The image is of a 12th-century mosaic in Palermo, Italy. Raising of Lazarus, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=46168 [retrieved April 3, 2014].

Some folks signed up to tidy the outside garden beds and parking pad before Holy Week--they'll work this Sunday after church. Anyone is welcome to come in jeans and pull some weeds, rake out beds, and in general spruce up our outside now that Spring may actually have arrived . . .

The Paschal Triduum is the center of our year, and we celebrate the liturgies as fully as we can. This year it's April 17-20.

There are many roles and tasks to share--washing feet on Maundy Thursday, carrying the cross during the Good Friday liturgy, arranging flowers on Holy Saturday morning, bringing beautiful food for the reception after the Easter Vigil, etc.

Many tasks are already spoken for, and some still remain. Sign-up sheets will be in the gathering space again this Sunday, with descriptions of each task and requirements (such as rehearsals). Please look over the sheets and see how you and your household can participate.

"This group is magic!"

That's what Mary Louise B said about last week's gathering. Kelly C hosted and Lori M led a lively discussion that spanned forgiveness and Jesus as a prophet. We pondered how we can be energized by his life and work.

We'll wrap up our reading of Walter Brueggemann's The Prophetic Imagination this Sunday night. Lori M will host and Kelly C will lead.

For the last Lent gathering, April 13, participants decided to bring a favorite poem to share, drawing on Brueggemann's insight that poets--people who articulate a new or possible vision of reality--are crucial to living and working in God's intended world. Lisa K will host.

If you haven't participated and would like to, feel free! The group is generally about 12-15 people from across the parish.

Here's a opportunity for communal prayer in Lent: next Wednesday at 6:00 pm. All are welcome to the service that lasts about 25 minutes. David M says: "This service is just great, it's just what I need in the middle of the week. If you haven't tried it, come on, you'll like it!"

We chant psalms, listen to a reading, meditate in silence, and pray for our needs and the needs of our city and world.

Across the street at the Baum School that evening, there's an opening for the Adult Student Exhibit from 6:00-8:00. There will be food and drink, and the show includes recent work by The Rev. Beth Reed.

Bishop Sean Rowe will be leading a regional service in our area on May 6 at 7:00 pm. If you would like to consider being confirmed or received, please be in touch with The Rev. Beth Reed. Folks from parishes in our region will participate. The service is at St. Andrew's, on the border of Allentown and Bethlehem.

The Fundraising Committee is planning several events this year. The next one is a yard sale on Saturday, May 4. Mike A and Tony V will host it; they live near the intersection of East Texas Road and Brookside Road. This location will enable nonparishioners to shop and support the work of Grace. Chris D is coordinating the event; please contact him for details.

Parishioners and friends can support this effort by donating items and staffing the sale. After Easter, directions for dropping off items will be announced. For now, we can consider what we can part with at home that could earn the parish a bit of money.

Another simple fundraiser is in progress: coupons to use when purchasing plants or flowers at Dan Schantz's. The greenhouse will donate 20% of each purchase made with a coupon to Grace Church. The coupons are in the hallway at church--take some and share with friends!

Please put Friday night, May 16, on your calendar--it's the Annual Scholarship Benefit Auction for Grace Montessori School. The event will be held at the Allentown Brew Works at 7:00. It features a silent auction, a live auction, hors d'oeuvres, beverages, and music. Admission tickets are available at the door.
 
All proceeds benefit the school's scholarship fund, which exists because our parish and our school value economic diversity. Our school offers scholarship assistance to about one-third of its students. Some money comes from grants from local foundations, and a sizable amount comes from a single fund-raising event, the Annual Scholarship Benefit Auction.  
 
Please plan to attend if at all possible and support early-childhood education for children in our neighborhood. Members of the vestry will be there, and previous participants can attest that the evening will be a delightful one!