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News for and about Grace Episcopal Church
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December 13, 2008 | |
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Dear Friend,
Grace's website is one way we use the internet to let folks know about Grace Church. We average about 80 different visitors to our website each week. Most newcomers to an area find their church through the web, so it's no surprise that newcomers to Grace have mentioned that they found us on the web. Given the amount of activity at Grace, keeping our website uptodate requires constant attention, so if you see things that need to be changed or added, please let the webmaster know. eGraceNotes is, of course, another way we use the internet to keep folks current on
what's happening at Grace. It's emailed to about 75 people each week. Click below to send a copy of this issue to someone who might appreciate seeing it. |
This Sunday Is the Third Sunday in Advent
 This Sunday at our 10 am service, we light the third candle in our Advent Wreath.
As we do on the second Sunday of every month, we will do Morning Prayer as the first part of our Eucharist. We've been doing this for a few months now, and we're making progress on learning or relearning how to sing Anglican Chant. An article below may help.
You can read this Sunday's lessons here. Imagine if you were called upon to preach on these lessons. What do you make of them? Sunday, you'll hear what the Vicar has made of them. Compare notes after the service. |
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 British Weather Report Set to Anglican Chant
To hear Anglican chant done beautifully, with every word understandable, watch and listen to this video of an English weather report set to Anglican chant. If you want to sing along, you can see the music and words here. All of this is just to say that there's no magic in Anglican chant, once one gets the hang of it.
If you're wondering what makes Anglican chant different from any other kind of chant, read the Wikipedia article.
Finally, to hear the King's College Choir chant psalm 150 very seriously, click here.
Now that you've done all this, you're quite ready to join us in singing the Venite ("Come, let us sing to the Lord...") and the Jubilate ("Be Joyful in the Lord, all you lands...") this Sunday at Grace.
Thanks to Maurice Gilroy for passing this video along to us.
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Keep in Your Prayers ...
 Please keep these people in your prayers for their special needs: Marie Speziale, Tom Mitchell; Ruth Bertram,
Joyce Markham; Estel; Mrs. Matthews; Judy Handy, Shelly Martin, Susan Dewbrey,
Deb Gamble, Barbara Todd; Kim Martin, Robb
Martin; Florence and Bob Poyer;Dean
Bryeans, Mary Hall, Chris; Irene Bryeans; Joshua, Caleb,
Anne, and Darryl Handy; Marcus Flemister;Bo; Kim Herrmann, Al Berghausen; Teri; Mary Lou Bellows; Jackie Lewis.
Please offer special prayers this week for Ernestein and the Mission Group she will travel with to New Orleans. Pray for their safety and effectiveness. |
| Mission Trip to New Orleans--December 14-19, 2008
We have all heard and seen the devastation that hurricane Katrina inflicted on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005. The people of the region continue to feel and live through the effects of Katrina. Hospital, schools, transportation and housing still need to be restored to pre-Katrina levels. They need our help and most importantly our support. They need to know they are not alone. When I visited in 2006, the constant message I heard was we need you to tell our story, don't let people forget about us.
Well, we don't hear very much on the evening news about New Orleans any more. We know from the stories that come back to us from others who have made the journey that help, support and encouragement is still needed from those of us who are concerned for the welfare of the people of New Orleans.
On December 14, 2008 a group of fifteen will leave the Diocese of Southern Ohio travelling to our sisters and brothers in the Diocese of New Orleans. During our stay, our mission will be to bring a small measure of support and encouragement; letting them know that they have not been forgotten. We will also help in the process of rebuilding their homes, communities and lives. We are excited about our trip and will give a report upon our return. Please keep us in your prayers for a safe and fruitful journey.
Ernestein Flemister
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The Bishop is Coming to Baptize, Confirm or Receive.
If you or someone you know is interested in being baptized, confirmed, or received into the Episcopal Church during Bishop Briedenthal's visitation January 5, please see the Vicar.
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Needed
Blankets. If you have any gently used blankets you don't need, please bring them for distribution to the needy and homeless.
Altar Flowers. Those wishing to give money for flowers for the altars may sign up on the sheet on the piano or let Jim Edgy (office@gracecollegehill.org, 513-541-2415) know. The donation is $35 per week.
December 21 Needed
December 24, 25 Christmas Flowers (see sign up sheet on piano.)
January 4 (Bishop's visit) Needed.
Coffee Hour Hosts/Hostesses. The sign up sheet is on the piano. If you are physically unable to host but would be willing to provide the items for the coffee hour, let the office know.
February 16 Needed
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Here's Your Invitation to Grace's 2008 Holiday Party
Click the picture to see an animated version with music.  Click here to RSVP. Thanks to Tammy Robertson for putting together this neat invitation.
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Coming Events at Grace
In the coming week: - Choir Practice, Sunday, December 14, 9 am.
- Morning Prayer and Eucharist II, Sunday, December 14, 10 am.
- Rainbow Band Holiday Concert Sunday, December 14, 5 pm; reception follows.
- Memorial Service for Donald Poyer Tuesday, December 16 at 2 pm; receiving hour for family and friends one hour prior.
- Choir Practice, Thursday, December 18, 7 pm.
Coming special events: - Christmas Eve Service, Wednesday, December 24, 10 pm.
- Christmas Day Service, Thursday, December 25, 10 am.
- Parish Christmas Dinner Dance December 27, 7 pm; RSVP to the office by December 15.
- Bishop Breidenthal Visitation, January 5.
- Annual Meeting January 26.
And see the Grace Church Calendar for uptodate information on meetings and services at at Grace. There's more there than you might imagine!
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Special Music for the Season at Our Cathedral
Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols will be performed Tuesday, December 16, at 12:10 pm at Christ Church Cathedral by the treble voices of the cathedral choirs accompanied by Elizabeth Motter, harpist. Our Cathedral is located at the corner of Fourth & Sycamore downtown. Another Christmas tradition at the Cathedral is the Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival. This year, it's Saturday, January 3, at 5 pm and Sunday, January 4, at 2:30 pm and 5 pm. All performances are usually packed. The Cathedral will distribute tickets to the public starting Saturday, December 13, at 8:30 AM. Two tickets will be given to each adult, 18 years of age or older.
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Serviceman's Address
Jo Carroll writes to tell us:
Casey Rice was shipped home for his father's funeral. He had a 10 day leave to grieve and put his
affairs in order. On December 5th, Casey
celebrated his 21st birthday in Kuwait. He would love to hear from those of you who
remember him.
His address is:
Spec. Rice, Charles T.
JLTF 28th
846 Trans. Co.
Camp Artifjan, Kuwait
APO AE 09366
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Pungent Aphorisms from Jarislav Pelikan
 A friend of your editor passes this along:
Today ... I read some words of Jaroslav Pelikan, whose lectures I had the privilege of hearing as a student.
From an interview in US News & World Report, July 26,
1989:
"Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism
is the dead faith of the living."
and, near his death in May 2006, the last in a lifelong
series of aphorisms:
"If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if
Christ is not risen--nothing else matters."
Spoken like a Christian.
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From
the Mouths of Babes: Hip Hop Service Begins its Second Year at Grace
The initiative behind the Hip Hop Mass came from Trinity Church in the Bronx,
New York and its rector, the Rev. Tim Holder, after listening to young people in
his neighborhood.
"This is the first time anything like this has happened on the
East Coast," he said. "Hip hop is the culture; it's the people. When it began it
was all about speaking to the oppressor. Hip hop is the new civil rights."
Two
dozen Episcopal, Lutheran, Protestant and Roman Catholic clergy and lay people
have so far joined in the development and celebration of the Hip Hop Mass,
including Bishop Roskam of New York who spoke about what Hip Hop means to her
and the message it conveys.
"I had always been aware of hip hop but I've learned so much about it from
this neighborhood," she said. "The best of the hip hop tradition is love, pride
and respect. Jesus taught us to love our enemies. We need to preach the whole
word of Jesus, and that is to love everybody. Love wins in the end and that's
where our victory is." 
From the beginning, we have tried to get
the young people to take ownership of the service; we want them to participate
and make the service an expression of how they see God acting and moving in
their lives. We want to express our deep thanks and appreciation to the young
folks from Truth and Destiny Covenant Ministries, Don Sherman, Casey, LeWanda,
Ashley, James and the many others who participated and supported us in our first
year.
On November 1, 2008, we began our second year with a bang. Cincinnati's own
Regis Jones aka K-Drama performed at the service. (See bio at end of article) He
was wonderful and full of energy. He reminded us that this is a celebration of
God's love for us and brought us to our feet several times during the service.
We thank all those who attended including Bishop Todd O'Neal of College
Hill's House of Joy and we welcome everyone to our Hip Hop services the first
Saturday of every month at 5:00 pm. We thank K-Drama and will welcome him back
in the near future to perform for us again.
The Hip-Hop service at Grace began as an experiment and continues to be so at
the start of our second year. We are looking for new ways to engage young people
in the service. We want the young people to share the talents that God has
blessed them with and express them in a positive and affirming way for
themselves and the community. Going into our second year, we want more
participation and input from the young people. In dialogue with them, we decided to move the service from the sanctuary to
the Great Hall where an open mike will be included in the service. Other
suggestions included skits based on stories from the Bible, a prayer box for
prayer requests, poetry, praise and Hip Hop dance and, of course, rapping. We
expect to have original work from our youth in poetry, rap and dance. After the
service, there will be refreshments and music where dialogue and conversation
can continue.
With continued input from our young people, we will reshaping the service and
allow God to make it the instrument for his Glory.
Ernestein Flemister, Vicar, Grace Church
See the goals of the Hip-Hop service and a K-Drama's bio at the end of this article in Grace's online file cabinet here.
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Deck the Halls
Join the Flower Guild and others in decorating the church with Christmas greens, poinsettias and flowers on Tuesday, December 23 at 3 pm. Watch the magic of Christmas as we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child.
You can help put up the evergreen sprays and the big red bows on the aisle candles and the poinsettias around the altar and the baptismal font.
When it is all finished you can stand back and enjoy the beauty as we thank God for all his gifts.
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