Welcome to Grace! Bienvenido a La Gracia!

To Love, Proclaim, and Serve God through

Amar, Proclamar y Servir a Dios a través de

  • life-giving liturgical worship
  • joyful community
  • empowering others

We live our mission through worship, in which lay adults, children and youth participate alongside our clergy.  Traditional, life-giving Eucharistic liturgy and fine music are hallmarks of worship at our parish, and we have weekly services in both English and Spanish.  We create a joyful community with a harvest of fellowship activities and events for all ages.  We empower and serve others through vital ministries, particularly around feeding the hungry.  Please explore our website to get to know us or, better yet, come visit!

For more information or to be added to our mailing list, please contact us at welcome@gracealex.org.

 

 

From the Rector: What is Refreshing You?

Dear Friends in Christ,

One of the names sometimes given to this coming Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent, is “Refreshment Sunday.” It’s seen as a lightening of the work of Lent, a pause in the forty days to find sustenance.

At this moment, what is refreshing you? Or, to ask the question in a higher-stakes way, what is sustaining you?

Our world talks a lot about self-care as if it’s bubble baths and pedicures. But truly sustaining our souls is much deeper work. It is not merely activities which give us pleasure but practices that restore our connection to God’s grace and God’s very first, most gracious gift to us—the implanted image of Christ in our souls.

Over the years, I have learned what I need when I am weary and longing for refreshment:

  • I have to take time for writing and reflection. I cannot make meaning of my life without the stillness to consider all that’s happening around me.
  • I need to go outside and run, or ski, or kayak, or hike, or something that reminds me of the broadness of the world and my capacity to engage it.
  • I need connection—intrapersonal connection with all the parts of my own soul, and interpersonal connection with the people in my life. Corporate worship is a part of that connection.

This Sunday, I encourage you to let part of your devotion be the refreshment of your soul, however God might be calling you to do so. It is as much a part of our journey towards Easter as repentance, because it reminds us of the goodness of God towards which we turn.

Yours in Christ,
Anne+