Grace News February 9, 2021

Christian Formation

Listening for God

Join Pastor Steve and members of Grace for Sunday School at 9AM. We are currently reading through Listening for God V.2. Check your weekly email for the Zoom link. If you need the readings or need to be added to the weekly email list please contact Vicki (717-397-2748, vicki@gracelutheranchurch.com

Contemplating Logos

Contemplating Logos

“Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him from whom by the sloth of disobedience thou hast gone away.”
(Prologue to The Rule of St. Benedict, Trans. Rev. Boniface Verheyen OSB, 1949)

This week’s reading is John 1:19-28
If you would like more information on lectio divina please see the purple box on our website or email Angie at graceelcaapd@gmail.com.

Sunrise Discussion Group

Each Friday morning from 7 to 8 a.m. our Sunrise Discussion Group meets in the parlor – masked and socially distanced – to study and discuss a chapter or so of the bible or a related book by a noted religious author. With coffee and conversation we grow in our faith, trust and relationship with God. If you are available at that hour and are seeking an opportunity to share your faith, doubts or concerns with a small group – or just to listen and grow – please join us.

We are currently studying the book of Romans with a study guide by N. T. Wright.

For more information contact: Rich Allison, Robert Durand, Bruce Linton, John Saeger

Update on Sunday ZOOM Fun for kids

Join us at 9:30 am for our zoom Sunday School – best for kids 1-6th grades.

Can you guess which story we learned and which book in the bible it appears? Well if you guessed Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego saved from the fiery furnace in Daniel 3 you would be correct! There is nothing our God cannot do!!!

Look for the Weekend Updates and links for Worship and Sunday School email from Pastor!

Youth Zoom Updates

For youth, grades 6-12, Meghan Kelly and Keith Miller will be leading a youth ZOOMS! Confirmation at 9:00 a.m. / High School at 9:45 a.m.

If you would like to participate – please contact Meghan at mekelly10@gmail.com to receive the link. Be on the lookout for more Youth Group events this spring! If you’d like to be added to the Youth Group email list please email Meghan at mekelly10@gmail.com.

Members of the Grace Youth Group gathered on Zoom Sunday evening 1/31 for some fun, fellowship, and brain exercise as we worked together to complete two virtual escape rooms. After making it through our first room (Harry Potter themed!) relatively quickly we had time to escape a second room that took us on an adventure in space. Both rooms were created by librarians at public libraries and are free if you’d like to give them a try at home!

Lent 2021

Ash Wednesday

We invite your family to join us in the Nave on Ash Wednesday – Feb. 17 for imposition of ashes at the following times:
7:00 a.m.—9:00 a.m. Noon—1:00 p.m. 5:00—7:00 p.m.
This will be a walk through event – socially distanced – please remember to wear your mask. Ash Wednesday services will be available on line at 7:00 p.m. on our YouTube channel.

Click here for a list of our Lenten offerings

R3 Update

In the summer of 2020 the R3 (Renew, Reform, ReVision) Team began work on developing Guiding Principles to guide Grace in future decisions and ministries. Members were asked to think of five words or phrases which God would be pleased to hear about Grace congregation from our neighbors and an additional five words or phrases God would be pleased to hear about Grace from us.

The responses were first asked of those who visited the new renovation open house conducted in September. Following the open house the process was modified slightly and similar responses were requested from R3 team members, Congregation Council and the congregation at large through requests published in Grace News.

The result — over three hundred words and phrases were submitted. Responses were separated into those our neighbors might say and those we might say. They were further separated into those reflecting our values regarding God, our neighbors and ourselves. Since the questions were modified slightly after the open house, responses gathered there were also kept separate.

THANK YOU to all who responded to our request for words and phrases which God would be pleased to hear said about us by us and our neighbors. They contain ideas which help us prepare principles to guide us in our decisions and ministries going forward.

The R3 Team is currently writing Guiding Principles based on your responses, which we will share with you when completed. In the meantime, a “word cloud” sample of some of your responses is shown above. More about our R3 Project is posted on our website.

February 14, 2021 (Transfiguration Sunday, Year B) “For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your
slaves for Jesus’ sake.” – 2 Corinthians 4:5
Like the Apostle Paul, we sometimes need to remind ourselves and others that what we do as disciples isn’t about us but about the crucified and risen Christ. Following Jesus makes us responsible toward and accountable to both God and neighbor.