The Grace Blog

April 15, 2020

Dear Grace Community,

Christ is Risen! In our tradition we celebrate Easter as a season of 50 days. If there were ever a year we needed to hold onto Easter, this is it. We cling to the promise of our risen Lord.

We’ve now worshiped online as a congregation for five Sundays. The Session meets next week and decides whether to continue our current status beyond April. While we aren’t physically together, we give thanks for the ways we can ...

In a time of uncertainty, change, and loss, rituals can be a great help.  There are rituals for big things in life: weddings, funerals, and birthdays, and we can create rituals for anything.

As a pastor, I have created and/or led rituals for home blessings, for friends moving, for leaving a home, and more.  In seminary, my classmates and I studied rituals and created them for life events.

As you continue in this pandemic, let me know if I can help you ...

Each year we receive the PCUSA One Great Hour of Sharing offering at Palm Sunday and Easter. This offering goes to support three areas of ministry in the national PCUSA:

• The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
• The Presbyterian Hunger Program
• The Self-Development of People program.

At the end of March 2020, the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program set aside over two million dollars to be used in response to the current pandemic.  Our support of this offering goes to continuing this good work.  Find out more and ...

The Grace Christian Discipleship Team met virtually this week.  We brainstormed ways to connect with the congregation in this time.  Right now, Martin Burch’s Tuesday Zoom class is the primary Christian Education offering.  We’re considering what else we might offer virtually, and we have a request.

What are you doing at home right now?  Are you reading the daily lectionary?  Do you have a favorite devotional practice?  Is there a website or blog that you find particularly helpful?  Maybe you most ...