Dear Friends,

This evening, we will gather to give thanks for all the blessings we have received, and to remember just how much love God showers on us.

Many of us remember growing up and hearing the story of the "first" Thanksgiving in Plymouth. If you are from Virginia, this story is similar, but took place of the shores of the James River.

But for Christians, the first Thanksgiving, which grew our of Jewish rites, was the Last Supper. When Jesus instituted the Eucharist, it was in thanksgiving (the meaning of the word "eucharist") for God with us in Jesus Christ and his sacrificial love offered for the redemption of the entire creation.

I invite you to come to Grace Church tonight as we give thanks to God for this community and the grace and mercy bestowed upon us. Let us again be in communion in remembrance and thanksgiving for God's saving grace among us still.

In the Way of Love,

Debbie

This Sunday

Parish Prayer List

Please keep the following in your prayers:

For the peaceful repose of the souls of Thomas Lemons and Francis Hill, for Nancy and Christine, Reny Sparapani, Gary Young, Amy, Paul, Chuck Brown, Heather and Prescott,, Ariana, Sheridan, Faith Aroko and Family, Jesse Hurst and Family, Angela Williams, Neal and Maureen Joyce, Arthur, Jane Thompson, Deb Young, Cindy Rhodes, Ron, Gerald Tucker, Allison Mascolo, Melissa Glassman, Max Joyce, Marc Britt, those battling cancer, especially Faith’s friend and the Princess of Wales, for Mel, Corey MacNeil, Dianne, Michael Towey, Jenny, Loretta and Kris, Priscilla Lemons and Family, Steve, Deb Papps, Derek Fuller and Family, the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and their ministries, for Ukraine and Haiti; the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem, the Salem Public Schools and for an end to racism, war, anti-Semitism, gun violence and oppression. In thanksgiving, we pray for our Knitting Group, for this season of Advent, for this community of faith, for creation, for the diversity of people, and for all the blessings of this life. If you have prayer requests, please email prayelistlist@gracechurchsalem.org by Tuesday at noon for publication in that week's e-news.

May light perpetual shine upon him

Thomas Millard Lemons

Thomas M. Lemons, 90, of Brooksby Village Peabody, formerly of Marblehead, MA, died peacefully on Nov. 25. Beloved husband for over 65 years of Priscilla M. Lemons of Peabody, he also leaves his daughter Elizabeth Lemons and her spouse Michael Snow of Reading, MA and daughter Katharine Lemons and her spouse Van Morrill of Woburn, MA. He was the proud Grandad of Abigail Lemons and Nathaniel Lemons, and the son of the late Kenneth and Katharine Lemons of Indianapolis, and brother of the late Kenneth E. Lemons Jr. and Barbara Medlicott.

Tom grew up in Indianapolis, IN, where he developed an interest for lighting design through involvement in community theater. This led to his forming a business with his friend Leon Shiman called Audio-Lite when they were still attending Shortridge High School. This passion eventually took him to Kennebunkport, ME to work with the Arundel Opera Company during his summers while he was a student at Purdue University. He earned a degree in electrical engineering, which enabled him to return to the East Coast when he was offered a job at Sylvania in Salem and Danvers that he held for 13 years as an Applications and Development Engineer. In 1970, he left Sylvania to open TLA-Lighting Consultants, Inc., and in 1979 he and his partner Richard Chamberlain expanded the business by opening ARC Sales, Inc. Tom continued his work as a lighting consultant, fixture designer and manufacturer, and expert witness in legal matters related to lighting for over 45 years, collaborating with a range of different designers and developing numerous patents. He also taught lighting design at both Chamberlain Junior College in Boston, MA and The New School in New York City. Tom eventually focused in his final working years on projects he undertook with his former TLA intern, employee, eventual business partner, and fellow lighting designer, Steven Rosen. Throughout this time, he was known in the wider lighting design world, particularly for his sports lighting expertise, and held leadership positions in organizations such as the Illuminating Engineering Society, and the International Commission on Illumination.

Tom's work life filled his days, but he also found time to be involved in community endeavors. He was a founding board member of the Marblehead Festival of the Arts, and later he worked with the Essex County Community Organization (ECCO), an interfaith project that partners with the North Shore Labor Council to support various groups around Essex County. His longest-lasting commitment was to his church, Grace Episcopal Church in Salem, MA, where he married Priscilla and participated in many ways, including as a member of the Vestry and serving as Warden.

Tom was also a dedicated family man who loved spending time with his children and especially his grandchildren. He attended every game, recital, performance and special occasion he possibly could for Abigail and Nathaniel, and he was always proud of all of their accomplishments. He was a caring uncle for his nieces and nephews - Vicki, Kent, Marni, the late Bonita-Kay, and Bart in Indiana and Dana, Charles, and Becky in Massachusetts - and he loved nothing more than to hold the babies that arrived as these various relatives expanded the family.

His long marriage to Priscilla was the foundation on which all else in Tom's life was built. They lived most of their married life in an antique home in Marblehead that they renovated extensively and that enabled them to host many years of family gatherings. They shared their faith and their love of family, and as their children moved out, they enjoyed traveling the world, including trips to China, Australia, and all over Europe.

A celebration of life will be held on Monday, December 2 at 11:00 a.m. at Grace Church in Salem, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Grace Church in Salem, the IALD (International Association of Lighting Designers) Education Trust Thomas M. Lemons Scholarship, or a charity of choice.

Christmas in Salem

Grace Church will again be part of the Christmas in Salem House Tour to take place December 7 and 8.

There are three ways you can be a part of this weekend.

This Saturday, November 30th from 9-12, we will gather to decorate wreaths that represent some of our ministries here at Grace Church. Materials will be provided. Whether you feel you are “crafty” or not, come and help us put these wreaths together. (If you have a glue gun, please bring it)

On Saturday December 7th, we will be serving lunch in Abbott Hall from 11-1. The menu will include quiche, soup, coffee, tea and water. More information as to how you can help is forthcoming.

We also need docents for both days. We have plenty of materials with information about the building and history. The shifts for docents are 10:15-1:15 and 1:15-4:15 on Saturday and 11:15-1:30 and 1:30-3:45 on Sunday.

The signup sheet for all these opportunities is here.

New Artwork coming to Lady Chapel

Grace Church received a grant to commission artist Susan Gentile to paint six panels for the Lady Chapel to reflect the beauty of Creation. Entitled "Heavenly Light," these works were installed on Monday

This work makes the Lady Chapel feel as if you are sitting outside in a warm and intimate setting, surrounded by trees. Susan has done an amazing job integrated the sense of creational wonder with the architectural integrity of the space.

Please come and avail yourselves of this beauty.

Cookie Walk Returns December 21!!!!  

Our sixth annual Cookie Walk is December 21, 2024 from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, and we are recruiting volunteers. We need many bakers - - the more bakers we have, the greater the variety!!  We also need volunteers to help with set up, sales and/or cleanup.  And, of course, financial contributions towards costs or to support the event are always appreciated.   

Here are some details:  

·    Cookies.  For this event, we only sell homemade baked cookies - - no cakes, pies or other baked goods. Cookies should be dropped off in a sealed container - - e.g., a zip lock freezer bag - - and should include a card with your name, the kind of cookie, and an ingredient list. The cookies should be loose in the container, i.e., not pre-packaged in baggies.  In addition to regular homemade cookies, we also sell gluten-free cookies and dog cookies. So, if the latter are a specialty of yours, you might consider baking them. 

·    Drop off.   Drop off for the cookies at the church is anytime Friday, December 20 before 8:00 PM. There will be a green bin in the cloister area where you can leave the cookies. If this time slot doesn’t work, you can email the Fundraising Committee to make special arrangements.   

·    Other volunteers.  We need volunteers for set-up, sales, and clean-up on Saturday, December 21.   

Please let the Fundraising Committee know if you can bake or otherwise volunteer in some way. The Fundraising Committee hopes to put together a list of volunteers soon.  You can also contact us with any questions. You may email us at fundraising@gracechurchsalem.org or you may contact Melissa Barnes, Joanne Moar, Peggy Carter, or Kourtni Patten directly. 

And, of course, we also hope that you will come and buy cookies on December 21, 2024.