News for February 15: Our Lives Are Our Practice, and more

Date Posted: February 13, 2026

Our Lives Are Our Practice

Grace family,

A phrase has been returning to us lately: our lives are our practice.

Not just what we believe. Not just what we say. But what we do, day after day — what we forgive, what we hold, how we speak, how we love. Lent is the season when we gently, honestly ask: What is my life practicing? But this year, maybe we ask another question too: Who is my life shaping?

We never follow Jesus alone. Our faith is lived in full view of one another. The way we practice forgiveness, generosity, compassion, and prayer becomes the soil where someone else’s faith can grow. Like salt, our practices change the spiritual environment around us.

Ash Wednesday reminds us that life is brief — we are dust, and to dust we shall return. But between these two moments we are given holy work: to let our lives become a living practice of God’s mercy. This Lent, I invite you into spaces that help us practice our faith with intention:

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper February 17 at 6 pm
A joyful gathering (and youth fundraiser) before the Lenten season begins.

Ash Wednesday services February 18 at noon and 7 pm
Come receive ashes and begin Lent grounded in humility and grace.

A Change of Habit – A Study for the Season of Lent
Beginning Ash Wednesday and continuing through Easter Sunday, Sr. Monica Claire will provide a reflection on the day’s assigned Gospel reading. See Sr. Genevieve Lynn’s article below.

Day of Silence at Cherokee Bluffs Park February 21 at 9 am
A guided day of quiet to slow down, listen, and make space for God.

Charis Circle March 11 at 6:30 pm
A space for stillness where we find grace together thru contemplation.

Choral Evensong March 15 at 4 pm
An evening of sung prayer, commemorating St. Patrick.

Sound Bath March 24 at 6pm
A reflective, restorative experience of intentional listening and stillness.

Let’s walk this season together.

Brandon

Pancake Supper

Last chance to reserve your spot at the annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper in the parish hall on Tuesday, February 17 from 6:00 – 7:30 PM! We’ll be shopping for supplies on Monday and want to be sure we have enough pancakes for you.

The pancake supper is a fundraiser for our youth program. Cost is: free for children age 5 and under, $5 for children and youth age 6-18, and $10 for adults.

Reserve Your Spot

Compline

There is no Compline on Shrove Tuesday, February 17.

Ash Wednesday

The imposition of ashes, a reminder that we are from dust and to dust we return, begins the penitential season of Lent.

Ash Wednesday services will be held February 18 at 12 PM in the nave and 7 PM in the nave and online. The service will feature music (7 PM), prayers, a sermon, the Litany of Penitence, and the Imposition of Ashes. Let us focus our prayers in these days as we remember that God’s presence surrounds us.

A Study for the Lenten Season

This year, Sr. Genevieve Lynn is sponsoring a Lenten study prepared by Sr. Monica Clare, the Sister Superior of the Community of St. John the Baptist. Sister Monica Clare is regularly on TikTok and has written a book entitled A Change of Habit. She was asked by Episcopal Relief and Development to offer a study for the 2026 Lenten season. Each day of Lent, participants of the study will be emailed Sr. Monica Clare’s reflection on the day’s assigned Gospel reading. Other resources, such as a meditation book and a study guide, will be available, too.

You are invited to join this study. You will find more information at this link: https://tinyurl.com/2hpjbyz4.

Women’s Retreat Reunion Night

All women of Grace are invited to come and enjoy a night of fun and fellowship at our Women’s Retreat Reunion on Thursday, February 19. Join us in the parish hall at 6 PM and please bring your favorite beverage and snacks to share.

This event is open to all women even if you haven’t been to one of our retreats. Hope to see you there!

UNG Faculty Recital

The University of North Georgia Faculty Recital was rescheduled for Sunday, February 22 at 4 PM. This recital is open to the public and there is no admission fee. Come meet the artists at a reception following the concert.

Benjamin Schoening, baritone
Philip Snyder, guitar
Joanna Kim-Doyle, piano

Lenten Day of Silence

As we prepare to step into Season of Lent, I invite you to an intentional time of silence and deep listening at Cherokee Bluffs Park on Saturday, February 21. So much is happening in our world, and our souls need time and spaces that can hold us and let our hearts listen for the presence of the Spirit.

Morning Prayer will begin at 9 AM, followed by three hours of silence in nature. You can walk, sit, lie down, journal, dance—above all listen. The park has five miles of trails that you can meander through, with creeks and plenty of rocks and wonderful spaces to explore. park map

At noon, all are invited to our house for soup and cornbread or crackers. We’ll share a simple meal, taking time to catch up with one another. Then, after lunch, the afternoon is yours. You may want to return to the forest or go home and take a nap.

Maybe this will be a great space for you to recharge and have some intentional time as we begin the Season of Lent—which we hope, in many ways, can be a season of healing this year.

Please sign up online so I have a count for lunch.

Blessings,
Stuart

In the event of bad weather, we’ll shift the location to the parish hall and chapel spaces at Grace, so either way you’ll have time for silence.

COG Summer Camp Registration

COG offers a summer camp for children age 6 months to rising 1st graders each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Children enjoy weeks with fun themes and different activities. Our 2026 Summer Camp will run in two sessions, the first from May 26 – June 18 and the second from June 30 – July 23. Tuition will be $400 for each 4-week session and there is a one-time registration fee of $65. Camp registration will open on Wednesday, February 18 at 8 AM.

COG Summer Camp