This Sunday, we will observe our annual parish feast day: the Feast of the Holy Cross. We will also celebrate Lynn Swanson’s first Sunday with us as interim choir director and organist. In addition, there will be two baptisms at the 10:45 AM service, giving us an opportunity to share our support with these incredible families and to renew our own baptismal vows.
So please do come share in worship, online or in-person, on our parish feast day this Sunday, September 12!
We will begin having wine at the Holy Eucharist on Sunday, September 12, albeit in a different form. Our understanding of the “common cup” is adapting given the pressures we face as a community. I have worked with the bishop to find a way for us to have wine at the Eucharist, and we will use small, recyclable, individual cups in trays. Each person will have the opportunity to take a personal cup of wine from the chalice bearer, drink their wine, and then dispose of the cup in a receptacle as they return to their seat. Everyone, including the celebrant, will share from the same tray of individual cups, so as to minimize the risk of Covid in these circumstances. Many have shared suggestions over the past few months, and I was able to take these and consult with the bishop as he made his decision at this point in time.
It has been over a year and a half since we have had wine at the Holy Eucharist, and I know we will all feel an added significance to our prayers on September 12, in the words of Psalm 34:8, as we all “taste and see that the Lord is good!”
Stuart+
Sunday will be Lynn’s first day at Grace, in the loft and working with the choir and staff as an integral part of the parish’s life. I am so thankful that she is able and willing to come among us and share her gifts—which are many. Just this past week, two folks from the choir shared that Lynn had already sent them a link with video recordings that guided them through exercises to warm up their voices. Hearing that hooked me and made me think how much of a metaphor that is for all of us. How are our voices being warmed up? How are we using our voices? How are we being called to exercise muscles that, perhaps, we have not used in a while—if ever? Music and singing reminds us of the call to “make a joyful noise to the Lord,” and this joyful noise isn’t restricted to singing alone. The way we speak, the way we live, all of our lives are opportunities to embody compassion and peace.
Lynn is a genius at inviting others to share this deeper part of themselves. As she said in staff on Tuesday, she loves to listen and welcome and learn from others as she invites them to share their gifts. It just happens that her vocation, the heart of her gifts, finds its roots in music. I think this is a beautiful way to see it, and I look forward to all the times we can share together.
So, let’s welcome Lynn here as we continue to walk together and support each other.
Blessings,
Stuart
Our shared experience in these days calls us to a deeper reflection as we think theologically and pray more intently. How do we make meaning of our situation? To help us focus our conversations, our scheduled fall Sunday evening sessions will begin by using Matthew Fox’s new book Julian of Norwich: Wisdom in a Time of Pandemic–And Beyond.
Come share in these conversations not only by reading the book but also by bringing yourself into the conversations that we will share. We will gather on Zoom at 6:00 PM on the second Sunday of the month: September 12, October 10, November 14, and December 12.
We will begin Wednesday evening opportunities on September 22 with an open-house/meet-and-greet with Lynn Swanson at 5:00 PM.
Dinner will be available beginning at 5:30 PM and will be packaged to go! Feel free to take your meal(s) home or bring blankets or chairs and find a spot outside to eat and socialize. On the menu is fried chicken (vegetarian entrée to be determined), macaroni & cheese, green beans, salad, rolls, dessert. The meal on September 22 is free for all parishioners but you do need to make a reservation no later than noon on Monday, September 20.
Registration for our annual Women’s Retreat is now open! Join us for a weekend of rejoicing, reflection, and renewal January 14-16, 2022. We’ll once again enjoy the beauty and hospitality of the Montreat Retreat and Conference Center in Montreat, North Carolina. This year’s theme is Connections, and together we’ll work on reconnecting all of the pieces that may seem scattered these days. We’ll look specifically at ways to (re)connect with ourselves, with one another, and with God, and see how the Biblical Women who have come before us led the way. Come join us and bring a friend!
Our livestream platform/provider experienced an outage with one of their servers that affected the first few minutes of our 10:45 AM service last Sunday. Please remember we stream both to our website and to our Facebook page. If one of those platforms goes down it is possible that the other one may still be working, so check for the service there. If BOTH of them aren’t working on a Sunday morning at 10:45 AM, our backup plan is to gather for the service on Zoom, using the same link as the 8:15 AM service that morning. Links to online services can be found on the Grace@Home page of this website.
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