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 in Lent and the First Sunday of Advent.
Now What? Incorporating the Gospel We Heard into Our Lenten Journey: A Lenten Series Sundays in Lent at 4:00 pm via Zoom
This Lent, the Episcopal churches of Hampshire and Franklin counties are coming together for a joint Zoom Bible study, with discussion leadership rotating among clergy of the various churches. Please join & build connections with our fellow Episcopalians in neighboring congregations!
- February 18, The Rev. Heather Blais, Ss. James and Andrew, Greenfield
- February 25, The Rev. Michael Bullock, St. Philip’s, Easthampton
- March 3, The Rev. Tanya R. Wallace, All Saints’, South Hadley
- March 10, The Rev. Megan McDermott, Grace, Amherst
- March 17, The Rev. Vicki Ix, St. John’s, Ashfield
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83589948859?pwd=SW5Mb1dZbmFBcW9Wem9kbk5HSWN2dz09
Meeting ID: 835 8994 8859, Passcode: lent24
Raising the Questions will meet in the Connector on Tuesday, February 20 at 9:30 am. (rescheduled from Feb. 12).
The Grace Church Stewardship campaign for 2024 To date 139 pledges have come in totaling $468,677 – most encouraging, we have 4 new pledges. We are off to a 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 2024. 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) 530-3805.
Latest Needs from the Amherst Survival Center Please bring soup. They can’t keep it on the shelves! Hygienic items in demand: Toilet paper, Toothpaste (all sizes), Shampoo, Hand soap
Nursery care now provided! Childcare during the Sunday School hour and the 10:30 a.m. service went on hold at the beginning of the pandemic when we pivoted to online worship. We are excited to now offer weekly childcare again for ages 3 months and up! The nursery is located in the Parker Room, the sitting room in the parish office. Each Sunday, two background checked nursery staff workers will be present from 9:15 through the end of the 10:30 service. There is no childcare for our 8 a.m. service. Please ask Megan if you have any questions, and please share this news with families in your life who might be looking for a worship option with provided childcare.
“Mind the Gap” returns! In 2023, the “Mind the Gap” campaign brought in $19,647, thanks to all of you who participated in five events between June and October: a garden tour, art auction, week in a Cape Cod house, mushroom-foraging expedition, and weekend-long Harvest Festival. We are grateful to the volunteers who came up with superb ideas and organized these events, and to everyone who took part.The funds raised were an important factor in Grace’s ending the fiscal year almost in the black (the church’s overall deficit for the year was just $250!). The 2024 budget that was presented at the Annual Meeting on Feb. 4 shows a goal of $12,000 for “minding the gap” this year. Whatever comes in above that number will help offset unanticipated shortfalls in other areas of the budget. Our twin goals remain to increase income, of course, and also to keep the “fun” in fundraising. We need your good ideas for 2024 and also your offers of help in bringing those ideas to fruition. Please contact Donna Devine and/or Suzannah Muspratt with either or both. Thanks!
Save the Date
Fourth Sunday Collection February 25th For the recipient of our fourth Sunday offering, the Outreach Commission has selected The Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center. The ETVTC in Ramallah, Palestine is one of the educational ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. The Center provides quality technological education for over 400 students in grades 7–12. The ETVTC serves both Christian and Muslim young people from Ramallah and the surrounding area. Its mission is to improve the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of Palestinian youth so that they can become creative and productive members of society through technological education, vocational training, music and arts instruction, communication skills development, and the building of intercultural understanding, and above all to give the young a hope for the future. If you write a check, please make it payable to Grace Church and add “outreach” on the memo line. Thank you for any gift you are able to give.
A Series on Death and Dying, 12:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall On Sunday February 25th, Karen Miller, Clinical Nurse Manager, at Cooley Dickinson Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) and Hospice will be hosting a presentation on the importance of home caregiving at the end of life. She will discuss options for emotional, physical, and spiritual support that can help families manage challenges and provide comfort.
Covenant and the Promises of God: A Lenten Reflection. During Lent this year in church, we will hear many of the covenants and promises God has made. What did they mean to the people who first heard them? How do they connect with our lives today? Beginning Sunday, February 25, John Horn, a retired Episcopal priest, will lead four sessions of reflections on covenant in the Sunday readings from 9:15-10:15 in the Fireplace Room. All are welcome to attend.
Joy of Living Group, 7:00-8:30 p.m., 2nd and 4th Mondays This group combines meditation, practices integrated in the flow of life, and discussion. Led by certified mindfulness instructor Kell Julliard and practice leader and licensed acupuncturist Claudia Citkovitz, it meets in the Connector. Next meeting: 26, 2024