Thanks to Anna, who brought Chester and Ernest to visit with us after Palm Sunday services!
P.O. Box 548, Colorado Springs, CO 80901
www.graceepiscopalcolosprings.org
grace.episcopal.church@gmail.com
719/328-1125
Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer page 124
Thanks to Anna, who brought Chester and Ernest to visit with us after Palm Sunday services!
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Next week, we will remember St. Elizabeth's Church in Brighton, St. John the Baptist Church in Breckenridge, St. Luke's Church in Ft. Collins and St. Paul's Church in Lamar.
| Easter Sunday, March 23 | Festival Choral Eucharist at Shove Chapel The Rt. Rev. Robert O'Neill, Bishop of Colorado, Homilist and Celebrant | 11:00 am |
| Coffee and Hospitality | 12:30 pm | |
| Tuesday, March 25 | Holy Communion | 10:00 am |
| Father Michael's Bible Study | 10:40 am | |
| Brown Bag Lunch | 12:00 pm | |
| Grace Notes Handbell Choir | 7:15 pm | |
| Wednesday, March 26 | Taylor and St. Stephen's Choirs Rehearsal | 7:00 pm |
| Thursday, March 27 | MOPS | 9:00 am |
| Healing Service at First Christian | 12:00 pm | |
| Sunday, March 30 | Adult Education | 11:30 am |
| Middle School Youth Group | 11:30 am | |
| Choral Eucharist at First Christian | 12:45 pm | |
| Children's Sunday School | 11:30 am | |
| Bach Celebration Concert at First Christian | 3:00 pm | |
| Monday, March 31 | Vestry Meeting | 7:30 pm |
| Tuesday, April 1 | Holy Communion | 10:00 am |
| Father Michael's Bible Study | 10:40 am | |
| Brown Bag Lunch | 12:00 pm | |
| Grace Notes Handbell Choir | 7:15 pm | |
| Senior High Cawfee Tawk Tuesday | 8:30 pm | |
| Wednesday, April 2 | St. Nicholas Choir Rehearsal | 4:30 pm |
| St. Cecilia Choir Rehearsal | 5:30 pm | |
| Taylor and St. Stephen's Choirs Rehearsal | 7:00 pm | |
| Thursday, April 3 | Healing Service at First Christian | 12:00 pm |
| Saturday, April 5 | Regional Confirmation at St. Michael's | 10:00 am |
| Sunday, April 6 | Adult Education | 11:30 am |
| High School Youth Group | 11:30 am | |
| Choral Eucharist at First Christian | 12:45 pm | |
| Children's Sunday School | 1:30 pm | |
| Coffee Hour | 2:00 pm |
To see this in a printable calendar layout, click here.
Since we had an article on the front page (on Palm Sunday, no less!) that brought our dispute before the public again, I thought I would share my perspective on our current situation. Many commentators within print media, radio, and TV wrongly conclude that the people who are choosing to stay affiliated with the Episcopal Church do not believe the same things that those who have left talk about in press releases sent all over America.
The bottom line: This is not about liberal vs. conservative theology, but simply about people who want to stay in the Episcopal Church.
Our parish is now forced to meet at First Christian Church, and yet we know this terrible separation is not about one man’s guilt or innocence. For me, personally, it’s about clergy who have taken vows of obedience to their bishops and, as individuals under authority, believe it is important to obey those vows which I consider equal in weight and authority to the vows I made to my wife over 20 years ago.
The idea here is that we want to honor and uphold the historic episcopacy—which acknowledges that we are a denomination of Christians governed by bishops.
This is true for you as well. Many of you are fourth- and fifth-generation Episcopalians who do not want to be brought into church politics, but simply choose to worship God in Spirit and in Truth within the Episcopal Church that catechized you, baptized you, and confirmed you by bishops in apostolic succession.
What the Gazette got right is that the parish of Grace Episcopal Church is far more diverse than what is being reported, especially by Grace CANA—we have conservatives, we have moderates, and we have liberals. But what binds us together and defines us as a body of Christ is not theological controversy, but the biblical command that we love God and each other as we love ourselves.
Many parishioners now meeting at First Christian Church still care deeply about Grace CANA and the folks who went into the Nigerian province. The reason for being at First Christian Church is not to make a statement that we do not want to be with "them", but rather that we simply feel an obligation to honor our Episcopal ecclesiology and heritage.
When all is said and done, we want the good people of Colorado to know that we are still the same Grace Episcopal Church and St. Stephen's Parish that existed before the split, complete with the same high regard for scripture, liturgy, biblical teaching, preaching and music we’ve celebrated for over 100 years.
We have not changed, only our location has . . . for now.
Because of stringent restrictions on luggage weight for our Missionary Aviation Fellowship flights within Africa, the team cannot take any gift articles all the way from here to there. However, they will be shopping with Bishop Alpha in Dodoma before the long drive to Manyoni (in the MOSTruck that we, all together, bought for this ministry!). School supplies are the very best and most needed gift we could possibly give, so that's what will be purchased. This is where you come in: school supplies for more than 100 orphans cost money, even when they are purchased in East Africa.
If you would like give a present to an eager young learner in Tanzania, you may contribute any amount for this purpose. Make your check payable to MOSTrust USA (on the memo line write “School Supplies”) and hand it (or cash) to Paul or Beth Ronka, or Bill or Cindy Page. You may also mail your check to MOSTrust USA at Post Office Box 307, CS 80901 in time for processing before the Ronkas’ April 11 departure date.
Please keep the Ronkas and Kents in your prayers as they strategize, get immunizations, confirm flights and meeting-points, etc. to prepare for the privilege of a week in a rural Tanzanian village. The team promises a timely report of the whole experience, complete with photos of kids and their new school supplies, in early summer
Performers will include Nancy Ekberg and Sue Virga, recorders; Joseph Galema, Bonnie Linder and Deke Polifka, harpsichord concerto soloists; Gail Coughran, oboe; Azuduhi Vieira, violin soloist; Gerald Miller, cello; Carol Wilson, organ; Herbert Beattie, bass; string players from the Colorado Springs Philharmonic; and continuo players from the American Guild of Organists.
The Court also set a number of key dates. It will hear oral argument in a hearing open to the public on a number of important motions on May 2nd at 1:30 pm. The date for argument of our master summary judgment motion filed in May 2007 will be set after that hearing.
Finally, the Supreme Court of Queens County New York granted summary judgment this week against a group that left the Episcopal Church and took parish property with them. It ruled, just as we argue in our case and just as the Colorado Supreme Court held in its 1986 Mote decision, that "all real and personal property held [by an Episcopal parish] is held in trust for the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese." It then ordered the secessionists to vacate the property. This is the third order affirming the right of Episcopal Church entities to be governed according to canon law since our own lawsuit began.
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