WORSHIP SECTION
Step into Grace 
Where strangers become friends 

We are an Open and Affirming church. Every one of every age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental ability, or economic status is invited to join us as together we live out the Gospel message of love, forgiveness, service, and justice. No matter where you are in your spiritual journey- you are welcome here.
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Holy Eucharist
September 12
10:00 AM

All Sunday services in August
will be at Crissey Farm, both
in-person and live-streamed.
Please visit our website: 
for up-to-date information and a link to the digital service booklet.

Celebrant and Officiant:
The Rev. Tina Rathbone

Welcome Team......Sieber/Hutchinson
Lector.................. ..Pennie Curry
Intercessor.............Robert Forman
Altar Guild.............Haywood/Layton
Coffee Hour...........Booton/Brooke
Counters................Ian Booton


ZOOM INVITATIONS 
FOR GRACE CHURCH


Sixteenth Sunday
After Pentecost
Holy Eucharist
September 12, at 10:00 AM
in person and on ZOOM
For Zoom
or call 646 558 8656
US (New York)
(Meeting ID): 177 160 858
(Password): 917937


Centering Prayer
Thursdays, at 5:00 PM
Now in person and on ZOOM
To join the Zoom meeting,
(Meeting ID): 203 314 800
(Password): 578877
646 558 8656 US (New York)


Grace Church Men's Group
Future dates to be announced here


Movie Nite
Thursday
October 7, at 6:30 PM
More information in the article below.
To join this Zoom meeting,
(Meeting ID): 370 191 823
(Password): 385337
or call 646 558 8656 US
(New York)


Books and Bread,
Wednesday
September 8, at 6:00 PM
On Zoom
To join this Zoom meeting,
(Meeting ID): 370 191 823
(Password): 385337
or call 646 558 8656
US (New York)


Third Sunday Supper 
(Every Third Sunday)
September 19, at 6:00 PM
Will be in person at
Koi Restaurant
in Great Barrington

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Mark 8:27-38

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
For the most up to date information:
please visit the
Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative website, 
They will post notice of appointment openings 6-12 hours in advance. You can find answers to your vaccination questions including information about the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine on their FAQ page.
Covid-19 vaccination
booster shots
are now available for those with certain big-risk medical conditions at Walgreens and Fairview Hospital on a walk-in basis. If you think you might have a qualifying condition, we urge you to go to one of these locations for a booster shot.
A MESSAGE FROM TINA
The news continues to shock and dismay – floods up and down the East Coast, fires up and down the West Coast, COVID, coups and fear around the world continue to fill the pages of the newspapers - and our hearts. But/and we have some small but real good news to share with each other and with our community this week as well: we can now officially announce the arrival of two, brand new members of our community -- Jean Chapin as our new parish administrator, and Ryan LaBoy as our new Music Director. In addition to the (major and multiple) gifts both Ryan and Jean bring to us, their presence with us draws us also into closer communion with our neighboring faith communities. Grace, Christ Trinity and St. Paul’s Stockbridge have teamed up to hire Jean, full time, as our three-way shared parish administrator, and Ryan recently moved to the Berkshires with his husband, Joel Bergeland, the new Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield. It is my deep desire – and my prayer – that these real and living connections will deepen the already fruitful partnerships between our various faith communities, and empower us all to work together for the good of all of God’s people. Bios and photographs of Ryan and Jean will come next week, but for now can I say, simply, how lucky I feel to be given a chance to work with these two gifted and generous people?

Jean will – for now – be present in the Grace Church office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Ryan will join us for worship at Crissey Farm for the first time next Sunday, September 12th. Please be sure to drop by to say hello and welcome them.

Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of Jean and of Ryan among us. Open their hearts to share with us their gifts and their needs, their strengths and their weaknesses, they joys and their griefs. Help us to meet them with generosity, warmth and gratitude – and to lean in, together with all of your churches, to your mission in the world – always and only for your love’s sake. Amen
PRAYERS AND CARES
We supply this list so you may contact members of our congregation who are at home or in a nursing facility. Please hold in your prayers and reach out as you can.

ANDREWS, Anne
659 South Egremont Road 
P.O. Box 714 
Great Barrington, MA 01230 
(413) 528-2766

BLAKELY, Rosemarie           
21 Crossway, #108
Lee MA 01238
413-243-0485

BOWENS, Marina             
c/o Maryella Satinover    
11908 Windward Ave.
Mar Vista, CA 90066
310-398-2484
(310) 749-9424 (cell)
 
BREASTED, John        
Fairview Commons       
151 Christian Hill Road
Great Barrington MA 01230
johnbreasted@gmail.com
 413-429-8123
Cell (413) 854-3977

BROOKS, Jane        
165 George Street
Lee MA 01230
413-243-3367

FRYE, Vonnie          
PineHill Assisted Living
at Kimball Farms
235 Walker St. Apt #32
Lenox, Ma. 01240
413-637-7432

GORE, Barbara        
50 Stockbridge Road
Lee MA 01238
413-243-4261

HAIDER, Meredith       
5 Fox Hollow Road
#409            
Lenox, MA 01240                                 
merbraver@aol.com
413-551-7319
(814)308-4865    

KEENE, Sara           
The Egremont Village Inn
17 Main Street
P. O. Box 275
South Egremont, MA 01258
sararkeene@gmail.com
413-528-4152

McCURDY, Deborah
Skilled Nursing Center
Loomis Lakeside at Reed's Landing
807 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01109
413-507-2832

TURNER, Barbara     
Fairview Commons
151 Christian Hill Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230 
Help needed for a fun and exciting ministry
Another great year of Church School is starting this fall and we are looking for a fourth person to assist with this wonderful ministry! No experience needed except for an enjoyment of children. It would involve participating in Church School during the first part of the service (rejoining the service at the peace) for two Sundays a month. If you want to try it once we would love to have you join us. Please let Dindy (Dindyd2a@yahoo.com), Andrea (andreawhite@berkshirespeech.com), or Margaret (m.layton.cota@gmail.com) know if you might be interested. Thank you.
WE ARE RESUMING FLOWER DEDICATIONS !
There will be a sign up form
 at Sunday service.
If you would like to receive healing prayers please contact:

The Rev. Ted Cobden 413-528-2247
Pennie Curry        413-429-7093
Sue Gore           413-243-2273
PRAYERS REQUESTED

Praying for each other and for the needs of the world is a vital mission of Grace Church. To add a prayer request to this list, please contact the Church Office 
office@graceberkshires.org or by phone 413-644-0022.
GRACE
CHURCH 

Please include
in your daily prayers this week:
 
Members of the Parish Family:
Doreen Hutchinson, Anne Andrews, Pennie Curry, Mark Anderson, Stacey, Claire and Mark Thomas, Meredith Haider, Linda White, Rosemarie Blakely, Marina Bowens, John Breasted, Jane Brooks, Vonnie Frye, Barbara Gore, Sara Keene, Barbara Turner.

Others we love: Larry Cheek, John's brother; Karen La Rocque friend of Sue Gore; Rosalind Haywood, Sue Gore's mother; Deborah McCurdy.

Those who have died:
Thomas J. Fisher, father of The
Rt. Rev. Douglas Fisher; Alan Sparks, brother of Debbie Holmes; Ruth Crawford; Emily Trespas, friend of Jainee McCarroll and John Ericson; John Grammer, husband of Mary Anne; Neil Brandt, brother of Linda White; John Turner, husband of Barbara Turner; Leslie Albert, friend of Margaret Layton and Sarah Sieber.

Our world: For the people of Afghanistan, and of Haiti, who have struggled for so long under burdens seemingly too great to bear. 
For all victims of violence, and for those who inflict violence on others. For people who suffer from the COVID-19 virus, those who have died and those who mourn; caregivers and those who have been affected through loss of work, income, and housing. 
For all who are alone or afraid or despairing. For prisoners, unhoused people, newly arrived immigrants and all our neighbors, near and far.


The many ministries of our local community and the Diocese of Western Massachusetts:
especially for our partners at St. Paul's, Stockbridge and the Rev. Sam Smith and the Rev. Jane Tillman; Christ Trinity, Sheffield and the Rev. Erik Karas; our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher; and the Mampong Babies' Home in Ghana; St. Peter's, Springfield; Financial Services, Kristina Cincotta; Church Musicians and Artists; Historical Society of the Episcopal Church.

The Church's wider mission: The Anglican Church of Tanzania.

And we offer thanks: for all those celebrating birthdays or anniversaries this week: Diana Raifstanger, 9/7.
Join us for
Centering Prayer
now in person and on ZOOM
every Thursday
5:00 - 6:00

Encouraging a practice of silence and stillness we focus on practices of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina using scripture, art and music. All are welcome.

To join the Zoom meeting
Meeting ID: 203 314 800
Password: 578877
Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
 
To find your local number:
WHAT ARE YOU
GRATEFUL FOR?
In this time of fear and anxiety, it can be easy to miss the daily blessings that are right in front of us. Being grateful is not just for good times. Being grateful is even more important when fear sets a place at your table and heartbreak seems to be in your every breath. Because by being grateful we become aware of all the ways God is working in us. Being grateful is a part of our healing and our deliverance. Being grateful is where our best selves reside.
I WANT TO HELP
GIDEON'S GARDEN
Thank you Interns!

Last week we said thank you and goodbye to our internship students. The garden is still producing tomatoes, watermelon, kale, swiss chard, peppers and beans. Fisher has been keeping the volunteer hours running smoothly, and for that we are so grateful!

Here are some quotes from our Internship participants this year when I asked them to reflect on their experience.

"[I am taking with me] A deeper understanding of agriculture and the feeling of helping others. [I brought with me] obedience and the ability to work. I can come back to Gideon's again and work." - Justin

"I am going to be taking home a lesson on dirt and how every living thing depends on each other to make an ecosystem. I can put my ideas out so others can hear and agree or disagree on my ideas. I brought my personality and existing ideas to the garden. Also brought my opinions to the lesson we learned every Wednesday."
- Abbey
VOLUNTEERING AT GIDEON'S GARDEN
Come and help out Monday, Thursday and Friday 9am - 12pm
Mission Matters

News from the
Episcopal Diocese 
of Western Massachusetts 
Help New Orleans through the Episcopal
Relief and Development's Hurricane Fund
Hurricane Ida made landfall on Sunday, August 29 — on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina — as a dangerous Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph. [...]

Episcopal Relief & Development’s US Disaster Program team was in touch with partners over the weekend and began holding daily coordination calls with impacted dioceses on Monday morning. Disaster response teams are beginning to assess needs created by the hurricane and to determine how best to respond. [...]

US Disaster Program staff and partners are also using the Episcopal Asset Map as a tool for connecting churches and resources for those in need. The map now has an overlay option that shows the path of Hurricane Ida, which enables users to easily find and connect with the help they need.


Support the Resettlement of Refugees
Episcopal Migration Ministries, the refugee resettlement and migration ministry of The Episcopal Church, is currently working in partnership with the U.S. government to assist Afghan SIVs and other arrivals with resettlement and direct services through a network of 12 affiliates across the U.S.

As we continue to welcome and resettle Afghans to the U.S. through our affiliate network and engagement programs, the greatest need continues to be assistance with housing. Those who want to financially support these efforts can make a donation online here or donate by mail and send checks to:

DFMS-Protestant Episcopal Church US
P.O. Box 958983
St. Louis, MO 63195-8983
(Include Episcopal Migration Ministries and Afghan SIV’s in the memo line.)


SHINE YOUR LIGHT
 
Thank you for giving generously to support the ministry of Grace.  You may continue to mail your contributions to Grace Church, P.O. Box 114, Great Barrington, MA 01230. As we begin to gather in person, you may bring your contribution to our services on Sunday, once again.
CHANGE THE BABIES
It costs about $1500 a year to support a baby. The Diocese's goal is for one congregation 
to support one child for a year.  
To donate to support babies at the Mampong Babies Home in Ghana please send a check to Grace Church, PO Box 114, Great Barrington, MA 01230.

LEARNING AND DISCOVERY
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Kids of all ages: Please join us for Sunday school on September 12, 2021. We will meet during the first part of the service and then re-join the service at the Peace.
Becoming Beloved Community
Muh-he-con-ne-ok: The People of the Waters
That Are Never Still,”
curated by Heather Bruegl, director of cultural affairs for the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, is on display through Jan. 9, 2022.
Click here for article in Berkshire Eagle
_______________________________________

Grace Church worships on the traditional land
of the Mohican people.
____________________________________
“Reparations,” Sutton had written, “at its base means to repair that which has been broken. It is not just about monetary compensation. An act of reparation is the attempt to make whole again, and/or to restore; to offer atonement; to make amends; to reconcile for a wrong or injury. Isn’t that our work in this broken world?”

I WANT SOME FRIENDS
Grace Church Men's Group
Attend our Men's Group
Next meeting date to be decided and announced here.

For more information contact
George Raymond at graymond747@gmail.com

MOVIE NITE
Join us for a discussion of
CODA
CODA, an acronym for children of Deaf adults, tells the story of the Rossi family, who live in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Ruby is the only hearing person in her family and at the age of 17, she wakes up at three in the morning to help her father, and older brother
as a deckhand on the family fishing boat.
But she wants to be a singer....
on October 7, at 6:30 PM
Watch at your leisure then join us on Zoom
To join, or to find out more Click Here. To join this Zoom meeting, Click here
(Meeting ID): 370 191 823 (Password): 385337
BOOKS AND BREAD
Join us on Wednesday, September 8th, at 6pm
for fellowship, and a lively discussion. All are welcome!

The book is The Slave by Isaac Bashevis Singer (translated from the Yiddish by the author and Cecil Hemley).

Rev. Tina Rathbone will lead our discussion
On ZOOM
To join this Zoom meeting,
(Meeting ID): 370 191 823
(Password): 385337
or call 646 558 8656 US (New York)

Meeting is over promptly at 7:00 pm. For more information email Peter at PetetheK@yahoo.com
THIRD SUNDAY SUPPER

Join us for lively conversation
and fellowship on
Sunday, September 19
when we will meet at 6 PM
at Koi Restaurant in
Great Barrington.
Separate checks/All are welcome
For more information contact graymond747@gmail.com

The Rev. Tina Rathbone



GRACE CHURCH
An Episcopal Community in the Southern Berkshires

Mailing:
P.O. Box 114  
Great Barrington, MA 01230

You can reach the church office by email: 
and by phone 413-644-0022.
 
Ms. Annalise Clausen, Director of Farming for Gideon's Garden
413-644-6572
VESTRY CONTACT INFORMATION
Kathy Clausen 413-329-1724
Rick Gore, Jr. 413-441-7036
Sue Gore 413-243-2273
Mary Anne Grammer 413-258-4212
John Cheek 413-446-8863
Dindy Anderson 413-274-3854
Anne Andrews 413-528-2766
Dutch Pinkston 413-274-6565
Cathy Haywood 413-464-6664
Holly Murray 860-977-9198





Tuesday's Child Editor Monique Kirchoff 
Associate Editor Kathy Clausen
Please send comments by emailing tuesdayschild@graceberkshires.org