He is coming, he is finally actually coming, the newborn son of Love – sent to us not as the powerful one who rules, but as someone who needs our care, even as he somehow -- mysteriously – cares for us.

In preparation for our Christmas Eve service, Pennie Curry and I gathered things we would need from the closet behind the altar in the Grace Church office and then carefully unpacked our beautiful creche. The image above is of the baby Jesus wrapped in my scarf, which I couldn’t help whisking off my neck and then tucking snugly around him, because he seemed too tiny and exposed without it.

This is the power of openly embraced weakness, I believe: It draws us in, and invites us to love and care and comfort and provide for. And this is why it makes sense to me that God chose – and chooses still – to come to us as a vulnerable, new born baby. God is real. And God is Holy. And God will soon be living among us again. AND God calls us to join in the work of loving and healing and clothing and feeding all of the beloved ones who are courageous enough to ask for our help. So how do you plan to share your giftedness this Christmas? And for what do you hope to ask for help?

Come join us on Christmas Eve at 4:00 pm in the Greenhouse at Taft Farms to celebrate the undying power of Love, and it’s return to us afresh this year. Dress warmly, but otherwise come as you are. All are welcome!

We are grateful to be able to announce that the wonderful Annalise Clausen has agreed to stay on at the Garden for another year -- and that she will be joined in June by Joel Jorgensen, a young man who has long dreamed of bringing youth ministry together with farming.

Annalise and Joel will serve as co-directors of Gideon’s Garden for six months (June – December 2022), ensuring a smooth transition and a stable (and doable!) transfer of knowledge, skills and responsibility. Please join us in giving thanks to God for them both, and in holding them in prayer as they plan and prepare.

Most of you have known Annalise for many years and are well familiar with her path. Joel by contrast is a newcomer among us, so here’s a very brief bio: Originally from Iowa, Joel brings a breadth of farming experience and a depth of youth formation work that he is excited to combine through his work with Gideon’s Garden. He is dedicated to cultivating the inner lives of youth today and hopes to use the gifts of creation to help young people navigate and explore the meaning found in their lives. Joel currently serves with Lawrence House, an Episcopal Service Corps program in South Hadley, and works for St. Andrew's in Longmeadow as their church school teacher and general intern. Joel is discerning a call to Holy Orders and is can't wait to join the people of Grace in June."

Episcopal Diocese 

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.

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.)

Keynote

The Rev. Dr. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones is an Episcopal priest at Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City. He serves as the Priest and Director of Spiritual Formation of Trinity’s Retreat Center in West Cornwall, CT.

10:30 AM -- Session led by The Rev. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones award-winning author, retreat leader

12:00 PM -- A Blessing for the Road Ahead

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Grace Church worships and gardens on the traditional land of the Mohican people.

Join us for a discussion of

To join this Zoom meeting, Click Here

(Meeting ID): 370 191 823 (Password): 385337

MOVIE NITE attendees met on Zoom in December for a rousing discussion of

About Schmidt, a movie starring Jack Nickelson. All are welcome to our next conversation!

Bring an appetizer or dessert to share.

Write a paragraph about the book or two you would like to nominate. The books should be less than 400 pages. Forward your nominations to Peter Kirchoff no later than January 5th. His contact information is in the Grace Directory.

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 

[email protected] or by phone 413-644-0022.

On Sundays you will find a basket near the welcome table, with slips of paper available for you to write down prayer requests. You can ask for prayers for those who are ill, or in need of healing or encouragement of any kind, prayers for intentions, journeys, or projects, the birth or adoption of children, and prayers of thanksgiving for anything that needs celebrating. In other words, 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 requests will be prayed for 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!!

for signing up for this year’s

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