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Sunday Services 
8:00 AM
Celebrant:
The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Preacher:
The Rev. Noah H. Evans
LEM: June Pietrantoni
Usher: 
John Schlesinger
Altar Guild:
June Pietrantoni

10:00 AM
Celebrant: 
The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Preacher: 
The Rev. Noah H. Evans
Minister of Music:
Ruth Roper    
LEM I:
Mia Benjamin
LEM II:
Rochenet Joseph
Lector I *:
Tim Lwanga
Barbara Povey
Acolytes:
Nzube Opara, Chioma Opara, Lucy Kossuth
Ushers:
Daniel Egger and Butch Edgecomb
Altar Guild
Adele and Marie Glynn
Vestry Person of the Day:
Steve Duggan
Healing Ministers: The Rev. Noah Evans, Carrie Cross, Cindy Scott and John Rogers
Counters:
Naida Gavrelis and Jane Scherban
Coffee Hour:  
Steve Duggan, coffee - Nancy Egger, Elise Daly and Tim Edson, food

5:00 PM
Celebrant and 
Preacher: 
The Rev. Noah H. Evans
Musician: 
Nicholas Hayes 
 
*click on link to prepare for this week's readings
Birthdays

Matt Heaton (2/28); Eric Civitareale (3/2) and Mark McCurdy (3/5).

If we do not have your birthday, please contact the church office at 781-396-7215 or office@gracemedford.org  
Welcome.
Please join us at
 Grace Church!
We celebrate the Eucharist at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM.  Sunday School begins promptly at 9:45 AM Nursery care is available during the 10 AM service. 
by The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold 

In the first three readings we heard today, God could be a participant in this year's presidential election. The God we meet here looks every inch a partisan, completely on the side of the chosen people, upholding them and favouring them in every possible way, shepherding them along a path of special destiny. It begins with Abraham, who is ...read more

It can be pretty scary to interrupt other people, especially when you don't know anything about their lives. But I've found it can be scarier to interrupt myself, especially since it makes me realize how little I know about my own. Read more ...
MEDFORD CONVERSATIONS: A new feeling of optimism is growing
By Frank O'Leary
medford@wickedlocal.com, 
Posted Feb. 23, 2016

I am an optimist.
I am optimistic about Medford, its people, and the future of this great city.
But I was not always so optimistic. read more

Envision Medford Community Summit
Feb. 28, 2-4 PM, at Medford High School
The Medford Community Coalition, in collaboration with The Medford Conversations Project, is hosting Envision Medford, a community conversation about economic development in our city. It takes place on Sunday, Feb. 28, from 2-4 p.m., at Medford High School.

This community-wide event is open to everyone who lives and works in Medford). Light snacks will be provided. Registration via Event Brite is currently closed and there will be a waiting list for the event.
 
For Envision Medford, the Medford Community Coalition joined forces with the Medford Conversations Project, led by Dale Bryan of the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University. Our Rector, the Reverend Noah H. Evans, and Alicia Hunt will be among the facilitators for this event.
Lent at Grace Church
What will your Lent practice be?  What will your family's be? We invite you to join Grace for Lent!  

Find more information about Maggie's walking meditation practice, Noah's lessons in developing our prayer life, and growing a Rule of Life with Mia and the monastic community Society of St. John the Evangelist on our website.

For Lent, Our Wednesdays at Grace Adult Education series is "Read the Bible!" an introduction to different ways of reading biblical texts, which may develop into a practice of reading scripture.

Grace Church will also be holding special Lenten events, including children's activities.  read more
wright's pond scene
14th day of Lent, 2/26: reflect on the "Sea of Galilee" at Wright's Pond
Use your imagination and the locations mentioned in the calendar as clues to link the journey through Lent to the life and history of the City of Medford. Reflect on Jesus' journey at each site that you visit.

Download our Lent calendar, drawn by Rev. Maggie with thanks to Dee Morris and the Rite 13 youth group for help with ideas and images.  It is called "Jesus-caching" the Journey to Jerusalem.  You can pick up a copy at church or find it on the website here.  Use the hashtag #medfordlent to post what you discover along the way.
Lent Madness began in 2010 as the brainchild of the Rev. Tim Schenck. In seeking a fun, engaging way for people to learn about the men and women comprising the Church's Calendar of Saints read more.
Outreach Corner 
The next opportunity to help at St. Luke's Community Dining in Chelsea is February 26, 2016. Please contact Lisa Carson with any questions or to volunteer to help. 
 
Food is needed for the food pantries that Grace Episcopal Church supports.  The items for February 28 are cereal and rice.  The item for March 6 is coffee.
Save the date!
Bishop Alan M. Gates will be at Grace on Wednesday, April 6 at 7:00PM for a Service of Dedication of our restored organ, and a celebration of the completion of our Capital Campaign project.  A festive community dinner will be held at 6:00 PM.

You can follow the organ restoration progress by going to David E. Wallace's website or checking their Facebook page and checking the Grace Church restoration blog. 
Barbara C. Harris Summer Camp
Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center Summer Camp registration is now open! Noah will be a camp chaplain and at Camp, Sunday, June 26th - Friday, July 1st. Sign up for that week, or any week of the summer!  Talk to Noah or Maggie about scholarships.  More information at BCHCenter.org 
Wednesdays @ Grace
Toddler Godly Play class - 5:30-6:30
Godly Play 1-Preschool-Kindergarten,   5:30-6:15
Godly Play 2-Grades 1-2,   5:30-6:15
Dinner,   6-6:45
Child-care for children through 2nd grade, 6:45-8
Bible Class (grades 3-4), 6:45-8
Rite 13 youth group (grades 5-7), 6:45-8
J2A youth group (grades 8-9), 6:45-8
Adult Education classes, 6:45-8
Read the Bible! on Wednesday Nights
Wednesdays February 24 to March 16
The Christian scriptures can easily be seen as odd and strange, as well as beautiful and powerful, and sometime even indecipherable.  During this Lenten series we will explore a number of different ways to read and understand the bible.   Join us for one or all of this exciting series! 

Led by The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Reading the Bible as an Evangelical 
(It's not what you think!)
Wednesday March 2 at 6:45 PM
How do we understand the Bible? It's a collection of 66 books with different authors, written in various places, and even coming from two distinct religious traditions. Can we read this text  read more.

Lectio Divina
Wednesday March 9 at 6:45PM
Led by Mia Benjamin
Lectio Divina is a contemplative method of reading short passages of scripture that has its roots in the Benedictine monastic tradition.  read more

Living Close to Scripture
Wednesday, March 16 at 6:45PM
Led by the Reverend Noah H. Evans
How do we let scripture permeate our lives, and shape our daily experience of God...read more
Other Announcements

Grace Episcopal Church Annual Meeting
The Grace Episcopal Church Annual Meeting will be on Sunday, February 28 immediately following the 10AM service. The 2015 Annual Report is
 
Concert to Benefit the World Food Program
There is still time to get your tickets to the benefit concert to raise money for the World Food Program efforts in Syria on Saturday, February 27 from 2:00-4:00 pm. We're coordinating a homemade Syrian supper and silent auction as well as a children's program for the event. Contact Catherine Smith for more information. Go
 to http://www.gracemedford.org/syrian-relief
 for more information on the event!  You can get tickets on Sunday morning or order tickets or make a donation on the Grace Church website.

Adult Baptism, Confirmation 
and Reception in the Episcopal Church class
Sundays, 4-5PM, January 31 - March 13
Taught by: The Rev. Noah H. Evans, The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold and Mia Benjamin
Are you interested in being baptized or in exploring being confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church?  This class will explore some foundations of Christian faith, life and practice.  Candidates for Baptism will be baptized at the Easter Vigil on Saturday, March 26 at 7PM.  Please let Noah or Maggie know if you have questions of would like to attend.

Book Club
The Women's Book Club meets every third Thursday at 7PM.   For March 17, we're reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon , April 22 it's Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and May 19 the book is House Rules by Jodi Picoult.  For more information, contact Genita Johnson at pawleyslegacy@verizon.net.


YLA (Youth Leadership Academy) Fundraiser
Paint Afternoon for Elizabeth and Catherine Woodbury's YLA mission trip to Arizona and Mexico to talk and learn about border issues and the people this issue effects.  Come and paint with Cheryl Woodbury and have some fun with others from the church.  The fundraiser will take place on Saturday, March 12 at 3 p.m.  Light refreshments will be served.  The cost is $40 and all supplies and refreshments are included.