We celebrate the Eucharist at 10:00. The Easter images are rich: there is Lydia hearing the word of God and being baptized, and the beautiful vision of the holy city of Jerusalem with a river flowing through it. 

In the gospel passage, Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, "will teach you everything, and remind you all that I have said to you." How do you think that teaching happens? To individuals, to groups? To believers, to seekers, to skeptics? How would we be open to receive such teaching?

After the service, we gather for coffee and conversation. The vestry will meet in the conference room downstairs and all are welcome to attend. 

More than a dozen parishioners showed up at the Brew Works last Friday to support our school's benefit auction. And through buying raffle tickets, the parish another contributed at least another $360. 

The money all goes to the scholarship fund, which helps support about 30 percent of the students at GMS. The school, and the scholarship program in particular, are key ways Grace contributes to the vitality and health of downtown Allentown.

A new effort is taking shape in downtown Allentown: a quarterly arts event called Art Squawk. Several galleries and other venues welcome residents and visitors to enjoy art in the downtown. At the last event (March 24), twelve groups participated, including the Allentown Art Museum, Palette and Pen, and the Antonio Salemme Foundation. 

Grace will join this group and host an art exhibit and welcome people to our worship space on Sunday, June 2, from 12:00 to 5:00. We'll fling wide the doors and invite our neighbors into our beautiful building. Weather permitting, we can have tables and chairs outside for resting and socializing.

The event is an opportunity for many hands to participate: to prepare our space (inside and out), work on a brochure, greet visitors, set up, and clean up. Contact Beth Reed for more information and to volunteer. 

To learn more, check the Allentown Art Squawk Facebook page. 

The feast of Pentecost celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit--the apostles found they could be understood in many languages and thus, they could preach the good news of Jesus and his Way all over. 

One way Grace has celebrated is with special foods after church. There is a sign-up sheet in the hallway to list what we all can bring. Consider a dish from your heritage, or one from a country you'd like to visit, or a culinary specialty of whatever sort you can come up with! We'll enjoy a taste of God's kingdom in the diversity of offerings. 

Quarterly statements for households and individuals who have made a pledge to the work of the parish will be available this Sunday at church. For those who aren't at church, the statements will be mailed next week. They will note pledges and other donations to the parish. 

Starting Sunday, May 12, all are welcome to learn more about the prophets of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament, First Testament). Mary Louise B has procured a set of DVDs featuring Walter Brueggemann, a premier scholar and teacher on the prophets, called Embracing the Prophets in Contemporary Culture: Confronting Today's Pharoahs. Click here for more information.

Each session will include a video presentation lasting 10-15 minutes followed by group conversation. We'll gather at 9:00 and be finished before our 10:00 Eucharist. 

 

The series will run through the rest of May and June; after that, we'll evaluate this approach and the time slot, and we'll see what we'd like to learn about next and how best to go about it.