 | A Center for Spirituality and Healing. |
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Saturday, November 22, 2014 |
| | | How do We Love Grace--Let Us Count the Ways
 Mission Council members did a round-robin check-in to see how how they're feeling about Grace Church at Tuesday's meeting. Your editor concluded that it's a good idea to remind ourselves what we love about this place of Grace as we go about the work of the church.
Here are some of their love notes. Add yours by sending them to the editor at egracenotes@gracecollegehill.org.
"Although I attended church regularly as a child and young adult, it wasn't until I came to Grace Church that I found God and acceptance as I am." --Carol Lyon
"I love Grace Church because it is filled with people who are dear to me--people who share my belief that all people are equal and they are welcome in this place of Grace. I'm also glad for all the people who join in feeding the hungry and lonely, providing food and shelter for homeless families, providing a home-made lunch and conversation for parolees, camp for neighborhood kids and joining with other churches and organizations to serve and strengthen all people. We pray, discuss, argue and laugh and cry at Grace Church, but especially we hug!" --Grace Staples "I love Grace Church because everything about it--the liturgy, the worship space, the teachings and the people--points to a loving God beyond human comprehension, a mystery that I can devote a lifetime to. The love and acceptance I have found here has helped me learn to accept my own imperfect self as an intentional creation of that very mysterious God." --Ken Lyon |
| Grace Church Contributes Fruit to College Hill Thanksgiving Baskets
 For 35 years, Christ's Community in College Hill has distributed Thanksgiving baskets to residents in need. This year, the organization, an outreach group comprised of Christian churches of various denominations and races in College Hill, expects to fill at least 200 requests.
Here's David Mukasa getting ready to deliver Grace Church's share--lots and lots of canned fruit for folks who can really use it. |
 Book Club Forming at Grace Church A new book club is forming at Grace Church and we want you to be part of it! Our plans are to meet on Tuesdays at 4pm beginning on November 25. The first book we will be reading is Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy by Donald Kraybill, Steven Nolt, and David Weaver-Zercher. The book begins by recalling the 2006 tragedy at Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, where ten children were shot at an Amish school; five of them died. The Amish community immediately went to console the shooter's widow (he also killed himself) to let her know that they had forgiven him and wanted to help her and her children deal with their tragedy of losing a husband and father. The book continues to examine forgiveness from an Amish perspective and discusses what lessons we all can take from this mind set. This will be a "read-out-loud" book club; we will take turns reading portions of the book and then discuss what we have read. Copies of the book will be available for a cost of $12.00 at the first meeting November 25th. We hope you will be interested enough to join us in this adventure. Questions? contact Roger Perna (pernas2@zoomtown.com, 513-290-7309). Thanks to Roger Perna for this article. |
 Selected Short Subjects
Send in Your "Dumb Questions." We're collecting questions for the Rev. Anne Warrington Wilson to answer at the special first Sunday of Advent service coming up November 30. No question is off-limits, as long as it's yours. They can be about things you always wanted to know, or wondered about. We're collecting them at Sunday's service, or you can email them to Anne directly at aww@eos.net. Let me tell you how God worked in my life Thursday. I had a plumber come by (who owes me money) and he agreed to fix our two out-of-order urinals for $75, which is 35 in parts and 40 in labor. He owes me $415 so we are in the black there AND wants to get married next April. He has a thousand dollar budget and we are getting it! God Is Good! Blessings, Candace Moxley The Hamilton Avenue Road to Freedom project now has a comprehensive website about Hamilton Avenue's importance to the Underground Railroad. You'll find a map of sites-many that you can still visit-photographs and illustrations of important sites, an downloadable booklet about a daring escape by 28 slaves who pretended to be mourners at Wesleyan Cemetery in Northside, the "Ravine to Freedom" hiking trail originally developed at LaBoiteaux Woods, a video on "The Avenue's role in the abolition of slavery in the United states, and more. Go to hamiltonavenueroadtofreedom.org and see how the areas that are now Northside, College Hill, North College Hill and Mount Healthy helped so many people escape slavery. Know an Electrician Who'd Like to Help? We have an iffy circuit breaker that needs replacing. And, for the more adventurous, we have a short in the bell ringing actuator that keeps us from ringing our bell. And even better, we could use some help putting up stage lighting in the Great Hall. But the circuit breaker needs attention to keep all the lights on in the Great Hall reliably. Contact Ken Lyon (513-382-6401, ken@lyonhouse.us) if you or someone you know might like to help with any or all of these. |
Convention Acts to add Same-sex Marriage Rite to Prayer Book From Ken Lyon: Carol and I attended the annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio last Friday and Saturday. Most of the time, it was, frankly, boring but important business--electing officials and passing a budget, for example. But one hour was a high point for me, and that was when our church affirmed its commitment to supporting same-sex unions. You may know that, at a previous General Convention of the whole Episcopal Church, a rite for blessing same-sex unions were approved for optional use, and you may know that Bishop Breidenthal, our bishop of Southern Ohio, approved this rite for use in our diocese. Saturday, your Diocese took the next step by telling its delegation to the next General Convention to prepare a resolution which would add a rite for marrying same-sex couples to our Prayer Book. As you know, in the Episcopal Church, the Prayer Book is almost equal to the Bible in authority, so this is the step which will firmly establish this church's commitment to same-sex committed relationships. I am proud to say that the motion passed by an overwhelming majority. Of the 300+ people voting, only 5 or 10 were against it. The next time you hear someone say that "the church" doesn't approve of same-sex marriage, you can say "My church does!" |
Coming Attractions
Mark Your Calendar Special First Sunday of Advent Service Coming November 30. We'll gather in the Grace Hall at a big U-shaped table, and the sermon time will be devoted to asking and getting answers to your "dumb questions" (things you always wanted to know, or wondered about, or just don't remember--you now get to ask). We'll be snacking on foods typical of first-century meals (ollives, pita/flatbreat, hummus, cheeses, grapes, tomatoes & drinks). The Rev. Ann Warrington Wilson will preside. Queen City Rainbow Band will host a free dinner and concert at Grace Church on Monday, December 15. Details coming. Christmas Services on December 24 at 10pm and December 25 at 10 am. Christmas Lessons & Carols on the Sunday after Christmas (December 28) gives us a chance to sing all the great Christmas music. The online Grace Church Calendar lists most everything we know about that's happening at Grace Church. If something's not listed, or if you see errors, please tell the office (office@gracecollegehill.org, 513-541-2415). Grace Church worship services and participants' assignments are shown here. |
A Special Invitation to Worship at the Cathedral at 5pm Sunday, November 30  Greetings from your cathedral in downtown Cincinnati. We are blessed to work with you as our sister congregation in the Diocese of Southern Ohio. As an expression of our gratitude to you, I am personally inviting Grace Church to The "O" Antiphon Service at the cathedral on Sunday, November 30, at 5pm. The "O" Antiphon service, rooted in the tradition of the early church, is certainly a nourishing liturgical celebration that marks our anticipation for the birth of Christ! We look forward to being blessed by your prayerful presence and participation. Faithfully, the Very Rev. Gail E. Greenwell, Dean You can read more about this service here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Antiphons |
Lift your spirits at the 75th Boar's Head & Yule Log Festival  Christ Church Cathedral invites you to join our greater community to end the Christmas season with reflection and inspiration for Epiphany and the New Year. Group tickets for the dress rehearsal of the 75th annual Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival on Saturday, Jan. 3, are available for congregations. Each congregation may request up to 15 tickets. Dress rehearsal begins at 2 pm. All attendees must have a ticket, including small children who walk.  If you'd like to attend this performance, send names to egracenotes@gracecollegehill.org by the end of November.
There are three other performances on January 3 and 4. To see how to get tickets to them, visit www.boarsheadfestival.com. |
Watch This! The New "Hands of Grace" Video.  Mary McLain created a great "Hands of Grace" slide show for the "Gimme Five" annual giving drive. It's now been made into a video with "Amazing Grace" accompaniment. You can view it online here: gracecollegehill.org/display/handsforwebnew.mp4
This video has been added to the calendar display in the Lower Belmont entrance. You can see what that looks like here: gracecollegehill.org/display/calendarwithvideo.html The music accompaniment you'll hear is the first verse of "Amazing Grace" repeated by 22 different artists ranging from Elvis to Tennessee Ernie to Mahalia. How many can you identify? If you'd like the list, just email egracenotes@gracecollegehill.org. |
 Thanks ... ... to Candy Moxley, who found a way to motivate her plumber to fix a couple of urinals in our restrooms (see explanation elsewhere in this issue). ... for the warm choir from from the folks who use it for yoga and tai-chi/chi kung classes--Aaron Fleming and Jackie Millay. ... to Ruth Bertram for donating a new monitor for the pc in the accounting office. ... to Ken & Carol Lyon for donating a new printer for the accounting office. If you want to thank anyone in the congregation for something they did week (leading the meditation in the Friday Prayer and Meditation group, going above and beyond on a routine responsibility, donating food or cooking for the Community Dinner, etc.) then please send that thank you to Ken Lyon (eGraceNotes@gracecollegehill.org) or the office (office@gracecollegehill.org), so they can be recognized. |
 Altar Flowers
You can donate a bouquet of flowers on the altar on any Sunday in honor of or in memory of anyone. The suggested donation is only $35. Just sign on the flower sheet by the door or call the church office or email spikelyon@gmail.com or donate online at gracecollegehill.org. |
Prayers and Thanksgivings
 We Give Thanks for the Life of Alene Hale, a member of Grace Church many years ago. She died November 5. The Rev. David Bailey presided over her memorial service on November 10. Prayers for healing are asked for Rev. Ernestein, Patty Rogers, The Rogers Family, (Sarah and Joe Rogers - Patty's parents), Carl, Jackie, Robb Martin, Kim Martin, Melissa, Jordan and Brandie, Lee Hardy, Rhonda Sharp, The Partin Family, D.L., Maree White, Robert and Kathleen Keefer and Anna Keefer, Virginia Chapel and Family, Our President and Our Country, Anni Gibson, Albertha Howard and DeConte Howard, Johnny, Peter Harten, Laura Hubrich, Peter Hawkins, Judy Handy, Madeena Nolan, Gwynne and Naomi Gabbard, Marla, Mae Armstead, Jan Sharp, James McNab, Bev Olinger, Paul, Katharine Thayer, Grace Moore, Stella Parker, Jim and Nancy Vath, Darryl Handy, Father Hufford, Father Ray Betts and Mary McLain, Ken Lyon, Cyndi Miller. Prayers are asked for members often not able to come to church: Elizabeth Kelly, Janet Henthorn, Naomi Koester, Elva Gscheidle, Jo Carroll, Anne Henneberg, Raymond Betts. To add or subtract from this list, please contact the Church Office (513-541-2415, office@gracecollegehill.org) with the names of the persons to be included on this list. If you email, please place "Prayer Request" in the subject line. Please also indicate whether the name of the prayer recipient is to be listed in the bulletin. Names remain on the list for about a month. Please let us know if people should be put back on the list. Pastoral Care. If you need pastoral care or know of someone who does, please call or email the office (513-541-2415, office@gracecollegehill.org). Keep us informed about about illness, hospital stays, requests for visits, communion, and prayers for special concerns. |
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