THE SEASON OF NEW LIFE

PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS

READINGS        

REFLECTION

Did you know the word "conspire" means to breathe together? Take a breath. Now blow it out again. There! You have just launched a conspiracy. You can hear the word "spirit" in there too-to conspire-to be filled with the same spirit, to be enlivened by the same wind. That is why the word appeals to me, anyhow. What happens between us when we come together to worship God is that the Holy Spirit swoops in and out among us, knitting us together through the songs we sing, the prayers we pray, the breaths we breathe. It can happen with two people and it can happen with two thousand people. It can scare us or comfort us, confuse us or clarify things for us, but as far as I can tell the Holy Spirit never bullies us. We are always free to choose whether or how we will respond. . .  

In the book of Acts, we learn the good news of what God did through the Holy Spirit, by performing artificial resuscitation on a room full of well-intentioned bumblers and turning them into a force that changed the history of the world. The question for me is whether we still believe in a God who acts like that. Do we still believe in a God who blows through closed doors and sets our heads on fire? Do we still believe in a God with power to transform us, both as individuals and as a people, or have we come to an unspoken agreement that our God is pretty old and tired by now, someone to whom we may address our prayer requests but not anyone we really expect to change our lives?

From "The Gospel of the Holy Spirit" in Home By Another Way by Barbara Brown Taylor (Cowley, 1999).

THANK YOU TO OUR CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS

Sunday at the 9:30 service we pay tribute to our fabulous church school teachers.  Please join us in thanking all of the dedicated people who have worked throughout the year to bring the message of God's love to our children: PRE-K's/KINDERGARTEN/1^st GRADE: Lainie Murrell, Bonnie Parsekian, Lynette Marshall; 2^nd and 3^rd GRADES: Linda DeJesus, Cathy Friesen, Annie Weiss; 4th and 5^th GRADES: Laura Cavazzi, Beth Paskowski, Jill Williamson; JUNIOR YOUTH GROUP  Kim Hamilton, Erik Johnke, Steve Wilson SENIOR YOUTH GROUP Moriah Olsen, Colleen Cummings KUDOS ALSO TO: Church School Coordinator Jennifer Marraccino & the Youth Commission, chaired by Laura Cavazzi, for making it all run seamlessly; Bonnie Parsekian, for her leadership of the JOYFUL NOISE GOSPEL CHOIR, and Maija Kupris, for leading the St. CECILIA CHOIR. 

BRAVO!

Sunday is also the last Sunday this season for the full Grace Church Choir. We gratefully acknowledge the time and skill these talented musicians share so generously, shaping and enriching our worship under the leadership of Organist/Choirmaster Robert Barrows.    Sopranos  Melissa Alexander, Jo Ann Barnard,  Diane Churchill, Ruby Ghosio, Suzanne Grant,  Amy Lehman,  Sally Mann,  Judy Omumbo,  Paula Spruck Altos  Mary Ann Bleecker,  Sally Cochran,  Mia Leo,  Mary O'Donoghue,  Missy Pinckert,  Lynn Marie Schnalzer,  Elisabeth Sydor,  Pat Winter Tenors Ron Hammond,  Jarrett Hill,  Rick Mortlock, Robert Parsekian,  Jeff Winter Basses  Peter Bannon,  Paul Barnard,  Steven Marsh,  Paul RichardsAssociate Director   Melissa Alexander  Librarian Ruby Ghosio

MEMORIAL GARDEN DEDICATIONS

Sunday at the 11:00 am service we will celebrate the ministry of Grace's Memorial Garden - remembering those whose ashes are immured, giving thanks for the children who play and plant, praying for our parish and the wider community who come for strength, solace, and renewal here.  

Several new additions to Memorial Garden will be dedicated, and we will celebrate with a Strawberry Festival in Memorial Hall after the service.     If you would like to make a gift to the Memorial Garden, you'll find a green sheet in the narthex that lists a variety of giving opportunities.   Linda Chisholm

The white altar vestments are in memory of Anne Adams, a long-time member of Grace Church and active participant in Grace's Thrift Shop.

The archway is given in memory of Irene Pzykowsky, aunt of Joseph Paskowski.

The sensory garden is given in part by Judy and Charles Reynolds; Michael Margese; and Melania Freeburn, in memory of John Freeburn.

Various plantings have been given by Amazing Grace Circus; Sami Ural; Valerie Mathews; Linda and Alan Chisholm; Grace Church in honor of Jean Duryea; and the Colgan family in honor of John Colgan.

We are grateful to all the volunteers and professionals who, guided by the vision and leadership of Linda Chisholm and the Memorial Garden Committee, have given generously of their time and talent to re-imagine and nurture this special space, and to all those who have made gifts in support of the Garden over the years.  Gifts received recently will be acknowledged and celebrated in future months.

AMAZING GRACE CIRCUS - SUMMER CAMPS AT GRACE

Big Top Circus Camp June 27 - Aug 12

Ages: 7 - 14 Hours: 9:00am til 4:00pm, Mon - Fri 

Little Top Circus Camp June 28 - Aug 13

Ages: 5 - 7 9:00am til 12:00pm, Mon Fri 

FOR INFORMATION: Contact Carlo Pellegrini, director 845-348-8740

email: carlo@amazinggracecircus.org

CYSM TRIP DEPARTS JUNE 26

This year our Church Youth Service Mission Trip returns to Beards Fork West Virginia, where the Senior Youth Group members will be working with the Southern Appalachian Labor School doing community clean-up, light home rehab and work in a summer literacy and nutrition program. Participants are: Sadie Burns, Cynthia Dolinsky, Pascale Jean-Gilles, Fiona Lane, Allison Lovejoy, Dakota McCormick, Morgan Pullen, Kate O'Shea Cara Wanamaker, and adults Kickie Fulmor, Fr. Richard, Jerry Kieley, and Moriah Olsen.  If you would like to make a contribution to support this trip, you may write a check to Grace Church, indicating CYSM on the memo line. 

THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC SUMMER FESTIVAL

 RETURNS TO GRACE June 12 - 26, 2011

Opening Night! "And The Sparks will Fly..." Sunday, June 12 at 7:30PM

Mikhail Kopelman, Emanuel Borok, Brach Malkin, violin; Alexander Rees, Anan Malkin Almani, viola; David Geber, Julia Lichten, cello; Christopher Oldfather, piano

"An Evening Of Fantasy" Wednesday, June 15 at 7:30 PM

Emanuel Borok, Brach Malkin, violin; Anat Malkin Almani, viola; David Geber, cello; Cullan Bryant, Anna Gurfinkel, piano

"Europe And Beyond" Sunday, June 19 at 7:30 PM

Mikhail Kopelman, Bracha Malkin violin; Anat Malkin Almani, viola; David Geber, cello; Roman Rabinovich, piano

"Rarely Performed Jewels" Wednesday, June 22 at 7:30 PM

Korliss Uecker, soprano; Bracha Malkin, Anat Malkin Almani, violin; Nicholas Mann, viola; Julia Lichten, cello; Erika Lux, Joanne Polk, piano

Gala Concert Sunday, June 26 at 7:30 PM

Korliss Uecker, soprano; Anat Malkin Almani, Bracha Malkin, violin; Nicholas mann, viola; Jerry Grossman, Julia Lichten, cello; Cullan Bryant, piano

For Information: Academy of Music Festival

Tel: (845) 358-7445 Fax: (845, 348-0713

AOMFestival@optonline.net/www.academyofmusic.com

KEEP IN TOUCH