Sunday, December 2nd

If you are able, please bring a contribution for the packages. Any type of "study snack" is welcome; home-baked goodies are always a special treat, but healthy store bought fare is also great. 

You can drop off food on Sunday, December 2nd (if it will keep) or Sunday, December 9th. 

Please bring your contribution packaged in individual portions; our goal is to create care packages for at least 40 students. 

If you haven't already, please complete and submit your 2013 pledge card so the Budget Committee can get started on formulating a budget.

If you haven't received a card, please request one from the office. 

Greetings from Grace is published every month to inform and engage members and friends of Grace Episcopal Church in Georgetown.

In Christ's Redeeming Love,

The bike rack which used to be on the sidewalk over the canal has been moved. It now sits on Wisconsin Avenue directly in front of Grace -- and has eliminated three parking spaces. 

While Grace supports the Bikeshare program (we have members that frequently bike to services), many members of our congregation rely on convenient access to street parking to attend services here. They include older members with health issues, families with young children and others for whom cycling to church is not an option. The loss of these three spaces is already being felt.   

Many members have already communicated with District authorities, and the response so far has been positive. If you're concerned and haven't let appointed and elected officials know yet, please, as able, help us out by sending email to the following people (it's fine to send to one email and copy the others on the message):

• Terry Bellamy, Director of the DC Department of Transportation at Terry.Bellamy@dc.gov
• Chris Holben, Capitol Bikeshare Coordinator at Chris.Holben@dc.gov
• Jack Evans, Ward 2 DC Councilmember at JEvans@DCCouncil.us
• Sherri Kimbel, Constituent Services Director for Jack Evans at SKimbel@DCCouncil.us
• Bill Starrels, Georgetown Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner at Bill.Starrels@gmail.com 

Prefer to use the phone? Here are the relevant phone numbers: 

• DC Department of Transportation, 202-673-6813
• Jack Evan's Office, 202.724.8018

If you live in DC, and especially if you live in Ward 2, please note this in your email. If you are in DC but not in Ward 2, please include your own DC Councilperson in your communications. You can find out who your Councilperson is here. 

Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above."

- John Fawcett

 

On November 3^rd and 4^th, a group of thirty Grace Church parishioners took a break from our busy schedules to explore the theme "Blessed Be the Tie That Binds" - the many ways that Grace Church and the Christian faith bring us together as a community.

 

As the leaves changed, the season turned, and we got an extra hour of sleep, we gathered together at the beautiful Bon Secours Retreat Center in Marriottsville, MD, for two days of lively discussion, worship, introspection, and prayer.

 

Beginning with a reflection of the ways Christian communities can help (and sometimes hinder) our faith journeys, Reverend Vincent Harris led the group in a two-day exploration of how to build and strengthen the Grace Church community and its wider Christian outreach.

 

Participants defined what it meant to be a part of the Christian community, explored how the apostles began as a community, and developed prayers of reflection on Christ's role in strengthening the "ties that bind." Finally, we reflected individually on our own role as Christians and closed with a discussion of tangible steps for how Grace Church could strengthen its sense of Christian community.

 

As always at Grace, we shared good food and deep thoughts, and cherished the opportunity to grow closer; all who attended received an opportunity to explore and grow their faith in a supportive, creative, and friendly group of fellow parishioners.

 

Don't worry if you missed this year's retreat! 

 

A document summarizing the discussions is available here. We've also already booked space at Bon Secours again for Friday, November 2 - Saturday, November 3, 2013. Mark your calendars! 

 

• The following resolution on same-gender marriage was moved, seconded and then tabled until the December 11th Vestry Meeting in order to allow time for publicizing to the congregation. 

Resolved: that the Vestry of Grace Episcopal Church, Georgetown, authorize the Reverend John M. Graham, in his capacity as Rector of Grace Church and at his discretion, to solemnize same gender marriages at Grace Church in accordance with the authority granted by the 2009 and 2012 General Conventions of the Episcopal Church and by the guidelines promulgated by the Diocese of Washington in response thereto. 

• Peter Wallace, our Treasurer, will prepare a draft budget for the December Vestry Meeting.

• John will speak with the Bike Share program manager about relocating the new bike racks that take up 3 parking spaces on Wisconsin Avenue in front of our church.

• Our Stewardship pledges are ahead of last year's pace.

• Eastbanc construction of the condominiums next door to Grace has not started as early as planned. Grace and Eastbanc are in the process of negotiating an easement permitting the non-load bearing portion of the construction crane to swing over a portion of Grace's grounds. Grace's Executive Committee proposed revisions to the agreement submitted by Eastbanc, in order to better protect Grace's interests. Eastbanc is now reviewing the revised agreement.

• John Graham's brother in law, Joe, is in his last days. Hospice was called in. John asked for prayers for Marilyn, his sister, Joe, and the rest of the family.

• Beth Lee reported that there will be 20 or so kids in this year's Christmas Pageant on Sunday, December 16. 

Full Minutes of Vestry Meetings are in the notebook in the Volunteer office of the Rectory after they have been approved by the Vestry.

Editor's Note: Viewpoint invites reflections on the application of our faith to issues of common concern.

 

These reflections represent the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Grace staff or members. 

 

As many of my friends and relatives know, I have been concerned about the Palestinians ever since I first visited Gaza in 1964. I have been back with Physicians for Human Rights.  

 

As everyone needs to realize, the Palestinians have been living in a prison on their own land. Life is getting worse every day as the Israeli apartheid system confiscates more land and destroys houses every day. 

 

On the West Bank Palestinians cannot travel since the entire area is broken up by segregated (by-pass roads) roads reserved only for used by Israelis and settlers (colonialists). The Palestinians have been doing nonviolent protests for over 50 years with no change. 

 

The United States supports this religious or ethnic state. This support always seems strange to me since similar laws supporting one religion or ethnic group are unconstitutional in US domestic policy. Of interest also is that Palestinians have the same Semitic heritage as Jews. Contrary to advertised opinion, the land was not empty when the Jewish state was started.

 

It is essentially Israeli policy to take over the entire West Bank. In the mean time Hamas exists in Gaza since the Palestine Authority government has done nothing to change the status quo with the Israeli government. The citizens of Gaza are acting out in desperation as the Israel's plan for an election. No one can support firing rockets into Israel, but the people feel trapped with no means of using their airport, sea port , for open import or export. 

 

The United States government in every past administration has tried to "manage" the conflict rather than settle it. There are only three solutions:

1. All those living in the settlements in the West Bank come back to the 1967 boarders
2. All the settlers remain where they are and become citizens of the new country of Palestine
3. Have one state (not two) with all inhabitants having the same political and civil rights (the traditional American way). This is possibly the only real solution since so much of the West Bank is covered with settlements 

I suggest everybody learn more about this situation; here are a few places online to start. Sabeel is an organization started in Jerusalem by Christians. In the US there is FOSNA (Friends of Sabeel North America). Also visit Steadfast Hope- The Palestine Quest for Peace; order copies of the book and look at the DVD in back. Order many copies and pass them on to your friends.

 

I also recommend reading Jimmy Carter's books, Palestine: Peace not Apartheid and We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work, on the issue.

   

More important, once informed, I would like each of you to email and call the White House (202-224-3121) and the State Dept (202-647-4000). Also write or call your Senators and Congressmen (or women). Demand a cessation of all military and foreign aid to Israel until it completely change their domestic program of apartheid. 

 

Things will only change if we stand for a just peace and freedom for all people. Bishop Tutu of South Africa has said many times that the condition of the Palestinians is as bad or worse than it was for the Blacks in South Africa. He and others support BDS (boycott, divest, and sanctions) since it worked with international pressure in his country to change the politics of apartheid.

 

Nothing will happen unless the US takes a strong stand and, of course, stops vetoing all the relative UN Security Council resolutions. Please act.

 

Feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss this issue further.