Worship Schedule

Sunday 8:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I
nave & online: Zoom
Sunday 10:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II
nave & online: Facebook/website
Tuesday 8:00 p.m. Compline
online: Zoom
Wednesday 12:00 p.m. Eucharist
chapel

Sunday mornings at Grace

Holy Week & Easter

Find Us

The Grace Church nave is located at the corner of Washington Street and Boulevard in Gainesville, Georgia.

The parish office, open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, is located at 422 Brenau Avenue. Come to the red door that faces Brenau Avenue and ring the bell for access.

Mailing Address: 422 Brenau Avenue, Gainesville, GA 30501
Phone: 770-536-0126

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The Sound of the Genuine

The Sound of the Genuine: Becoming More Alive in the Spirit’s Presence

Where Grace Episcopal Church
When Saturday, February 25; 9 AM—3 PM
Cost $15, $30, or $45 (includes lunch)
Contact Rev. Dr. Stuart Higginbotham 

Registration Closed

The remarkable author and mystic Howard Thurman challenges us to listen deeply for the “sound of the genuine” in our lives. In a world that is full of noise and distraction, we are reminded again of the invitation we have to ground ourselves in an abiding awareness of the Spirit’s presence. How can we deepen our practice of prayer so that we can respond more faithfully in this time? We invite you to come and share in a day of listening, rhythm, prayer, poetry, and fellowship on Saturday, February 25 as we reflect together on what it means to be grounded in our practice of faith.

The day will be spacious with time to reflect and rest. As well, River Guerguerian, a renowned percussionist with remarkable gifts for helping us understand the power of sound, will guide us through a series of exercises to help pay attention. We will also share in an imaginative worship space with poetry readings and reflections from Lerita Coleman Brown, Barbara Brown Taylor, Bobbi Patterson, Rebecca Parker, and Stuart Higginbotham. Our deep hope is that your heart can be nurtured as we all seek to live more faithfully.

REGISTRATION

Registration for The Sound of the Genuine retreat ended at noon on Monday, February 20. The retreat is full and the registration form is closed.

If you missed this opportunity, we would like to invite you to join Bobbi Patterson and Stuart Higginbotham this fall for “The Art of Taking Refuge,” an exploration of the insights of Christian and Buddhist practice. In both of these beautiful traditions, the image of “taking refuge” offers deeply meaningful opportunities for reflection and embodiment. By laying teachings alongside each other, how can our own sense of wholeness be nurtured in uncertain days? On Friday evening, October 6 we will host an interfaith art show around the theme of “taking refuge,” and Saturday, October 7 we will share a workshop space together.

Look for more information in upcoming newsletters from The Center for Prayer & Spiritual Practice.

 

Featured Artist

River Guerguerian

River Guerguerian has been inspiring audiences with his ecstatic and versatile percussion for over 30 years. Whether collaborating with world-class artists, supporting symphonies or creating his own dynamic explorations of rhythm, River’s devotion and attention to the vibrant life of the drum reverberate through the mind and soul of the listener.

As a highly regarded studio musician, River has recorded on over 300 albums and film soundtracks, including the John Cage documentary film, “I Have Nothing to Say and I Am Saying It.” Over the whole of his prolific career, he has performed and/or recorded internationally with such individual and groups as the BBC Concert Orchestra, Paul Winter Consort, Lizz Wright, Chuck Berry, Sophie B. Hawkins, Ziggy Marley, Gipsy Kings, New Music Consort, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble, and Talujon Percussion Ensemble. River also engineers his own percussion tracks for artists at his recording studio.

In 1994, River decided to sell all of his possessions and step off the grid. He resided in a wildlife sanctuary in the Himalayas, and partly in Northern Maui. The adventure lasted five years and led to his immersion, extensive research and experimentation in the realm of the physiological, emotional, and mental effects of sound.

Drawing upon his richly diverse experiences, River’s work spans a remarkable number of musical genres and traditions, both mainstream and obscure. His authentic and masterful sound are derived from an array of ancient and modern percussion instruments from the 30 countries he has visited. His compositions have been commissioned and performed by chamber ensembles, universities, modern dance companies, and international music festivals.

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Featured Reflection

Lerita Coleman Brown

Lerita Coleman Brown, PhD,  Professor Emerita of Psychology, Agnes Scott College, is a spiritual director/companion, writer, retreat leader, and speaker.  She earned her BA from UC Santa Cruz and PhD from Harvard University. Lerita completed the Spiritual Guidance Program at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and promotes contemplative spirituality, the living wisdom of Howard Thurman, and uncovering the peace and joy in one’s heart on her website, leritacolemanbrown.com and other social media platforms.

She appears in the documentaries, Back Against the Wall: The Howard Thurman Story, and The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song. Her book, When the Heart Speaks, Listen—Discovering Inner Wisdom was published in 2019. Her newest book, What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman was recently published. Lerita is a most grateful heart (28 years) and kidney (17 years) transplant recipient and survivor of several other medical ordeals.

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Special Poetry Readings & Reflections offered by

Barbara Brown Taylor

Barbara Brown Taylor is a best-selling author, teacher, and Episcopal priest. Her first memoir, Leaving Church, won an Author of the Year award from the Georgia Writers Association in 2006. Her next three books earned places on the New York Times bestseller list. Taylor has served on the faculties of Piedmont College, Emory University, Mercer University, Columbia Seminary, Oblate School of Theology, and the Certificate in Theological Studies program at Arrendale State Prison for Women in Alto, Georgia. Her latest book, Always a Guest, was released in October 2020 from Westminster John Knox Press.

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Bobbi Patterson

Bobbi Patterson, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Emory University (she/her) cultivates conversation, discovery, and action born at the intersection of contemplative practice and community engagement. Trained academically as an Interdisciplinarian of Religious Studies, her research and publications range from women’s embodied spirituality to Christian and Buddhist contemplative traditions to place-based knowledge and pedagogies for earth-care and adaptive resilience. A nationally awarded teacher, she designs presentations, workshops, and retreats for skill-building, creativity, and action. An Episcopal priest, member of the Fellowship of St. John the Evangelist, and Steering Council Member of The Mind and Life Institute, she recently wrote Building Resilience Through Contemplative Practice: A Field Manual for Helping Professionals and Volunteers (Routledge).

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Rebecca Parker

Rebecca Parker is the Director of Mary & Martha’s Place, a women’s spiritual formation center in Atlanta, GA. Her work is the inner Christian tradition working closely with Cynthia Bourgeault over the past decade. She is a teacher of Wisdom Christianity, a student of sound, certified in Ayurvedic medicine, ordained in the Presbyterian Church USA, and a graduate of Yale Divinity School.

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Stuart Higginbotham

Stuart Higginbotham, Episcopal priest, author, poet, and retreat leader, has been the rector of Grace Episcopal Church since 2014. His work focuses on the intersection of contemplative practices and congregational development, as well as interfaith dialogue, particularly with the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. He is the co-editor of Contemplation and Community: A Gathering of Fresh Voices for a Living Tradition and is the author of The Heart of a Calling: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness in Congregational Ministry (Crossroads).

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This retreat is sponsored by The Center for Prayer and Spiritual Practice at Grace Episcopal Church.

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