The Great Litany is a form of intercessory prayer which includes various petitions that are said or sung by the leader, with fixed responses by the congregation. It was used as early as the fifth century in Rome. At the time of the Reformation, the Litany was the first English language rite prepared by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. Throughout the centuries, the Litany was used for a variety of occasions, including times of crisis, Morning Prayer, and ordinations. Given its long and rich history, it is part of our heritage, which we incorporate into our worship services twice a year – the First Sunday in Lent and the First Sunday of Advent.
4th Sunday Outreach Collection, February 26 Since the Outreach Committee last met, the people of Turkey and Syria have experienced devastating earthquakes that may have left millions of families homeless and in urgent need of basic necessities like food, water, and shelter. For this reason, the Outreach Committee has decided that today’s 4th Sunday offering should go to Episcopal Relief and Development’s Turkey-Syria Earthquake Response Fund. ERD is working with other organizations to shelter thousands of families in open-air or structurally sound facilities; providing survivors with hot meals, blankets, medicine and trauma support; supplying medical necessities to hospitals; and helping children return to school to bring more stability. Please give generously. If you write a check, please make it payable to Grace Church and add “Turkey-Syria Earthquake Response Fund” on the memo line. Thank you for any gift you can give.
Community Conversation Board: Unpacking a “Holy Lent” Stop by the Connector throughout this Lenten season to share your thoughts on what it means to have a “holy Lent.” In the Ash Wednesday liturgy, we begin this season with “an invitation to a holy Lent.” What would a “holy Lent” mean, look like, or feel like for you this year? What does it mean for something to be “holy”? And how do the prayer book’s suggestions for observing a “holy Lent” – such as fasting or meditating on God’s Word – fit in with your hopes, or not, for this Lenten season? We’d love to hear your ideas!
The Grace Church Stewardship campaign for 2023 To date 150 pledges have come in totaling $459,984 – most encouraging, we have 3 new pledges. We still have a ways to go but are off to a very good start. To those who have pledged God Bless, to those who have yet to pledge please pray and pledge so our Vestry can budget for 2023. If you need a pledge card, they are available as you enter the church or you can contact the office (413) 256-6754 or Bruce Stebbins at (413) 549-5933.
Joining Jesus in the Desert: A Zoom Visual Art Meditation Series for Lent Beginning Monday February 27 Throughout the season of Lent, our Monday Zoom meditations at 12:15 p.m. will explore various visual depictions related to Jesus’s time of temptation and formation in the desert. Using the artwork as inspiration, we will reflect on both the experiences of Jesus and experiences of challenging and testing in our own lives. Zoom links will be sent out Monday mornings. Recordings are available for those who cannot attend live. Please email Megan if interested.
Garden Ministry The Garden Ministry will meet Saturday, March 4, at 1:30 p.m. in the Parker Room. We will plan maintenance of the gardens for spring and summer, a spring work day and a plant sale. We hope to have a plant sale in late May or early June. Help is needed for all these activities. All are welcome. Please come to the meeting or contact Sherry Wilson (sherrywilson136@comcast.net or 256-6955).
Lenten Book Series: Richard Rohr’s The Universal Christ, Sundays at 9:15am (in person) and Thursdays at 9:30am (via Zoom) beginning Sunday, March 5th Richard Rohr has helped millions realize what matters for faith and spirituality. Yet he has never before addressed the relationship between Jesus and Christ. Many have an idea of who Jesus was, but who is Christ? Too often, Rohr writes, our understandings have been limited by culture, religious debate, and the human tendency to put ourselves at the center. Rohr articulates a transformative view of Jesus Christ as a portrait of God’s constant unfolding work in the world. This is a four-part series. The first week, Sunday, March 5th and Thursday, March 9th we will look at Chapters 1-4
The Thorny Work of Relationships: a talk and discussion, Tom Nields-Duffy, LMHC, March 5, 2023 – 12:00pm, in the Parish Hall The work of living with and loving one another is tricky business. Careful, intentional listening and taking care of yourself help tremendously–and keeping a sense of humor! Tom Nields-Duffy will discuss these strategies and others in a short talk, followed by plenty of time for questions and discussion. Bio: Tom Nields-Duffy, LMHC, works as a therapist in Northampton, and also serves as a deacon at the congregational church in West Cummington. He focuses on gratitude and love daily, which he believes are not that different from the process of working with grief.
Save the Date
Adult Confirmation Class (New Schedule), Wednesdays, March 8, 22, 29, and April 12 and 19, 6:30 – 8:00pm via Zoom, Bishop Doug Fisher will visit Grace Church on Sunday, May 7. In preparation for this occasion, there will be a 5 week course offered for anyone who is interested in being confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church. Confirmation is for anyone who desires to make a mature affirmation of one’s beliefs in the presence of a bishop. Reception is for anyone who has been confirmed in another tradition but who now desires to be received into the Episcopal Church. Explore the mystery of God and discuss Episcopal Beliefs and Practices. This course is open to all. Share your beliefs, thoughts, concerns, and even doubts. There are no questions that cannot be asked. This course will be led by Tom and Megan. For further information, please call the church office at 256-6754. The Zoom invitation will be posted closer to the start of the program.
Emptiness and Presence: A Lenten Meditation, Wednesday, March 15th, 6:00 – 7:00pm in the church In John of the Cross’s thinking, kenosis is the ‘self-emptying’ of one’s own will and becoming entirely receptive to God and the divine will. In this hour-long session of guided meditation, scripture, and poetry, we will enter into a process of letting go – of sensations, thoughts, and emotions – so that we can more fully come into the present moment where God is found. The session will be led by Kell Julliard, a certified mindfulness instructor, and the Rev. Megan McDermott.