Worshiping with children centering in the Anglican tradition

Grace Church: a baptizing community

Our Worship Grant Project during Epiphany 2009
"True vocation joins self and service. It comes from the place where your deep gladness meets the world's deep need." —Frederick Buechner

The people and groups listed below will meet us in the Grace Discussion Group at 10:00 AM and occasionally preach in the 11:00 Eucharist. All are welcome.

Schedule
January 4: The staff
January 11: The Honorable Byron Rushing
January 18: Yvonne Gomez-Carrion
January 25:
Annual Meeting; Journey to Adulthood youth
February 1: The Heywood Family
February 8: Tom Henry of Landry's Bicycles
February 15:
A panel of artists from our community
February 22:
The Narrow Gate architectural firm
March 15:
Terrence Finlay, retired bishop of Toronto

On January 4, 2009, we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany. The Wise Men from the East followed the bright star westward to the Christ child, lying in a poor manger in Bethlehem. The season of Epiphany extends to Ash Wednesday and focuses on the mission of the church to the world in light of the birth of the Christ child. On the first Sunday after Epiphany, we celebrate the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan. This baptism began Jesus' ministry in our world as our baptism begins ours. Baptism links us to one another and to the creative purposes of God. How do we see the lives we lead every day in light of the birth of the Christ Child? How are we fulfilling in the world around us the baptismal promises we made or that our parents made for us?

We at Grace Church continue to explore the religious and practical elements of the sacrament of baptism. During Epiphany, we will bring to the church a series of speakers who see their ordinary lives as a calling or vocation. Joining those people will be members of our faith community who also exemplify the connection between Sunday and the rest of the week. Not only will we ask people to speak about faith issues, but also about the practical opportunities and limitations they face in undertaking such experiments in social ethics. How did they get started on this path? What keeps them going? How do people build structures that accomplish their goals? Further, we will not limit our exploration to those paths that people choose. At times, we are thrust into situations that call forth something deep within us. These, too, are callings. Linked to these events is an ongoing project with the young people of the parish who are making field trips to mission sites in the area. During this time, they will find a mission project that the congregation will adopt as their own.

This grant was awarded by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Please click on links to the 2008 grant project and the Institute for more information.

BOOKS OF INTEREST IN OUR LIBRARY
Anglican Identities by Rowan Williams. Cowley Publications, 2003.
We are Theologians by Fredrica Thompsett. Cowley Publications, 1989; reissued 2004, Church Publishing.
The Baptizing Community by A. Theodore Eastman. Seabury Press, 1982

EVENTS IN 2009
1/11: The Honorable Byron Rushing speaks both at the Grace Discussion Group [GDG] and at the Eucharist. He talks of vocation, service and mission on the part of all members of the community. In these difficult times, he urges the church to help others in the vocational discernment process. • Download Rushing Discussion and Sermon
1/18: Dr. Yvonne Gomez-Carrion leads the Grace Discussion Group, talking of her work in various teaching hospitals in Boston and in the health centers for the "underserved" of the Boston area. She describes her work as an advocate and practitioner for women's health in communities in the Boston area.
• Download Gomez-Carrion Discussion Discussion Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
2/1: The Heywood family, members of Grace Church, speak of their connection to the community over several generations, their religious wrestling in the light of the illness of Stephen Heywood and the creation of the ALS Therapy Development Institute, a nonprofit biotechnology company discovering treatments for people alive today. • Download Heywood Discussion.
2/8: Tom Henry, General Manager and Co-owner of Landry's Bicycles, describes his vocational discernment process and his growing appreciation for the religious vocation of institutions. In the Grace Discussion Group and in his sermon, he outlines how and why corporations and other institutions can become demonic and cautions the church to provide leadership in vocational discernment. He is a founding member of Seeing Things Whole, a national network of businesses, congregations, colleges and seminaries dedicated to engaging our deepest values with our business practices. • Download Tom Henry Discussion and Sermon
2/15: Artists of Grace — poets, musicians, graphic artists, photographers, dramatists — tell stories of their lives, how they developed their talents and the role that faith and spiritual disciplines play. Their views of art differ in complex ways. When joined by the people in the discussion group, many of whom also engage in artistic endeavors, a lively discussion ensues. • Download Artist Discussion and Sermon
2/22: The Narrow Gate architectural firm talks of their founding and the making of a commitment to build spaces for the "underserved." Their clients are non-profit organizations in Greater Boston neighborhoods and surrounding communities. The name, The Narrow Gate, is based on a biblical image of hospitality and an alternative way of living. They talk both of struggles and rewards as they work to maintain their values.
• Download Narrow Gate Discussion and Sermon
3/15: The Most Rev. Terence Finlay describes his work with the First Peoples of Canada, hearing their stories of life in the federal government's residential schools where their identity as Native Peoples was obliterated and setting up "Truth and Reconcilliation" commissions to address this abuse. In his sermon, Finlay preaches about justice and spiritual discipline.
• Download Terence Finlay Discussion and Sermon

EVENTS IN 2008
10/26: "Grace Church: a Baptizing Community"
The Rev. Dr. Charles Hefling returns to Grace Church to lead us in a discussion about the sacrament of baptism and why and how it is central to our tradition. He will speak at the Grace Discussion Group at 10:00 AM and preach in the service of worship which follows at 11:00 AM. • Download Hefling Discussion 10-26-08 mp3 • Download Hefling Sermon 10-26-08 mp3

CHARLES HEFLING is a professor of systematic theology at Boston College. He holds a doctorate from Harvard and another from B.C. Ordained to the priesthood of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Massachusetts, he has served as editor-in-chief of the Anglican Theological Review, and as Examining Chaplain to Bishop M. Thomas Shaw of Massachusetts. He is the author of Why Doctrines? and the academic editor of The Oxford Guide to the Book of Common Prayer.

11/16 The next event in the grant project will take place on November 16th, St. Andrew's Day. The baptismal covenant in the Book of Common Prayer contains the following question: "Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?" The celebration of our patron saint Andrew will feature a display of historical documents and a discussion examining Grace Church's work in mission and outreach since its founding in the late 1800s. Grace's historian, Don Kennedy, will spearhead this community-wide endeavor. The day will conclude with Choral Evensong at 5:00 PM, featuring the choir and soloists of Grace and Norman Faramelli as preacher. Robert Humphreville will join us at the organ. High Tea will end the festival St. Andrew's Day.

EVENTS IN 2007
1/07: The Honorable Byron Rushing at Grace Discussion Group and at the 11:00 AM service. "The Baptizing Community."
Audio GDG Part One, Audio GDG Part Two, Audio GDG Part Three
Audio GDG Part Four, Audio Sermon
1/09: Staff meets with Fiona Vidal-White, a consultant on worship with children and youth.
1/13-15: Weekend away: "What does it mean to be a baptizing community?"
1/21: Instructed Eucharist at 11:00 AM service.
2/04: Dr. Fredrica Thompsett meets with Steering Committee and Sunday School Teachers to develop plans for education and worship, given our insights on Lent and Holy Week.
2/11: Steering Committee. Evaluation of our progress; planning for Lent and Holy Week.
2/21: Ash Wednesday: Lent begins
3/4: J2A and Rite 13 meet with Fiona Vidal-White about Good Friday liturgy.
3/11: GDG and Eucharist. The Rev. Charles Hefling speaks about baptism in the Anglican view. Download Word document or listen to audio file.
5/6: Concert at Grace Church, the choirs of Grace and of First Church, Needham, featuring a composition by Eva Kendrick, written for adult and Junior choirs, entitled "Famous" commissioned for this particular concert.
5/20: Meeting of Steering Committee to evaluate our work over the year. News and plans for next year.

EVENTS IN 2006
9/24: The Right Reverend Steven Charleston, Dean and President of Episcopal Divinity School, Professor of Theology, and Executive Director of the National Committee on Indian Work at the Episcopal Church Center, joined us in the Grace Discussion Group and in worship. The topic was "Anglicanism as a Viable and Vibrant Tradition for Today's Church". Transcript of discussion.
10/15: Dr. Fredrica Thompsett, Mary Wolfe Professor of Historical Theology at Episcopal Divinity School, and Director, Board for Theological Education, spoke in the Grace Discussion Group and in worship. The topic was "Anglican Tradition, Its Core Values in Historical Perspective". Transcript of discussion. Audio file of Dr. Thompsett's homily.