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THE SEASON OF PREPARATION |
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The Fifth Sunday of Lent
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
WEEKLY UPDATE: 4.8.11 |
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PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS |
Janet, Doug Doller, Jack Seeman, Charles Drumm, Yasso Herath, Bob and Donna Weber, Thomas Humeston, Peggy Lehrecke, Bill and Catherine Lubeck, Michael Barraclough, Peter Lubeck, Roberta Mathsen, Al Lalli, Linda, Dave, Peter Federico, John Federico, Ed Ceccolini, Raymond
REST IN PEACE: Dorothy "Dotty" Larson, Bill Lubeck, John "Don" Ehrhart The prayer list is refreshed monthly please call the office to add a name, or to request that a name be carried forward. There is a book in the narthex where -- before the service begins -- you may add names to be read during the Prayers of the People for the day. |
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READINGS
CLICK HERE to listen to sermons from previous weeks |
COLLECT OF THE DAY
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
CLICK HERE to visit the Episcopal Church's weekly Bible study website. You'll find all the readings along with background and commentary, and there's an opportunity to add your own comments as well. |
A genuine revolution of values means in the final analysis that our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Every nation must now develop an overriding loyalty to mankind as a whole in order to preserve the best in their individual societies.
This call for a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one's tribe, race, class, and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing -- embracing and unconditional love for all mankind. This oft misunderstood, this oft misinterpreted concept, so readily dismissed by the Nietzsches of the world as a weak and cowardly force, has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of man. When I speak of love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I am not speaking of that force which is just emotional bosh. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality. This Hindu-Muslim-Christian-Jewish-Buddhist belief about ultimate -- ultimate reality is beautifully summed up in the first epistle of Saint John: "Let us love one another, for love is God. And every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love." "If we love one another, God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us." Let us hope that this spirit will become the order of the day...
...We are now faced with the fact, my friends,that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected with a lost opportunity. The tide in the affairs of men does not remain at flood -- it ebbs. We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is adamant to every plea and rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residues of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words, "Too late." There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect. Omar Khayyam is right: "The moving finger writes, and having writ moves on."
Martin Luther King, Jr. From his speech Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence
Delivered 4 April 1967, Riverside Church, New York City
Watch a video of the speech Read the full text of speech |
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SATURDAY, April 9
9:00am St. John's Vestry Retreat (Patterson Hall)
9:30am Gardening Club Organizational Meeting (Fenton Room)
10:00am Midnight Run (Memorial Hall)
10:30am Parish Work Day & Brass Cleaning
SUNDAY, April 10
8:00am/9:30/11:00am Holy Eucharist
10:10am PARISH FORUM: Intro to Holy Week & Confession
Church School Bake Sale
2:30pm Amazing Grace Circus Rehearsal (Bradley Chapel)
6:30pm Senior Youth Group (Fenton Room)
6:30pm French Creole Mass
Monday, April 11
7:30pm RPCC Board Meeting (Patterson Hall)
9:00pm Helping Hands Overnight (Memorial Hall)
Tuesday, April 12
10:00am Staff Meeting (Patterson Hall)
7:00pm Boy Scouts (Memorial Hall)
8:00pm Choir
9:00pm Helping Hands Overnight (Memorial Hall)
10:00pm Compline
Wednesday, April 13
12:30pm Clericus (Patterson )
6:15 - 7:30pm Silent Prayer/Meditation (Bradley Chapel)
9:00pm Helping Hands Overnight (Memorial Hall)
Thursday, April 14
7:00am Men's Prayer Breakfast (Patterson Hall)
8:00pm Choir
Saturday, April 16
9:30am Rehearsal for 9:30 Easter service
5:30pm Way of the Savior, Part I (Memorial Hall)
Sunday, April 17 - Palm Sunday
8:00am/11:00am Holy Eucharist
9:30am Way of the Savior, Part II
10:00am Standing Committee on Finance (Rector's Office)
10:10am Easter Fair
3:00pm Amazing Grace Circus Rehearsal (Memorial Hall)
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SATURDAY: CALLING ALL GARDENERS
We are beginning a new Garden Club, to be guided by the Standing Committee on Property, to have the care of the gardens around Grace Church. If you are interested in gardening, enjoy mulching and planting and are willing to work with a committee, please come to the organizational meeting on April 9 at 9:30am in the Fenton Room. |
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SATURDAY: PARISH WORK DAY AND BRASS CLEANING ON APRIL 9
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING MIDNIGHT RUN AT 10:00am Please join us to help clean and prepare the sanctuary for our Easter celebrations. The Altar Guild will also be busy in Memorial Hall beginning at 11:00, putting an Easter shine on our brass, and they welcome helpers are well. Many hands make light work, so plan to spend the morning! |
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PARISH FORUMS - between 9:30 and 11:00am services
April 10 - Introduction to Holy Week & Confession
April 17 - Easter Fair
BAKE SALES DURING PARISH FORUM/REFRESHMENT HOUR
This is the final week that the Church School will be offering delectable homemade treats for sale during the Parish Forum/Refreshment hour in Memorial Hall, with proceeds benefiting their Lenten giving project, the orphanage Las Maison des Petits de Diquini in Haiti. Plan to save some room for a breakfast treat!
EASTER FAIR Sunday April 17 following Way of the Savior
Games*Crafts*Bake Sale & more!!!!
Organized by the Senior Youth Group to raise money for the CYSM trip to West Virginia. |
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MID WEEK LENTEN PROGRAM
Thank you to everyone who has participated in this year's midweek Lenten program, and to the Adult Spiritual Formation Commission for their leadership its creation. On this final Wednesday before Holy Week, there will be no dinner or formal program, but Bradley Chapel will be open for silent meditation and prayer from 6:15 - 7:30pm. Please join us. |
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WAY OF THE SAVIOR Saturday, April 16 & Palm Sunday, April 17 All families are invited to participate in the Way of the Savior program! This program enables your family to re-enact and celebrate the key events of holy week and the meaning of Christ's resurrection including Jesus' triumphant procession into Jerusalem, footwashing, the paschal meal, the trial of Jesus, the crucifixion, burial and resurrection. The Saturday evening program concludes with Jesus' arrest and Sunday morning begins with the trial and concludes with the Easter Fair. The Junior Youth Group plays a very important role in the program and will be assigned speaking or action roles. All families are invited to participate and are asked to bring a dish for the pot luck supper on Saturday evening taking place from 5:30-7:30pm |
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HOLY WEEK 2011
Monday in Holy Week- April 18 7:30am-Rite of Reconciliation
Tuesday in Holy Week -April 19 7:30am-Rite of Reconciliation
Wednesday in Holy Week - April 20 8:00pm Tenebrae
Maundy Thursday-April 21
8:00pm Proper Liturgy & Washing of Feet
A service commemorating the "Last Supper" of Jesus with his disciples, taking place at the Passover Seder. At this Seder, Jesus again affirms the two great commandments: "Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind," and "Love your neighbor as yourself." In the Gospel of John, he also performs another act: the washing of the disciples' feet, providing yet another great example of service to others. Jesus then commands his disciples to serve others as he has been willing to serve them. Jesus' command-the mandatum-is the source of the name "Maundy" Thursday. The final acts- the Stripping of the Altar and the singing of Psalm 22-remind us of the conflicts of Jesus as he saw the events of his life's end unfolding.
A Vigil continues through the night in Bradley Chapel
Good Friday - April 22
8:00am Mass of the Pre-Sanctified (Bradley Chapel)
Communion from reserved Sacrament.
12:00pm Stations of the Cross
Prayer, short sermon, hymns and music observing the journey of Christ to the cross.
With the First Reformed Church of Nyack.
8:00pm Proper Liturgy & Veneration of the Cross
The chanted story of the events of Good Friday with the Grace Church Choir. A time to meditate and pray on this day when one may experience most fully the sacrifice of Jesus.
Holy Saturday-April 23
8:00pm Great Vigil of Easter & Baptism
Readings, prayers, first Easter Eucharist, and Renewal of Baptismal Vows. With congregations of St. John's Episcopal Church of New City, and St. Paul's of Spring Valley. Followed by a reception.
Easter Sunday-April 24
8:00am Holy Eucharist (Rite I)
9:30am Holy Eucharist (Rite II; Parish Choir, Joyful Noise Gospel Choir, & St. Cecilia Choir)
11:00amFestal Eucharist (Rite II; Senior Choir) |
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TRAVELING TABLE
Starting this April, the Fellowship Commission invites everyone to join us at our "traveling table": through a variety of gatherings and activities, we hope to extend the idea of the "table" and invite people to find their place in new ways.
This month, we will take an excursion to the NyackCenter on Wednesday, April 27 for Rivertown Film's screening of the inspiring film Today's Special and stay for a Q&A with the filmmakers. The screening is at 8:00pm, but we can meet at 7:30 and take advantage of the great treats offered by the Rivertown Film cafe. Visit: todaysspecial.com for more about the movie, and contact Kris Burns at kmpburns@optonline.net with any questions. |
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FROM THE COMMISSION ON ADULT SPIRITUAL FORMATION
NEXT SELECTION FOR BOOK GROUP
Our next meeting will be on Thursday, April 28 at 8:00pm, immediately following our 7:00pm Commission meeting (newcomers welcome and encouraged!) Please note the day & time. We'll discuss the JD Salinger story "A Perfect Day for Banana Fish," from the collection Nine Stories (available at the library, and copies of the story will be in the narthex soon.) In addition, we'll discuss parts of the StoryCorps CD, "Listening is an Act of Love," which features oral histories recorded and archived at the AmericanFolklifeCenter at the US Library of Congress. Hope to see you on April 28 for some wine, cheese and great conversation! New members always welcome.
SAVE THE DATE - Sunday, May 8 at 4:00pm
ASF will present the "startling and provocative" production of "In the Voices of Our Mothers." In the theatre piece, writer and director Carol Fox Prescott has given voice to five of the best known women of the bible, Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, Rachel and Miriam. Watch for more details soon - it will be a memorable way to mark Mother's Day. |
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MEDIEVAL CIRCUS FESTIVAL Saturday, May 21
Calling all squires and ladies, join the Amazing Grace CIRCUS! for a Medieval Circus Festival on Saturday, May 21, 2011 from Noon - 6:00pm. Don't miss this opportunity to see amazing feats, colorful costumes and fabulous stunts by young performers led by instructors from Big Apple Circus, Acrobrats Inc. and Lux Entertainment under the 150 year-old Gothic cathedral of Grace Church Nyack. Rockland's own circus performers are sure to dazzle your eyes and inspire your imagination. Special guest Ringmaster is Bishop Catherine Roskam. This family event offers interactive entertainment for everyone including comedy jousting, acrobats, aerialists, artisans, crafts, face painting, period music and food. Tickets are available by calling (845) 348-8740 or sending an email to carlo@amazinggracecircus.org. Adults $35, Children $15 and youngsters under 3 are free. Proceeds benefit the community outreach programs of Grace Church Nyack including services that feed and provide shelter to the homeless in Rockland and NYC and the safe youth and educational initiatives offered by Amazing Grace CIRCUS! For more information about the Amazing Grace CIRCUS!, and to buy tickets for the Medieval Circus Festival, please visit www.amazinggracecircus.org. |
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FELLOWSHIP TO BEGIN SUMMER WITH A ZANY FARCE
The Comedy of Errors, believed to be one of Shakespeare's first plays, is a terrific choice for our thirteenth season attending The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival at Boscobel. This madcap comedy follows the misadventures of two sets of identical twins who were separated in their infancies and each grew up sharing the same names: Antipholus and Dromio. They find themselves in the same town and much mayhem ensues over the course of just one day.
It will be a rollicking good time and we invite you to join us for the 6:00pm performance on Sunday, June 26. When the box office opens, the Fellowship Commission will reserve 50 seats for our Grace Church family and friends. So mark your calendars now. Details will follow in the next Messenger and reservations will be accepted beginning in May. Barbara Cross, Fellowship Commission |
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WANTED
Mechanical engineers with knowledge of building systems who can help with a parish property survey in May. Contact Jeff McDowell if you have some time in May.
Computer Needed The computer used by our treasurers has components that do not work, and we no longer have a working CD drive. Does anyone have a fully functional computer 'tower' to give us? A brand new one would be even better! Perhaps someone has access to a donations program through their workplace? If you can help, please contact the church office at 358-1297. Thank you so much! |
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COMPLINE DURING LENT - Tuesdays at 10:00pm
The Grace Choir sings Compline, the last 'office' of the day. Come and sit quietly or join in the music for a peaceful end to the day. |
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PEOPLE TO PEOPLE IS EXTREMELY SHORT ON FOOD SUPPLIES
With more need than ever, please remember to bring a non-perishable food item to church every Sunday for People to People's food bank. 121 West Nyack Rd. Nanuet NY 10954 845.623.4900. |
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DIOCESE OF NEW YORK WEBSITE CLICK HERE
EPISCOPAL CAFE For daily Episcopal news/reflection/commentary CLICK HERE
ON FAITH conversations about faith and current events from all angles CLICK HERE |
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Teach me your ways, Lord,
that I may be swept up in worship with the saints,
which surges in wonder, gratitude, and obedience,
and shapes my life into an irrepressible YES to you,
to all my sisters and brothers,
and to the presence of the kingdom among us---
Teach me your ways, Lord,
that I may praise you
for all the surprising, ingenious ways you bless me
and for the wondrous gifts you give me
that I may be open to the same Spirit
who moved over the face of the waters
in the first day of creation---
and moves over the chaos of this time
Guerrillas of Grace Ted Loder "Teach Me Your Ways"
For more about Ted Loder, CLICK HERE |
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GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.130 First Avenue.Nyack.New York.10960.845-358-1297
The Reverend Richard L. Gressle, Rector
The Reverend Emily Sieracki, Assistant to the Rector
Robert Barrows, Organist & Choirmaster
www.gracechurchnyack.org |
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