowerfind, Rector
Patrick Hugg
The Hugg family was active at Trinity Episcopal Church in New Orleans beginning in 1985, participating actively in several Trinity programs. Our three children all attended TrinityChurch and Trinity’s grammar school at various dates through their primary years. We moved to Lexington in 2024 to be with our youngest daughter, husband, and three-year-old grandson. That move, of course, led us to Grace. Trinity is an old and prosperous church in New Orleans, with a history similar to Grace here in Lexington. An early rector of the Church was Civil War General Leonidas Polk, and the primary meeting hall for the church and school was named after him. It was here that the modern leadership of Trinity (3 dedicated clergy in the 1980s and 90s), led Trinity in a forceful direction. Trinity purposefully became a bridge between the traditional Episcopal Church
community and the entrenched low-income housing projects nearby. Phyllis and I supported that direction of Trinity, actively participating in outreach efforts. We served as Loaves and Fishes volunteers every Friday for some years, working with other volunteers packing and distributing food to low-income community centers and homeless shelters. We also led our children to personally serve hot meals at a Baptist church shelter nearby in one of the low-income neighborhoods. I participated in a Trinity program to recruit law students and lead them into public schools for dedicated reading sessions and contributing quality books to their libraries. I was the founding Chair of Trinity Mediation Services, which provided free mediation services to those involved in disputes and litigation, focusing mainly on child custody and other family issues.
I also initiated a legal challenge against the State of Louisiana, along with strong participation with other community leaders and the national ACLU, seeking adequate State funding for the inadequately funded state school system. Unfortunately, the State Constitution was determined to not support our efforts. I was active in the Church’s popular Men’s Prayer Breakfast, and for some time served as its co-director. Finally, I served the on the Board and ultimately as President of the New Orleans Pro Bono Project, which managed numerous programs to provide legal services to those in need in the greater New Orleans area. Phyllis and I look forward to future activity here in Lexington with Grace Episcopal.
Maggie Leventis
Maggie Leventis is a sophomore at Washington and Lee University. She was confirmed at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Columbia, South Carolina on October 26, 2022, by Bishop Daniel P. Richards of the Upper Diocese of South Carolina. She is the only child of Ami and James Leventis. She is a member of the Canterbury Leadership Team and the choir here at Grace. As a freshman she found a place here and has appreciated the community that has helped her feel so welcome in Lexington.
David Partlett
Tuck contacted me about joining the Vestry recently. It is an honor to be asked to put my name forward. I understand that the congregation will need some greater background on my experience and skills that might make me a valuable member of the vestry; someone in whom you could place trust as our church faces the challenges in the years ahead.
Nan and I moved back to Lexington 18 months ago after an hiatus in Atlanta of eighteen years. We had been members of the church from 2000 to 20006 when I had been dean of the W&L Law School. During that period, I had served on the vestry when Farris Hodgkiss was so ably the Senior Warden. Nan and I joined All Saints Episcopal Church in downtown Atlanta where we worshipped until we rejoined Grace. One of the joys of moving back to Lexington has been that reconnection. Both of us are now retired but still have a strong impetus to help further our Church’s mission in whatever capacity seems most effective. We have reconnected with many of you over the last 18 months. We hope to commit ourselves in the building of Christian community at Grace. We can do so much together guided by the holy spirit of Christ Jesus.
Lori Rangel
My name is Lori Rangel, formerly Lori Apgar and I have called Lexington home since 1997. Shortly after, I moved my parents, grandmother and sister Kris here as well, in order to keep our family together. I raised my children here and watched them turn into adults that I am very proud of. I am sure there are still people at Grace who remember my parents, Doris and George and grandmother Flo. And if you sit close enough you've heard my sister Kris sing our hymns with gusto! As my parents and grandmother got older, I cared for them as well as for my children's grandfather, Harry, who moved to Lexington to be close to his grandchildren. Grace was there with prayers and support that ushered them to their heavenly home. My sister Kris is still an important part of my life and bringing her to Grace every Sunday gives both of us time each week to be involved in our church family. And that is what Grace is to me, a family that I care deeply about. Grace has become increasingly important to me now that my children have moved away to start their own stories. I am truly thankful for all that Grace has given to me. Now it's time for me to give back to Grace. I am honored to serve on the vestry and look forward to giving a small part back to a church family that has given so much to me and my family.
Morning Prayer | Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.
In-Person & Zoom
Women's Bible Study
Join us on Tuesdays from 9-10:30 a.m. in the Canterbury room for an ongoing series on Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
Seeking Volunteers
Looking for Volunteers to serve as Readers, Chalice Ministers, and to run the Zoom for the 8 a.m. service. Please let Lisa know if you would be willing to help or call the Parish Office. Thank you!
Advent Meditation Series
This Advent season, you are invited to join our Diocesan Advent Meditations, a three week online series offered live on Zoom Monday nights in Advent, beginning on Dec. 1 at 7:00p.m. Join us for this series to slow down, take time for silence and contemplation as we experience this special season.
We will center ourselves and prepare for the coming of the Christ child with quiet meditations using music, prayer, scripture, and brief reflections. We hope you will find this time to be meaningful and restorative.
STEPS Reception for Returning Citizens on November 23, 2025
Please join us after the 10:30 service on November 23rd for a reception to welcome Barry Bowles and Robert White, our new Returning Citizens. Barry and Robert have recently arrived to begin their year-long participation in the STEPS program "From incarceration to independence."
Message to Grace Church from Barry Bowles
Dear Grace Episcopal Church members,
My name is Barry Bowles. I was released from prison on October 14, 2025. On October 22, I was admitted into the STEPS Program. I thank God and each of you for giving me this opportunity to join STEPS and the Church Family. I thank God for this foundation that God has laid out to help strengthen me and keep me walking this new path. I realize the walk is not easy. I have missed the mark before without support & structure & that's why I'm truly grateful for this opportunity for a new beginning. I am grateful for having been found worthy of this chance. Also, by the grace of God I will give my all to complete STEPS and become a positive member of the community and the church. I look forward to growing in God's grace & mercy.
Again, thank you.
Barry
Message to Grace Church from Robert White
Greetings in the name of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Giving honor to GOD first, then to the Pastor and to my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ at Grace Episcopal church in Christ love I write. My name is Robert L. White a grateful servant of GOD. I am from Lillington, NC. I was raised in the country with six brothers and three sisters. My mom is still living; my dad has passed. I have served in the US Army with an honorable discharge. I have three beautiful daughters and three grandchildren. I'm honored to be in your presence to let you know I'm eager to meet you all in Jesus' name. I'm sixty-two years old, man of GOD. I am a graduate of seminary with an associate's degree in Pastoral ministry. I love Jesus, and I'm excited to see what he is going to do in the next season of my life. I'm a hard worker, willing to be an asset in my new community in Lexington. My passion and desire are to make myself available to hopefully speak to the youth about the unseen dangers that life challenges us with that may appear harmless. Also, I am a writer and desire help in getting my books published. While humbly accepting any help or advice from the community. Thanks for your time and prayers, as well as accepting me into the STEPS program. To GOD be the glory from whom all blessings flow. Amen
GOD bless you all,
ROBERT L. White
Journey to Bethlehem
Journey to Bethlehem is a participation activity for Grace families! Beginning the first day of Advent, November 30, a family can invite Mary and Joseph to spend the night at their house. They will come with a special prayer for the family to say to bless the home that offered hospitality. Take a photo with them and send it to Martha so she can post it on Facebook! You will then pass them along to the next family on the list.
If you would like to sign up to host Mary and Joseph at your home click the link to sign up!
The RAMA pre-Thanksgiving Service
The Rockbridge Area Ministerial Alliance pre-Thanksgiving Service will be held at First Baptist Church on Monday, November 24, 6 p.m. in the sanctuary of the Historic First Baptist Church, 103 N. Main Street.
St. Nicholas Day Appeal 2025
The 2025 St. Nicholas Day Appeal is underway. We invite and encourage our parishes to engage the promotional materials included below to promote this appeal in your bulletins and digital communications during the seasons of Advent and Epiphany.
The St. Nicholas collection will support Boys Home of Virginia’s growing extracurricular club program. The student-driven clubs give the young men the opportunity to extend learning beyond the classroom and explore their personal interests in a structured, supportive environment. Each club was started by the students themselves, reflecting their creativity, initiative, and desire to build community.
They range from skateboard and bike clubs, which teach balance and perseverance, to the Lego and robotics clubs, where creativity meets problem-solving, each activity helps students develop confidence and leadership. The archaeology club connects them to history through hands-on discovery, while the drama club encourages self-expression, teamwork, and confidence on stage. The weightlifting, equine, and outdoor clubs provide healthy outlets for physical activity, teamwork, and personal growth. E-sports offers an opportunity for strategic thinking, digital collaboration, and friendly competition, while the cooking club teaches valuable life skills and the joy of preparing and sharing food together.
Funds from the St. Nicholas collection will directly enhance these programs by providing essential equipment and experiences—including skateboards, helmets, wrist and elbow pads, paintball gear, Lego kits, video game equipment, groceries, and more—as well as helping fund off-campus outings for each club.
These experiences not only enrich the students’ daily lives, but also strengthen their sense of purpose and belonging. By supporting our clubs, you help Boys Home engage the students in meaningful, growth-oriented activities that fulfill Boys Home’s mission: to help each young man reach his full potential.
Boys Home is deeply grateful for the continued generosity of the people of the Diocese and the enduring partnership that makes their mission possible.
Please consider faithfully how you might support this effort, either by donating online at www.dioswva.org or by mailing a check payable to the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia with “St. Nicholas Day Appeal” marked in the memo to PO Box 2279, Roanoke, VA 24009.
Swim Meet Invitation
Carrssa Witte, VMI class of 26+3, and one of our new Rats, is a member of the VMI Swim team. Carissa's home is Ft Worth Texas, and it is unlikely that her parents will be able to make it to any of her swim meets. It would be wonderful if some members of the Grace congregation would attend some of the swim team's home meets to cheer for Carissa.
Her first home meet was October 25 and Carissa took first in the 200M Butterfly and second in the 200M Individual Medly.
The dates for the remaining home meets are:
November 14-16, The Keydet Invitational
January 16, against Howard University
January 24, against W&L
February 18-21, The American East Conference Championships
Please help support Carissa by cheering her on like family.
Tea Party Invitation
You are cordially invited by Chapter BG, P.E.O., to a Tea Party
November 22, 2025, 3:00 PM at Grace Episcopal Church Parish Hall
Tickets $35 (Limited number of tickets available)
All proceeds from this Tea and Boutique will benefit scholarships for women, supporting their pursuit of higher education and lifelong learning.
P.E.O. chapters support the educational and charitable funds of the P.E.O. Sisterhood but are not classified as charitable by the IRS. Therefore, donations to individual chapters do not meet the IRS requirements for charitable income tax deduction. P.E.O. shall not be liable in any way for any goods and services supplied by third-party vendors or public establishments.
The Saint John's Bible Returns
The Saint John's Bible volume the Pentateuch has arrived! Tuck has already placed it proudly in its rack in the front of the sanctuary. We are so excited to have this very special book "visiting" us until mid-December.
After the services, if anyone wants to come up and take a look at "Big John," as I lovingly call him, please do so. Sadly, there are only 8 illuminations in this book and most of them are in Genesis. If you want to look through the book, please remember to use the wipes that are there before you touch the pages. We hope to have a docent available to assist you.
Beginning September 14th and going to November 16th, a series of presentations that focus on different aspects of the Pentateuch will be offered during Christianity and Culture (9:15-10:15). Please know that everyone is invited to these sessions that follow a brief coffee hour that begins at 9:00.
Also, on Thursday afternoons in October and up until Thanksgiving, you are invited to bring groups or friends to view "Big John." Docents will be there to share information about the Bible and the illuminations. If you would like to have the Bible visit a group you belong to, please let Lisa or Tuck know. We are more than glad to share "Big John" and do a brief presentation with others in the community.
Paws to Connect
We are back! Join us on Tuesday and Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the patio. Bring your furry friends and connect with students.
5 p.m. Community Services
We are elated to invite you and your friends to our 5 p.m. Community Services. All are welcome.
November 23: Evensong on Christ the King Sunday
December 14: Contemplative Service of Light in the Darkness
Note: There will be no 5 p.m. Service on December 28.
Bakers Wanted for the Community Table
Please contact Virginia Cooke at 348-5367 if interested!
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 am until noon. You may drop your items off then. Alternately, you can bring your items to the Grace 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.
The Delaney Center 3rd Annual Race and Southern-ness Symposium
Race, Military Service, and the South
Thursday, December 4, 5:30 PM - 7 PM, Stackhouse Theater
Featuring:
Dr. Robert Jefferson, Associate Professor of History, University of New Mexico
Dr. Annette Osborn, President, National Association of Black Military Women
General Cedric Wins, Former Superintendent, Virginia Military Institute
Prayer List
Please pray for the wider Church and intercessions requested by our Congregants: Pray for Presiding Bishop The Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe. Pray today for the people of St. John’s, Lynchburg and their associate rector, the Rev. Ben Cowgill. 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, Bill Gibson (brother of Keith Gibson), Nancy Hellwig, Dennis Coughlin, Mike Haire, Chuck & Biddy Watson, Rob Fleming, Patricia Williams, Ed Craun, Richard Hay (nephew of the Partlett’s), Patty Irving Sensabaugh, Liz Moss & family, 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, especially Patricia Ross Brown Boyer, sister of Madison Brown.
In Thanksgiving for October and November Birthdays
11/14 Jim Farrar
11/15 Tim Price, Rene' Glidden
11/18 Alex Eastwood, Diana Harris
11/19 Steven Lawrence, Hank Humphreys, Langston Donkle
11/21 Tim Gaylard
11/23 Bill Kozak, Kristi Finnell
11/27 Anne Blanken, Avery Hess
11/29 Maurya Schweizer
11/30 Harry Warner
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