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 – today, the First Sunday of Lent and the First Sunday of Advent.
Palestinian olive oil is not available today, March 6. It will return to its usual first Sunday of the month schedule on April 3. Proceeds from the sales support a scholarship for a student, Teya Awad, at the ETVTC (Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center) in Ramallah.
Special Request – Twin sheets, Blankets and Comforters Needed Grace church is helping Craig’s Door with donations for the 14 beds now open at their site in the Unitarian Universalist (UU) building. They need another 6 sets of twin sheets. Can you help? Please bring donations to Grace this week! For more information, please contact Kevyn Smith at kevynsmith09@gmail.com.
Available Lent resources at back of church
We invite you to grab a booklet of inclusive and alternative prayers compiled by the Raising the Questions discussion group for your use this Lent season; this booklet will also be discussed in our Language and Liturgy class. We are also sharing Full to the Brim, a Lenten devotional with Bible reflections, poetry, and art from an organization Sanctified Art. This devotional embraces Lent as a time “to live a more expansive and full life of faith.” These will be available at the back of church throughout the entire season.
The Cross Through Artists’ Eyes : Artistic Lenten Lunchtime Meditations Mondays at 12:15pm
Every Monday of Lent, we will gather over Zoom for a short, 15 minute service of prayer and meditation at 12:15 p.m., focusing on different artists’ interpretations of the cross either through visual art or creative writing. Artists will represent a wide spectrum of relationships to Christianity and the cross, as well as vary significantly in their depictions, but all will invite us into a deeper and more creative relationship with this essential symbol of our faith. No familiarity with the week’s artist or writer is required! This Monday March 7th:“The Cross Through the Eyes of Georgia O’Keeffe.”
Fourth Conversation about Haiti, 7 p.m, Tuesday, March 8, On Zoom. We hope you will join us this Tuesday for the fourth and final conversation with leaders of organizations that work with education in Haiti. This session should last about 90 minutes. Here is the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7028052390 March 8: Leslie Harrison, of Be Like Brit and more. Leslie Harrison has done extensive volunteer work in Haiti with three organizations. With Be Like Brit she has helped to build homes in Grand Goave, in Haiti’s southern peninsula, where this Worcester-based organization also built an orphanage and ensures access to potable water. She has worked with the Athol-based Christian organization Tree Of Hope Haiti, which also builds houses and is starting to develop a trade school. Having last year become an acquaintance of Dr. Paul Farmer, whose recent sudden death has stunned everyone who has known of his work, she now belongs to Friends of Zanmi Beni, a sister organization to Zanmi Lasante, the healthcare organization Farmer founded in Haiti. children. For more information: https://www.belikebrit.org/home/.
March Community Conversation Board – Lenten Preparation and Transformation
This month, our community conversation bulletin board is focused on Preparation and Transformation and how these concepts intersect with the season of Lent. We hope you will contribute your thoughts on what preparing for Easter means to you, what kind of transformation you seek in your life and the world, and what kind of spiritual practices enable you to prepare and transform. An overview of answers to February’s board will be included in the next Grace Notes. Thank you to all who contributed!
Lenten Book Series: Witness at the Cross: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Friday Sundays at 9:15am (in person) and Thursdays at 9:30am (via Zoom) We’ve ordered 12 copies of Amy-Jill Levine’s Witness at the Cross. If you would like to purchase one of these copies ($16.25), please contact the parish office. The first sessions will be held Sunday, March 6th and Thursday, March 10th and we will discuss the introduction and chapter 1: ‘Bystanders and Scoffers’.
Language & Liturgy – Exploring Possibilities for Prayer: Wednesdays at 6:00pm
This Wednesday, March 9th, join us at 6pm in the Connector for an hour-long class exploring language and liturgy. Raising the Questions (a discussion group dedicated to theological conversation and inquiry) has compiled a booklet of alternative prayers that showcase varied approaches to liturgical language. This booklet is available for the whole congregation’s personal use throughout the Lenten season and will also serve as our guide for the class. Copies are available in the back of the church.
Youth group & college student – indoor rock climbing with First Church – Sat., Mar 12th at 2 p.m. Joining together with our neighbors at First Church, we will be doing indoor rock climbing at Central Rock Gym in Hadley from about 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 12th. This event is open to our youth group (grades 6-12) as well as college students. Please RSVP to Megan at mmcdermott@gracechurchamherst.org so she can be in touch with more details, including about necessary waivers. Also feel free to contact Megan with any questions about the event!
Grace’s Closet This winter the Fireplace Room in the Parke House is a storage and distribution site for warm winter clothes for those in need. There are several ways you can help. Volunteers sort clothes, as well as deliver clothing to the Amherst Survival Center, Craig’s Doors, and Not Bread Alone as requests come in. Parishioners can also donate clean, usable coats and winter clothes for adults only by dropping off items on Sunday mornings or during regular business hours Monday – Friday. Please check the pockets of clothing you bring for used tissues. Thanks. For more information, please contact Kevyn Smith at kevynsmith09@gmail.com.
The Grace Church Stewardship campaign for 2022 To date 141 pledges have come in totaling $431,138 – most encouraging, we have 7 new pledges. To those who have pledged God Bless, to those who have yet to pledge please pray and pledge so our Vestry can budget for 2022. 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.
Parish Directory It’s time for a new Grace Directory! The last one was done in 2018. Please send your updated address and phone number(s) to Terrie Korpita at tkorpita@gracechurchamherst.org. We plan to use the same photos as the last directory; unless you wish to submit a new one. Doug Moore has graciously agreed to take photos of anyone who would like a new photo at the Coffee Hour after both services on March 13th.