Friday, April 8, 2022

Interim Grace Notes for April 8, 2022

Welcome Back Pastor Paul!

Pastor Paul has returned from several weeks of paternity leave following the birth of Brandi and Paul's baby daughter Anna Jo! It's good to have you back! Pastor Paul will be participating in the Good Friday service at Grace on Friday evening. Pastor Paul has written a message for the current issue of LIFT Notes, which you can view and read HERE. Also in this issue is important info regarding the LIFT Holy Week offering, Walk to the Cross, hosted at St. Mark.

Committee Meetings

  • Worship Committee met on Tuesday -- primary agenda was final plans for Holy Week and Easter services. Also looked ahead to plan for May, including recognition of graduating seniors on May 22
  • Stewardship Team also met on Tuesday -- we are beginning the process of writing "change" stories -- members are telling their stories of how their participation at Grace has changed their lives. The plan is to publish one story per month. Do you have a story to tell? Let us know -- we'd love to hear it, and write a story about it.

Visit by Fremont Fire Department

A representative of the Fremont Fire Department visited on Thursday, and reminded us that any door that is marked EXIT has to be free of the lock bars. So, during worship times, and presumably other times when persons are in those areas of the building, the middle Baker Street door, the Courtyard door by the elevator, and the Courtyard door at Clover Street cannot have the lock bars in place. Those doors DO NOT have to be unlocked, the doors just have to be accessible to let people exit. Also discussed was what needs to happen during the week, i.e. with the preschool and Soup Kitchen. Linda has spoken to both Nancy (soup kitchen) and Andrea (preschool).

For Saturday worship, someone on staff (presumably Pr. Mark or Maureen - whoever is preaching that weekend) will take care of this. For Sunday worship, Michaelle (Sunday Custodian) can take the bars off when she comes in, but someone - council, deacon, staff - will need to make sure bars are put back on after late service. We will need to think through the various times and situations, and decide which doors will need to have bars removed. For example, it is unlikely that the bar on the door to the courtyard on the Clover Street side of the building needs to be removed, as there is normally no one in that part of the building during the Saturday service. Thanks to Linda, who walked through the building with Fire Department personnel, and notified Executive and key staff via email.

Midweek Lenten Series Wraps

Our midweek Lenten worship series of services focusing on the five promises that we make in the Affirmation of Baptism service to continue to live in the covenant of our baptism wrapped up on Wednesday evening. At the end of each message, those in attendance were invited to write a word or phrase expressing actions he or she could take to fulfill this promise and a Post-it note, which we collected and posted on an easel size Post-it. Heather took photos of each of the large Post-it's, which I have linked below. Click on the "+" to enlarge the photo, and you should be able to read most of the responses.

The musical setting Holden Evening Prayer provided the structure for our services. Thanks to Mike Schalk for leading us

Holy Week Notes

A busy few days ahead as Palm/Passion Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. Staff have been laser focused on the extended to-do lists that need to be checked off. A few notes about our upcoming services:

  • Palm/Passion Sunday - Following the opening announcements, worshipers will be invited to move to the State Street narthex (including outside, weather permitting) , palm branches in hand, for the reading of the Processional Gospel (the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey) and the singing of the Processional Hymn, "All Glory, Laud, and Honor" as those who have gathered at the back process back into the sanctuary. The message will feature "The Streetsweeper of Jerusalem," who will tell the story of that first Palm Sunday from his perspective.
  • Maundy Thursday - This service, beginning at 6:30 pm, brings to completion the penitential season of Lent with announcement of forgiveness. A kneeling bench will be located at both sides of the front of the sanctuary, where worshipers can kneel and receive an individual pronouncement of forgiveness.
  • Good Friday
    • Dramatic Reading - Kent Watkins will present a dramatic reading of "The Crucifixion," adapted from Lew Wallace's well know novel, Ben Hur. This will be posted on Facebook and the Grace website beginning at noon on Friday, and will be available on demand after that. Thanks, Kent, for this offering!
    • Good Friday Worship - The service begins at 6:30 pm, and will feature
      • A "reader's theater" reading of the Passion according toJohn
      • The sermon will use the hymn "O Sacred Head Now Wounded" to help focus and reflect on the events of that first Good Friday
      • The service concludes with the carrying forward of a wooden cross, and the Solemn Reproaches, strong reminders that it was our sin that made it necessary for Jesus to die.

Osterholm Update

Dr. Michael Osterholm, founder and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, continues to deliver solid scientific analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic in his weekly podcasts. The latest episode, posted on Thursday, April 7, is entitled "A Stay Tuned Moment." In this episode, Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss cases in China, the BA2 subvariant in Europe and the US, and the consequences of ending testing and surveillance programs at this point in the pandemic. Dr. Osterholm also answers a COVID query on avian influenza and shares another beautiful place from one of our listeners. You can listen to or download this episode HERE.

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