Grace Notes
May 15, 2025
The Scriptures tell us true things about God and God’s relationship with humanity, but it is important to remember that they were written to address the concerns of people who lived at a particular time in a particular place. Acts chapter 11 tells the story of just such a local concern. There was a problem in the nascent Christian community: Gentiles. The community began with a group of Jewish men and women who followed Jesus as the Messiah. But non-Jews were also struck by the message and the Jews needed to find a way to incorporate them into their story. In Acts 11 Peter relates a vision in which God tells him, regarding supposedly unclean Gentiles, that “what God has made clean, you must not call profane.” He goes on to tell his hearers that Gentiles had been baptized by the Holy Spirit and that “God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.” But Peter did not receive this vision and proclamation in an intellectual vacuum. He surely knew that Old Testament prophets like Zechariah (Zech. 8:23) had already predicted that Gentiles would follow the God of the Jews and that his revelation was confirmation of that truth. We too, many years later, depend on God to lead us with the aid of Scripture, Tradition and Reason. This tension between past and present gives our faith flexibility, excitement, and a way to look at the future.
Jim Jeffery
Calendar
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 6:30 P.M. in the Church Conference Room, Vestry Meeting. All are welcome to attend, please email Connie at [email protected] if you would like a Zoom invitation.
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 10 A.M. Yarn Group
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 12 Noon, Holy Eucharist, Rev. Robert Abner presiding
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 9 A.M. Adult Education in the Church Conference Room.
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 10 A.M., Holy Eucharist, Mother Joan Smoke presiding
Thursday, May 22, 2025, Daughters of the King, 6:30 P.M. at the Church or on Zoom
Thursday May 22, 2025, 10:00 A.M. Yarn Group
Thursday, May 22, 2025, 12 Noon, Holy Eucharist, Rev. Jerry O’Neal presiding
Announcements:
Altar Guild Needs
Grace is in desperate need of volunteers for the Altar Guild, which includes Acolytes and the Altar Team.
Although Grace has four on the Altar Team and five Acolytes, due to normal happenings of life, we are down one volunteer in both until June & soon to be down a second in both for at least a couple months starting in May. This leaves, in May, only two on the Altar Team & three Acolytes, a heavy burden on those currently in service.
Ideally Grace needs 8-9 Acolytes and 8-9 on the Altar Team.
The Altar Guild is responsible for tasks such as:
- Preparing the altar
- Laying out the vessels for worship
- Setting the credence table with the elements (bread and wine) to be administered during communion
- Laundering and ironing altar and worship linens, polishing brass and silver, and various other tasks
- Ensuring the altar is dressed in the proper color of the day (frontal hanging, etc.)
- Cleaning up after services
Please prayerfully consider if God is calling you to be a part of this critical act of “quiet service”. Those with the call to either/both teams, whether to once a month service or more, reach out to Joey Ferrell or email [email protected] .
Thank you for considering God’s Call in this matter.
Morning and Evening Prayer via Zoom
Morning Prayer is said Tuesday and Saturday mornings at 9 A.M. Evening Prayer is said Wednesday evenings at 8 P.M. Please contact Andy Bonnell at [email protected] if you would like to join these Zoom meetings.
Sunday School Needs
We need a second person in the Sunday School room through May. If you can sign up for a Sunday, please do so on the sign-up sheet on the Parish Hall bulletin board. The Diocese requires two adults for every Sunday School classroom. We also need someone to volunteer to lead Sunday school in the 2025-2026 school year.
Gathering Grace
Thanks to everyone who helped at last Sunday’s Gathering Grace Meal. We served 117 meals of a variety of leftovers that needed to be used up and made enough space in the freezers to accommodate some bargains from Second Harvest and elsewhere!
Your help is very appreciated.
Sundays through the end of June are now on the signup sheet. Summer is a busy time for travel, so your indicating your availability will be very helpful for the cooks in charge in making their plans.
Thank you!
Discretionary Funds
While we are without permanent pastoral guidance that does not mean we are without a need for discretionary funding. Anyone who is able, please consider donating to this important fund. Be assured, your donations will be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please let Connie know.
A Better Way. Needs for May.
UNDY (UNDIE 500) – “NEW” underwear, all sizes, for men, women and children will be collected in May benefiting A Better Way and Gathering Grace guests.
Check out the poster near the Nave entrance! Thank You
Daughters of the King
What is The Daughters of the King? You see us serving on the first Sunday of each month but what else do we do?
The Daughters of the King is an order that focusses on prayer, service, and evangelism. So our service is often to serve the needs of A Better Way but we also do things at the request of the priest. But Grace has no full-time priest so we look to the needs of the church.
We meet twice a month – the first is the 2nd Friday of each month for breakfast at a local restaurant. The 2nd meeting is on the 4th Thursday of each month except November and December because of the holidays. This is our short business meeting and a program. It is here that we came up with the idea of starting an adult Sunday school on Sundays at 9 AM to discuss the lectionary for the day. Come join us for this discussion.
Adult Education
Next Sunday, May 18, there will be a study of the lessons appointed for that day. Bring your favorite Bible and concordance. No lectures, just respectful questions and discussions of meanings and applications for today. These study sessions will begin at 9:00 A.M. on Sunday mornings in the parish hall.
Christian Ministries. Needs for May.
Cereal and oatmeal, peanut butter, Ramen noodles, spaghetti, pasta sauce, mac and cheese, canned soups, and toilet paper.
Yarn Group
The Yarn Group will meet every first and third Thursday of the month at 10 A.M.
Parish Profile
As our Parish profile is updated, we will need photographs. Please send photos of Grace Church’s activities to [email protected]
Kitchen Needs
Blue Recycling Bags – Have any lying around you don’t need? We use them in various rooms at church and our supply is almost gone. Place any you can share in the Church kitchen.
Thursday Noon Eucharist
The Reverend Robert Abner accepted a call to serve as Priest in Charge at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Richmond, IN. This is a loss for Muncie, but we are so happy for Robert, and St. Paul’s. We are so pleased that Reverend Jerry O’Neal has agreed to serve as our Rector for the Thursday noon service.
Thursday noon services will continue to be held weekly.
Diocesan News:
- See the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis website for news and upcoming events. Home – The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis
Memorial:
- Grace Episcopal Church will be the site of the memorial service for David Galliher (April 17,1932-January 23,2025) on May 17, 2025, at Grace. Calling hours are at 10am, with the service beginning at 10:30am. The Rev. Ron Naylor will be officiating. Obituary
Community News
- East Central Neighborhood Association news: May 17th is the neighborhood cleanup from 8am-11:30am. Meet on the corner of Main and Vine. Bring work gloves. We will gather litter and yard waste as we walk throughout the neighborhood.
Episcopal Church Links
Celebration:
Birthdays! 🎂
Bea Mertens May 15
Kristi Koriath May 16
Sandra Wandera (Judith Owano’s daughter) May 23. 13 years old!
Anniversaries!
Ellen and Tony Brinkman May 19
Guidelines for Grace Notes
Please submit items for Grace Notes by 8 P.M. Tuesday for Thursday publication
Grace Episcopal Church
P.O. Box 1732
300 S Madison Street
Muncie, Indiana 47308
765-744-5283
The Right Reverend Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Bishop, Diocese of Indianapolis