Grace Episcopal Church

123 W Washington Street, Lexington, VA

Seeking, Serving, Loving Together

Parish News For the week of Sunday, October 16, 2022

Welcome to Grace Episcopal Church! Please click the link below if you are new to our church and would like to have more information about our Parish life!

Welcome Card

Proper 24 Readings

Dear Friends,


In this Sunday's parable Luke 18:1-8 Jesus teaches us to persist in prayer for justice and not lose heart.


In this simple parable, and in his daily walk among marginalized and privileged people, Jesus reminds us that God is well aware of the the world as it is, including the injustice that proliferates in the world around us. And God is well aware of our tendency to think that there is little or nothing we can do to move toward the world as it should be - to restore environmental equilibrium, to provide refuge and hospitality to all the homeless and the displaced, to meet the needs of all poor, to restore peace to all places beset by war and violence. 


Though it may seem small, prayer plays a crucial role in the work of justice. Prayer does not get God to right the wrongs of the world. Prayer re-orients us toward God's point of view and moves us into action in solidarity with the Spirit. Prayer confronts and engages those with power to right a wrong. In a democracy like ours, as well as in the Body of Christ, that power is given to us. 


Do not lose heart. Persist in prayer and action in the world as it is for the sake of the world as it should be, a world true to the mercy and justice and compassion of God.


Tuck

BIBLE STUDY


Anne Hansen and Michelle Mackie would like to offer a new Bible Study group. For those who might be interested they will offer two brief organizational meeting opportunities on Sunday, October 30 immediately following each service in the Parish Hall to introduce themselves, share some ideas for the first study topic, and discover preferences for meeting times and dates. You may also contact one of them directly to indicate your interest and ask questions. The Bible Study will start in November.


All youth grades 6-12

are invited to the first meeting of the Community Youth Group,

5:30pm to 7pm Sunday, November 13 at Trinity United Methodist Church.  

These meetings are open to all youth regardless of faith background or affiliation. Invite your friends.


Registration is now open for our annual Diocese of Southwest Virginia Fall Youth Event November 12-13! All middle and high school youth are invited to join us for an overnight at Camp Bethel that will include time for outdoor fun, fellowship, and worship. 


The theme for FYE22 is "Expect the Unexpected," and your Youth Mission Team has an exciting event planned with some surprises in store! You don't want to miss out on this one!



Worship Services

19th Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday, October 16

Holy Eucharist

8 am

In-Person & ZOOM 


Christianity & Culture 9:15 am

Parish Hall & ZOOM


Holy Eucharist 

10:30 am

In-Person & YouTube


Community Sing in Nave

5 pm

In-person

Morning Prayer

Monday - Friday

8:30 am, Chancel

In-Person and ZOOM

PRAYER LIST

Please pray for the wider Church and intercessions requested by our Congregants: The Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, and our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Mark Bourlakas; for the people of Trinity, Boonsboro and their rector, the Rev. Gail Goldsmith. Please pray for The Presiding Bishop Michael Curry who has Covid.


Pray for Lynda DeMaria, Peter Fyfe, Lucy Moise, Glen Jones, Don Ellis, Alice Furgerson, Julie Jennings, Sally Capets, Mary & Scott Hudgins, Helen Head, Kaleb (grandson of Pat & Keith Gibson), Sue Ellen Booth and Lynn Morris Butler (cousins of Melanie Griffis), Elisabeth Dhillon, (daughter of Hugh and Ann Henderson), Elizabeth Shields, Samuel Pech, Diana Kenney, Sarah Cumming, Dot Fogo, Dawn Saunders (friend of Judy Schram), Bev Wirtz, Walter Joly, Jeff Mason, Polly Lawrence, Sharon Meister (friend of Virginia Cooke), Bob Glidden, Sue Denson, Catharine Gaylard, David Wade, George Johnson (brother of Liz Moss), Gloria June Perry, Ken Hershbell, Kathy Warn (sister-in-law of Margaret Haberman), David Passmore, Charles Plageman, Bill Kozak, Loren Smith, Mary Gay Brignall (cousin of Mary Price), Kim Camp, all those suffering the effects of Hurricane Ian.


Prayers of Thanksgiving for Rymma and Volodymyr, Davyd, Liliia and Oleksandr Odemchuk and for Olha, Andrii, Ivan, and Anastasiia Stryzhyboroda.


Pray for those who have died.


Pray for an end to violence and for those fleeing Ukraine, and we also pray for Episcopal Relief & Development and other ecumenical agencies working to respond to the current crisis.

 

All Saints Day remembrances will be on Sunday, November 6. We will be remembering those who died this past year, including:

David Burford,

Bob Crewdson,

Bob DeMaria, John Dinkel, Henry Eichelberger, Cornelia Pendleton Huger, Derby Huger,

Larry Lamont,

Blase McCarthy,

Donald Preston Moore, Janet Lynn North,

Margaret Sayre,

Mary West Tyree Schambach,

Melissa Hays-Smith,

Clara Belle Weatherman.



If you would like to add someone to the remembrances please email Lisa McGuire with your names. Thank you!





Church Calendar - click below

google calendar.png

Did You Know?

Grace Church has been nominated for Best Humanitarian Service in the Chamber of Commerce People's Choice Awards  

Click here to vote!

Vote!

On Sunday, Oct. 23, we will offer Evensong according to the 1979 Book of Common Prayer's Rite I Daily Evening Prayer. There will be lessons, plainsong, hymns, anthems, and silence. Come end your day with the gifts of Word and Song, and with the One who yearns for us to worship and love Him. 

Sunday, Oct. 23, Simon Couture, Vice President of Casavant Freres Organ Company, will join us for worship with some visitors from North Carolina eager to hear our Opus 3941, as they contemplate contracting with Casavant for their church. Please welcome Simon and thank him for all of the faithful work he did, for many years, to bring the wonderful Opus 3941 to Grace and the community.

Drum Circle | Nov 5, 4PM


Drum Circle on the Courtyard! Join percussionists Amy and Cory Blake, musicians from Richmond, Virginia, as they lead us in joyful and spiritual drumming! If you have drums, bring them, but we will have many on hand! Get it? On hand! 😂

For detail contact Martha at Martha@Graceepiscopallexington.org

Podcasts are a great way to add prayer and reflection to your daily spiritual practice. Listen on your morning walk, evening commute, or anywhere in between! Find these podcasts anywhere you listen to podcasts, or click the links below to view their show page.



Daily Podcasts:

• Forward Day by Day: Includes each day's scripture passage, reflection, and closing prayer. An excellent 5 minute start to your day!


• A Morning at the Office: Daily Morning Prayer podcast which includes all three readings as well as bonus prayers.


• Daily Prayer: Similar to A Morning at the Office, this version includes just two readings, and follows the same text as our app and website.


• An Evening at Prayer: Daily Evening Prayer according to The Book of Common Prayer


• Scripture Day by Day: The daily readings as listed in Forward Day by Day, with lectionary readings for Sundays and Major Feasts following the Revised Common Lectionary.



Episodic and Seasonal Podcasts:


• AdventWord: Worldwide prayer community and online Advent calendar with daily reflections through the season, inspried by a single daily prompt word


• ChurchNext: discussions on a variety of topics in the Episcopal and Christian scope.


• The Good Book Club Podcast: regular church-wide readings of selected books of the Bible.


• Women and Angels of the Bible: This special series includes conversations between authors Lindsay Hardin Freeman and Kate Moorehead.



Affiliate Podcasts:


• The BCP and Me: Episcopalians exploring The Book of Common Prayer and how it teaches us to live our lives abundantly.


• The Accessible Altar: A monthly podcast exploring the intersections of faith and disability.


DONATE

Campus Ministry Updates


Heard at Paws to Connect: 


Admissions guide to

prospective students: 

“This church sponsors days when they share pets with students! What a great connection of the community

with the campus!” 


A daughter with a broken leg

and out of town mother:

“I really wanted to show her the

Paws experience!”


A student headed out of town

with her mom:

“We HAD to come to Paws before lunch!”


Paws to Connect: one of the hottest new experiences in Lexington!



The Community Table (TCT) is a “restaurant without a cashier” where “folks can enjoy nutritious meals in a comfortable and dignified atmosphere.” It is open to all, and patrons can make a donation of choice at the end of the meal. This restaurant is now reopening “dining in” every Monday at the RARA building, 350 Spotswood Drive in Lexington. TCT is operated and staffed entirely by volunteers from the Lexington/Buena Vista/Rockbridge community. It’s a fun place to meet our neighbors, help out and/or enjoy a meal.

 

Many thanks to all of you who have already joined Grace’s new TCT team!

 

Help on Mondays is needed as follows:

1-2:30 PM  - - - - -  dining room set up

5:15-7:15 PM  - - -  dishwashing  

7:15-8:30 PM  - - -  dishwashing

5:30-7:30 PM  - - -  wait/bussing staff

7:30-8:30 PM  - - -  clean up

 

If you can help with any of these jobs, either every Monday or only one Monday a month, please contact MJ Mayerchak by email: mjpmmchak@gail.com; text or call: 540-460-3138.

 

Thank you for considering this volunteer opportunity!  

Tuesday Men's Breakfast Group

7 am Tuesdays, members of Grace and neighbors from throughout the local community. Fantastic breakfast, great discussion of Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest."

Best-selling author and fellow Episcopalian, Sally Hurme, will be the special guest at the October 16 Rector’s Forum. Sally is the author of Checklist for My Family: A Guide to My History, Financial Plans, and Final Wishes, published in association with AARP, from which Sally retired, and the American Bar Association. Sally will offer helpful and step-by-step guidance on issues to consider in getting your life in order and ensuring your family or representative knows your plans and wishes as you desire to take care of family, loved ones, favored institutions, and a personal legacy meaningful to you. It is never too early to plan. The latest edition is available for purchase through Amazon ahead of Sally’s visit, click the link below:


Sally Hurme books on Amazon


Fall Choral Concert

Featuring the University Singers, The Glee Club and Cantatrici

Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at 8 p.m.

Lenfest Center/Wilson Concert Hall

Tickets are free, but required.

Performance will be streamed.

https://livestream.com/wlu


The first half of the concert will be centered around Latvian composer

Laura Jekabsone's "Sudraba Meness" as well as the amazing "Sihr Khalaq"- an incredible combination of Arabic rhythm, textures, and style. The University Singers, conducted by Shane M. Lynch, are finalists for the City of Derry International Choir Festival in October, and are the first American choir ever to be selected for this competition. They will present both their Competition Concert set and Gala Concert set, which feature the music of Tom'as Luis de Victoria, Frank Martin, Stacey V. Gibbs and Rosephayne Powell. Traditional favorites will round out the evening,

finally closing with James Erb's "Shenandoah".

MISSION AND OUTREACH COMMITTEE OF

THE GADSDEN TRUST


The mission of the Gadsden Committee “is to disburse funds (from the Gadsden Trust) to enable the spread of the Christian Gospel and to alleviate human suffering”—Gadsden guidelines. At its September 13, 2022, meeting, the Gadsden Committee approved two grants: $5,000 to the Boys’ Home of Virginia for the purchase of four desktop computers to enable students to run two programs that are required components of the AutoCAD course in the trades program; and $10,000 to the Virginia Haiti Collaborative for the support of the 24 teachers who instruct 350 students at St. Marc’s School in Cerca-la-Source, Haiti.  


The Gadsden Committee meets four times a year (March, June, September, and December) to review grant requests and distribute available funds in the following areas: local needs and concerns; seminarians and continuing education of Diocesan clergy and ministers of our parish; third world needs; and Diocesan projects or programs. The fourth quarter 2022 Gadsden meeting is scheduled for December 13. Fourth quarter grant applications are due December 1, 2022. The Gadsden Trust grant request application can be found on the Grace website www.graceepiscopallexington.org

under the “More” and “Parish Ministries” tabs.


Current members of the Gadsden Committee appointed by the Vestry and Trustees are: Jane Brooke, Vestry appointed; Roger Crockett, Trustee appointed; Gail Dickerson, Trustee appointed; Carol Gosse, Vestry appointed; Bill McCorkle, Vestry member appointed by Vestry; Woody Sadler, Trustee appointed by Trustees; and Mary Wilson, Vestry appointed.

Vestry Minutes

Vestry Minutes are available on our website under the vestry tab.

Happy Birthday

10/2 Donnie McBrayer, 10/4 Mary Katherine Lawrence, Anne Hansen, 10/8 Rob Minor, 10/9 Jerry Nay, Susan Denson, 10/11 Libby Cumming, Heather McBrayer, 10/12 Al Gordon, 10/15 Charlie Smith, 10/16 Sharon Swain, 10/20 Eloise Adams, Drusie Milford, 10/23 Claudia Ellis, 10/25 Lily Youngman, 10/26 Melissa Cox, 10/27 Connie Loughhead, 10/29 Jimbo Smith, 10/30 Steve Shultis, 10/31 Peggy Hays.

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