I had already failed retirement at least twice before receiving the call from the Bishop's office inquiring whether I would be open to a very short intensive supply position in Lexington. I had already decided that I was through with 'intensive' of any sort. (I really was not going to say 'yes' more than once a month to supply work in a parish.) Why did I say 'Yes' I might be interested in coming to Grace Church? Amazing!

By the time I had arrived at the newly minted, but historically quite visible, Grace Church, I had been warned it might require maybe eight weeks or maybe a little more time until an interim priest was found.   So this would be a temporary interim position. Arriving I found that I was the Provisional Interim. Is that a sort of interim Interim? Amazing how the Church can foster new and improbable titles on the spot when nothing else will seem to do. But the most amazing thing of all is how much I found that I was loving the challenge, loving being at Grace Church, loving the people I found at another retirement failure! Perhaps retirement is not for me....anybody know?

Amazing as all of that is, even more amazing is how much is required at this wonderful little spot in Christendom. The Vestry thought Sunday plus two days would be more than sufficient. I realized the first week that full time would not be enough, but that is what I have been giving. I'm at the church Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and I write my sermons from home on Friday. If I am not in when you call or come by, don't hesitate to pass along whatever you have through Lisa McGuire our Administrative Assistant. She is terrific and I have found her thoroughly trustworthy.

The Bishop is coming on March 18th, so we need a Confirmation Class and one has been promulgated. The  schedule, as I currently know it, will be found below. If you are interested in Confirmation please come, contact me later. If you are not interested, but would like to participate in this class, please come.
All interested folk are welcome. If you are not sure, but you might be interested in Confirmation come and decide later. (What is important is that we have a class and can prepare with others for the Bishop's coming.) After all, this was put together on the fly. Amazing!

Most amazing of all is the Lord we serve, the Light we celebrate during Epiphany and all through the year.  

Fr. James 

 

December Warden's Notes 

As we continue with the celebration of Christmas and the year 2017 slips away, we can look back and see that it has been a challenging two years for our parish. I am proud of the way the parish has started to look to the future and come together as a congregation. After all the votes were cast and decisions made, whether we agreed with them or not, we have all started pulling together toward a common goal, the mission of Grace Episcopal Church.

I want to thank all those who worked on committees during this transition period to ensure the work of the church was accomplished, and plans made to the ministry of the church in 2018. Without the strong support of our committees, many important ministries could have been pushed to the side and our church and community underserved or not served at all.

We asked for help so we could continue the work of the church in 2018. We searched our souls and our commitment to the work of the church and dug deeper so we could balance the budget. We were even able to meet our entire diocese obligation and increase our outreach budget by 10%.

Phase II of the Capital Campaign kicked off in November with revised estimates to renovate the undercroft and drawings illustrating how we will make the spaces more usable and modernized and yet reflect its historical past. New gifts have been coming in to support the renovation. In the waning days of 2017 a gift of $100,000 was received toward this renovation, which means we are almost at 70% of our goal to fully renovate the undercroft by Labor Day 2018.

Father James has helped us pull together. We have heard words of encouragement, reflection, and discernment from the pulpit. We had a moving healing service and a wonderful celebration of the birth of Christ. I have seen the personal interaction of parishioners take on a new warmth.

While we are joyful for the wonderful opportunity the Lord has given Ted, we are sad to lose him and his many talents. Arrangements have been made for a supply organist and choir master for January and February and interim organist and choir master coming in March. There will be no interruption to the joyful song coming from Grace Episcopal Church.

With Father James' help we need to continue to look to the future and prepare to call a new rector. I am told the process can take from a year up to eighteen months to complete. What we need to remember is that after all the interims have departed, if we do our homework and continue to carry out God's work through our church, we will be stronger, more enlightened, and a more loving parish. Thank you for allowing me to serve the past two years as your senior warden.

Woody Sadler

Senior Warden