Grace Episcopal Church and St. Stephen’s Parish
Online Tidings
Pentecost 17, September 23rd, 2007
P.O. Box 51410, Colorado Springs, CO 80949
www.graceepiscopalcolosprings.org
grace.episcopal.church@gmail.com
719/328-1125
Prayer of the Week
Saint Michael and All Angels
O Everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the ministries of angels and men in a wonderful order: Mercifully grant that, as thy holy angels always serve and worship thee in heaven, so by thy appointment they may help and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Book of Common Prayer Page 193
Table of Contents
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Be Still and Know That I am God
The weekly gift of our Sunday worship marks a breathing space and a blessed time for reflection and prayer. It is important that we prepare ourselves to receive the word and sacrament of God. Let us all attempt to quiet ourselves as we enter the sanctuary so that we may hush the tumult of the world and be able to hear the still, small voice of God.
Services This Week
Sunday services this week will be at 12:45 pm at First Christian Church, on the corner of Platte and Cascade with Deacon Sally preaching.
In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, today we remember the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Colorado Springs, St. Charles the Martyr Church in Ft. Morgan, St. George Church in Leadville, St. Laurence Church in Conifer and St. Matthew's Church in Grand Junction
You can find the schedule for liturgical music on the Music at Grace section of the website.
Weekly Calendar
| Sunday, September 23 | Choral Eucharist at FCC | 12:45 pm |
| Children's Sunday School | 1:30 pm |
| Monday, September 24 | Communications Committee | 7:00 pm |
| Tuesday, September 25 | Holy Communion at FCC | 10:00 am |
| Fr. Michael's Bible Study at FCC | 10:40 am |
| Brown Bag Lunch at FCC | 12:00 pm |
| ESM Open House | 5:00 pm |
| Vestry Meeting | 7:30 pm |
| Wednesday, September 26 | Grace and St. Nicholas Choir rehearsal | 4:30 pm |
| St. Cecilia Choir rehearsal | 5:30 pm |
| St. Stephen's and Taylor Choirs rehearsal | 7:00 pm |
| Thursday, September 27 | Healing Service at FCC | 12:00 pm |
| Saturday, September 29 | Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels | |
| Sunday, September 30 | Choral Eucharist at FCC | 12:45 pm |
| Children's Sunday School | 1:30 pm |
| Youth Group | 2:00 pm |
Lay Ministry Fair a Success
On Sunday, September 16th, Grace Episcopal hosted a Lay Ministry Fair after the service. Thank you to all that signed up. Our lay ministries are important because these jobs fulfill the basic needs of a healthy church. They are the jobs that keep us going week to week. We have been blessed to have people who jumped in right away to keep things going, and so many people that have volunteered. It's never too late to be involved!
These are the groups that we currently have at Grace. If you would like to volunteer for any of them, if you're not sure what one is, or if you see a need that is not being met, please contact Marti Lindberg at 636-1863.
Our current groups are: Choirs (youth and adult), Sunday School, Youth Group, Altar Guild, Flower Guild, Ushers, Chalice Bearers, Lectors, Hospitality, Transportation, Communications, Graceful Hands, Saturday Suppers, St. Theresa's Guild, Men's Group, and Women's Group ( ECW).
This fall we will also have an Outreach Ministry Fair to learn ways we can be involved in our community.
New Women's Group Forming
Since the departure of our beloved Linda Seracuse, we have had no Women of Grace activities, and now is time to begin again. Previously, we met for potluck and fellowship, then had a program of interest presented either by a guest or one of our very own parishioners with stories to tell! This group may decide after a time to join the Episcopal Church Women. At the moment, our only participation is the Episcopal Thrift House, which operates under the auspices of the ECW.
CROP Hunger Walk
First Christian Church is taking part in the Colorado Springs CROP Walk on September 30th at 1:00 pm. Sponsored nationally by Church World Service the goal is to provide assistance for the more than 20,000 people displaced by violence in the Darfur area if western Sudan. We can join by taking part in the walk or by donating to this cause. A Little Help Makes a Big Difference. See Janet Delaney in the Fellowship Hall before our service.
Blessing of the Animals
Our annual Blessing of the Animals is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, October 4th, and will be held around the Labyrinth in front of First Christian at 5:00 pm. Pets of all varieties welcome!
Scouts Selling Popcorn
Members of Grace Episcopal who are Boy Scouts will be selling popcorn as a fundraiser beginning Sunday, September 16th. Several of these boys are currently working on their Eagle rank. If you like Scout popcorn, please consider supporting members of our parish. Popcorn ordered this month will be delivered by the scouts at church or to your home in November.
Fall Saturday Seasonal Supper
The Saturday seasonal suppers are back, with the fall edition scheduled on Saturday, October 13th. Sign up in the Fellowship Hall after church with Jan Malvern, or call her at 638-4922 to participate or host.
Flu Shot Clinic
The Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) will be giving the flu shots on Tuesday, October 16th in the Fellowship Hall of First Christian. This clinic will be from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Please bring your friends and neighbors. The cost of the shot is $25. VNA accepts Medicare Part B, Rocky Mountain HMO and Secure Horizons. Bring your card with you.
VNA uses the proceeds from these clinics to provide home health care for low income and indigent families and individuals.
Father Soper Not Taking Recovery Lying Down
We are pleased to report that Roy Soper's carotid artery surgery was a success and he is now home and back in business. According to Deacon Sally, just two days after the operation he was helping a 101 year-old friend move personal belongings into a nursing home. Once again, it appears that he is not taking retirement very seriously.
Parish Personality: Marti Lindberg, Volunteer Coordinator
Marti Lindberg answered the call for a parish Volunteer Coordinator earlier this summer after retiring from 32 years of teaching, primarily in the Falcon/District 49 school system. She came to Grace Episcopal Church 26 years ago based on its eminence in the community and for the quality of the music in the service setting. Marti and her husband, Doug, have two children, Stephanie (graduated from CSU) and Alex (currently a freshman at Knox College). Both 4th generation Episcopalian girls participated, under their mother's guidance, in life at Grace in the youth choirs and in the acolyte corps.
A long-time volunteer at Grace, Marti has most recently been managing the parishioner calling list for those who do not have web and email access and also serving as a member of the Communications Committee. The success of the calling program suggested she might be suitable for the greater role of Volunteer Coordinator, where the focus will be on ensuring all volunteers know what they need to know, and coordinating the flow of information between the various groups to help better organize our activities.
She says: "I expect to be a central point of coordination for volunteering inside the church and for outreach, matching new volunteers with the many opportunities we have."
She wants to "see where her new role takes her" in supporting her church as best possible. Let's all support her in this endeavor. See the contact list to get in touch with Marti.
ESM 25th Anniversary
Ecumenical Social Ministries invites you to an open house on Tuesday, September 25th, 2007 from 5:00 to 7:00 in celebration of 25 years serving the low-income and homeless in our community.
ESM was founded in 1982 by eight downtown churches, including Grace Episcopal. Today ESM is the largest local organization of its kind, offering emergency services such as food, clothing, and medicine as well as housing assistance, job search support, and mental health counseling.
Come learn more about our programs, meet staff, and tour our facility! Refreshments will be served.
ESM is located at 201 North Weber Street. Free parking is available in the First Presbyterian parking lot. For more information, please call 228-6781 or email esm@ecusocmin.org. RSVPs appreciated by September 24th, 2007.
Please click here for more information about ESM's programs. Grace Episcopal's weekly ESM commitment is:
| 1st Sunday | 250 cans of soup |
| 2nd Sunday | 250 boxes of crackers |
| 3rd Sunday | 400 cans of pork and beans |
| 4th Sunday | 500 boxes of macaroni and cheese |
| 5th Sunday | toiletries, paper products and baby items |
Lesser Feasts & Fasts: Bishop Patteson and his Companions
A little known member of the communion of saints, Bishop Patteson and his companions, whom we celebrated on September 20th, died at the hands of Melanesian islanders, whom Bishop Patteson had tried to protect from slave-traders. Their martyrdom was the seed that produced the strong Church which still flourishes in Melanesia and caused the British government to take serious measures against piratical man-hunting in the South Seas.
Almighty God, you called your faithful servant John Coleridge Patteson and his companions to be witnesses and martyrs in the islands of Melanesia, and by their labors and sufferings raised up a people for your own possession: Pour out your Holy Spirit upon your church in every land, that by the service and sacrifice of many, your holy Name may be glorified and your kingdom enlarged; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Grace Bibliophiles
After exploring the early days of our city and its locale in Irving Howbert's Memoirs of a Lifetime in the Pike Peak Region, this group of readers has put together a typically eclectic selection of books for the next three months.
October --As special as The Kite Runner was to its readers, the consensus is that A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini is more so, bringing Hosseini's compassionate storytelling and his sense of personal and national tragedy to a tale of two women that is weighted equally with despair and grave hope.
November -- In this month readers will have a wide choice of books by Ruth Rendell, an English mystery writer who combines her sharp observer's eye with an analytic view of how some of our modern vices can feed our malaise. Some of her best are The Water's Lovely, The Lake of Darkness and End in Tears. The Pikes Peak Library has a good selection of these gripping books -- choose one and come to discuss with us.
Bibliophiles meet at noon on the third Friday of the month in the Chapel. The next meeting will be October 19th.
Tuesday Bible Study
A Throne Established Forever is the title of Father Michael's Tuesday Bible study. The course will continue throughout the fall semester with these objectives:
- To begin to appreciate the significance of God's covenant with David for understanding the content and meaning of the New Testament.
- To understand the biblical idea of the monarchy and the Old Testament background for the Davidic covenant.
- To understand the basic outlines of the promises made to David and the shape of the Davidic kingdom under both David and Solomon.
The first readings will include Matthew 1:1, Mark 10:11 and Mark 12: 35-37. Join us Tuesdays at 10:40 am following our Holy Eucharist at 10:00 am.
Weekly Healing Service
Each Thursday at noon a group of parishioners gather in the Chapel for a Service of Healing with laying on of hands and Holy Communion available. While this service has taken place for many years it has gained new importance as the members lift up all our Grace sisters and brothers, both at first Christian and at CANA, with prayers for healing and unity. As the sorrows of the larger world seem to increase, it is a true labor of love to come together and hold up the needs of all the broken places. There are prayers for family members, for one another, for reconciliation and for parishioners in need. To join in offering these intercessions within the company of the faithful is truly a gift that provides a strong center to the week.
We invite any who can add their voices to this weekly time of prayer and worship. A bonus has developed since we are meeting at First Christian; often members continue their fellowship with lunch together. All are welcome.
Contact Information
All underlined contact names throughout the Online Tidings are linked to email addresses for your convenience. Just click in the online version to contact one of our vestry, staff or volunteers:
Vestry Meeting and Minutes
You are invited to attend all regular monthly meetings of the Vestry. Meetings are held at La Posada del Sol Clubhouse at 2090 Mesa, on the corner of Mesa & Fillmore. Turn in the gate at La Posada del Sol -- the clubhouse is directly ahead clearly marked. The next meeting of the vestry is scheduled this week on Tuesday, September 25th at 7:30 pm.
Minutes of the June 26th, July 3rd and July 31st vestry meetings are available now on our web page.
Current Filings Concerning Our Property
The secessionist church's lawyer has filed their brief in response our motion for summary judgment, including five appendices and eleven affidavits. You can read the Brief in Opposition to Motion for Summary Judgment and in Support of Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment (36 pages). In it he contends, among other things, that the Mote decision does not apply because historically Grace Church has not acceded to the authority of the Diocese of Colorado, and there is no "accession language" in the 1973 Articles of Incorporation. Some of the affidavits include those from Alan Crippen, Jon Wroblewski, Dareleen Schaffer and Part 1 and Part 2 from Donald Armstrong.
We will post the remaining supporting documents in the brief under Filings with the Court on the Grace Episcopal website.