An Update from Kathy Clausen, Senior Warden
Pivot Point

Back when I was an elementary school teacher, a colleague of mine came into my classroom to teach the class how to do a traditional Mexican dance as we were preparing to have a fiesta. The fiesta was the final celebration in our study of our neighboring country. I remember that she instructed us in the steps and one of them she referred to as a “pivot step”. She made the analogy of a step used in basketball where one foot stays in place while the other foot turns you toward a new direction. It’s a good metaphor for where we are now as Grace Church. We are well placed, well grounded in our practices, in our commitments to our community, and yet we find that we need to turn. We need to pivot from this place and look in a new direction. We’ve said good-bye to our beloved Janet, hired an interim rector and now must look into an uncertain future. Uncertain? Hmm..no, not quite uncertain, for one thing is always certain and that is what we will be relying on. God is present with us, when we gather, when we wonder, when we worry, when we complain, when we just sit down and weep. I love this prayer from Epiphany time:

Most loving Father, whose will it is to give thanks for all things, to fear nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on you who care for us: Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested to us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

On Sunday, August 16, The Rev. Dr. Rich Simpson will lead our Morning Prayer worship and preach. Following the service he will tell us in more detail the steps we will take to create a parish profile, form a search committee and begin the process of searching for a new rector. Then he will attend our vestry meeting at noon to help the Vestry to outline our steps in more detail. We will be working closely with Rich over the next months until a new rector joins us. Please pray for this process and for that person who is already out there somewhere waiting for this call!

In the meantime, The Rev. Libby Wade, Interim Rector, begins her work getting acquainted with Grace in just a few days. As you know from her introduction, she is well aware of how Grace came to be and what we’ve been up to over the last few years. She is excited to shepherd us through these next months even though we are well aware that we are all in a strange new land. She is a brave one and we will welcome her officially as our worship leader on Sunday, September 6.

August 23 and 30 worship services will be led by The Rev. Betsy Fisher. If you'd like to hear previous sermons, check out the section on our website where these are available.

Also this Sunday is the Third Sunday Supper, 6:00-7:00. You’re all invited. Order from your favorite restaurant, fix your favorite Sunday dinner and join together for a lively dinner discussion with friends. As always led by George Raymond who says: “Join us for an evening of laughter and conversation.” For more information contact George Raymond 413.854.1222 (cell) or email: [email protected].

All my best to you all, my dear Grace friends,

Kathy

Kathy Clausen,
Senior Warden

Grace Church Worship—Sundays at 10:00 AM

Meeting ID: 177 160 858
Password: 917937
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Third Sunday Supper 3rd Sundays at 6:00 PM
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Meeting ID: 778 608 743
Password: 729107
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Grace Church: An Episcopal Community in the Southern Berkshires |
P.O. Box 114
Great Barrington, MA 01230