Dear Friends,
In 1925 Pope Pius XI instituted a new liturgical observance, the Feast of Christ the King to be celebrated on the last Sunday after Pentecost. WWI was unique at that time in the way it drew many "Christian" nations into one conflict. Perhaps the pope wanted to exercise his authority to explicitly remind leaders who worship Christ of their allegiance to Christ.
The reign of Christ is not geographical, defined by the borders of countries. The reign of Christ is in the midst of us. Luke 17 And the citizens of the kingdom are all those who listen to his voice. John 18:37 Jesus sends us out to call all people. He doesn't decide who will listen and follow. Anyone may. We hope that everyone will. What we do know is that we come from every language, family, people, and nation.
One distinct difference between the reign of Christ and the kingdoms of the world is that our king is crucified. He does not crucifiy. He leads away from sanctioned violence toward forgiveness. He leads away from pride toward humility. He leads away from the glorification of self toward the service of the vulnerable. He leads away from death and the threat of death toward life and the promise of eternal joy. He does not send his people out to fight for him. He fights for us, hands us the victory, sends us out as witnesses to his love and commands us to defeat his enemies through doing them good with loving kindness.
May all the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule.
With Gratitude,
Tuck Bowerfind (he/him) Rector | Grace Episcopal Church
Blue Ridge Outdoor School - When entering the church driveway, please be aware that the children are in the churchyard in the morning from 8:45–9:00 a.m.and in the afternoon from approximately 2:50 p.m.–3:15 p.m. There may be a cone in the driveway to prevent cars from coming in to quickly; you may still park in the lot. Thank you!
Worship Services | Last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King | Proper 29 | Sunday, November 24
Holy Eucharist Rt 1 | 8 a.m. | In Person and YouTube
Note: Our 8 a.m. services are now streamed on YouTube, not Zoom.
Christianity and Culture | 9:15 a.m. | In-Person and Zoom
Maurice Seaton will present the findings of the feasibility study at 9:15 a.m. and after the 10:30 a.m. Service in the parish hall.
Upcoming Christianity and Culture Sessions
12/1 is Deb Klein on Advent
12/8 Annual Meeting
12/15 is Harvey Markowitz on the Tetragrammaton--the Hebrew name of God--YWHW
12/22 Anne Hansen on "Who is Jesus?"
Holy Eucharist Rt II | 10:30 a.m. | In-Person and on YouTube
Women's Bible Study | 3:30 p.m.
Sung Evening Prayer | 5 p.m. | In-Person
Parish Office will be open Monday & Tuesday next week. Lisa and Wendy will be back in the office on Tuesday, December 3. Happy Thanksgiving!
Morning Prayer | Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.
In-Person & Zoom
The Winter Star Intergenerational Mini Musical
Join us for this beautiful "mini-musical" telling of the Christmas Story. Dr. Mackenzie Romriell and Martha Jones Burford will lead all ages of shepherds, magi, angels, sheep, and others in this beautiful, easy to learn, story of the star over the manger as it calls the world to the Love Incarnate, the Christ Child. The three Saturday rehearsals will involve singing, movement, and art making (creating costumes, the set, and props). The production will take place as the Pageant during Grace Episcopal Church's 5pm Christmas Eve service. Participants must sign up so we know whom to expect. For information contact Martha.
Help the Invite, Welcome, Connect Committee
The Invite, Welcome, Connect Committee is seeking a new chairperson to lead our successful efforts of welcoming new members into our Grace Church family. The Chairperson is responsible for leading meetings of the committee, promoting a welcoming culture at Grace, and following up with visitors/guests who express an interest in connecting with our parish. If you enjoy meeting new people and engaging in hospitality, this is the ministry for you! Guaranteed to bring you much joy and blessings. For more information please contact Liz Moss or at 540-223-1048.
Fall Youth Event
Grace, Lexington's youth (Sarah and Harrison Edgar and Liesl Niebur) in front of the Boys Home banner and a group photo of all the youth at the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia's Fall Youth Event at the Boys' Home.
College Ministry Update
From January to May, our greatest success was the Canterbury Winter Retreat led and hosted by Rev. Anne Grizzle at her home. It was attended by 5 students representing all three institutions we minister to, and it brought a revival of spirit for the College Ministry that saw increased involvement in the church by those who attended and others too. Our Spring Retreat was attended by 3 students. One of the students, Maggie Leventis, W&L freshman, said "The retreat setting was beautiful and relaxing. I found new ways to interact with God and the word, and left with a refreshed sense of my faith and how to carry it into my life."
Be a Santa to a Senior
The Be a Santa to a Senior program makes the holidays a little brighter for local older adults who may not receive other gifts this year. Community service organizations, social workers, and nursing facilities identify seniors who are financially in-need, homebound, disabled, or socially isolated. A personalized wish list is created for each older adult. The requests are usually for simple items such as warm socks, lap blankets, or new pajamas. We also receive more unique requests for items like art supplies, a harmonica, a special cologne, a Christmas sweater for a dog, or a VCR. Generous people in our community adopt the wish lists and purchase the items. They fulfill the wish lists with so much care and effort. Some families make it an annual tradition to go shopping for their seniors. As an added touch, the presents are delivered to the recipients in festive gift bags that have been hand-decorated by art students at Lexington City Schools. Older adults are often overlooked during the busy holiday season. Be a Santa to a Senior is an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and businesses to make a difference right here in the Rockbridge community.
For more information, contact Melissa Sayre.
ACTS Call for Members
What is Grace Actively Caring Through Sharing (ACTS)?
How can I be a part of it?
Grace ACTS is an important ministry to the parishioners and the community of our church. Our four teams consist of over 20 people or family units that volunteer for the Grace ACTS ministry. Each team has about 6 members and is on duty every 4 weeks. Grace ACTS members select two or more needs from the list when their team is on duty. Team members pray for, call, visit or send a card to those on the list that are ill, have had a death in their family or are celebrating a new baby or a birthday. Please continue to pray for this vital ministry to our parish. If you have a pastoral concern or know of someone who does please contact Fr. Tuck, Melissa Cox or the Parish Office. If you would like to serve on a team, please contact Melissa.
Dinner Groups
We are excited to invite you to join our Church Dining Groups—a delightful opportunity to build connections, share meals, and grow in fellowship with one another. Whether you choose Sunday brunch, lunch or dinner, in-home, out or a combination is up to you! Please contact Drusie Milford or Ruth Smith at 910-409-9325 to join a group (and indicate your preferential meeting time). All are welcome!
Walk in Love Stewardship Campaign
This Sunday we are handing out pledge cards. Monday we will mail cards to parishioners who were not at church. Thank you to everyone who has already pledged to the Walk in Love pledge campaign to fund the 2025 operating budget of Grace Episcopal Church. Every pledge helps us with our planning for the year to come. We will list the names of those who have made a pledge every week, as well as the total pledged to date in the Parish News Life with Grace. Our goal is between 120-130 pledges totaling $540,000. To date we have received pledges from 96 households totaling $477,450.
Thanks to our contributing households thus far:
As of November 21
Lori Apgar
John & Cecilia Arpin
Doug Ayer
Anne Blanken
Laurent & Elizabeth Boetsch
Peter Bowerfind
Tucker & Delea Bowerfind
Jane Brooke
Madison & Katharine Brown
Martha Ann Burford
Bettie Cadden
Betsy & Buddy Carter
David & Marjorie Connolly
R. David & Melissa Cox
Ed & Marlys Craun
Roger & Anna Crockett
Dennis & Susan Cross
Susan Denson
Lynn & Carol Dent
Barton & Gail Dick
John & Gail Dickerson
Punky Dod
Ed & Lu Dooley
Will & Cary Edgar
Don & Claudia Ellis
Carole Elmore
Matthew Fogo & Kevin Manning
Patrick France
Tim & Catharine Gaylard
Keith & Pat Gibson
Rene' Glidden
Tom & Carol Gosse
Julianne Grimes
David & Anne F Grizzle
Peter & Julia Grover
Margaret Haberman
Woody & Becky Hall
David & Anne Hansen
Sandy & Catherine Harcus
Elizabeth Harralson
Diana Harris
Helen Head
Jack & Anne Hershbell
Drew & Megan Hess
Harold & Kathryn Hill
Kay Horner
Judy Hotchkiss
David & Chris Howison
Benjamin & Laurie Huger
Patrick & Phyllis Hugg
Gini Jardim
James & Darlene Keane
Diana Kenney
Deborah & Bill Klein
John & Beth Knapp
Helen Kostel
Bill & Kathy Kozak
Sharon & Frederick Kurtz
Greg & Janet Lemmer
Buster & Signe Lewis
Mo & Julia Littlefield
Jeff & Meg Mason
William McCorkle
Pat & Lisa McGuire
Jo McMurtry
Susan Mead
John & Drusie Milford
Su Minor
Joseph & Abby Moles
Helen Moore
Liz Moss
Grigg & Cindy Mullen
Ann & Jerry Nay
Elaine Nelson
Mark Nelson
David & Nan Partlett
David & Jeanne Passmore
George & Eleanor Penn
Michael Perry
Shay Peters
Henry Porter
Tim & Mary Price
Joanne & Paul Robblee
Martha & Don Robey
Bill Sayre & Melissa Gladwell-Sayre
Judy Schram
Frank Settle, Jr. & Cecile West-Settle
Ham & AP Smith
Jimbo & Ruth Smith
Sarah Stockton
Paul Strickland
Spencer & Beverly Tucker
David Wade
Harry & Marnie Wheeler
Kent & Mary Wilson
Connor Wolfe
If you are new to pledging and would like guidance here are three basic guidelines:
Pledge something. You are a valuable member of the body of Christ. Most of your contribution to Christ's work is through the works of love you do for others every day in your work and personal life. You also share in the responsibility for maintaining and operating our facilities and ministries. Some members give $1/week, some give $400/week. Some give nothing. Whatever you commit and fulfill will be gratefully received and faithfully used for God's mission through Grace. Whether you give something or not, you are a beloved member of the parish and the body of Christ.
Consider pledging proportionally. As your income or net worth change, continue to give proportionally. For example - you can base your giving on a proportion of your gross annual income. Or if you have a positive net worth, you might consider basing your giving on a proportion of your net worth.
Consider tithing your income or net worth. Traditionally, tithing is ten percent of gross household income. Muslims have a different standard that you might consider. They give 2.4% of their gross positive net worth. If they have zero or negative net worth, they are not expected to give anything except time and talent.
Advent Meditations
This Advent season, you are invited to join our Diocesan Advent Meditations, a three week online series offered live on Zoom Monday nights in Advent at 7:00p.m. Join us for this series to slow down, take time for silence and contemplation as we experience this special season.
Angel Tree is coming!
Since 2007 the parish Outreach Committee has partnered with Prison Fellowship Angel Tree Christmas ministry. Angel Tree seeks to restore those affected by crime and incarceration by introducing prisoners, victims, and their families to a new hope available through Jesus Christ.
This year our church will receive the names of 50 children to serve in this important ministry. Children being served virtually reside in areas where there is not sufficient local support. Weneed your help!
Early in December you will be provided with a unique code for Grace Church, enabling you to access the virtual Angel Tree site. Each tag corresponds to one child. The sponsorship amount for each child is $30.
Thank you for joining with Angel Tree to be the hands and feet of Jesus as they seek to restore relationships between children and their incarcerated parents.
For any questions, please contact Sharon Kurtz at sswain01@yahoo.com or 828-424-3434.
Shop for a Child Affected by Hurricane Helene
Unity for Kids, Inc. Get the real Christmas spirit by shopping for a child affected by Hurricane Helene in Morganton, NC. Call Tammy Reid (RARA Board Member) 540-784-2659 and she help you pick out a child to shop for. Be sure you complete your purchases and be in touch with Tammy by December 7.
Lanford Mission Emergency Fund Thanksgiving Appeal
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, we reflect on God’s love for each of us and allthe blessings and gifts in our lives.
Please consider a donation to the Lanford Mission Emergency Fund (LMEF) to assist our less fortunate neighbors in Rockbridge County. Through mid-November, the LMEF has assisted 134 individuals/family units in Rockbridge County who seek emergency financial support to meet rent, utility, food, medical, or temporary housing expenses.
In most cases, RARA (Rockbridge Area Relief Association) does the vetting to verify need and eligibility and then contacts Grace Episcopal along with Lexington Presbyterian and St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic churches to share with RARA in the financial support.
Partial funding for the LMEF comes from Grace’s Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas offerings; and individual gifts. A donation to the LMEF can be made through your Thanksgiving offering in the form of a check made out to Grace Episcopal Church with “Lanford MEF” noted on the memo line as well as on Grace Episcopal Church’s website (www.gracelexva.org).
The Christian Outreach Committee sincerely thanks each of you for your continued, generous support of this long-time Grace Episcopal ministry! May each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Holiday Church Open House
Friday, December 20 4–6 p.m. During the Open House at Grace, visitors are invited to see Nativity sets shared by our members. Martha Burford will play carols and invite all manner of fa-la-la singing, and candy canes will be offered! We look forward to visitors!
Diocesan Update on Hurricane Helene
Many of you have been praying for all those affected by the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, in much of the southeast, especially in the Diocese of Western North Carolina. Please continue your thoughts and prayers. I wanted to let you know that most of the high water in this diocese occurred in the Abingdon Convocation and some areas of the New River Convocation.
We are checking in with our parishes in those areas and none are reporting any damage to their facilities. Some lost power, but reports at this hour are that all power has been restored. There are still some cell service outages in the far southwest.
There are many trees down throughout the Grace House property. Luckily, none came into contact with any of the buildings on the campus. We are working with the staff to begin assessment and tree removal in the critical areas that might impede functioning. We will keep you updated on assessment and need. If you or your parish would like to contribute financially to relief work thatEpiscopal Relief & Development is doing in the most affected regions please click the button below.
Please let us know what assistance or resources we can assist you with as your parish addresses possible needs in your community.
I ask that you pray through this week and this coming Sunday for those who have died and their families; for those who are suffering and scared; and for all relief workers who are helping people around the clock. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
Peace,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Allen Bourlakas
For updated information on Hurricane Relief, read this newsletter from Episcopal Relief and Development.
Greeter Team and Usher Team at Grace
Greeters take turns welcoming worshipers as they enter the churchyard to attend the service. They identify visiting guests, visitors, new members and extend a warm greeting. Greeter schedules are flexible to work with your availability. A great way to meet others at Grace. Contact Cecile West-Settle at West-SettleC@wlu.edu, 540-570-3256
Ushers help the service run smoothly by welcoming worshipers to the service and assisting them as needed. They distribute the service bulletin and help with the offering collection, communion and more. Schedules are flexible to work with your availability. Email or call Lisa McGuire at 540-463-4981.
Training provided, many benefits! Join TODAY
Paws to Connect
Paws to Connect will pause this week-- see you after Thanksgiving!
The Clothes Closet
The Clothes Closet, run by our colleagues at Christ Episcopal Church, Buena Vista, could use some assistance, both with donations for their stock as well as volunteers to help run the operation from 9am till noon each first and third Saturday of the month. Christ Church initially established the closet, and volunteers from our church, as well as some funding provided by our Gadsden Trust, helped expand it into a more robust operation. It is open to all persons and is currently well stocked except for needing these items: children's coats, men's size small shirts and jeans, men's T-shirts of all sizes, bath towels, pots and pans, baking dishes, blankets, queen and full sheets, and women's purses. Please drop any donated items or financial contributions for the Clothes Closet at Christ Church when it’s open.
New Coffee Hour Schedule
The following team leaders will host Sunday morning coffee hours. Please thank our Coffee Hour team leaders!
11/24 - Dickerson and Keane
Team leaders would welcome assistance. Please contact team leaders directly if you are available to help!
Prayer List
Please pray for the wider Church and intercessions requested by our Congregants: Pray for Presiding Bishop The Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe. Pray for Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, and our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Mark Bourlakas. Pray for the people of Trinity, Staunton, their Curate, the Rev. Cara Modisett and their rector, The Rev. AJ Heine. Pray for Brendon, Timmy, John Perry, Glen Jones, Jack Hershbell, Laura Stearns, Lynda deMaria, Polly Lawrence, Betty Cadden, Jeff Mason, Joe Irby, Kent Wilson, Diana Kenney, Jerry & Ann Nay, Paula Cooper, Ned Henneman, Barbara Bova, Shelby, Sharon Humphreys, Nancy Mastin, Elizabeth Klein, Cullen Bahr (friend of Drusie Milford), Mary Etta Randolph, Carl & Rachel Pattison, Barb Ostrander (cousin of John Milford), Grace, Sue Hill, Frances Harcus, Glenn & Christine Szarzynski, Palmer Stickley and his family, Mercedes Aravena-Echaurren, Patricia Williams, Justin, Rodrigo, Wes O’Dell and family, Peggy DePasquale, Nick Penn, Danny Anson (friend of Pat & Keith Gibson), Bill Cannon, Sandy Harcus, Rebecca Robblee (daughter-in-law of Joanne & Paul Robblee), Marlys Craun, and those we name aloud or in our hearts. Pray for the people of Israel, Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, Ukraine, and pray for cessation of violence, and for reconciliation, and peace. Pray for the communities that are suffering the effects of Hurricane Helene & Milton.
Pray for those who have died, Peter Fyfe.
In Thanksgiving for November and December Birthdays
11/22 Will McClung
11/23 Bill Kozak, Kristi Finnell
11/26 Michael McCabe
11/27 Jack Hershbell, Anne Blanken, Avery Hess
11/29 Maurya Schweizer
11/30 Harry Warner
12/2 Laura Lanier, Kristy Hamilton, Brayden Aperauch
12/3 Meg Mason
12/6 Anna Crockett, Joanne Robblee
12/9 John Knapp
12/9 Adelaide Simcoe
12/10 Sis Warner. Lynn Dent
12/13 M.J. Mayerchak
12/13 Anne Lamont
12/16 James R. Keane, Kay Glore
12/18 Robert Hull
12/19 Roger Crockett, Merce Brooke
12/23 Carol Gosse, Julianne Grimes, Betsy Carter
12/24 Jordan Kach
12/25 Harrison Edgar
12/27 Joy Harris
12/30 Maggie Lawrence, Willow Moles, Buddy Carter
12/31 Grace Frascati
We're so glad you're here! If you or someone you know is new to Grace and would like more information about Parish life, follow the link below.
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