Grace Notes

The Newsletter of Grace Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 18, Casanova, Virginia 20139       (540) 788-4419        September 2010

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RECTOR’S REFLEC­TIONS             SEPTEMBER 2010

 

Dear Ones at Grace,

 

I am learning, at least I think I am, that mature faith, which en­compasses both simple faith and fidelity, works just the opposite of paranoia.  Mature faith reassem­bles all the events of life around trust in a loving God.  When good things happen, I accept them as gifts from God.  When bad things happen, I do not take them as necessarily sent by God – I see evidence in the Bible to the con­trary – and I find in them no rea­son to distance myself or dissoci­ate from God.  Rather, I am learn­ing to trust that God can even use those bad things for my benefit. (Romans 8:28)  This, at least, is the way I am seeking and hoping to live.

 

A faithful person sees life from the perspective of trust, not fear.  Bedrock faith allows me to be­lieve that, despite the chaos of the present time, God does reign; that regardless of how worthless I may feel, I truly matter to the God of love; that no pain lasts forever and no evil triumphs in the end.  Faith sees even the dark­est deed in all of history, the death of God’s Son, as a necessary pre­lude to the brightest.

 

Many things happen in this world that are clearly against God’s will.  Read the prophets, God’s designated spokesmen, who roar against idolatry, injustice, vio­lence, rebellion and sin.  Read the Gospels, where Jesus upsets the religious establishment by freeing people from disabilities the “es­tablished” leaders deemed “God’s will.”  I find that there is no justification in blaming God for what God so clearly opposes.

 

The skeptic’s question does not melt away, though.  How can I praise God for the good things in life without criticizing God for the bad?  I can do so only by establishing an attitude of trust – paranoia in reverse - based on what I have learned in relation­ship with God.

 

That being said, God’s style of­ten baffles me.  He moves some­times at a very slow pace.  He often prefers rebels and prodi­gals, restrains His unfathomable power and frequently speaks in whispers and silence.  Yet it is in these qualities that I see evidence of God’s patience, mercy, grace and His desire to woo rather than compel.  When in doubt, I focus on Jesus, the most untainted, unfiltered revelation of God’s own self.  I have learned (at least some of the time) to trust God, so that when some tragedy or evil occurs that I cannot synthesize with the God I have come to know and love, then I look for other explanations.

 

Mid September brings me face to face with one such tragedy that I can only explain as evil on the part of an element of humankind.  I could blame God for September 11.  Some do.  But as evil as it was as an act of terror, good has come from it.  Not all that has come from it is good, mind you, but a good has come from it.  And I see that partly or wholly because of having a faith that is just the opposite of paranoia.  As I said in the beginning, “Mature faith reassembles all the events of life around trust in a loving God.”  I am seeking to live a life that reas­sembles the events which occur and center them around trust in a loving, caring God of hope rather than fo­cusing in on paranoia and fear.  I invite you to do the same as you face whatever it is that you are facing in your life; whether health or illness, joy or grief, exhilaration or depres­sion.  And I invite you also to “re­joice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn” and so multi­ply another’s joys and divide another’s burdens.  Since we are the body of Christ, we face all of these things best, when we face them to­gether.  So let us walk together through the valleys and to the moun­tain peaks of life, alongside the God of grace, love and hope.

 

Your sheepdog,

Jim+

 

 

                                    VESTRY HIGHLIGHTS

                 Aug. 9, 2010

 

The Jr. Warden reported that the rectory is in good shape , and that  ARMI is still trying to get new rent­ers. He also stated that the A/C in the Parish House has been  repaired, and that he is waiting for an evalua­tion of a large tree at the Parish House.

 

The Sr. Warden reported that she had met with the group from St. Andrews Catholic Church  inter­ested in renting the church. This has been negotiated  and they began servides on Aug. 1. She reported that she has atten­ded the open mike programs and this is going to be a successful outreach to the commu­nity.

 

Fr. Jim will be on vacation from Aug. 10-14 and Aug. 16-21. On Sep. 10-13 he will be out of town on business and rhe Rev. Tom Hayes will be the Officiant on Sep. 12.

 

The Mustard Seed grant from Re­gion 13 has been approved for $1,500    This will be used to buy video equipment for a youth program that Greg McLeod is planning

 

It was decided not to have a commu­nity picnic this year but instead put emphasis on the next  open mic on Sep. 15, from 7-9.

 

It was voted to negotiate a contract with Sovereign Grace, the church that has been meeting for several years in the Parish Hall. This will include a rent increase. This agreement will be reviewed on a yearly basis.

 

The next Vestry meeting will be on Sep. 13.

 

            OPEN MIC NIGHT

               OPEN TO ALL

 

Our Open Mic nights have been a success!!!  The next Open Mic night will be Saturday evening September 25 from 7 ‑ 9 PM in the Parish Hall.  Please bring some sort of snack/finger food or beverage for our guests to share.  Spread the word and in­vite/bring a friend!

 

TREASURER’S REPORT

JUNE and JULY, 2010

 

Income for the months of June and July was $22,032.17, which included $582.54 from the yard sale and a $1,500.00 mustard seed grant from the Diocese for the Come, Grow, Go program (budget $22,650).  Expenses totaled $18,689.87 (budget $22,650.00), resulting in income for the two months of $3,342.30.   Our income for the first 7 months of the year was $87,488.51 (budget $79,275.00) and disbursements were $84,340.52 (budget $79,275.00); income for the year as of 7/31/10, which includes the $1,500.00 mustard seed grant, is  $3,147.99

At the end of July the following bills were due and unpaid:

Fr. Jim’s Pension Plan Premiums                       $6,184.72

(6 months in arrears)

 

Please continue to pray for Grace Church that it will grow spiritually, financially and numerically.  If anyone has any questions regarding this report or any financial matter, please feel free to contact me.                                                                                    Judy Ball, Treasurer

                                                                         Grace Church                     September 2010

 

 

     SUNDAY

 

      MONDAY

 

     TUESDAY

 

WEDNESDAY

 

   THURSDAY

 

       FRIDAY

 

   SATURDAY

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 +

11:00 AM Se­nior Center

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

*Shelly Shipe

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

 

 

5

Worship 9:00

AM

 

 

 

*Amy Payne

 

6

Office closed

Labor Day

 

7

 

8 +

11:00 AM Se­nior Center

 

9

 

10

 

 

 

*Owen Fields

 

11

 

 

#Jimmy & Karen Walton

 

Fr. Jim Away

 

12

Worship 9:00 AM

 

13

7:00 Vestry Meeting

 

14

 

15 +

11:00 AM Se­nior Center       

 

Grace Notes deadline 

 

 

16

 

 

 

*Linda Swann

*Linda Tucci

*Gregg Leon­ard Jr.

 

17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

19

Worship 9:00

AM

 

*Michael Calhoun

 

20

 

 

 

*Jimmy Walton

 

21

 

22 +

11:00 AM Se­nior Center

 

23

 

 

 

24

 

 

 

 

 

25

Open Mike Night 7-9 PM

Parish Hall

 

 

 

26

Worship 9:00

AM

 

*Andy Butler

 

27

 

 

 

*Ray Graham

 

28

 

 

 

 

 

29 +

11:00 AM Se­nior Center

 

 

30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* = Birthday        #Anniversary              + 10:30 Eucharist in Parish Hall

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

9/2                               Shelly Shipe

9/5                                              Amy Payne

9/16                                    Linda Swann &

                                     Gregg Leonard, Jr.

9/19                                 Michael Calhoun

9/20                                     Jimmy Walton

9/26                                         Andy Butler

9/27                                         Ray Graham

 

 

 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO:

9/11         Jimmy & Karen Walton

                                     Grace Church Serving Schedule -- September 2010

 

Date

 

Svc

 

Day

 

Lessons

 

 

 

Lector

 

Acolyte

 

Altar

 

Coffee Hosts

 

Sep 5

 

HE

9:00

 

Pent

15

 

Psalm   139:1-5, 12-17

Jeremiah 18:1-11

 

Philemon 1-21

Luke 14:25-33

 

Judy Ball

 

Carol

Goshorn

 

Mignonne

Spellmeyer

 

Charlotte & Jack Perry

 

Sep 12

 

HE

9:00

 

Pent

16

 

Psalm 14

Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28

 

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Luke 15:1-10

 

Pam Ruffner

 

Madell Day

 

Betsy

Anderson

 

Sue Ballentine

 

  Sep 19 

 

HE

9:00

 

Pent

17

 

Psalm 79:1-9

Jeremiah 8:18—9:1

 

1 Timothy 2:1-7

Luke 16:1-13

 

Dee Garrett

 

Jack Perry

 

Carol Goshorn

 

Judy Ball & Barbara

Whitbred

 

Sep 26

 

HE

9:00

 

Pent

18

 

Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15

 

1 Timothy 6:6-19

Luke 16:19-31

 

Betsy

Anderson

 

Carol Goshorn

 

Charlotte

Perry

 

Judy Shipe &

Sharon Woodward

 

Oct 3

 

HE

9:00

 

Pent

19

 

Psalm 137

Lamentations 1:1-6 

 

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Luke 17:5-10

 

Linda Swann

 

Madell Day

 

Barbara

Jacobs

 

Mignonne Spellmeyer & Dee Garrett

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non Profit Organization

      U. S. POSTAGE

             PAID

  Casanova, VA 20139

        Permit No. 1

GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

The Rev. James Cirillo, Rector

   P.O. Box 18

   Casanova, VA 20139

   (540) 788-4419

Website: gracechurchcasanova.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Services every Sunday at Grace Church on Route 602 in Casanova at 9:00 AM, followed by a coffee fellowship and Sunday School for all ages in the Family Center near the church.