Morning Prayer: Sunday, July 12

• Order of Service

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Noonday Prayer: Wednesday, July 8

• Order of Service

Even in these very unusual times, we would like to be able to greet newcomers and visitors to Grace Episcopal Church! If you have recently “visited” us through an online class or worship service, or even just by browsing around our website, we invite you to fill out an online welcome card so we may share additional information about who we are and what we have to offer. We are glad you are here!

• Welcome Card

Prayer Practices

In the coming weeks, we’ll be personalizing our Prayers of the People to reflect the joys and sorrows closest to our hearts. I hope you’ll add your voice to our common prayers by sharing your reflections with us. Here are some practices you might try! Contact Cheryl to learn more.

Prayer Collage

Stuart asked us some pretty tough questions in his sermon last week. Questions like, “What do you really consider most important in your life?” “What are you giving your life to?” What do you desire?” What burdens are you carrying that you need to put down?” These are questions for the heart, and the heart often speaks best without words. So how are we—good ‘people of the book[s]’ that we are—to learn to hear the wisdom of our hearts? One of my favorite methods is to make a collage. learn more

Patchwork Prayers

A cento (comes from the Latin word for ‘patchwork’) is a poem made up completely from the lines of other poems—a collage of sorts. To write one, you collect a number of poems, and highlight the line (or lines) that draw your attention in each poem. You then copy those lines onto a piece of paper, and cut them into separate strips. Rearrange them at will, until you’ve created a new poem that’s your response. As a poetry exercise, it encourages us to linger with images or phrases that resonate for us and let our imaginations make connections between them. It also gets us past the hurdle of ‘finding the right words.’ These same advantages make it a helpful prayer practice. Here is some more information and an example.

Prayers of Lament

The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us there is a time for everything… including things we think of as “unpleasant” or “unfaithful” like weeping, mourning, or breaking apart. (Eccl. 3:1-8) In these days of isolation, unrest, frustration, and loss, many of us are feeling lots of uncomfortable things. These uncomfortable feelings can lead us to feel separated from, angry at, or even abandoned by, God. Where do we go with that? Here’s a reflection that might help, along with an invitation to try your hand at writing your own lament.

Resources for Reflection about Race

Recent events in our community, our nation, and around the world have many of us asking lots of questions about race and racism and justice. Questions like:

• How do we talk to our children about racism and civil unrest?
• How do we live into our baptismal promises to ‘strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being?’
• What does ‘loving our neighbor as ourselves’ mean for us as a community and as individuals?
• What’s mine to do? How would I go about doing it?

These are important questions, and they don’t have easy, one-time answers. They require ongoing study, reflection, conversation, and prayer.

To help facilitate this work, we’re compiling a list of resources you might explore. There are resources for all ages, and in many different formats (books, movies, webinars, blogs, podcasts, websites, and more!), and we’ll update it periodically. Check it out! We’d love to hear what resonates for you, what you’d like to explore more, and, also, what additional resources you might add. Contact Cheryl with your suggestions.

• Resources
• Email Cheryl

For Kids

Regular Sunday school classes have ended for the 2019-2020 academic year. Watch for information about summer formation opportunities for kids!

Links to Additional Resources

• Some of the activities and daily resources at Do Faith at Home are aimed specifically at kids—check it out!
• Morning Watch Kids is live streamed each morning at 8:00 AM on Facebook or YouTube. It’s a short video that families can watch and say ‘good morning’ to God. It features fun songs, scripture, and stories offered by two brothers who are pastors in Greensboro, NC. Check it out!
• Tucked in: Bedtime Stories and prayers by Episcopalians and Others is a Facebook series of children’s stories read each day that follow the themes of the lectionary.

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For Youth

Our Youth have finished their Sunday School classes together for the 2019-2020 academic year. Watch for information about summer Zoom gatherings.

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For Adults

Movements of Faith with Bishop Wright

In life, we go through movements. These movements (reality, grief, hope, faith, and courage) change in each season, and during this season, these movements within ourselves may feel impossible to overcome. Join Bishop Wright in a 5 part video series that takes a deeper dive into what these movements look and feel like as people of faith.

• Movements of Faith

The Heart of Things

The Heart of Things, a weekly online Zoom class for practicing prayer in times of pandemic, will meet on Tuesdays at 10:00 AM beginning June 2. These pandemic days of heightened anxiety and confusion-even anger and fear-call for a more intentional practice of our faith. How can we think theologically and respond prayerfully to the pressures we face as a spiritual community-even as the global community? How can we lean in, as it were, to the heart of the matter, to the core of things, so we can truly experience that “peace that passes all understanding?”

• More Information
• The Heart of Things

Centering Prayer

Centering Prayer is a contemplative method of prayer that facilitates opening the mind and heart to God. It includes a time of silent prayer followed by reflection and sharing. Our Centering Prayer group is sharing time together on Zoom on Mondays at 5:00 PM! All are welcome. The link is located in the ON THE CALENDAR section of the email newsletter.

Prayer Yoga

With many of us still “sheltering in” we will continue Zoom Yoga on Mondays throughout the summer! Classes are scheduled at the usual time: chair yoga at 2:45 and flow yoga at 3:45 PM. Please join the zoom meeting just prior to your class and mute your feed during class so all can hear the instructor. Link to yoga can be found in the the ON THE CALENDAR section of the email newsletter. New participants welcome and no experience is necessary.

Links to Additional Resources

• Bishop Curry’s weekly meditation, “Habits of Grace”
  Bishop Curry’s Invitation: “As we learn how to adjust our lives given the reality of the coronavirus and the request to do our part to slow its spread by practicing social distancing, I invite you to join me each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’ A new meditation will be posted on Mondays through May.”
• Sign up to receive a daily online devotional based on the Revised Common Lectionary readings by email, or simply visit the website each day. It contains daily readings and reflections, but also other ways of engaging our faith each day with activities, and links to other resources.
• Read and comment on today’s Forward Movement Day by Day meditation.
• Pray the daily office.
• For People with Bishop Rob Wright is a weekly podcast focused on responding to tough questions of faith. The purpose at its core is to share with all people conversations of life and faith and where they intersect. Jesus is a cool dude. Listen in to hear honest and fearless dialogue with Bishop Wright centered in faith and the understanding of our call to serve the world by sharing the Gospel of Jesus.
• The Way of Love with Bishop Michael Curry is a weekly conversation featuring Bishop Curry, podcast host Sandy Milien, and a variety of guests center on ways to live a life committed to living the way of God’s unconditional, unselfish, sacrificial and redemptive love. Conversations are framed by the Way of Love—those seven practices of turning, learning, praying, worshipping, blessing, going and resting – and offer listeners stories and lessons about how they can grow closer to God in daily live.
  Season 3 episode guests include Jen Hatmaker, Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, Teddy Reeves, Jeff Chu, Shann Claiborne and more.

To receive emails with Christian Education reflections at home, contact Cheryl Kelley, the Director of Formation, at ckelley@gracechurchgainesville.org. Some of our resources have licensing restrictions so we are unable to post them publicly.

An old-fashioned phone tree has been activated on a parish wide level. By now every household should have received a call, text, or email check in. Please let your contact person know if there is anything Grace can help you with at this time. You may also contact Brenda Morgan with pastoral concerns.

Cynthia and Stuart are available to you all during these days as well, so feel free to reach out. If you text, please include your name in case you are not already in their contact list.

• Stuart: 404-788-9365
• Cynthia: 703-888-7263

Monetary giving to Grace is another way that we contribute to our shared ministry. It allows us to continue our online formation and worship, as well as pay special attention to our community ministry partnerships during these days. Please continue to send in your pledges, as you are able, in one of the three ways listed below. If you find yourself struggling–financially, spiritually, emotionally, physically–please let us know. Cynthia and Stuart are available to you.

1. You can use your smartphone to donate to Grace anywhere, anytime from your checking or saving accounts through the VANCO GivePlus Mobile App. The app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Mail pledge contributions to Grace Episcopal Church, 422 Brenau Ave., Gainesville, Georgia 30501.
3. Make your contribution online.

If you have any questions or need help contact Reba Page for assistance. Thank you for continuing to support Grace Episcopal Church.