Happy Eastertime! 

Do you know people who are longing for God or a spiritual community? Forwarding this newsletter could be a simple way to let them know of Grace's prayer and work.

See you Sunday.

We celebrate the Eucharist at 10:00. It's the Fourth Sunday of Easter, and a day traditionally called Good Shepherd Sunday. Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my shepherd"), and the gospel has Jesus describing himself as the Good Shepherd. 

After the service we will gather for conversation and refreshments. After coffee hour, the vestry will meet. 

With experiences of Holy Week still fresh in minds and bodies, about 20 parishioners stayed after church last week to share impressions and reflections on our liturgies. We talked about music choices and silence, overall lengths of various parts of the services, how various scripture readings are proclaimed, and what refinements we may be able to make in these areas in the future.

Such conversation is crucial to our health as a worshiping community: it lets multiple voices and viewpoints be heard, and it can contribute to the shape of our common prayer. 

 

 

Grace Montessori is a key part of Grace's mission in Allentown: we serve 106 students ages 3-10. Our school prizes economic diversity. About one-third of the students in our school receive scholarship assistance from money we raise. 

The annual benefit accounts for a sizable part of that scholarship aid. This year's goal is to raise $25,000. There is a silent auction and a live auction. The atmosphere is festive, with live music, food, and drinks. The event takes place this year on Friday evening, April 27, 7:00 PM, at Fegley's Allentown Brew Works (812 West Hamilton). 

Tickets are $25 and will be available at the door. Please consider attending, as neighborhood families often need financial support for their children to come to our school. Another way to support the school is to purchase raffle tickets ($5 each) at the event or beforehand. The prizes are an iPad, a Kindle Fire, and a Nook Color E-reader. 

Every so often people with particular tasks in our worship need to get together for a refresher (or orientation if they are new) so we are all clear on how and why we do these tasks in the Sunday assembly. It's been a while since such an event has happened at Grace for ushers and lectors. (Acolytes have the opportunity for this more regularly because they rehearse for particular services.)  

On Saturday, May 26, all lectors are asked to come to the church at 11:00 am for a half-hour refresher/orientation. At 11:30, all ushers are asked to come for a half-hour. These sessions will be led by Kelly Cannon, Libby House, and Beth Reed. 

Pentecost is May 27 this year, and it's a key feast in the church year. It's often called the Birthday of the Church; we remember and celebrate that Jesus has breathed the Holy Spirit into the church. The first disciples experienced this as speaking in languages they hadn't learned, and yet being understood by the multilingual crowd.

One way Grace has celebrated the Feast of Pentecost is to proclaim and hear a scripture reading in multiple languages at once. Readers practice the text on their own, then rehearse together. We've heard Mandarin, Pennsylvania Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Welsh, Polish, Slovak, and other tongues.

Do you speak or read a language other than English? Would you be willing to participate in this communal proclamation? The rehearsal will be on Saturday, May 26, at 10:15 AM in the church. Let Beth Reed know if you would like to read.