grace episcopal church

Please note: despite changes to COVID status in the state, we are still under the diocesan restrictions until new ones are issued on June 16th. That means masks covering nose and mouth are required at all church functions, indoors or out, in the church building or elsewhere, vaccinated or not.

Members & Guests, Celebrants

Rev. Linda Packard, Presider

Rev. Diane Luther, Preacher

Richard Luther, Lector

Deb Pausz, Intercessor

Robin French, Music Director

Nancy Cook, Erben Organist

Crystal Mason, Vestry Coord.

Alice Maffit & Maren Coates,

The following letter was received this week regarding our funds raised for the Glory Parish church building:

Terri and Phil Jackman will host Canapes and Converations at their home on Friday, June 18 from 5-7 pm. Parking: for those with mobility issues, drive around back of house and park by the deck. Others can park on the grass. Directions: Blackjack Road to Sand Hill Rd, turn left at the stop sign, house is 1/2 mile on the left.

Our Bishop-elect, Paula Clark will be consecrated on August 28! Prior to her medical emergency she was able to attend our Deanery meeting and talked about her intent to hold deanery-wide services to provide Confirmations, and receive new members to the church. By doing this, those wishing to be received or confirmed would not have to wait for her to visit their parish, which might take two or more years.

Because of this, I will be offering an Adult Inquirers Class sometime this summer (dates will be determined by the schedules of those interested in attending). We will be talking about our identity as Episcopalians, the Book of Common Prayer, a brief history of the Anglican/Episcopal church, our creeds, prayer, Baptism, Eucharist, the Trinity (don’t come looking for an explanation!), and the Jesus Movement as described by Presiding Bishop Curry. Attending does not commit you to being received. You may make that decision after you have completed the class.

This is open to anyone in the church or community, although if there is a large response, those considering reception into the Church will be given priority due to limited space (this is an in-person class). The time commitment is about eight hours. Last time, those taking the class decided to do the whole thing on one Saturday. Other options include but are not limited to two sessions of four hours, or four sessions of two hours. This will be determined by those interested in participating, again with priority to those considering reception.

If you are interested in this or would like more information, please contact Rev. Diane Luther at dm20luther@gmail.com, or call (815) 281-2301

MEDITATIVE PRAYER 9:00am on Fridays

Caste is the June EfM Alumni book selection. Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson examines different caste systems around the world and how they damaged the lives of everyone involved, even those at the top. Wilkerson’s premise is that America’s social and political landscapes derive from an infrastructure of human hierarchy implemented 400 years ago when Europeans first arrived. Discussion of this book will begin at 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 17th. All wishing to participate are welcome and can obtain a Zoom invitation from Greg Serwich (gserwich@gmail.com).

WEDNESDAY MORNING STUDY GROUP 10:30am on Wednesdays

Join us to study, discuss and ponder St. Mark’s Gospel. We gather on Zoom, 10:30 – 11:30 Wednesday mornings. Contact Greg Serwich for a Zoom invitation (gserwich@gmail.com).

WORSHIP:

For each of us as individual Christ-followers, and for our communities, this week is one of great encouragement. It is easy to become disheartened in our attempts to love others when we so often fall into destructive and hurtful patterns, and when our efforts to love so often feel inadequate. It is easy to lose hope when family members or friends or companions in community seem to ignore or fail to respond to our attempts to serve and love. It can be frustrating when we seek to make a contribution and we feel that our gifts or opportunities are insufficient or that the resources we bring are too meagre. However, this week’s theme calls us to value the small, the insignificant, the hidden. Every act of service, every gesture of love, every gift we give has value and makes a difference in the work of God’s Reign in our communities and in our own hearts. We may not be talented or well-known or wealthy or well-connected, but we all have fruit that we can produce and that God can use – often in ways we that we won’t even know. The invitation, then, is to learn to value our small efforts and contributions as God does, and to stay faithful even when we don’t see the results of our work.

Ezekiel 17:22-24: God speaks through the prophet using an image of a small branch that is planted on a high mountain, becoming a large tree. The message is that God makes small trees large and brings down large trees, and God makes green trees wither and dead trees live.

Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15: A celebration of God’s goodness and unfailing love, and an affirmation of how the godly flourish and produce fruit.

2 Corinthians 5:6-10, (11-13), 14-17: Followers of Christ live by faith and not by sight, and do everything with the view to please God. Although we may at times seem crazy, we are controlled by Christ’s love. So we no longer live our old life, but a new one in Christ for whom we live, and who was raised for us.

Mark 4:26-34: Jesus shares two parables of God’s Reign using the metaphor of seeds. In the first, he speaks about a farmer who plants seeds without knowing how they grow. In the second, he describes how the small mustard seed grows to become a large plant in which birds can nest.

thumbnails and commentary from sacredise.com

ZOOM POETRY GROUP 2:00pm on Mondays

A Zoom Poetry meeting from Grace Church has been organized and meets Mondays at 2:00pm. This is not specifically a Grace ministry, but a number of Grace members and friends are part of it If you are interested, write Carol Poston at poston@sxu.edu or call her at 815-777-0220.

Wednesday Episcopal service of Holy Eucharist: The Rev. Linda Packard, Presider; The Rev. Diane Luther, Deacon; Karen Serwich, Lector; Lynn Giles, Zoom Host.

Day of Pentecost 5/23/2021: A festive celebration of the Day of Pentecost. There were technical difficulties, however, so there are some awkward edits. But it is colorful! The Rev Dr Gloria Hopewell, Presider; The Rev Diane Luther, Deacon; Lynn Giles, Lector and Zoom Host; Debbie Kallback, Intercessor; Deb Pausz, Acolyte; Bill Foltz, Thurifer; Billie Bookless, Boat Boy; Robin French, Music Director; and Nancy Cook, Erben Organist.

Trinity Sunday 5/30/2021: An Episcopal service of Holy Eucharist--The Rev. Dr. Gloria Hopewell, Presider; The Rev. Diane Luther, Deacon; Richard Luther, Intercessor; Greg Serwich, Lector; Robin French, Music Director; Nancy Cook, Erben Organist; and Lynn Giles, Zoom Host.

Lynn Giles, Senior Warden

Richard Luther, Jr. Warden

Richard Luther, Treasurer

Crystal Mason, Clerk

The Rev. Dr. Gloria Hopewell, Rector

The Rev. Dr. Gloria Hopewell, Rector

The Rev. Linda Packard, Priest Associate

The Rev. Diane Luther, Deacon

Nancy Kenney, Parish Administrator

Robin French, Music Director

Nancy Cook, Erben Organist