The Rev. Elsa Worth
Rector 
The Rev. Nancy Gage
|
|
Thought for the week
-courtesy of St. Michael's Parish, Litchfield
| |
|
|
Musical Interlude
| |
| |
If you would like to have music when reading The Glow (or for whatever else you might be doing!), just click on the keyboard image to listen (or download) music performed by Dave during our services.
|
Happenings- |
To see what's been going on in, and around, Grace, click on each of these links:
|
We are the CEREAL church!
|  |
For a long time, Grace
Church has been delivering canned goods and other food donations down to the St. Luke's/St. Paul's Food Pantry in Bridgeport. They urgently need donations of all kinds of groceries, but one of the items that they seem to run out of and need a lot of is cereal.
If all of us could remember to pick up a box of cereal (or two or more!) each time we shop, we'll be able to make a wonderful and much needed contribution for the food pantry each week. There is a collection basket at the main entrance of the church, and also one in lower Lewis Hall. |
|
"The Glow" Archives:
To view previous issues of "The Glow", click here. |
  | | If you wish to subscribe to the Episcopal Diocese of CT weekly eNewsletters, please click HERE. |
|
|  |
Click HERE to read this week's wellness message from Living Compass |
|
| Dear friend,
"there is need of only one thing."
Luke 10:42
Perhaps you can relate to poor Martha (in the Martha and Mary story, Luke 10:38-42), who sees a large group of visitors unexpectedly approaching her home, madly picks up the house before they get to the door, runs to the kitchen to see if there's anything to feed them, gets crazy busy in the kitchen, trying to cook and present and serve and clear and clean. It's Jesus that's come to call, after all. He's an important man. You've got to make the right impression! Perhaps you can then also relate, to Martha's feelings of resentment as she works like a dog to be a good hostess while her sister just sits at Jesus' feet listening to the men's conversation while she practically kills herself doing all the work alone. Martha, irritated, asks Jesus to tell her sister to get up and help her. Perhaps you feel her surprise when he defends Mary, saying she's chosen the better part.
When you're running in a million directions at once, it's hard to be told that you need to focus on just one thing. What do you mean one thing? There are a million things needing my attention! But under everything we are and everything we do, what is the one thing that is most important? The one thing that makes all the rest of it worth it? If you could identify that one core, unifying thing, wouldn't it be easier to prioritize all the rest? What was Jesus telling Martha the one thing was? What do you think it could be?
Here at Grace Church we are dancing with life's big questions. If you're searching for a community of faith to belong to, we invite you to come to explore, come to connect and come to believe among us here at Grace Church. We'd enjoy both your company and your participation as we follow in the way of Jesus and learn and grow in discipleship together. |
|
|
Peace,
The Rev. Elsa Worth
Grace Episcopal Church |
|
Annual Summer Church Swap
-continues THIS Sunday, July 21st
 Continuing Sunday, July 21st, Elsa is away spending time in NH with her family. She will return on Sunday evening. Grace Church will go on the road and worship together with Christ Church over in Tashua (5170 Madison Ave - Corner of Tashua Road). Christ Church's summer services are held at 8 or 9:30 am.
Let's all show great hospitality to our church neighbors by showing up to be together! In August, we will welcome the people of Christ Church here on Main Street for three Sundays when Louise is away. If there is a pastoral emergency while Elsa is gone, please contact the Rev. Louise Kalemkerian at 203-536-9259.
|
Grace-full Conversations
-Wednesday, July 24th, 7:30 PM
Changes are taking place at Grace Church and there are more changes to come. Budgetary limitations are causing us to seriously re-evaluate how we do church together. Though we're not sure how things are ultimately going to turn out, we know that the Spirit is in this with us and that it is a priority for us to remain together as a caring community through anxious times. With so many questions and unknowns about our future floating around, it is crucial for each of us who care about this faith community to make time for prayer and spiritual discussion together, as we air questions, concerns, worries, suggestions or anything else that's on our minds and hearts. To that end, Elsa has initiated bi-weekly Grace-full Conversations. During these times together we'll listen to God and to each other, considering things like: What is our deepest purpose for gathering as a Eucharistic community? How does church fit into our lives and how important is it to us? Who is God calling us to be? What is the role of the priest in a church community? What is the role of the laity? How are we, as a church, reaching out to our neighbors? Could we grow more deeply and intentionally into God's mission and how might that look? What are the societal changes we are being faced with? How do we perceive these changes affecting our church and our own lives? How do these changes affect what we both can and want to do together as a church?
The key word in all of this is together. If the people of Grace Church are to move forward together, we need to make the time to meet together to discern our next steps. Therefore, opportunities will be available twice a week - every Wednesday and Sunday beginning June 12. Gatherings will take place in the chapel after coffee hour on Sundays (except when Elsa is on vacation), and each Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm, Each meeting will last 1¼ hour and will include Scripture exploration, prayer and discussion. All are encouraged to attend at least once a week if possible. This is our opportunity to stay in touch, to discover the new things God is doing here at Grace, and to deepen in faith together through the process.
|
|
Moving Forward in Mission - Update
On Wednesday, the Christ Church vestry voted to resume their search for a part-time priest and to not proceed with developing a shared, collaborative ministry with us, at this time. We will continue to be in a period of acceptance and of listening and of 'trying things on' so that we can move forward as a body into action, one step at a time. Our focus needs to be on how God is speaking and moving with Grace Church and we need to be paying prayerful attention to discern what we're being called to in the midst of change.
|
Vestry Meeting
-Wednesday, July 31st, 7:30 PM
The next scheduled vestry meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 31st at 7:30 pm. This meeting will begin with the Grace-full Conversation Bible study in the Chapel, then move into the Vestry meeting. Remember, the vestry meeting is open to all and you are encouraged to attend and participate.
|
Wednesday Morning Meditation
Our morning meditation group is growing! If you're an early riser, this is a wonderful way to start and center your day. Wednesday morning from 7-7:25 in the chapel. Wednesday meditation continues through the summer.
|
Saturday Morning Discovery Group
-every Saturday morning
Each Saturday from 9-10, the Discovery Group gathers at Panera bread in the Trumbull Mall. We are currently using the Sermon on the Mount to seek the overlap between the way of Jesus and 12 step spirituality. You need not be in a 12 step group to attend. It's a great bible study! The Discovery Group will continue through the summer.
|
|
Holding Down the Fort
For many of us, summer is a time of going away and having all kinds of fun outings. Sometimes that mean missing more Sunday mornings at church than usual. But while we're away on vacation - or at church on a church swap day over with Christ Church, our bills don't take a vacation and keep coming in to the Grace Church office all summer long. If you have made a pledge to Grace, we hope you will keep it current despite vacation, and to this end, the vestry asks you to consider setting up an automatic payment from your bank account to Grace for the remainder of the year so that you don't even have to think about it! If you don't want to pay on line, consider offering your pledge in advance when you know you're going to be away so that we don't have cash flow problems over the summer. Our church depends on the weekly pledges you have made to support our budget even when you're not here, so please keep your pledging current this summer and fall.
|
|
Used Clothing Shed
 Certainly you've noticed the used clothing shed in our back parking lot. Please spread the word about this new outreach project -laminated posters and small flyers are available to post and share. Clothes donated into the shed are picked up by St. Pauly's, who distributes them all to people in need across the globe through their connection with larger agencies. All of the usable clothing that gets donated makes its way to people in need, saving landfill space. Items accepted include clothing, shoes, sneakers, belts, linens, pillow cases, blankets, curtains and stuffed animals. (Please do not put rags, fabric scraps, pillows, toys, household goods or electronics in the shed.) Grace church receives 4 cents per pound on all items collected in exchange for hosting the shed. For further info on this project, there is information about St. Pauly's available in coffee hour, or click on this link: St. Pauly's. |
|
This Week's Announcements
|
Sunday, July 21st:
Grace Church worshiping at Christ Church - Services: 8:00 & 9:30 AM
Wednesday, July 24th:
Guided Meditation - 7:00-7:25 AM
Grace-full Conversations in the chapel - 7:30 PM
|
Sunday, July 28th:
Eucharistic Service - 9:30 AM
Grace-full Conversations in the chapel immediately following coffee hour
Wednesday, July 31st:
Guided Meditation - 7:00-7:25 AM
Vestry Meeting - 7:30 PM
|
|
|
