A Message from The Rev. Tina Rathbone

As we prepare to wrap up – for now – the question, What is Church? which we’ve been pursuing through our six week study of the Book of Acts, I’d like to share with you just one potential answer from the great writer, activist and founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, Dorothy Day. Her words seem to me to be both grand enough to give a lifetime to, and humble enough to be real. They’ve been providing me with a bit of ground under my feet as I prepare for the season of generous, preparative waiting we call Advent. I pray they do the same for you. Tina xox

“We are communities in time and in a place, I know, but we are communities in faith as well – and sometimes time can stop shadowing us. Our lives are touched by those who lived centuries ago, and we hope that our lives will mean something to people who won’t be alive until centuries from now. It’s a great ‘chain of being”, someone once told me, and I think our job is to do the best we can to hold up our small segment in the chain. That’s one kind of localism, I guess, and one kind of politics – doing our utmost to keep that chain connected, unbroken. Our arms are linked – we try to be neighbors of His, and to speak up for his principles. That’s a lifetime’s job.”

---- Dorothy Day, The Reckless Way of Love: Notes on Following Jesus

Advent Bible Study

Tuesdays 7-8 p.m. on Zoom

November 29, December 6, 13, 20  

Isaiah 2:1-5, Isaiah 11:1-10,

 Isaiah 35:1, Isaiah 7:10-16



The Rev. Libby Wade, St. Paul's Interim Priest, will lead folks from the three South County Episcopal/Lutheran churches in a study of the wonderfully evocative Isaiah passages from our Advent Sunday Lectionary.  Invite friends to join us. 

For Zoom link:

Click Here

Meeting ID: 177 160 858

Passcode: 917937

Or call:646 558 8656,

(New York)

This week I went out during on a sunny 20 minute break from wreath making and harvested some cabbage and broccoli. It was just over freezing, about 35 degrees but walking the beds at this time is still a reminder of the resilience of plants. These cruciferous plants can take temperatures down to 28 degrees, have some of their cells burst and thaw out to keep growing again.

The winter rye and vetch continue to hold their place and grow millimeter by millimeter and the field field have just started to die down. God willing there will be a small greens harvest for this week of Thanksgiving.

Stay warm!     (A. Clausen)

Swords to Plowshares speaker, Chelsea,

shared her experience

at the Guthrie Center on

November 12, 2022.

Watch and listen to her speak here: https://vimeo.com/770834293

The People's Pantry

If anyone wants to volunteer at the People’s Pantry, there are shifts on Mondays from 3:30PM to 5:30PM, Thursdays from 8:30AM to 10:30AM and Thursdays 10:30AM to 12:30PM. Here’s the link:

https://www.thepeoplespantrygb.org/volunteer

It costs about $1,500 to support a baby over the time needed for the child to grow old enough to return to their home. Many years ago we at Grace decided to support babies at the Mampong Babies Home in Ghana

at the rate of $1,500 per year. Your donations help us reach that goal each year. You can bring money or checks to church on Sundays and place in the jar near the Welcome Table or send a check to:

Grace Church,

PO Box 114,

Great Barrington, MA 01230.

Our reflection jumped off from the work of two nineteenth century philosophers.

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1170-1831) said: "Without the world, God is not God." Later, Karl Barth (1886-1968) would respond, "God could be God without the world, but chooses not to be such a God."

After a robust discussion, we wrote the following collect:

God, you are our loving creator

We are poor wayfaring strangers

We come together in awe and wonder at your desire to be in relationship with us

We pray that we love ourselves as you love us. 

AMEN

Bishop Doug Fisher established a Compline community in 2020 that continues in faithfulness five nights a week. In addition to the Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith and the Very Rev. Jim Munroe, Licensed Lay Worship Leaders will be added for Thursday and Friday evenings. Zoom info is available HERE.

“Comfort ye, my people”:

An Advent online retreat

To: All the Faithful

From: Canon for Communications

Re: Online Advent Retreat

Date: November 10, 2022

“Comfort ye, my people”: An Advent online retreat

Saturday, December 3

9:30 a.m. – 12 Noon • Online (free)

We live in a time of radical challenge and change. Advent offers us rich material for prayer, conveying images of disruption, struggle, and endings, and images of reconciliation, birth, and beginnings. In this morning retreat, we will seek to create a space of prayer big enough to encompass both what disturbs and shakes us, and what brings comfort and hope. How do the images of Advent enlarge our capacity to midwife Christ’s birth within us and among us? Our time together will include presentations, silence, singing, solitude, and small group conversation. If possible, please bring a candle and a Bible, and wear something comfortable for an optional walk outdoors.

This free retreat is open to the public and is sponsored by both Episcopal dioceses in MA and by Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ.

REGISTER HERE

DOWNLOAD POSTER

REGISTE

The Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas

An Episcopal priest, author, retreat leader, and climate activist, Margaret Bullitt-Jonas serves as Missioner for Creation Care for the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts and Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ, and as Creation Care Advisor for the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. (To contact Margaret, email [email protected]).

BOOKS AND BREAD

resumes in 2023

Details to follow

Questions? Please contact Peter Kirchoff.

For Zoom:

Click Here

Meeting ID: 177 160 858

Password: 917937

or call 646 558 8656 US (New York)

All are welcome!

Our Prayer Basket

We welcome you to use our prayer basket.

On Sundays you will find a basket near the Welcome Table with slips of paper available for you to write down prayer requests. Please ask for any prayers that are important to you and those you love. You may identify yourself and those for whom prayers are needed, but names are not necessary or required. These prayers will be offered by our healing ministers both during the service and during the week for a period of one month. Keep an eye out for the basket!!

To listen to Sarah Sieber explaining the operation of the Prayer Basket CLICK HERE

(K. Clausen)

A note from Grace Church Sunday School:

On Sunday, the children listened to a story Andrea read about Abraham using the Beulah Land Story curriculum. The children love helping to show the story with the felt pieces. When I read for the second time, “God called to Abraham.” A child said, “Andrea, you already read that!” They were amazed that it took Abraham three times to listen to God. “He needs to work on listening!” 

We talked about families and how we are all connected to God as children of God, Christ our King, and therefore all family. We colored pictures of the sky and earth, imagining all of the stars and descendants of Abraham. We thought about what we were grateful for and gave thanks using an interactive paper, “catcher,” Margaret showed us how to use it. We said a prayer for people we are thinking about and love. We talked, listened, laughed, and wondered.

FLOWER DEDICATIONS!

Please place your dedications in an envelope and include the name of the person you wish to honor.

Please note that your $35.00 contribution toward the flower purchase can be sent to the Grace Office or placed in the Offertory Collection.

An Episcopal Community in the Southern Berkshires

67 State Road/P.O. Box 114, Great Barrington, MA 01230

GRACE Parish Administrator: Ms. Jean Chapin

You can reach the church office by email: [email protected] 

and by phone 413-644-0022.

If you are experiencing a pastoral emergency that cannot wait until Tina's return, on November 20, please reach out to the Rev. Stephen White at 413 884-4758.