Sunday, April 29th marked the Friends of Grace Church's Annual Gala, bringing together over 100 of our community in fellowship and giving, for "A Night in Casablanca" at Rick's Café Americain.

Proceeds from the gala went to the "Saving Grace" fund for the replacement of the crumbling stone arches around the doors and windows at Grace Church. 

And the Moroccan-themed fundraising was a big hit, too! Guests enjoyed Lebanese cuisine and libations, casino-style games, live piano music ("Play it again, Sam!"), henna tattoos, and of course, the famous "Great Escapes" auction. 

The bidding was fiercely competitive, but almost all went home with a winning. Overall, the event raised over $23,000 which will go to great use around our church. 

The event would not have been possible without the efforts of Helen Buhr, Paige Hill, Hillary Liebtag, Jane Mosbacher Morris, Scott Murphy, Janet Sale, Marie-Laure Poiré, Luis Solares and Rev. John Graham. "A Night in Casablanca" also would not be possible without our generous donations from you and impressive attendance. 

We'll see you next year at the 2013 Friends of Grace Annual Gala!

Sometimes you just start writing, or talking, and figure out later what you really want to say.

That's how it's been with the writing project I started during the first half of my sabbatical last year, and hope to see through to completion with the second half this summer.

I've loved Dante's Purgatory since high school, and Paul's letters since seminary. Some connection between them always seemed to lurk just beyond my reach. Last summer I wrote a lot about this connection, but never felt I'd really found it. 

This year, thanks to lots of insightful Adult Forum discussion (some of it even on the subject at hand!) and other conversations and reflections, I feel like I've got a better handle on the Paul - Dante link. The working schema for revision and re-write is as follows: 

1. Call: a summons into the presence of an other, or Other; often unsettling or even threatening
2. Promise: the prospect of new life revealed in the encounter with the other
3. Discipline: the systematic subjugation of self to the demands of the Call, necessary to appropriating the Promise

I expect to find most of 1 and 2 in Paul, and most of 3 in Purgatory.

My heartfelt thanks to Grace Church for the opportunity to pursue and, God willing, complete this undertaking. Perhaps I'll be able to offer the (mostly) finished product as a lecture series here in 2012 and 2013.

The Vestry and I are delighted to welcome back Reverend Thelma Smullen as our priest-in-charge during my time away. Please hold me in your thoughts and prayers, as I hold you.  I will miss you while I'm gone.

Your wardens and Vestry have been busy!

We've considered several proposals for tuckpointing the front of the Rectory and replacing the stone arch around the church's main entrance door. 

In May we allocated $2,500 from the Saving Grace Fund for a "mock-up" of stone restoration on two small pentagon-shaped sills on the South Street wall, out of public view - one with "Jahn", a mortar compound, the other with real stone.  

The mock-up will help us decide how to proceed with the door and later, as revenues permit,  window and other door arches. We're grateful for the time and expertise generously given by chief Cathedral stonemason Joe Alonso, which helped us reach this decision. 

Also allocated in May: $15,000 for the Rectory tuckpointing.  Both expenditures will come from the Saving Grace Fund, now at a balance of about $90,000 with the $23,000+ raised by April's Friends of Grace Gala.

Daniel Capizzi has come on board as Financial Secretary, with responsibility for quarterly pledge statements. He replaces Gigi Raney, who recently stepped down after several years in this position.

The Rector reported that he will be hiring Reverend Sarah Motley Fischer on a contractual basis to assist Jacqueline Walters with planning Vacation Bible School field trips and preparing related Sunday School lessons. 

In addition, she's willing and able to serve as a "pastoral backup" for Thelma, to carry out pastoral tasks as she's able and at Thelma's direction and discretion. We will use about $4,000 of the Assisting Priest budget for this purpose; this budget also covers Reverend Bill Doggett's faithful and creative service as chief celebrant and preacher at our 5:00 pm Sunday service.

Though we had projected a vote on the issue of same-gender marriage prior to the second half of the Rector's sabbatical, this has not taken place. The Vestry is committed to thorough and prayerful consideration of all the issues that surround this subject, and fulfilling this commitment has taken a bit more time than anticipated. We still hope to take a vote in 2012.

Many thanks to all of you for your prayers and support of Grace, its Vestry and its ministries.