Palestinian olive oil will be available for sale in the connector following both services today, April 3. It is organic, virgin, first cold press and fair trade. The proceeds from the sale enable Grace to provide a scholarship for a student at the Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center in Ramallah. Our current student is Teya Awwad. She is studying hospitality and culinary arts. She sent us via e-mail pictures of her beautifully arranged dishes.
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) Join Adult Christian Education this Lent as we explore the various witnesses who the evangelists have present at the crucifixion. We are using Amy-Jill Levine’s book Witness at the Cross as the basis for discussion. We still have a few copies of Amy-Jill Levine’s Witness at the Cross. If you would like to purchase a copy ($16.25), please contact the parish office. This week, Sunday, April 3rd and Thursday, April 7th we will discuss chapter 6 and the Conclusion.
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! On Monday April 4th, we’ll gather for “The Cross Through the Eyes of Textile Artists,” looking at late 19th century quilts from quilt maker Harriet Powers and molas (a textile which is often a part of clothing, unique to the Indigenous people Guna) from the San Blas Islands of Panama.
Language & Liturgy – Exploring Possibilities for Prayer: Wednesdays at 6:00pm
This Wednesday, March 23rd, 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.
Rally to Stop the Springfield-Longmeadow Eversource Pipeline, Saturday April 9th, 1:00-2:30pm Federal Courthouse Building in Springfield The Diocesan Social Justice Commission, the Diocesan Missioner for Creation Care, the Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, and the Springfield Climate Justice Coalition invite Grace Church to come to Springfield this Saturday, April 9th to stop the Springfield-Longmeadow Eversource Pipeline. This event is envisioned as a family-friendly rally that will ramp up the campaign against the proposed pipeline, which if built will put Springfield and Longmeadow communities at risk, disproportionately impact marginalized groups, and set back efforts to meet clean energy targets set by the Massachusetts Climate Roadmap bill.
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.
April Community Conversation Board – Holding Together Sorrow and Joy Throughout the month of April, our community conversation bulletin board, found in the Connector, is focused on the theme “Holding Together Sorrow and Joy.” Our liturgical celebrations in April take us through both some of the most sorrowful and most joyful moments in Scripture. What does it look like to try to hold together life’s sorrows and joys and the sorrows and joys at the heart of faith? We hope you will contribute your thoughts on the relationship of your spirituality to sorrow, joy, and all the experiences that fall in-between; you are also encouraged to view the contributions of others!
The Grace Church Stewardship campaign for 2022 To date 143 pledges have come in totaling $437,098 – 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.
Grace’s Closet Thank you for your responses to our request for warm clothing and small necessities for the guests staying with Craig’s Doors. Our donations were welcome and put to good use.
Save the Date
Sign Up for the All-night Vigil It is a tradition at Grace that a vigil is kept in the chapel throughout the night, immediately following the Maundy Thursday 7pm service, April 14th, which concludes at 9am the morning of Good Friday. Participants are asked to sign up for a one hour slot (ideally at least two people per time slot). The sign up sheet is in the back of the church next to the prayer request binder. Could you not stay awake with me one hour? (Matthew 26:40b)
Egg Hunt Easter Sunday, April 17th Once again following our Easter Sunday services we will have egg hunts for children in the Garth (weather permitting). During Holy Week, parishioners are welcome to drop off Easter eggs at the church for this fun activity.