Palm Sunday Tomorrow
 This Sunday is Palm Sunday with Father John Bower as
celebrant. Those able to process will gather in the Small Assembly Room just inside the lower Belmont door.
We will have rhythm instruments for children and adults to play as we process with palms to the church. If it's dry and not too chilly we'll process outside from the lower Belmont door to the main entrance. Otherwise we'll just go up the
inside stairs.
Gather in the Small Assembly Room before 10 am so we can get organized. Special service music will be provided by harpist Tina Larkin.
The Passion Narrative will be read by Ken, Lisa, Tammy, Judy, John, Hawley, Mary, Roger, David and the congregation. Following the service, we'll have refreshments and a short Bible study as part of the Common Ministry study process (see article below for more). |
 Holy Week Services
Maundy Thursday Service, commemorating Jesus' celebration of the first
Eucharist will take place April 1 at 7 pm with Father John Bower celebrating.
 The Good Friday service is at noon April 2 with Mother
Kimberly Knight officiating. This will be a one-hour service.
Daily Morning Prayer continues at noon during Holy Week, Monday through
Thursday, in the Memorial Chapel on the ground floor just inside the
lower Belmont entrance. This week, we'll be using the traditional Rite I
language, and we'll try singing some parts of the service. During our Morning Prayer readings, the subject of incense came up. As a result, we'll be using incense during our Holy Week Morning Prayer services. Roger Perna contributes the following on the subject of incense:  The whole discussion of incense was
launched by our reading of 2 Corinthians 2:15, " ...for we are the
aroma of Christ to God... " That brought to mind Ephesians 5:2, "...walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave
himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Other related verses are - Psalm 141:2, "Let my
prayer be counted as incense before thee, and the lifting up of my hands as an
evening sacrifice."
- Rev. 8:4 "...the smoke of
the incense rose with the prayers of the saints..."
- Malachi 1:11 "...my
name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my
name..."
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 Grace Celebrates Easter
We'll celebrate Jesus' victory over the grave with Mother Kimberly Knight as our celebrant. Our service will be augmented with drumming by Bob Laake and handbells by John Thayer.
Tammy Robertson reports: "I saw Bob Laake and he is excited to be joining
us on Easter. How blessed we are to have all the musical
pieces to add to the this special service of Easter."
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| Other Holy Week Observances
Tuesday: The
men of the Christ Church Cathedral choir sing Thomas Tallis' Lamentations of
Jeremiah Tuesday, March 30, at 12:10 pm as part of their Music Live with Lunch series. No charge. You may bring your lunch
or buy one at the cathedral for $5. More information.
Wednesday: The Ancient Office of Tenebrae at Saint Peter in Chains (Roman Catholic) Cathedral at 8th & Plum Streets downtown is a moving combination of psalms, prayers and anthems beautifully done. Wednesday, March 31, at 7:30 pm. No charge. More information.
Friday: The Knox Music Series presents J.S. Bach's St. John Passion at 7:30 pm Good Friday, April 2, at Knox
Presbyterian Church, Michigan and Observatory avenues in Hyde Park. A
donation will be collected at the door. More information. |
Keep in Your Prayers ...
Seth Staples, Jim Edgy,
Phillis Dietz, Jo Carroll, Pete Staples, John (Johnbear) Dunn, Jack Hart,
Anjean Poyer, John Thayer, Gigi Woode, Toussaint Thrower and family, Ray
Harris, Marilyn White, Trevor Van Wagenen, Ed Frye, Karen Van Wagenen, Elaine Hughes, Maureen
Back, Eloise Pinto, Ruth Bertram, Robert Flemister, Judy & Walter Handy,
Molly, Shelly Martin, Barbara Todd, Kim Martin, Robb Martin, Dean Bryeans,
Chris, Irene Bryeans, Joshua, Caleb, Anne, and Darryl Handy, Marcus Flemister,
Kim Herrmann, Al Berghausen, Mary Lou Bellows, Jackie Lewis, Mike and family,
Chris and family, Malcolm Daniel, Jean Cavalieri, Shelby Hager and family,
Laura Chace, Erik, Alison, Nathanael and Alexis Handy, Mary Jo, Belinda Hoerst, Steve, Tom, and Mary Ratliff.
Here's Jo Carroll's contact information if you would like to call and wish
her well. Winifred "Jo" Carroll, Twin
Towers Health Services, Room 290, phone
513-853-2858.
|
 Thanks
to ...
... John Thayer (handbells) and Tina Larkin (harp & violin)
for providing special music to enhance our worship.
... David Mukasa and his crew for repairing the bay window in the office, and for continuing interior improvements in the Great Hall.
... Ken Lyon for rewiring hallway light switches so they work and for fixing kneelers and fastening down pews in the choir (the nave is next!).
... Roger Perna and Ken Lyon for leading Morning Prayer daily during Lent.
... Tony Denbo, Jeff Goddard and the EnGuard Color Guard & Dance team for signing up to provide refreshments after service the first Sunday of every month.
... Mother Kimberly Knight, Father John Bower and the Rev.
Raymond Betts for officiating at our services.
If you know of others who deserve our thanks, do let the
office know at 513-541-2415 or office@gracecollegehill.org.
|
Easter Sunday is also "Sharing
Sunday"
The first Sunday of each month we ask people to bring
non-perishable food items and household goods in with them to church so we can
pass these things on the Christ's Community in College Hill. This month it also
happens to be Easter Sunday.
All items
are welcomed, but the clients are especially thankful to get peanut butter,
cereals, cornbread mix, canned soups, bar soap, laundry supplies, toilet paper,
and paper towels.
Please remember to
take a little extra time when you are shopping to pick up a few items for the
area people in need.
Thanks to Roger Perna for this article. |
Coming Events
- Sunday, 3/28: Palm Sunday service, 10 am.
- Sunday, 3/28: Bible Study/Reflection following Sunday worship. Refreshments.
- Monday, 3/29 thru Thursday, 4/1: Morning Prayer at noon in the Memorial
Chapel.
- Thursday, 4/1: Maundy Thursday service, 7 pm.
- Friday, 4/2: Good Friday Service, noon.
- Sunday, 4/4: Easter service, 10 am. Sharing Sunday.
- Sunday, 4/11 at 11:15 am and Thursday, 4/15 at 6:30 pm: Gifts Workshop I.
- Wednesday, 4/14: Healing service, 7 pm.
- Wednesday, 4/21: Mission Council meets, 6 pm.
See the Grace Calendar Page for more information and more events.
We try to list every event at Grace in the online calendar to facilitate scheduling. If you know of any meeting that's not listed, please let us know at webmaster@gracecollegehill.org. |
Opportunities to Contribute
 Flowers. Let's continue to
make the flowers beautiful for Sunday mornings, especially on Easter.
If you have someone you would like to honor or to remember,
please consider a donation to the flower fund. Or if you want to remember or
honor an event, please consider a donation to the flower fund. Or if you just
want to enhance the beauty of the church for Sunday worship, please consider a
donation to the flower fund.
Any amount is appreciated. However, the suggested
amount on a regular Sunday is $35.00 The suggested donations for Easter are on a table in the Nave. You can sign up there for a Sunday or for Easter or call
the church office.
Coffee
Hour Host/Hostess. The sign up sheet to host coffee hour refreshments following Sunday services is on a table in the nave. If you are physically unable to host but would be
willing to provide items for the
coffee hour, let the office know. |
| Gifts Assessment is the Next Step on the Way to Common Ministry In our journey toward Common Ministry, our first steps will be to assess our
gifts as individuals and then put those together to create a picture of what
gifts we have as a whole parish. After that process, we will match our parish
gifts with the community needs that we identify as being most important to us,
and also consider which of these needs we are best equipped to address.
These important steps are being accomplished throug:
- Three Bible Studies and
- Three Gift Assessment Workshops.
We have already had our first two Bible studies.
- On January 10th, we discussed Ephesians 4:1-16, commonly known as "Unity in
the Body of Christ." ("There is one body and one Spirit,"etc.) See here for a summary of that study.
- On March 14, we discussed John15:9-16 ("As the
Father has loved me, so I have loved you ..."). See here for a summary.
Our next Bible study will also be after church:
- March 28th we will study and reflect on 1 Corinthians12:4-27
(". . . there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.").
Our three Gifts Assessments Workshops will also take place on Sundays after
church and will be repeated on the following Thursday at 6:30 PM. Our first Workshop will be on Sunday, April 11th and
repeated on Thursday, April 15th. The title of this workshop is
"People Who Inspired Me." You will share with others people in
your life that have influenced you and helped you develop the values that you
have. This process will help us realize why we are the people that we are today
and why we believe what we believe.
The next Workshop will be on Sunday, April 25th and repeated
on Thursday, April 29th. The title of this workshop is
"Identifying Our Gifts." We will meet in small groups and talk
about accomplishments in our life that we value or feel good about. By
listening, others in your group will be able to help you assess your gifts as
demonstrated by your stories. The third Workshop will be on Sunday, May 16th and repeated
on Thursday, May 20th. This workshop is called "What
Tugs at My Heart?" You will fill out a survey about what community and
world issues are most important to you, and we will work together to determine
which of these issues are most important to Grace Church as a parish.
These steps will get us started on developing goals and missions for Grace
Church and give us a foundation to create the ministries that we want to take
out to our community. Common Ministry is a way in which all of us will be able
to honor our Baptismal Covenant to "proclaim, by word and example, the Good News
of God in Christ" and to "seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your
neighbor as yourself." (Book of Common Prayer, page 305)
The Gifts Workshops are being set up on Sundays after church and
repeated on the following Thursdays so that as many parishioners as possible can
participate in this process. This is the only way we will be able to create
goals and missions that truly reflect the nature of the entire parish.
Please make every effort to attend all three of these workshops, whether
it be on the Sunday or the following Thursday. Together, and with God's
guidance, we will be able to develop Grace into the strong parish that it can
be. We can be a real force for God's work in greater Cincinnati. Please come
along with us on this exciting journey.
Sincerely, your Common Ministry Committee:
Carol Lyon, Ken Lyon, Roger
Perna, Wanda Miller, Hawley Todd, Justine Matovu Read more about Grace Church's involvement in Common Ministry here. |
Lawn Care Recommendation?
A congregation member has offered to pay for a lawn care specialist to apply weed & feed to beautify our lawn. Do you have someone you'd recommend to do this? Someone in College Hill is preferred, but all nominations are welcome. Tell Ken Lyon ( ken@lyonhouse.us, 513-542-2941). |
Ongoing Charitable Collections
The Outreach
Committee, in collaboration with Matthew 25 Ministries and the Community of
Christ the Redeemer at North Central Correctional Institution, are collecting:
- old medicine bottles,
- eyeglasses,
- religious materials (e.g. Forward Day by Day,
Bibles, Bible study materials) and
- writing & typing paper.
Just bring them
to church and the Outreach committee will deliver them.
|
 Feed Yourself--Or Feed Someone Else
Sharing Sunday comes up first Sunday every month. That's the Sunday when you are invited to bring non-perishibles or money to help stock the Christ's Community in College Hill Food Pantry. Are you finding it hard to break loose of some money for this worthy cause? If so, J. White has come up with an interesting way to make it easy to contribute your "extra" money on Sharing Sunday. Here's the deal: - Put a container on your dresser.
- At the end of each day, put your loose change in the container.
- At the end of the month, you decide:
- If need it, keep the money and feed yourself.
- Otherwise, bring the money on Sharing Sunday and let someone use it to shop for things for the Food Pantry.
Simple, isn't it? The next Sharing Sunday is Easter Sunday, April 4. |
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