At Grace Anglican, our tag line is,
"Life is a journey meant to be shared. Come join us on The Way." By that, we mean that life is primarily a spiritual journey. And, since the earliest Christians called themselves followers of The Way, we are inviting others to join us as we follow Jesus. Recently, however, we made a physical journey. After four years worshiping in WoodCreek Elementary School, we moved to our new location on Katy Ranch Rd. It has been quite an adventure relocating everything, getting all the moving parts in the right place, and ironing out wrinkles. And, even now, it remains a work in process. Some punch list items have not been completed. Our signage has not been installed. We continue to iron out some procedures and processes. Every week, though, we make progress and eventually we will be completely settled.
Below are a couple of historic (for us) photos. The top is the last Sunday at the school (
January 15). These are our pioneers. These are the people who made the move to the new location possible. Because of their hard work and sacrifice, we grew healthy and strong. They have laid the foundation on which Grace Anglican Community will build in the years to come. Everyone who follows after them owes these pioneers a deep debt of gratitude. Well done, good and faithful servants.
The second photo was taken at our first service in our new space (January 22). It was a great celebration and a great start to the next step in our journey together. Already, we are experiencing benefits...by offering new ministries and, in some cases, childcare for existing ministries where that was not formerly possible. As noted above, we are still working out some of the kinks, but it will be fun to see how many new blessings flow from our new location.
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I
n his wisdom, God endued the creation with a predictable rhythm. The psalmist reminds us that, "He made the moon to mark the seasons..." (Psalm 104:19). Likewise, Solomon tells us, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven..." (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Life today is largely without a predictable rhythm. Sure, there are football seasons and school years and fiscal quarters and the like. But those are external to us. There are no internal seasons in a digital world. Our lives are ever rushed and hurried. We are always on call. For us, time has a different quality than our forebears. This is where the liturgical calendar, with its predictable seasons, can help. If a person follows it faithfully, it holds the potential of recapturing some of the rhythm that God intends for us to enjoy.
On
March 1, we will enter the season of Lent -- a time of examination, abstention, and meditation on God's offer of eternal life to all those who hear and follow his Son, Jesus Christ. From then until Easter, we will be traveling through the issues of human sin, God's great act of grace at the cross, and ultimately, the resurrection of Jesus. These are crucial matters to consider, because in them we discover answers to the deepest questions of life. To assist you in this important season, we have a lot planned. Here is the rundown.
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper - February 28
So what in the world is Shrove
Tuesday?
Here's the deal - as noted above, Lent is a season of fasting and self-examination. By about 1000 A.D., it became common, before Lent, to confess sins and for the confessor to "shrive" them of their wrongdoing. The word "shrive" means to absolve. Over time, that practice evolved. In place of confession, people would prepare for Lent by feasting. Likewise, the word "shrive" morphed into "shrove." Thus, Shrove
Tuesday
became a day to feast before Lent. The custom of eating pancakes on Shrove
Tuesday
dates to the 16th century. Now you know.
Join us for the first annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner on
February 28 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Cost is $5 per person or $7 per family. Come for pancakes, bacon, and sausage! It is a great time to invite a friend. If you have not signed up or are bringing someone with you, it would help if you would notify
[email protected]
so we can know how much food to prepare.
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Ash Wednesday - March 1
"Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." We begin the season of Lent with these words and the imposition of ashes on the forehead. It is a sobering but important exercise to consider our mortality, and the implications thereof. We will do this on Wednesday,
March 1 beginning at
7:00 p.m. There will be a children's program for ages 5 through fifth grace. Childcare will be available for kids under 5.
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Journey to Jerusalem
This is a wonderful daily devotional. It is written by eight writers from Grace Anglican who will travel with you as you examine your life in the light of Christ. Each day, we will provide you with a reflection on a portion of scripture and offer you a short prayer that may help you to draw closer to God as Easter draws closer to you. If you allow us, we will stay by your side during your quiet time with God this Lent -- from Ash
Wednesday all the way to Holy
Saturday, April 15. A few hard copies are available
on Sunday. But if we have your email, we will also send it to you daily. Each morning, there will be a unique response to what the Bible has to tell us about God's rescue of humankind as we make our way through this very special time of the year.
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Palm Sunday - April 9
On Palm Sunday, we remember the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Riding down the Mount of Olives on the back of a donkey, Jesus fulfilled the ancient prophecy of Zechariah that the messiah would enter in just such a way. It is the beginning of a divinely orchestrated chain of events that would culminate in the death and resurrection of the Son of God. Join in the liturgical re-enactment of that day. Come, sing, "Hosanna to the King of Kings."
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Maundy Thursday - April 13
In a matter of hours, Jesus would be lying dead in a tomb. It would be the last time he would address his closest followers as a group. He had much to tell them. Two lessons were so important, they required special attention. First, Jesus shared a Passover meal with his friends. But he reinvented it. Now the elements of bread and wine would direct people to him. "Do this in remembrance of me." Second, he washed the disciples' feet. This dramatic action was to teach them their role from then on. Just as Jesus came as one who served, giving his life for the salvation of the world, so too were his followers to serve the world. It was a new identity for the Passover meal and for those who would be his disciples. Our Maundy Thursday service will be April 13 at 7:00 p.m. There will be a program for children five years through fifth grade and child care for children under five.
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Prayer Vigil - April 13 and April 14
Prior to his crucifixion, Jesus needed to pray. And he needed not to be alone. So he took Peter, James, and John to a private place. He instructed them to stay at a distance and to watch with him. After a time, Jesus returned and found them all asleep. "Could you not watch with me one hour?" (Matthew 26:40).
We are asking you to watch for one hour on April 13-14. That is when we will have our 24-hour prayer vigil. It will begin at 9:00 p.m. after our Maundy Thursday service and continue until the start of our Good Friday service. We will provide materials to assist your time of prayer. A sign up sheet will be coming soon.
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Good Friday - April 14
If a person can make only one service each year, it should be Good Friday. On this day, we are confronted with the awful reality of our sin and our need for a savior. That savior is Jesus, who atoned for human sin by being crucified. In the greatest demonstration of love ever, Jesus endured the unspeakable horror of death on a cross in our place. This should take our breath away. As the lyrics of the old spiritual say, "It causes me to tremble, tremble." Our Good Friday service will be at 7:00 p.m. on April 14. There will be a program for children five years through fifth grade and child care for children under five.
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Easter Sunday - April 16
The angel asked, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" Jesus is risen and his resurrection changes everything. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He has been given preeminence above all others. He is the name above all names and is to be worshiped, honored, and obeyed. Join us in celebrating the event that changed the world. There will be a special program for children five years through fifth grade and child care for children under five. The Lord is risen, indeed!
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Daughters of the Holy Cross
The Order of the Daughters of the Holy Cross is composed of women who have committed their lives to the work and service of our Lord Jesus Christ. They vow to pray daily for our church, its clergy, the Order, and others in need. In addition, they are committed to prayer, service, study, and evangelism. It is an important ministry in the life of Grace Anglican.
On February 5, Mary Holeman, Sandy Tomme, Stacey Tortorice, and Norma Jean Turner were installed into the Order. Linda Lundquist, Karen Odell, Elaine Podolak, and Shelly Sorem were installed as officers for a two-year term. A special thanks to Sharon High who served as president
the last two years.
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We now have an official church phone that will allow you to reach any of our staff by calling a single number. Like other systems, your call will be directed to the right person by simply pressing the appropriate key on your phone. That should be easier than having a bunch of phone numbers to remember or program into your phone. The new church phone number is
281-769-5544.
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Helping Others
"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." (Proverbs
19:17
). One of Grace Anglican's building blocks is helping the poor. Because of that, we have begun a new ministry. Each
Sunday
, we will collect items to help stock both the Mamie George Rosenberg and Brookshire/Pattison food pantries. Items to be collected are: canned chicken and tuna, Saltine crackers, and canned soups. These are the specific items that are most needed. Please focus on these items and place them in the basket in the foyer. The Brookshire food pantry will receive donations on even months, and the Mamie George food pantry will receive donations on odd months. Thank you for remembering those who have less than we do.
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We Love Young Adults
The transition from youth to adulthood is one filled with opportunity, adventure, and challenges. This is especially the case for people trying to live out their Christian faith. At Grace Anglican, we want to do what we can to assist young adults during this critical time of growth and development.
That is why we have started a new ministry for ages 18 and up. We hope this ministry will be a place where relationships can be formed, matters of faith can be explored, and where opportunities to serve will be offered. Whether you are single, married, or married with kids, you are welcome.
So far, we have had a potluck and gone bowling. Beginning Wednesday,
March 8, we will begin an 8-week series by Francis Chan called BASIC. It will cover such topics as Who is God, Who is Jesus and What is Prayer. If you have never heard Francis Chan speak, he is GREAT! Here is the trailer -
Basic Trailer
Young Adults meet on Wednesday nights from
7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the living room (to the left of the foyer). If you need childcare, please RSVP by
Monday of each week (
[email protected]).
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Early Bird Mission Trip Special
So it is that time of year again - mission trip sign up has begun! For the fourth year in a row, we will be joining Soul in the City, along with other churches in our diocese. It will be at St. Timothy's from
July 16 through July 22, and will cost $275. If you want to save money on the trip, a $50 deposit per person will take $50 off the total price, making the total cost of the trip $225! To take advantage of this savings, you can write a check (payable to Grace Anglican Community) or give Henry Covert cash by Sunday,
March 5. For more information, contact Henry (
[email protected]).
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Coming to Adult Forum - April 2
Join Shelly Sorem beginning
April 2
f
or
"A Walk Through Esther."
This Old Testament book is a dramatic story of a poor, Hebrew orphan woman who becomes queen of Persia. It is a riveting saga of personal faithfulness and God's sovereignty. Adult Forum is located in the living room (to the left of the foyer) from
9:30 a.m. -10:15 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
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Travel Notes
Everyone who sees our new space says how cool it is. And they are correct - it is very cool. Much of the credit belongs to Karen Henson (she's gonna kill me for this). She is the one who first identified the space, and her hand is all over the design and décor. Whenever a decision had to be made, the operative question was frequently, "What does Karen think?" Of course, this was not a one-person project. Our Financial Stewardship Group (Drew Cunningham, Tom Righter, Bill Russell, Blair Ryan, and Lori Shafer) all pitched in using their varied gifts for the benefit of us all. We are blessed to have such hard working, talented servants.
As noted above, there is a lot going on related to the season of Lent. Beginning with the Shrove
Tuesday Pancake Supper, through Ash
Wednesday, Palm
Sunday, Maundy
Thursday, Good
Friday, and Easter, there are wonderful opportunities to explore your faith in different ways. If we honestly "work the program" of Lent, we should be farther along in our spiritual journey than when we began.
This time of year also affords us many opportunities to invite others to join the journey. Who doesn't like pancakes and bacon and sausage? And there are many people today who have never experienced powerful services like Ash
Wednesday or Good
Friday. A good conversation starter might be to ask, "Have you ever been to an Ash
Wednesday service?" Regardless of how you go about it, now is a good time to bring along a friend. Pray about it. The Holy Spirit might bring someone to mind.
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| Grace to you, Bob The Rev. Robert H. Henson Rector Grace Anglican Community (281) 769-5544 www.graceanglicankaty.com |
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Music Notes
Qui Cantat, Bis Orat
(He who sings, prays twice)
"What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also."
1 Corinthians 14:15
Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
In the 1 Corinthians reading above, Paul, referencing the gifts of prophecy and speaking in tongues, is calling us to engage both the mind and the spirit in our prayers and praises. It is not sufficient to half-heartedly participate; rather we need to dive deeper and present our worship as an offering to God. There is something transcendent about praising through song. We have been created to worship, and music links us to the Angels and Archangels worshiping God in Heaven.
St. Augustine is often credited with the phrase Qui Cantat, Bis Orat, loosely translated as He who sings, prays twice. I encourage you to discard any reservations you may have about singing on Sunday. It is not a matter of talent or confidence. It is an offering to the Lord. Open your hearts and minds to be drawn into a deeper relationship with Him. Break the shackles of self-doubt and embrace the freedom of worship.
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