Step into Grace
Where strangers become friends
We are an Open and Affirming church. Every one of every age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental ability, or economic status is invited to join us as together we live out the Gospel message of love, forgiveness, service, and justice. No matter where you are in your spiritual journey- you are welcome here.
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Fifth Sunday of Easter
Morning Prayer
May 2, 2021
10:00 AM
Officiant and Preacher: The Rev. Dr. Valerie Bailey Fisher
Lector...............TBD
Intercessor.......Jainee McCarroll,
John and Ellis Ericson
Responder....... Sue Gore
Counter........... Sarah Sieber
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ZOOM INVITATIONS
FOR GRACE CHURCH
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Morning Prayer
May 2, 2021
10:00 AM
For Zoom
or call 646 558 8656 US
(New York)
(Meeting ID): 177 160 858
(Password): 917937
Grace Sunday School
11:15 AM - 12:00 AM
This a recurring meeting.
To join this Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID): 859 9461 5863
(Password): 508436
Tuesday Bible Study
7:00 to 8:30 PM
New series begins April 27th.
or call 646-558-8656
(Meeting ID):
826 0996 0553
(Password): 446609
See article in this edition of Tuesday's Child for more info.
Centering Prayer
Thursdays 5:00 PM
This is a recurring meeting.
To join this Zoom meeting,
(Meeting ID): 203 314 800
(Password): 578877
646 558 8656 US (New York)
Third Sunday Supper
Every Third Sunday
May 16, 2021
at 6:00 PM to 7PM
This is a recurring meeting.
To join this Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID): 778 608 743
(Password): 729107
646 558 8656 US (New York)
Books and Bread,
at 7:00 PM
Wednesday
May 12, 2021
To join this Zoom meeting,
(Meeting ID): 370 191 823
(Password): 385337
or call 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Night at the Movies
at 6:30 PM
Thursday
May 6, 2021
To join this Zoom meeting,
(Meeting ID): 370 191 823
(Password): 385337
or call 646 558 8656 US (New York)
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John 15:1-8
Jesus said to his disciples, ”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
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Come Away to the Skies - The Furman University Chamber Choir
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For the most up to date information please visit the Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative website,
They will post notice of appointment openings 6-12 hours in advance. You can find answers to your vaccination questions including information about the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine on their FAQ page.
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We are so excited to announce that the
Rev. Tina Rathbone
has been called to be Grace’s third rector beginning her ministry on August 1.
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To read The Rev. Tina Rathbone's letter to the people of Grace Church,
About The Rev. Tina:
She served Boston’s Cathedral Church of St. Paul for ten years. As Canon Missioner there, she worked primarily with homeless and marginally housed people. Together with them, she developed a new faith community, MANNA (Many Angels Needed Now and Always), which remains a thriving and multi-faceted ministry of the Cathedral. The daughter of Cuban refugees on her mother’s side, Tina went on to develop The Bridge Chaplaincy with the Diocese of the Rio Grande, helping them find plausible, pastoral and incarnate ways to serve migrants and asylum seekers along the international border between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso. She currently works with Episcopal Migration Ministries to launch Neighbor to Neighbor, a national network designed to connect Episcopal congregations with newly arrived asylum seekers in their own, local contexts.
Before being ordained in 2009, Tina worked as a writer and a journalist. She is the author of two award winning books of narrative non-fiction: On the Outside Looking In: A Year in the Life of an Inner City High School (Grove/Atlantic Press, 1998), and A World Apart: Women, Prisons and Life Behind Bars. (Random House 2005).
She is the proud and grateful mother of two grown sons, Jack and Lucas.
Please pray for Tina as she finishes her work in Boston and prepares to move to the Berkshires!
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Grace Clergy Transition
O God, our heavenly Father, you raise up faithful servants to be pastors in your Church and to feed your flock. We give thanks for the Rev. Tina Rathbone, who has accepted the call to be rector of Grace Church and to serve the communities around us. Give abundantly to our new rector and to all pastors the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that they may minister as true servants of Christ and stewards of your divine mysteries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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We supply this list so you may contact members of our congregation who are at home or in a nursing facility. Please hold in your prayers and reach out as you can.
Anne is recuperating at home.
ANDREWS, Anne
659 South Egremont Road
P.O. Box 714
Great Barrington, MA 01230
(413) 528-2766
BLAKELY, Rosemarie
21 Crossway, #108
Lee MA 01238
413-243-0485
BOWENS, Marina
c/o Maryella Satinover
11908 Windward Ave.
Mar Vista, CA 90066
310-398-2484
(310) 749-9424 (cell)
BREASTED, John
Fairview Commons
151 Christian Hill Road
Great Barrington MA 01230
413-429-8123
Cell (413) 854-3977
BROOKS, Jane
165 George Street
Lee MA 01230
413-243-3367
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FRYE, Vonnie
PineHill Assisted Living
at Kimball Farms
235 Walker St. Apt #32
Lenox, Ma. 01240
413-637-7432
GORE, Barbara
50 Stockbridge Road
Lee MA 01238
413-243-4261
HAIDER, Meredith
5 Fox Hollow Road
#409
Lenox, MA 01240
413-551-7319
(814)308-4865
KEENE, Sara
The Egremont Village Inn
17 Main Street
P. O. Box 275
South Egremont, MA 01258
413-528-4152
McCURDY, Deborah
Lees Landing Nursing Center
9807 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01109
413-507-2832
TURNER, Barbara
Fairview Commons
151 Christian Hill Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
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We pray for Tom and Paula Doyle as they move this week to South Carolina. We give thanks for their presence within this Grace Church community, pray for a safe journey south and for joy in their new home. We hope to see them from time to time when they return to the Berkshires for visits with family.
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In this time of quarantine and physical separation you are still being prayed for. If you would like to receive specific healing prayers please contact:
The Rev. Ted Cobden 413-528-2247
Pennie Curry 413-429-7093
Sue Gore 413-243-2273
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NEW PRAYER LIST
Praying for each other and for the needs of the world is a vital part of the mission of any faith community, and Grace Church is particularly skilled at this aspect of our communal life. With this week’s Tuesday’s Child, we are beginning a new prayer list. We don’t want anyone to fall through the cracks and always want to be generous in our prayers for others. If you or your loved one is in need of prayers and doesn’t appear on this new list, please contact Libby ( [email protected] or 270-519-6934). |
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GRACE
CHURCH
Please include
in your daily prayers this week:
Members of the Parish Family:
The Rev. Libby Wade, Anne Andrews, Linda White, Pennie Curry, Mark Anderson, Stacey, Claire and Mark Thomas, Meredith Haider, Linda White, Rosemarie Blakely, Marina Bowens, John Breasted, Jane Brooks, Vonnie Frye, Barbara Gore, Sara Keene, Barbara Turner.
Others we Love: Karen LaRocque friend of Sue Gore; Rosalind Haywood, Sue Gore's mother;
Deborah McCurdy
Those who have died:
Alan Sparks, brother of Debbie Holmes; Charlotte Douglas Mott, mother of the Rev. Pam Mott; Patricia Mary Turk, mother of the Rev. Michael Tuck; Ruth Crawford; Emily Trespas, friend of Jainee McCarroll and John Ericson; John Grammer, husband of Mary Anne; Rollie Tillman, father of the Rev. Jane Tillman; Bill Alford, brother of Dick Alford; Elinor Hamill; Neil Brandt, brother of Linda White; John Turner, husband of Barbara Turner; Leslie Albert, friend of Margaret Layton and Sarah Sieber; Andrew S. Artz, brother-in-law of the Rev. Janet Zimmerman; Kathy Happ, sister of Doug and Gary Happ; Fred Bunce, father of Mary Booton; Marion Chapin Andrews; Chuck De Melker, husband of Evie Cobden De Melker; Locke Larkin, brother-in-law of Maureen Terry; Charles Olegar; Marianne Felch, friend of Janet Zimmerman; Pat Edelstein; Anthony Aiuvalasit, friend of Janet Zimmerman.
Our world: For all victims of violence; for those who suffer from the COVID-19 virus; for those who have died from this virus and those who mourn; for those who provide care and comfort in this pandemic; for all who suffer from the loss of jobs and income in this time; for all who are anxious about their future and our world; for all who offer time and treasure to support those who need to know love; for all who are alone and all who reach out to care.
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The many ministries of our local community and the Diocese of Western Massachusetts:
especially for our partners at St. Paul's, Stockbridge and the Rev. Sam Smith and the Rev. Jane Tillman; Christ Trinity, Sheffield and the Rev. Erik Karas; our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher; and the Mampong Babies' Home in Ghana; Trinity Church, Lenox; Beloved Community Commission; Evangelical Education Society; National Episcopal AIDs Association (NEAA).
The Church's wider mission:
Fifth Sunday of Easter;
The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and The Middle East.
And we offer thanks: for all those celebrating birthdays or anniversaries this week: Dutch Pinkston, 4/28.
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Join us for
Centering Prayer ONLINE
every Thursday
5:00 - 6:00
Encouraging a practice of silence and stillness we focus on practices of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina using scripture, art and music. All are welcome.
To join this Zoom meeting
Meeting ID: 203 314 800
Password: 578877
Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
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The new Forward Day by Day booklets are now available. If you would like a copy to be mailed to you please email Gretchen, [email protected], or leave a voicemail at the office, 413-644-0022.
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Diocesan Compline
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday @ 8:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 824 5008 6637
Passcode: 501604
Dial by phone
+1 929 205 6099
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WHAT ARE YOU
GRATEFUL FOR?
In this time of fear and anxiety, it can be easy to miss the daily blessings that are right in front of us. Being grateful is not just for good times. Being grateful is even more important when fear sets a place at your table and heartbreak seems to be in your every breath. Because by being grateful we become aware of all the ways God is working in us. Being grateful is a part of our healing and our deliverance. Being grateful is where our best selves reside.
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How we grow our onions... |
The onions were started on March 2nd. Koa and Vivi helped Annalise put seeds into trays filled with potting soil. We pressed down on the soil to make a divot where we placed 3 to 5 seeds. Now, more than a month later the seedlings are almost the width of a pencil. They are safe in the high tunnel during these cold nights but don't worry, they are frost hardy and almost ready for transplanting! Enjoy the April rain showers.
Onions are in the back of this picture. In the front are Swiss chard and red Russian kale.
Plans are being discussed for our annual blessing of Gideon's Garden on the first Saturday in June (the 5th of June). Save the date!
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SHINE YOUR LIGHT
In this unpredictable time, your church continues to give thanks for and need your support. If you are capable of sending in your pledge, thank you. If you are unable to give at this time, we understand. If you are capable of giving a bit more so we can respond to the needs of our community, we are very grateful. If you are in need, please contact a member of the Vestry listed at the top of the newsletter. Since we are not gathering in person in community, we ask that you send your gifts via mail to Grace Church, P.O. Box 114, Great Barrington, MA 01230. We are truly all in this life together. We pray, trusting that God will see us through this season and beyond.
Thank you for giving generously to support the ministry of Grace.
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It costs about $1500 a year to support a baby. The Diocese's goal is for one congregation
to support one child for a year.
To donate to support babies at the Mampong Babies Home in Ghana please send a check to Grace Church, PO Box 114, Great Barrington, MA 01230.
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Becoming Beloved Community
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The Mahaiwe Theater presents
Heartbeat Opera’s Breathing Free
Streamed virtually
Saturday
May 15 7:00 pm
A song cycle, brought to life in vivid music videos, mingling excerpts from Fidelio with Negro Spirituals and songs by Black composers and lyricists, which together manifest a dream of justice, equity… and breathing free.
Featuring excerpts from Beethoven’s Fidelio, Negro Spirituals, and songs by Harry T. Burleigh, Florence Price, Langston Hughes, Anthony Davis, and Thulani Davis.
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In Minnesota service, Presiding Bishop calls verdicts in George Floyd’s death steps in ‘long walk’ to justice
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[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preached an impassioned and at times personal sermon during an April 20 virtual Compline service organized by the Episcopal Church in Minnesota and held hours after a jury convicted a former police officer in the killing of George Floyd. [Bishop Curry's sermon begins at 7:30.]
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Curry spoke for 16 minutes from his home in North Carolina, during the evening service that was livestreamed on the Episcopal Church in Minnesota’s Facebook page. “We must continue until no human child of God is treated less than a child of God, until everybody is treated as God’s somebody, until this world and our communities are beloved communities, where there’s plenty good room for all of God’s children,” he said. “This is our work. This is our task. This is our struggle.” |
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Education for Ministry Reflection
This week the South Berkshire EfM Group read an essay about the work of theologian Robert Hughes, who developed a compelling schematic melding modern cosmology with our conception of God as Trinity and the place of human beings in the known scientific architecture of the cosmos. Rooted in our ancient understanding of 'from ashes to ashes and dust to dust,' Hughes conceives of the human spirit as comprising 'beloved dust' with four dimensions--animated, spirited, estranged, and redeemed. He writes, "we are dust, but we are only a particular kind of animal assembled from the dust of material elements that make up the universe. Admittedly this means a lot more than the dust under the bed. It is, quite literally, star dust, the dust from the great clouds born in the Big Bang, shaped and reshaped by physics and chemistry until atoms, molecules and finally snippets of RNA and DNA emerge in organic life." In Hughes' framework, the journey to God of our 'dusty' selves, takes place in three simultaneous dimensions, ('pitch, yaw and roll') encompassing the 'tides of spirit,' conversion, transfiguration, and glory. Our reflection centered on an image from NASA of a Helix Nebula. When a star like the Sun runs out of fuel, it expands and its outer layers - dust - puff off, and then the core of the star shrinks. Here is the prayer we wrote: "God, grand architect of the universe, we are but tiny specks of stardust, reflecting the cosmos. We come together in awe and wonder at the interconnection of all creation. We pray for humility, understanding, and revelation as we swim in the tides of the spirit. Amen." (Karen Byers of Christ Trinity Church is the EfM Mentor for this group that includes John Cheek and Sarah Seiber from Grace Church.)
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TO FIND MORE DETAILS AND REGISTER ONLINE
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It's Earth Day. Take Action.
On March 23, 2021, the bishops of the Episcopal dioceses of Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts declared a climate emergency. From their declaration:
“We believe that God is calling us all to embrace brave and difficult change. Everything we do as faithful individuals and as a church must reckon with the unprecedented emergency in which humanity now finds itself.
“We strongly urge congregations across Massachusetts to pray, learn, act, and advocate as we build a bold and faith-filled response to the greatest moral challenge of our time.”
In May, the Creation Care Justice Network of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and the Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas will host four webinars on the climate emergency and how to respond to it: Pray, Learn, Act and Advocate.
These will be held on Wednesdays, May 5, 12, 19 and 26 at 7 p.m.
The Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts | 413-737-4786 |diocesewma.org
Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts | 37 Chestnut Street, Springfield, MA 01103
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Children and Teens Please Join Us! |
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GRACE SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sundays, at 11:15 AM to 12:00 AM
The Beatitudes
Grace Sunday School
This is a recurring meeting
To join this Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID): 859 9461 5863 (Passcode): 508436
To read Nobody Goes Alone, A Silly Story written by our Sunday School students
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Tuesday Bible Study – New Series
April 27 – May 17,
7:00 – 8:00 PM
“A Portrait of Love” – The Letters of John
Throughout this Easter Season, our first scripture reading each Sunday is from the First Letter of John. This four-week Bible Study Series led by the Rev. Libby Wade will explore all three Letters of John. No book to purchase and no advance preparation necessary, but be sure to have a Bible with you each week as we gather on Zoom for discussion and Compline.
or call in: 646-558-8656
Meeting ID: 826 0996 0553
Passcode: 446609
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NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
Join us for a discussion of
NOMADLAND
on May 6th, at 6:30 PM
"A woman in her sixties who, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad."
Watch at your leisure then join us for a discussion the first Thursday of the month.
To join this Zoom meeting,
(Meeting ID): 370 191 823
(Password): 385337
or call 646 558 8656 US (New York)
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JOIN the DISCUSSION
on Rules of Civility
by Amor Towles
Wednesday, on Zoom
May 12, 2021 at 7:00PM
Mark Anderson will lead our discussion.
Meeting will end at about 8PM
To join this Zoom meeting,
(Meeting ID): 370 191 823
(Password): 385337
or call 646 558 8656 US (New York)
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Rev. Libby Wade,
Interim Rector
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GRACE CHURCH
An Episcopal Community in the Southern Berkshires
Mailing:
P.O. Box 114
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Gretchen Fairfield
Office Assistant
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Ms. Annalise Clausen, Director of Farming for Gideon's Garden
413-644-6572
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In an effort to care for each other, our church office will be closed until further notice. You can reach the church office by email:
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VESTRY CONTACT INFORMATION |
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Kathy Clausen 413-329-1724
Rick Gore, Jr. 413-441-7036
Sue Gore 413-243-2273
Mary Anne Grammer 413-258-4212
John Cheek 413-446-8863
Dindy Anderson 413-274-3854
Anne Andrews 413-528-2766
Dutch Pinkston 413-274-6566
Cathy Haywood 413-464-6664
Holly Murray 860-977-9198
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The Rev. Libby Wade is available for pastoral emergencies at 270-519-6934 or [email protected].
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Tuesday's Child Editor Monique Kirchoff
Associate Editor Kathy Clausen
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