 |
The Annual Spring Choir Concert 7:00 PM
Featuring Men and Boys, Girls’, High School Singers and Adult Choirs
Free and open to all
This Week
9 am Holy Eucharist
in-person worship
11 am Holy Eucharist in-person worship
and live-stream
on
6 pm Holy Eucharist
In The Chantry
Clergy:
The Rev. J. Donald Waring
The Rev. Julia Macy Offinger
The Rev. Thomas Szczerba
Dr. Patrick Allen, organ
You’ll find videos of past services and events on Vimeo and YouTube.
|
Please see below for weekday worship opportunities, both in-person and virtual. |
|
|
|
Dear Friends,
On the evening news yesterday I was interested to see that Jews around the world were observing Holocaust Remembrance Day. If I am remembering the story correctly, in Israel itself people across the nation stopped whatever they were doing for a period of two minutes. Cars pulled to the side of the road, workers ceased working, and all went quiet in commemoration of the six-million Jews who were murdered during World War Two.
Sadly, I hadn’t realized there was such a thing as Holocaust Remembrance Day, and that is to my shame. All people of good will, especially people of faith, have a responsibility not to forget any instances of mass cruelty, injustice, and aggression. The Lutheran pastor and theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who lost his life in the resistance movement against Hitler, is famously quoted as saying, “Only those who cry out for the Jews may sing Gregorian Chant.” His words are a challenge to all of us who participate in any form of organized religion. Faith and works should never be separate compartments of our practice. Praise of God and peacemaking with our disagreeable neighbors go hand-in-hand. As the Psalmist (85:10) proclaimed, ideally mercy and truth meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
At Grace Church, I like to think that at our best we are not only striving on both fronts of praise and deeds, but also working to integrate them. Tonight, for example, beginning at 7 pm we have the opportunity to hear our choirs in the Annual Spring Concert – something we haven’t been able to do since 2019. Throughout the pandemic it has been remarkable how our musicians forged ahead and perfected our praises of God despite all the challenges of gathering together. Yet at the same time, Patrick Allen will be the first to remind us to bring a canned offering for the hungry and leave it in the basket in the narthex. The goal of our prayer is to set our hearts on fire and send us out into the world in witness to God’s love.
Likewise, next weekend – on Saturday, May 7 – we have the opportunity to participate in another Parish Day of Service at the Red Door Place. The Red Door Place is a food pantry and feeding program that provides hope and nourishment to our neighbors in need. We have parishioners on their board of directors and we support the program with a grant from our Vestry Fund for Outreach. The Parish Day of Service invites us to be involved on the front line, preparing the food in the morning and distributing it in the afternoon. You can sign up for one or both shifts. Scroll down and check out the announcement below for more information.
See you in church – hopefully tonight!
|
|
|
|
9:00 am Holy Eucharist
Church is open
for in-person worship!
|
Clergy:
The Rev. J. Donald Waring, preaching
The Rev. Julia Macy Offinger
The Rev. Thomas John Szczerba Jr.
Music:
Dr. Patrick Allen, organ
|
|
|
10 am – The Sunday Forum: On the Road to Damascus – In the Book of Acts we encounter no fewer than three accounts of how, while on the road to Damascus Saul of Tarsus, persecutor of the church, became an ardent follower of Jesus and apostle to the gentiles. The Rev. Harry Krauss, Assisting Priest at Grace Church, will help us examine the text and better understand who Saul was, and how he became St. Paul. Coffee and breakfast treats are served in the Reception Room, 10 am. The Forum is also on Zoom.
|
|
|
|
11:00 am Holy Eucharist
Church is open
for in-person worship!
Clergy:
The Rev. J. Donald Waring, preaching
The Rev. Julia Macy Offinger
The Rev. Thomas John Szczerba Jr.
Music:
The Choir of Men and Boys
Dr. Patrick Allen, organ
|
Service will continue to be video streamed every week. Access via any of our live channels. If you experience buffering, you can simply switch to another channel.
|
|
6:00 pm Holy Eucharist
In the Chantry
|
Clergy:
The Rev. Julia Macy Offinger, preaching
The Rev. Megan E. Sanders
Music:
Hymns with Instrumentalists
Followed by Canterbury Downtown dinner and fellowship. All college students welcome!
|
|
|
12:30 pm – Newcomers’ Class: History of Grace Church – Visitors and new members are warmly invited to join a presentation by our rector, The Rev. J. Donald Waring, about the fascinating history of Grace Church, including its origins in the Financial District, the completion of the current church in 1846, the establishment of the choir and school, and the critical role played in social and ecclesiastical movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Held in the reception room at 12:30 pm. Lunch will be provided, so RSVP to the Rev. Thomas Szczerba.
|
|
3:15 pm - Youth Confirmation Classes Begin! – Classes for youth in grades 7-12 have begun, on Friday or Sunday afternoons from 3:15-4:15pm, depending on your child’s schedule. Confirmation will be Sunday, June 5 at 11am. Parents should contact the Rev. Julia Offinger at joffinger@gracechurchnyc.org as soon as possible to discuss or register.
|
|
|
April 29 – The Annual Spring Choir Concert with the Men and Boys, Girls’, High School Singers and Adult Choirs takes place on Friday, April 29th at 7 pm. The program celebrates music by that will be featured on this summer’s concert tour to Ireland. The Choir will be singing in Belfast and Dublin between June 17 and 24. Works by Beethoven, Burleigh, Byrd, Duruflé, Mozart, Palestrina, Rose, Stainer, Stanford and Tallis among others will be offered. The concert is free and open to all. There will be a festive reception in the Huntington Close following the concert to benefit the Choir Special Projects Fund. This fund helps with Tour expenses and other opportunities for the choirs. You can make donations to support the Fund and to attend the reception on the Church Website here. Please write Choir Concert Reception Donation in the comment portion.
|
|
May 6 & 7: Choral Society Concerts - The Choral Society’s Spring Concerts will take place in the Church on Friday, May 6 at 8:00pm and Saturday, May 7 at 3:00pm, featuring Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil, Op. 37. Tickets ($32 general admission, e-tickets only) are available for purchase online at www.thechoralsociety.org. We hope you can join us!
|
|
May 7 – Parish Day of Service at The Red Door Place We will assist them with their food preparation in the morning and their distribution ministry in the afternoon. The Saturday time commitment will be in two shifts, approximately 8:30 am to 11:30 am, and 11 am to 2:30 pm. Email the Rev. Thomas Szczerba if you would like to sign up to attend.
|
|
May 8 – So How Holy Was Holy Week? – Way back in March we were blessed to have the liturgical scholar, historian, and author Dr. Laura Moore with us to examine the origins of Holy Week liturgies. Dr. Moore’s presentation was such that she left us hungry for more, so she is returning to finish what she started and continue her examination of how the liturgies we use every week came to be. Coffee and breakfast treats are served in the Reception Room, 10 am. The Forum is also on Zoom.
|
|
May 12 – Pub Theology - Young adults and guests are invited for fellowship and theological discussion on Thursday, May 12, from 6:00-7:30 pm at Josie Woods Pub, 11 Waverly Pl. We will continue reading Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to the Women of the Torah and the Throne by Wilda C. Gafney. RSVP to the Rev. Thomas Szczerba.
|
|
Jun 5 – Bishop Visitation – Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of New York, the Rt. Rev. Mary Glasspool, will visit us on the Day of Pentecost, Sunday, June 5 at 11am this is the time for youth and adults to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church. Youth classes have begun. Any adults who are interested in being confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church, or simply learning more about what this means, should contact the Rev. Julia Offinger to discuss next steps as soon as possible.
|
|
May is Peanut Butter Month - In May everyone is invited to contribute a jar (or jars) of peanut butter to the Grace Church food collection. All food donations are appreciated - but this month we focus on peanut butter as a very important staple item for The Red Door Place food pantry. Let’s see how many jars we can collect. Collection baskets are near the doors of the main church and the Chantry.
|
|
Help Ukrainian Families As this crisis continues to evolve, Episcopal Relief & Development is working to provide humanitarian assistance to the more than 2 million people who have had to leave Ukraine. Specifically, their partner ACT Alliance is helping families on the Hungarian border, and their Anglican partners are mobilizing both an immediate and long-term response in Poland, Romania and Hungary. Your emergency gift will provide cash, blankets, hygiene supplies and other needs as this crisis unfolds. Visit this link to make a donation today.
|
|
Grace Cares - Would you like a visit at home or at the hospital? Do you need assistance in getting to church or an appointment? Are you struggling and in need of a friendly phone call? Would you like the Sunday lessons read to you or the service bulletin brought to you? Would you like to receive communion in your home? Grace has a pastoral care team that provides these services and more. Contact The Rev. J. Donald Waring.
|
|
Coffee and Fellowship in Tuttle Hall after the 9 and 11 am service happens every Sunday. Join us today for brownies, cookies, and other treats as well as a hot cup of coffee.
|
|
Wear your nametags! As we are making our way out of the pandemic, we are seeing a lot of new faces at our gatherings. It is becoming important that we bring back the practice of wearing our nametags so we know how to address each other. Nametags can be found on the boards in Tuttle Hall. Newcomers are encouraged to visit our new welcome table during coffee hour to create their own nametags. If you are a pledging member and do not see your nametag on the boards in Tuttle Hall, please send Matthew Kopp an email at mkopp@gracechurchnyc.org so, he can make you one.
|
|
Return of Communion Wine – With the declining number of Covid cases in the city and state, Bishop Dietsche has approved the administration of sacramental wine at Holy Eucharist, effective immediately. Today at the 9 am and 6 pm services the chalice will be available for all baptized Christians who desire to receive “in both kinds.” Studies have shown and two-thousand years of practice has demonstrated that sipping from a common cup that is purified between each recipient is safe. Intincting, or dipping the wafer is less so, and will not be allowed for now. Note also that receiving the bread only is sufficient for full Communion. You need not return to the common cup until you are personally ready.
|
|
Nursery Care - For children ages 1-4 is available from 9 am – 12 pm in the NEW Nursery next to the Sunday School classroom, across Tuttle Hall. Follow the signs! Parents are required to stay with their children for the duration of their time in the nursery. Babysitters will no longer be present.
|
|
The Guild of Bakers - If you enjoy baking (or buying) cookies, brownies, muffins, or other freezable bite-sized treats, please consider joining a revitalized ministry called the Guild of Bakers. You can participate on your own timetable, whenever the Spirit moves you. The next time you are baking (or buying) goodies that would be popular at coffee hour, all you have to do is make an extra batch. Just wrap it well and drop it off at the parish office any time during business hours, or on Sundays after church. We have plenty of freezer space to store your culinary creations for a future coffee hour. Please sign up for the “Guild of Bakers” by sending an email to Mickey Hawley, Parish Office Coordinator
|
|
Safe Church - Grace Church is committed to providing its members, staff, and visitors a place that is free of abuse and harassment. If you have observed, or personally experienced sexual, or other forms of harassment while attending activities, classes, or events held at Grace Church, or on our shared campus with Grace Church School, we encourage you to notify us. Please visit this page where you will find a direct means of providing feedback.
|
|
The Church is Open
Everyday, noon to 5 pm
with Worship Service at 9 am, 11 am, and 6 pm on Sundays
as well as 6 pm on Wednesdays
All are required to observe posted guidelines during in-person worship and events to adhere to CDC Covid-19 safety protocols. We ask visitors to wear a mask, stay 6 feet apart, and sanitize your hands when inside Grace Church.
|
|
|
|
Please Get Fully Vaccinated |
Vaccines against Covid-19 are now available for anyone 12 years of age and older who wants to be inoculated. Receiving the vaccine protects not only you, but those you love and everyone around you. It is the best way to help speed along the reopening of society. Please speak with your doctor or go to the NYC Vaccine Finder to make an appointment.
|
|
Monday - Centering Prayer (over Zoom)
12:15-12:45 pm Christian silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of God’s presence. Led by Currie Estreich, MA, Spiritual Direction, the General Theological Seminary.
Meeting ID: 337 800 858
Password: 058288
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,337800858# US (New York)
Enter, Rest, Pray (CHURCH IS OPEN)
Grace Church is open to the public daily from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM. All are required to wear a covering over their nose and mouth, and to observe posted safety guidelines.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday – Bach at Noon (Held in the church during open hours and on Facebook Live) 12:20 pm - 30 minutes of music by J.S. Bach, played on the Bicentennial Organ.
Wednesday - Women’s Bible Study (over Zoom) – 10:30 am-noon – Long-running program of guided Bible study and discussion for women resumes on Wednesday, September 15th. For Zoom access info, please see the link below or email the Rev. Megan Sanders well before the event.
Meeting ID: 839 2240 7333
One tap mobile
+19294362866,,83922407333# US (New York)
Wednesday Evening Eucharist at 6 pm in the Chantry. If you are interested in helping with the service, please contact the Rev. Thomas Szczerba by email.
Saturday – Weekend Organ Meditation (on Facebook Live) 4pm - 45-minutes of diverse music played on the Bicentennial Organ
|
|
|
|
In our immediate prayers:
Michael Migliorino
Cathy Gelb
Linda Russo
Karen Scramlin
Leila Faucett
John
Chai Kim and family
In our Continuing Prayers:
Catherine Gooding
Ronnye Brickous
Claudia Paoloni
Mary Ann Owens
William Dobi
Tom Hall
Josephine Ferraiuolo
For those who have died:
Aaron Davis
|
|
Send your photos of milestone events for possible publication in the Weekly Epistle to Matthew Kopp, Membership and Development Manager.
|
|
Your engagement on our social media helps Grace Church!
Please Subscribe, Follow, Like and Share
|
|
GRACE CHURCH IN NEW YORK
212-254-2000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
