Parish News For the week of February 27, 2022

Sunday Rector's Forum, Parish Hall, 9:15 am

Creating a Legacy at Grace Episcopal Church

Recently Vestry-designated Planned Giving Shepherds Dave Hansen and Dennis Cross lead a discussion of the establishment of a Legacy Society and how individuals can prudently plan life decisions and personal resources and possessions to reflect faithful stewardship, personal values, and an interest in having a role in securing Grace Episcopal’s future vitality and ministries. In-person and ZOOM

Ukraine Aid

Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with Anglican agencies and other ecumenical partners to provide humanitarian aid in response to the refugee crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. Partner with Episcopal Relief & Development by donating to the International Disaster Response Fund. Your support will help meet critical needs for people fleeing the violence including food, cash, blankets and hygiene supplies. Help today | Read more about the response

Music Notes

What a Musical March! In addition to each Sunday's mellifluous singing by choir and congregation, there are unique offerings on Saturdays throughout March. The first two offer exploration in Becoming Beloved Community and Connections. The third features Casavant Opus 3941 in a smorgasbord of organ repertoire. 

Friday, March 4: 5:30-6:30, join members of Grace and members of the larger community in a Reflection on walking the Way of Love.

Saturday, March 5: 9:30-noon rehearsal for musicians; 2 pm Concert led by musicians Dr. Brandon A. Boyd, Martha Burford, Dr. Kyle Nielsen, and Paul Vasile. Joined by the choir of Grace and other singers, and Ben Worth on Bass, Tim Harrison on percussion

Saturday, March 19: The Greater Richmond Children's Choir and Rockbridge Youth Chorale present a joint concert at Grace. Casavant Opus 3941 will play a part in the program of music focused on Creation and Care of Creation. GRCC commissioned Grace's Martha Burford to write a piece, and she was granted permission by the Jesse Stuart Foundation to set the poet laureate's "Call It God." Come hear it and all of their rich repertoire. 

Saturday, March 26: Dr. Christopher Reynolds, Director of Music and Organist at St. Paul's, Richmond, Virginia, and Rockbridge County native, will present a program of organ works by Bach, Mendelssohn, Parry, Franck, and others. 

These are all varied and unique offerings! I hope you will invite friends to join you and immerse yourselves in the connections and music.

In dulci jubilo,

Martha

The Mission and Outreach Committee of the Gadsden Trust

The Mission and Outreach Committee of the Gadsden Trust (Gail Dickerson, Chair; Woody Sadler, Vice-Chair; Jane Brooke, Secretary; Roger Crockett, Treasurer; Carol Gosse; Bill McCorkle; Mary Wilson) will convene on March 8, 2022, at 4:00 pm in the Parish Hall for the first quarter 2022 meeting of the Gadsden Trust Committee. The Committee will review first quarter grant requests that were submitted by the March 1, 2022, deadline and make awards. The second quarter 2022 meeting of the Mission and Outreach Committee of the Gadsden Trust is scheduled for June 14, 2022. Second-quarter grant requests can be sent to Woody Sadler, Vice-Chair, and must be received by June 1, 2022. The Gadsden Trust grant request application can be found on the Grace website www.graceepiscopallexington.org under the “More” and “Parish Ministries” tabs.

Pilgrimage: Spiritual Journeys that Touch the Soul

Lenten Program - March 9 - April 13 - 7 pm - ZOOM only

Join us for Grace's six-week Lenten series that feature stories of personal pilgrimage and spiritual journeys.

March 9  Camino de Santiago   Cecile West-Settle 

March 16  What is Pilgrimage   Alexandra Brown

March 23  Iona  William McCorkle

March 30 TBA

April 6  Taizé William McCorkle

April 13  The Holy Land Tuck Bowerfind  

This series will be recorded and placed on our YouTube Channel and Website.

For more information about this series and to register click here

American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese Diocese of Jerusalem

Dear friends,

We invite you to follow with our Lord on his journey to Jerusalem this Lent and Holy Week (March 2-April 16). Each week we will highlight another aspect of the the Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East (J-Diocese) and its life changing ministries. At any time we encourage you to make a generous gift of support to the J-Diocese through the Good Friday Offering which we collect here at Grace, or through the American Friends of the Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ) Opportunities to Transform Lives Online Giving page  https://afedj.org/give/opportunities/

Lent One Ash Wednesday March 2-March 12

As we begin our Lenten journey please note the J-Diocese is home to about 7000 Anglicans worshiping within twenty-eight different congregations in Jerusalem, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. It is also responsible for more than thirty institutions, including hospitals, schools, clinics, rehabilitation centers, guesthouses, and retirement homes. Archbishop Hosam oversees all of these parishes and institutions, which are scattered across five separate countries or territories: Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. Diocesan guesthouses extend a ministry of hospitality to pilgrims and other visitors who come from all over the world. Because of political strife and tightly restricted movement, resources, and economic opportunity, many Christians have left the lands of the Diocese reducing the Christian population west of the Jordan river from 25% less than a century ago to less than 2% today. In the face of this diminishing Christian presence, the J-Diocese’s ministries sustain and strengthen Christian witness throughout the Middle East, shining the light of Christ into areas of darkness, and offering hope to those otherwise living in despair. 

Lent 1 Please read Bishop Hosam’s Welcome Letter: https://j-diocese.org/wordpress/welcome-from-archbishop-suheil/

Lent Madness - Have You Caught the Fever?

In yesterday’s Opening Day matchup, amid heavy voter turnout, Stephen outlasted Wenceslaus 54% to 46% (almost 8600 votes altogether!) to become the first saint to make it to the Saintly 16. Today it’s Olaf vs. Kateri Tekakwitha as they pit an 11th century Norwegian king against a 17th century Native American saint. It’s called Lent “Madness” for a reason, after all.

Read all about the Saints and vote here daily!

https://www.lentmadness.org/

Download the Match-ups here: 2022 lent Madness Bracket Poster

Learn more here: https://www.lentmadness.org/about/ and sign up to get Lent Madness delivered to your inbox every day!

You can also keep score with a Saintly Scorecard 2022: Saintly Score card on Kindle or daily on the Lent Madness page on Facebook

Lenten Resources

Check out our Lenten Resource page at https://www.graceepiscopallexington.org/lent-resources/

Acolytes, Chalice Ministers, Greeters, Readers, Ushers and Altar Guild Members Needed!

Please contact Lisa ([email protected]) or Sharon ([email protected]) if you are able to acolyte, chalice, greet, read or usher once or twice a month.

Contact Jane Brooke ([email protected]) if you are interested in serving on the Altar Guild.

Vestry Minutes

Vestry Minutes are available on our website under the vestry tab.

Happy Birthday

Katherine Green (3/2), George Huger (3/5) Woody Sadler (3/7)

Jim Brown (3/7), Emma Brook (3/7) , Jonathan Webster (3/7), Carole Elmore (3/8)

Anne Grizzle (3/9) Mary Price (3/10) Allice Furgerson (3/11), John Doyle (3/11), Daniel Mastin (3/11), Cindy Mullen (3/14), John Milford (3/14), Shay Peters (3/16), Catherine Harcus (3/16), Ed Crain (3/17), Bill Sayre (3/17), Pat McGuire (3/17), Elizabeth Knapp (3/18), Amber Lewis (3/18), Wade Branner (3/19), Mary Doyle (3/22), Polly Lawrence (3/23), Laura Stearns (3/23), Rose Gordon (3/24), Sharon White (3/25), AP Smith (3/26), Kathy Hill (3/27), Sarah Dagan (3/29)