NEWS FOR OUR PARISH COMMUNITY February 7, 2014

Inside this Issue39ers - Love is in the Air!, 20-30@GSL, Community News, EYC News, The LEM's Lament, Lenten Small Groups, Rector's Forum, Third Thursday, Valentine's Day Flowers, VBS Dates/Info, and Women's Retreat, 2014. Download a printable version of the eNews.

Rector's Forum Guest Speaker, Corky Carlisle, Feb. 9Corky Carlisle is an Episcopal priest currently serving as the Interim Rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Auburn, Alabama. Corky travels the country talking about stewardship. Although he is not a published author, he is a storyteller who engages people at the level of the mind and heart. His topic today was "Money." On Feb. 16 we will welcome the Rev. Katherine Bush; her topic will be "Home." Please join us (9:30-10:15 in Trezevant) and invite your friends to what promises to be an excellent class!

VALENTINE'S DAY FLOWERSA new and exciting offering by Pastoral Care takes place Sunday, Feb. 9, immediately after the 10:30 a.m. service. Look for the festive table in Trezevant Hall with vases of single stem roses. Debbie McCanless and Ashley Chiozza will help you choose a name from our current Pastoral Care list to whom you will hand-deliver this gift of love from Grace-St. Luke's. All are welcome to participate! It is a great way to reconnect with someone or to make a new friend or for those with children to engage in ministry as a family. Happy Valentine's Day to all!

20-30@GSL Winter-Spring Offerings—"this round's on Me" will meet the 2nd Tuesdays of the month at Alchemy, 940 S. Cooper, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. (nursery available) Various guests from the Memphis area have been invited to present a program at each gathering. The theme for this series is "God and Wealth" and Feb. 11 is our first gathering. We'll welcome Rabbi Katie and her topic is "If I were a rich man."Visit www.gracestlukes.org/events/20-30gsl-spring-offerings/ for more.

Upcoming EYC Dates —Feb. 9 Are you smarter than a youth leader? The popular game show…with a twist! Come challenge our fearless youth leaders in a test of middle school and high school knowledge. It’s been a while since they took algebra, so come try to stump them! We will meet at our regular times and dinner will be served. For more info: Contact Mary Margaret Winn, GSL Youth Minister, at marymargaret@gracestlukes.org and visit www.gracestlukes.org/youth-group.

All Things...Seen and Unseen- Register Feb 9 in TrezevantAll women of Grace-St. Luke's are cordially invited to consider All Things . . . Seen and Unseen at the Women's Retreat 2014, February 28 - March 2. We'll gather at St. Columba Retreat Center, for a restful weekend of reflection, fun, and sharing time led by Ellen Gabardi, a spiritual director and retreat leader from Jackson, MS. Ellen has completed a 2-year training at Shalem, a contemplative spiritual formation institute in Washington D.C. She has also completed an additional 2-year training in spiritual direction from The Center for Ministry at Millsaps College. For more info and to register: www.gracestlukes.org/events/womens-retreat/.

Vacation Bible SchoolVacation Bible School will be here before you know it. Mark your Calendars!

June 2-June 6 ~ HOLY MEN/HOLY WOMEN

Visit www.gracestlukes.org/events/vacation-bible-school/ for more information.

39ers Meeting Valentine’s Day, February 14, Love is in the Air Join us for our next meeting on Feb. 14. Social time begins at 11:30 a.m. with wine and cheese and marvelous conversation. A light lunch wiil be served at noon for only $6. The program following lunch will be our own organist/choirmaster Wesley Emerson, and he will be joined by our own vocalists, Linda Stine and Christi Authement. This promises to be a great program. All are welcome! Come and bring your Valentine and enjoy the music. Reservations to Lucy by noon on Feb. 12, lucy@gracestlukes.org or 272-7425.

Third Thursday, Broadway and more Wesley Emerson and friends will entertain and treat us to a delightful and fun evening of Broadway and show tunes-which is ALWAYS a sell-out-so get your reservations in EARLY! Join us for the Third Thursday "empty nester" gathering on Feb. 20 for drinks, nibbles and conversation beginning at 6:30 p.m. in Trezevant, dinner at 7, followed by the program.

Please make reservations with Lucy by Tuesday, Feb. 18. In keeping with church policy, your reservation is your agreement to pay. To read more and pay in advance online follow this www.gracestlukes.org/events/third-thursday/.

Lenten Small Group Series - SIGN UP TODAY!GSL is offering four small group classes on Wednesday evenings during Lent (March 4 - April 9). To supplement your experience on Sunday, sign up for a class and go a bit deeper. Nursery is available. Each class is limited to 12 participants. Resurrecting Our True Self: Judy Beaird The Poetry of Mary Oliver: The Rev. Katherine Bush No Easy Answers: A Look at the Theology of the Book of Job and C. S. Lewis: Fr. Joseph Complete descriptions and sign up links are available on the website at www.gracestlukes.org/spirituality-and-worship/wednesday-offerings/.

THE LEM’S LAMENT: My cup runneth over. And, quite possibly, all over you. Let’s spend a moment together at our altar rail.

First, we have to get there, and that has become no small feat. The sacrament is the Eucharist—how you get to it is not. God doesn’t care whether you walk up there

with your hands clasped or in your pockets, straight up the middle or an end around the choir stalls, straight to the altar gate or look for the open hole, straight back or serpentine, a simple sideline route or an elaborate

bob and weave. But God knows we could be a bit more organized about it before somebody gets body blocked into the choir, goes head first into the font, or takes a header off the steps and takes a couple of ushers down on the way. A few humble suggestions: Go up between the ushers and approach down the middle in two rows. Left side, go to the first available space on the far left and fill in to the gate. Right side, go … well … I bet you’re way ahead of me by now. Return in two rows next to the choir stalls and down the steps behind the ushers and down the side aisles. While we are closer for the experience, it doesn’t have to look like a train wreck.

(For more, visit www.gracestlukes.org/news/the-lems-lament/)

Community & Diocesan Events

Organ Recital at Church of the Holy CommunionOn Sunday, Feb. 9, at 3:00 p.m., an organ recital will be presented by Dr. David Perry Ouzts, organist and Minister of Liturgy & Music at Church of the Holy Communion in Memphis, TN. The recital will feature works by J. S. Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude, and Max Drischner, is free and open to the public, and will be performed at Church of the Holy Communion, 4645 Walnut Grove Rd. View David's bio at www.davidperryouzts.com.

ST GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH TO HOST QUIET DAY FOR WOMENGive yourself a gift of a quiet, contemplative morning with no distractions, no disruptions, just time with God to meditate, read, journal, knit, think or be quiet and listen followed by celebration of the Holy Eucharist and lunch. Meditation leader and celebrant will be the Reverend Noble Walker leading a meditation on "Our Boldness in Praying The Lord's Prayer." The Quiet Day is sponsored by the St. George’s Chapter of the Daughters of the King and will be held Saturday, Feb. 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 2425 S. Germantown Road. The cost, $20, includes a breakfast snack and lunch and is payable at the door. Come by yourself or bring your friends. For information and reservations call the church office at 901-754-7282 or www.stgchurch.org.

Integrity Programs in FebruaryTuesday, Feb. 18: Worship & Fellowship, Calvary Episcopal Church 102 N. Second Street Worship 6:30 p.m. (Rev Bindy Snyder), Dinner 7:00 p.m.Program 7:45 p.m. (Jonathan Cole, TEP (Tennessee Equality Project) Free parking behind the church. Integrity is an organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Episcopalians and their straight friends. They are the mission of the Episcopal Church to the LGBT community, and the means by which our community expresses its concerns within the Episcopal Church. People of all faith and ideological traditions are welcome at their meetings. A variety of activities are offered through the year, including: worship, fellowship, education, advocacy, and service. For more information, contact: Jim Ramsey, jasramsey@bellsouth.net. National Website: integrityusa.org

Recovery Commission Book Study: Breathing Underwater by Richard RohrWherever you find yourself on your own journey of spiritual discovery, the Recovery Commission of the Diocese invites you to share three Sunday evenings with us in March as we study Richard Rohr’s outstanding book, Breathing Underwater, Spirituality and the Twelve Steps. The study will be held three consecutive Sundays, March 9, 16 and 23, from 5-6:30 p.m. at Calvary Church (102 N. Second St.) Richard Rohr’s book is a guide for bringing 12 step spirituality to the world and strives to uncover ways we can further connect to a deeper relationship with the God of our understanding. Rohr believes we are all addicted in some way. When we learn to identify our addiction, embrace our brokenness, and surrender to God, we begin to bring healing to ourselves and our world. Registration for this study is not required but to let us know you are planning to come, or for more information, please contact Shannon Tucker at shannon.tucker@gmail.com or 901-281-0785.

ECW Lenten Retreat: Benedictine Spirituality-How to Live a Spiritually Organized Christ Centered Life in the Twenty-first CenturyEpiscopal Church Women are invited to a Lenten Retreat, "Benedictine Spirituality, How to Live a Spiritually Organized Christ-Centered Life in the Twenty-first Century" to be held Saturday, March 15, at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The keynote speaker will be Sr. Madeleine Mary, CSM, Sewanee. There will also be presentations by the Cathedral’s Servant Ministry Team and talks on "Unexpected Saints" by Evelyn Piety and "Give Yourself an A" by Jeannie Johnson. The day includes Continental breakfast and a catered lunch. Child care will be available - reservations in advance are required. For more details and reservation forms for both the retreat and child care go to www.ecwwtn.org/lentenretreat2014.html.

To sign up to receive the GSL eNews, go to www.gracestlukes.org/news/weekly-enews/.