The Season After Pentecost |
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Sunday School for children: 10 a.m. in the Pavilion. Drop off the offspring as you head in for the 10 a.m. service. They will get a worthy lesson and you will be spared dividing your attention between the service and their yen to rummage through the fountain-algae in search of frogs and other bounties of nature.
Though all worship will be taking place indoors (we hope) beginning in mid-August, Sunday School will remain in the Pavilion for a time since children are still ineligible for vaccination.
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Sunday Worship at Grace
Adult Class (The Writings of Paul)
Children's Ministry News
Back in the Nave on August 15!
Blessing of the Backpacks (8-15)
Clergy Outdoor Office Hours
Welcoming New Babies!
Forward Day by Day -- New Issue
Daily Worship
Food Pantry
Want to Be a UN Climate Delegate?
Diocesan Pilgrimage to Selma
Parish Prayer List
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A note on both services: This week's preacher will be Sean McEwen, who will be leaving Grace after this Sunday (*groan*) to go to seminary (*Yay!*). Come hear his sermon and give him a memorable send-off.
8 a.m. Service -- This service will be held in the Nave (main indoor worship space), as long as the community continues to see a decline in infection rates. We will continue to celebrate Holy Eucharist in one kind (bread only), and the priests will wear masks throughout the service, unless they are preaching or officiating. The windows will be open and fans will be blowing. All in attendance at the 8am service, vaccinated or not, are asked to wear masks.
Before entering the Nave, either from the courtyard, or from the front of the church, you’ll find a station hand sanitizer and extra masks.
10 a.m. Service -- The forecast looks reasonably clement this week, so the proceedings will most likely be fine outdoors. However, Plan B remains in place in case of rain: Should there be rain in any substantial volume, we will initiate Plan B and move into the Nave. If we go inside, we do ask that everyone, vaccinated or not, wear masks, so please tuck one into your pocket just in case. We will have some on hand for those don't have them.
We ask that those who are not vaccinated wear masks when in close proximity to others at outdoor worship. Priests will continue to wear masks when distributing communion. We also recommend wearing sunscreen and/or a sunhat for this service. We will always have some chairs available, but we ask that those who can bring their own chairs do so.
Online Worship -- For those who must still be cautious about gathering among flesh-and-blood humanity, the 10 a.m. service will be live-streamed on
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Full of Anxiety, Full of Love -- the Writings of Paul
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On two upcoming Sundays (August 1 and 8) our assistant priest David will lead a short class about the writings of Paul. We'll cover Paul's thoughts about who Jesus is, what Christian community can be like, and what his writing suggests about women leaders in the church. We'll meet at 9am in the courtyard, and wrap up by 9:30/9:45 before church -- in case of rain or a lot of heat, we can move inside. |
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After many years of serving the children and families of Grace, Maria Hurt is stepping away from her role as Director of Children's ministries. Maria has helped a generation of children to grow in God's love at Grace in her leadership of the Sunday School, nursery and Arts Camp. Fortunately for us, Maria will remain an active member of the Grace community, and we look forward to her continued presence among us in a different capacity. Please join us for a thanksgiving for Maria's ministry at the 10:45am service on Sunday, August 15th.
In related news, we are pleased to announce that Betsy Hawthorne Bedwell joins us this week as Director of Children's Ministries. Betsy will begin working alongside Maria this weekend at Arts Camp. Betsy is a native Chattanoogan, a lifelong Episcopalian, and is a third-generation educator. She has been in professional children’s ministry for 12 years and is a Godly Play trainer. Her weekday job is as a preschool programs evaluator for the state of Tennessee. She lives with her husband Eric in Brainerd.
A note from Betsy:
Dear People of Grace,
Thank you so much for welcoming me to your parish! 2021 is a perfect time for new beginnings. I am looking forward to meeting all of you. I know that together we can continue to grow the Grace family in wonder, love, and grace!
Betsy
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Back in the Nave, August 15th 8:00am and 10:45am
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We plan to be worshipping back in the nave for both the 8am and10:45am services on August 15th. Masks will be required of unvaccinated persons, including children under 12 years of age, as an act of community care. We expect that others may want to continue to wear masks for a variety of reasons, and that is perfectly fine! For those who wish to socially distance to a greater degree than the pews in the main part of the nave might permit, additional seating is available in the chapel and in the baptistry. We will continue to hold Sunday morning children's activities outdoors as long as the weather permits. The vestry and rector will continue to monitor CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, especially as they relate to the emergence of COVID variants. |
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Blessing of the Backpacks (August 15) |
Join us Sunday, August 15th as we mark the beginning of a new school year. Students of all ages, along with educators and school staff, are invited to receive a blessing at the 10:45am services. Bring a backpack, briefcase or book bag for the blessing. |
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Clergy Outdoor Office Hours
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The Rev. David Burman will be in the courtyard from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday, July 30. The Rev. April Berends has a somewhat unpredictable schedule next week; should you want to meet with her, please e-mail her to set up a time.
As always, our priests would be happy to connect with you, either by phone or video call or socially-distanced in person. Feel free to call, text, or email April (aberends@saygrace.net) and David (dburman@saygrace.net) to make arrangements.
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Congratulations to Ali, Mark and big brother Mason Stahlwood, who welcomed John Michael "Jack" Stahlwood into the world last Friday. Both mom and baby are doing well.
Congratulations are also in order for Mike and Lisa Revenig, whose daughter and son-in-law, Alice and Will Clark, have just been blessed with a son, Thomas John Clark.
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Forward Day by Day -- New Issue
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Forward, March! -- or, more accurately, Forward, August, September and October: the new issue of Forward Day by Day is now available! You can obtain a copy after either service on Sunday (there will be some in the Narthex and some in the courtyard) or by coming by the church during office hours (Tuesday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m to noon. If you are still hunkered down in light of the Delta variant or unable to get to the church for services or weekday visits, you can avail yourselves of electronic copies, which are available below:
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Grace offers Compline services at 8pm each evening; you can join
& the password is: compline
Morning Prayer continues every day (except Sundays) via Zoom, beginning at 9:00 a.m.; click the link below or paste the URL into your browser.
For Morning Prayer, click here:
or paste this URL into your browser:
Meeting ID: 746 8859 6599
Passcode: amprayer
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The pantry served 19 visitors this week, and they left with food for 59 -- 31 adults and 28 children. They made a bit of a dent in our supplies, so we need items in several categories this week:
* hearty soups (chicken and beef)
* canned tuna and chicken (larger cans)
* canned green beans and sweet peas
* 16-oz. packets of spaghetti
* small canned chicken (5 oz.) with pop-tops (for our homeless visitors)
Thanks to our parishioners and our Belvoir neighbors, whose unflagging donations keep us able to provide help for those who need it. Copious thanks to our volunteers -- Richard Hyatt, Jim Dorris, Brittany Williams, Dixie Riall, Jim Harris, Linda Wideman and Gail Dooley -- whose labors to bag groceries, hand them out, record the numbers, and tolerate such horrors and fire alarm testing in the process are little short of epic.
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Want to Be a UN Climate Delegate?
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Applications are due by Aug. 20, and the presiding bishop’s delegation will attend daily virtual events during COP26, which takes place in Glasgow Oct. 31 to Nov. 12.
“This year’s online platform will allow for wider representation on the delegation,” said the Rev. Melanie Mullen, director of reconciliation, justice, and creation care for The Episcopal Church. “Episcopalians who are young adults, people of color, Indigenous, LGBTQ identifying, and from communities affected by climate change and environmental injustice are especially invited to apply.”
Organizers underscored the vital importance of decisions from the annual COP gatherings in the effort to reverse the worst effects of climate change. Already this year, June was recorded as North America’s hottest on record and the fourth hottest globally; the western U.S. is experiencing its worst drought in two decades.
“Non-governmental organizations, including religious bodies like The Episcopal Church, participate in these UN meetings by advocating for our own needs and concerns, especially giving voice to vulnerable populations within our Church,” said the Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California and head of the delegation. “As delegation members, we stand in solidarity with smaller nations, such as those in the Pacific Ocean, who already feel the leading-edge effects of climate change.”
During the conference, delegates will be expected to attend two to five hours of events per day and follow a particular issue within the climate negotiations. They will have the opportunity to speak at Episcopal Church COP events and write and publish blog posts about their engagement with the event.
“We bring our values and beliefs into the room at the COPs,” Andrus said. “The world religions hold the earth to be sacred, respect the rights of vulnerable populations, and have sacred paths for people to travel that lead us from disintegration to wholeness.”
The presiding bishop began sending a delegation to the COP with the historic Paris Agreement meeting in 2015 and has done so every year since. Delegates bring back what they learn to share with the wider church and also carefully monitor the major workstreams of the COP. These workstreams include mitigation, finance, adaptation, loss and damage, and raising ambition, which means accelerating progress to achieve emissions reduction goals and involves building consensus and partnering strategically at local and global levels.
“Our local communities can learn from what others are doing in these important themes of climate change action around the world,” Andrus said.
The presiding bishop will announce his nominations for the delegation by early September. Members will meet monthly ahead of COP26 via video conferencing as well as daily during the November event. To learn more and to apply by Aug. 20, click here.
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Diocesan Pilgrimage to Selma
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Join the Diocese of East Tennessee on a pilgrimage to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama from Tuesday, October 12 to Friday, October 15 to visit landmarks, museums, and other important sites of the Civil Rights Movement and the ongoing struggle against racism in the United States.
The Selma Pilgrimage is open to participants in middle school and up. Pilgrims under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. For questions regarding family participation, please contact the Rev. Claire Brown at cbrown@stpaulsathens.org.
The cost of the trip is $471.70, which includes $321.70 per room for three nights at the St. James Hotel, Selma, plus a $150 event fee which covers the cost of local tour guides, museum and site entrance fees, and three catered meals. The $150 event fee is due with your registration. You will receive further information on registering for your hotel stay upon completing this initial registration.
Please note that costs for other meals are not included in this registration fee. Transportation for the pilgrimage is provided by the Diocese, departing from Chattanooga.
Pilgrims that are vaccinated are not required to wear a mask. Those who choose to do so for comfort may. Those pilgrims that are unvaccinated will be required to wear a mask anytime they are outside their hotel room.
If you have any questions regarding the trip itinerary, hotel, or registering online, please contact Nicole Seiferth, Parish Administrator for Church of the Good Shepherd, Lookout Mountain, at nicole@gslookout.com or 423-821-1583.
and register for the trip at
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Please remember: Joseph, our President; the Senate, the House of Representatives, and our Courts of Justice; together with all elected officials, and the other leaders of our country and the nations of the world.
We pray for Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury; Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Brian, our Bishop; for April, our priest; for David, our Curate; for Sarah and Caroline, our seminarians; for our missionaries, and all other bishops and ministers.
We pray for the unemployed and underemployed, especially those in our congregation and community. We pray for the homeless and the hungry, and for those in special need of prayer, especially
Joyce Smith, Susan Landis, the Smallwood family, Patty Maroney,
Michelle Maroney, Jamie Stone, Amanda Cate, Martha Smith, Sue Sears,
William Simpson, Neil Robinson, Ash Gunlock, Bill Strang, Sally Cauthen,
Mary Lou Walden, Gerry Jones, Jennifer Thompson, June McEwen, Amy, Deborah, Jim Hinkle, Andrea, Ann Ludwig, the Hale family (Austin, Amanda, and Autumn);
the Brown family, Reba, Niysah, Daniel Parker, Valorie Lephart, Terrie, Alex,
Steve Slack, Angela, Barbara Dooley, Dwight McMillan, Doris, J.R. Hicks,
Charlotte Dorris, Libby Workman, Jean Williams, Barbara Reed,
Elizabeth Harrison, Jim May, and Ann Swint;
We pray for Wil Mabry, Jake Dorris, Kevin Kelley, Tripp Mouron, Mike Mabry, Alexander Ross, Russel Webb, Logan Roberts, Jim Makepeace, Sean Benson,
Evan Watkins and all of our Armed Forces, here and abroad;
We pray for Jessica Pannell, who is with child, and we give thanks for the birth of Thomas Clark, son of Alice and Will Clark and grandson of Mike and Lisa Revenig, and for the birth of John Michael "Jack" Stahlwood, son of Ali and Mark Stahlwood.
We pray for this community: For our local leaders; for our schools and marketplaces; for our neighborhoods and workplaces, for protesters and for police. Help us to honor your image in one another. Give us courage to strive for justice and peace among all people, beginning here at home.
We pray for all whose homes are in peril or uprooted because of climate change, for all displaced because of hurricanes, fires or other disasters.
We pray for those who have died, especially Jean Stone, stepmother of Jamie Stone, and Steven Mosman, member of Christ Church and friend of many at Grace, that your will for them may be fulfilled, and that they may share with all your saints in the full revelation of your eternal glory.
In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Scottish Episcopal Church. The Anglican Communion has adopted a cycle of prayer called "From Aba to Zululand," praying its way alphabetically through its members on a daily basis between January 1, 2021 and September 2023. The newsletter and, in the future, the printed bulletin, will include the prayers for Sunday; if you would like to see the daily prayer requests, you can find them at ACoP.
In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: Pray for the right use of God's gifts (BCP p. 827) and for the Diocesan Daughters of the King.
Those in need of continued prayer:
Jeanette Cureton, Wanda Kirkpatrick, Emma Andrews, Jim Strickland,
Trevor Laymance, Michael Conner, Bo and Mary Minor Brown,
Helen Williams, Peggy Fugate, William Simpson, Timothy Penny,
Donald Jones, Cooper Jones, Charles Smith, John Woodham,
Elaine Harrison, Marcia Magers, Major McCollough, John Cox,
Gayanne Silver, Heather Nelson, Robert Clark, Dexter and Helen Williams,
Cheryl McCurry, Ethel Rutledge, Lanie Lundgrin, Terri Harvey, Anne Getz,
Michael Roberts, Jeannie and Andy Williams, Jaime Cooper, Teresa Noel,
Tina Knowles, Joyce and Greg Snyder, Martha Killeffer, Robert Durham,
Jessica Ricketts
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