Dear friends,
Merry Christmas.
In the preface of his 1973 collection of his reflections, meditations and prayers The Mood of Christmas, Howard Thurman writes: "When we build our creche, light our special candles, decorate the evergreen with tinsel and color, hold our romantic tryst under the mistletoe, prepare the festive meal, share our gifts as a celebration of the privacy and universality of love, take time to remember in many ways those who touched us in the midst of the traffic of the commonplace and sing the ancient carols in honor of the birth of Jesus - when we do these things we show that God has not left himself without specific witness to His love and care for us as His children. To the strong and the weak, to the happy and the sorrowful, to the barren and the fruitful womb, to the devout believer and the arrogant unbeliever, to the Christian and the non-Christian, there is the ever-present hope that tidings of great joy will find their way into the heart and life."
May the tidings of the Savior's birth so fill your heart and life with joy that you may reach out in true love and concern for others. May you be the sign of Christ's love for the world, that unity overcomes estrangement, forgiveness heals guilt, and joy conquers despair.
With gratitude,
Tuck Bowerfind, Rector, Grace Episcopal Lexington
Morning Prayer
No Morning Prayer this week. See you all in the new year!
We're on Twitter!
To stay in the loop with all things Grace Episcopal, give us a follow on our new Twitter! While you're at it, check out our other socials too.
Upcoming Services and Office Closure
December 24
Holy Eucharist 5PM to include sermon, prayers, communion, organ and guitar instrumentalists, and congregational singing
Choral Prelude 10:30PM to include works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sir David Willcocks, Jessica Nelson, Ian Higginson, and others
Holy Eucharist 11PM to include prayers and sermon begins, and will close with congregational singing of Silent Night, accompanied historically appropriately by guitar.
December 25
Holy Eucharist 10:30AM with music
January 1: The Holy Name, 10:30AM Holy Eucharist
January 5: Eve of Epiphany 6:00 PM, Holy Eucharist
January 7: Ordination to Priesthood, Trinity Staunton 11:00 AM
Parish Offices will be closed the week between Christmas and New Years. Staff will be back in the offices on Tuesday, January 3. While there will not be a Parish News edition next week, expect to see one for the week of January 8th!
Christianity and Culture | 9:15AM Sunday Forums
December 25 and January 1: No Forum
January 8 and 15 meet our recently Baptized members: Emily Brookfield and Rose Hein; learn about their spiritual journey and reflect on your own
Video Hommage to Roger Bowen
Roger is a leader and founder of the Virginia Haiti Coalition of which Grace is an active member. We hope this will bring some joy to everyone who watches it. Pray for the people of Haiti and for St. Marc's School, Cerca la Source.
Stewardship Update
We are pleased that 108 households have pledged a total of $460,033 as of December 15th. The members of the Stewardship Committee appreciate everyone’s prayerful consideration of a pledge to support the parish and its important missions through our relationship with God and Jesus Christ.
Prayer List
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 retired Bishops of the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, The Rt. Rev. Heath Light and The Rt. Rev. Neff Powell.
Pray for Bev Wirtz, Bill Kozak, Robbie and Brendon (friends of the Brooke family), Michael Murphy, John Thomas, Timmy, Patrick Mayerchak, Katie (daughter-in-law of Connie Bryant), Rick Alexander, Bradley Fairchild and Karen Junkin (friends of the Gibsons), Caroline Parcell, Alice Parcell, Stanard, Rebecca, and Caroline (family of Mary Price), Gloria June Perry (mother of Michael Perry), Glen Jones (friend of the Riethmillers), Darlene Travis (sister of Don Ellis), Elizabeth Boetsch, Scott Littlefield (son of Mo & Julia Littlefield), Patricia Brown Boyer (sister of Madison Brown), Keith Gibson, Alice Furgerson.
Pray for those who have died.
Pray for an end to violence and for those fleeing Ukraine, and we also pray for Episcopal Relief & Development and other ecumenical agencies working to respond to the current crisis.
Paws to Connect
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Paws to Connect!
We look forward to connecting with you in the New Year. We will be on the courtyard with our pups on February 14, 2023. Come by and tell us about your holidays and pet the dogs!
Hosting Ukrainian Families
A humanitarian outreach effort organized by citizens of Lexington, Buena Visa, and Rockbridge County, we aim to pave the way for sponsoring temporary re-settlement of families who qualify for entry according to the laws of the United States.
The mission of Hosting Ukrainian Families is based upon love, compassion, and humanitarian concerns for families seeking to live in peace. Accordingly, a call is issued to each person joining in this effort to set aside all political, culturally divisive viewpoints, and all differences which may hinder or defeat these goals. To donate, click the link below.
In Thanksgiving for December and January Birthdays
12/23: Carol Gosse, Julianne Grimes
12/25: Harrison Edgar
12/ 27: Joy Harris
12/30: Maggie Lawrence, Willow Moles
12/31: Grace Frascati
1/4 Colin Murphy
1/5 Elizabeth Branner, Martha Ann Burford 1/5
1/8 Laurent Boetsch, Kitty Farrar, Helen Moore
1/9 Emily Brookfield
1/10 Janet Lemmer, Peter Grover
1/11 Signe Lewis
1/12 Carol Muir
1/14 Liz Moss
1/15 Farris Hotchkiss
1/16 Gabrielle Frascati
1/18 Laurie Huger
1/19 Elizabeth Boetsch
1/20 Paul Strickland
1/21 Sarah Edgar
1/23 Virginia Cooke
1/27 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.
Exciting Things Coming
We are excited to announce that we are in the process of updating and revamping our church website! As we work to improve the site, you may notice that some pages are under construction or temporarily unavailable.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we assure you that the updates we are making will be worth the wait. Our new website will be more user-friendly and easier to navigate, with a fresh, modern design and new features to enhance your experience.
We appreciate your patience as we work to bring you a better online presence for our church. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or need any information.
Thank you for your support, and we look forward to sharing our new website with you soon!