grace episcopal church
galena, illinois



Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Holy Eucharist, 10:30 am


Week of July 25, 2021

Mark your calendars: Sunday, 8/8
Mass in the Grass at LinMar Gardens
Sign up to bring finger foods.




RESERVATIONS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED AT GRACE
Most COVID restrictions are lifted and
CONGREGATIONAL SINGING RESUMES WITH MASKS!
Otherwise, masks are optional for those who are vaccinated.
An area is reserved for those who prefer distance.
Communion--wafers only--will be offered at the altar rail.
Social time will be held after worship with beverages and light refreshments.

Ministers of the Service
Members & Guests, Celebrants
Rev. Dr. Gloria Hopewell, Presider
Rev. Diane Luther, Deacon
Carmen Ferguson, Lector
Donna Davis, Intercessor
Robin French, Music Director
Nancy Cook, Erben Organist
Richard Luther,Vestry Coord.
Debbie Kallback, Maren Coates,
Altar Guild
Karen Serwich, Greeter
RECTOR NEWS

SEARCH COMMITTEE
Would you like to be nominated to the Search Committee for Grace's next Rector?
Please contact Lynn Giles, Senior Warden, or Richard Luther, Junior Warden.


ON HOLIDAY
Meanwhile, our current rector will be on holiday in Colorado beginning Sunday, July 25 following the church service returning in time for Mass in the Grass on August 8.

Please contact Nancy Kenney for day-to-day questions or issues or one of the wardens, Lynn Giles or Richard Luther, for assistance with any pastoral emergencies.

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF RUTH H. BEEGLE

On September at 3:00pm a memorial service will be held outdoors (under a tent) at the Beegle farm, 5490 West Beegle lane in Hanover. The Rev. Linda Packard will officiate. Please RSVP by August 20 to Ruth's daughter, Lucretia, at Lucretia@mypurefreedom. com or 512-423-4381.
OUTREACH MINISTRY NEWS
SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR ARC: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 8/1

Please bring supplies NO LATER THAN Sunday, August 1 and place them in the basket in the Narthex. Thank you for your generosity in supporting the effort the aid in the education of the youth in our community. After a year of reduced class size due to the pandemic, the ARC has at least 15 students in the 4K class this year.

The ARC provides many programs for all ages in this community. One of the most needed programs in this community is childcare. As I constantly hear there is a great need for childcare throughout this country, so we are fortunate to have the ARC to provide child care in this community. 

Thank you.
Donna Davis
___________________________________________________________________________________

United Churches of Galena Food Pantry Golf Outing     July 27, 2021

The United Churches of Galena Food Pantry will sponsor a golf outing at the Eagle Ridge South Course on Tuesday, July 27, starting at 10 a.m. This is an 18-hole four-person scramble, prizes awarded, lunch provided, with the main objective to have fun. There are several ways you can support this worthy cause; as a player, a donor (individual/business), or as a volunteer on the day of the golf outing.
Registration and payment along with details can be found online here. You can also pick up forms at any Eagle Ridge Golf Course, or stop by the Galena Food Pantry, 219 Summit St., between Noon-5 p.m., June 24, July 8, or July 22.
Your support will assist with the Galena Food Pantry’s mission “to provide cost-free food for the hungry, while treating all people with dignity, respect, and turning no one away.” Questions? Call 815-656-0789.
FELLOWSHIP NEWS
SOCIAL HOUR RETURNS
Coffee and conversation returns after the service on Sundays. Simple refreshments like finger foods are preferred. Sign up to
host an upcoming Sunday. There are many open dates in August. The signup sheet has been posted by the coffeemaker.

Upcoming Hosts:
July 25 -- Greg & Karen Serwich
August 1 --
August 8 -- Mass in the Grass
August 15 --
August 22 --
August 29 --
FORMATION AND SPIRITUALITY MINISTRY NEWS
EfM UPDATES
EfM stands for Education for Ministry. It is a four-year curriculum developed by the University of the South, Sewanee TN for the education of lay people in the church. The first year focuses on the Hebrew Bible; the second year the New Testament while the third years reviews church history and the fourth year reads contemporary theology and ethics. In addition, as a group, we reflect on theological issues as they relate to our world.

Teresa Burke presented a Ministry Moment on Sunday, June 27explaining what EfM has meant to her.  New students may enroll beginning in July to start in October 2020. Tuition is $375/yr., which includes all textbooks. Scholarships are available. There is lots of information about EfM on the website, efm.sewanee.edu. While first time students start with Year One, returning alumni who want to experience the new format may study in the year of their choice. For more details and registration information, contact Lynn Giles at lynngiles@lynngilesphotography.com.
NEW--Compline on Zoom
Beginning on Tuesday evening, July 6 at 8:30 pm, Lynn Giles will lead a service of Compline. She has been participating in the service that has previously been offered to the Diocese of Chicago by St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn. This service of the Daily Office in our Book of Common Prayer is a brief, contemplative service that is ideal for prayerful letting go of the cares of the day and preparing for a restful night. Find the link button above.
ADULT INQUIRER'S CLASS
An Adult Inquirers Class will be offered sometime this summer (dates will be determined by the
schedules of those interested in attending). We will be talking about our identity as Episcopalians, the Book of Common Prayer, a brief history of the Anglican/Episcopal church, our creeds, prayer, Baptism,
Eucharist, the Trinity (don’t come looking for an explanation!), and the Jesus Movement as described by
Presiding Bishop Curry. Attending qualifies you to being received or confirmed in the Episcopal Church, if you choose.
 
This is open to anyone in the church or community. Those considering reception will be given priority
(this is an in-person class). The time commitment is about eight hours. If you are interested in this or
would like more information, please contact Rev. Diane Luther at dm20luther@gmail.com, or
call (815) 281-2301.
 
MEDITATIVE PRAYER 9:00am on Fridays
Looking for a way to improve your prayer life, to open your heart, mind and soul to the Holy Spirit? Consider joining the Centering Prayer Group Friday mornings for about forty minutes of meditative prayer: twenty minutes of Centering Prayer followed by Lectio Divina.
Contact Greg Serwich (gserwich@gmail.com) for a Zoom invitation which includes a description of these types of prayer.

The Study Group is taking a break for the summer and will reconvene in September.
WORSHIP:
NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

So much of our work for justice and peace is motivated by fear, or by the sense that it all depends on us alone. And so much of our work is plagued by the influence, or direct resistance, of interest and lobby groups. When it comes to dealing with the very real crises of our world, faith may feel like the most irrelevant thing, but without it we risk missing one of the most important resources and guiding principles at our disposal. Human wisdom inspired Philip’s incredulous question about where food could be obtained to feed the crowds. But, when the values of God’s Reign are brought into play, we can truly believe in a different way, which often leads to surprising solutions to our problems. When a crowd is hungry, faith means that a boy’s lunch can be the catalyst that ensures that everyone is fed. When the disciples face a storm alone, their fear threatens to sink them, but when they realise that Jesus is with them, they find the way to land safely. The miracle of God’s Reign is that we begin to believe that we can feed crowds, we can navigate storms, and we can discover ways to live that liberate us from the prisons of our own self-interest, lust, and self-sufficiency. The key challenge this week, then, is to risk believing in God’s Reign enough that we embrace its values as the primary driving force of our lives, and as the guiding principle for addressing the crises of our times.

2 Kings 4:42-44: The prophet Elijah receives a bag of grain and twenty barley loaves, and he instructs his servant to feed one hundred people with them. The servant, although uncertain at first, obeys, and after everyone is fed there is food left over.
Psalm 145:10-18: God’s people bless God and give thanks to God, telling everyone about God’s power and glory, and God’s everlasting Reign, because God is trustworthy and supports, provides for, and rescues all who call out to God.
Ephesians 3:14-21: Paul prays for the Ephesian Christians, asking God, who knows all people, to strengthen them, live in them and enable them to grasp the height, depth and breadth of God’s love. Then Paul, celebrates God who can do far more than we can think or imagine.
John 6:1-21: Jesus is followed by a large crowd and he asks Philip where they will find food to feed them, but Philip expresses that it would be far too costly to try and feed them all. Then Andrew points out one youth’s five loaves and two fish. Jesus blesses the food and has it distributed to the crowd, and everyone is fed. Then, because he knows they want to force him to be king, Jesus withdraws. But, later, as the disciples sail across the lake, a storm comes up. But, Jesus goes to the disciples on the water and they reach their destination safely.


thumbnails and commentary from sacredise.com
HELP WANTED!:
An apprentice to work with Zoom at Grace Church.

This is an important part of our Worship Ministry, and more people are needed to keep our live online services coming! It may seem very complicated, but those of us who have been handling it for nearly a year now all had to start from very basic computer skills and learn "on the job." If we have a small team, the responsibilities can be rotated, making it easier for all of us--and making it possible to explore better ways to assure the best audio and visual experience for those worshiping in person and those online.

Please contact Lynn Giles if interested and for more information.
lynngiles@lynngilesphotography.com
ZOOM POETRY GROUP 2:00pm on Mondays
A Zoom Poetry meeting from Grace Church has been organized and meets Mondays at 2:00pm. This is not specifically a Grace ministry, but a number of Grace members and friends are part of it If you are interested, write Carol Poston at poston@sxu.edu or call her at 815-777-0220.
RECENT LITURGIES

An Episcopal Service of Holy Eucharist Wednesday 7/21/21: The Rev Dr Gloria Hopewell, Presider; The Rev Deacon Diane Luther, Homilist; Eric Kallback, Lector; Lynn Giles. Zoom Host.
An Episcopal service of Holy Eucharist 7/18/21: The Rev. Dr. Gloria Hopewell, Presider; The Rev. Diane Luther, Deacon; Donna Davis, Intercessor; Carmen Ferguson, Lector; Robin French, Music Director; Nancy Cook, Erben Organist; Lynn Giles, Zoom Host.
An Episcopal Service of Holy Eucharist 7/11/81: The Rev. Linda Packard, Presider; The Rev. Dr. Gloria Hopewell, Preacher; The Rev. Diane Luther, Deacon; Elizabeth Ludescher, Intercessor; Greg Serwich, Lector; Robin French, Music Director; Lynn Giles, Zoom Host.
REOPENING CHURCH
Hybrid worship has resumed for both in-person and Zoom congregations in line with Diocesan guidelines and Phase 5 of the State of Illinois COVID recovery.
For those present in the Church:
Please put your smartphone or other device in airplane mode so that our
internet capacity is reserved for our online streaming. 
Don't forget to wear your mask if you intend to sing!
For those on Zoom:
Please mute yourselves before the Prelude begins and immediately after the Peace. This prevents other participants on Zoom from being distracted by conversation
and background noise.
Those who will join us on Zoom will receive the usual e-mail invitation with a link to the day's bulletin.
Vestry:
Lynn Giles, Senior Warden
Richard Luther, Jr. Warden
Jim Berry, Treasurer
Crystal Mason, Clerk
The Rev. Dr. Gloria Hopewell, Rector
Staff:
The Rev. Dr. Gloria Hopewell, Rector
The Rev. Linda Packard, Priest Associate
The Rev. Diane Luther, Deacon
Nancy Kenney, Parish Administrator
Robin French, Music Director
Nancy Cook, Erben Organist
Charlotte Stryker: Worship
Elizabeth Ludescher: Communications
Nancy Cook: Outreach
Eric Kallback: Building & Grounds
Crystal Mason: Pastoral Care
Phil Jackman: Fellowship/Parish Life
The Rev Dr. Gloria Hopewell, Rector
Cell Phone: 773-988-3497

Grace Episcopal Church Office:
107 S. Prospect Street
Galena, IL 61036
815-777-2590