Grace Anglican Church, Sutton

Dear Friends,

A couple of weeks ago I was out of commission suffering with flu.  I found it hard to keep still and miss work, but this time I had no choice.  No energy, no desire to eat, drink, or get out of bed.  For three days I lay there feeling miserable and let the world go on without me.  Somehow, the world managed.

The great thing about my temporary illness is that when I felt better I came to a deeper appreciation of just being alive.  After three days of feeling crummy and sick, I felt like I had

                                                     been raised from the dead.

I was so happy just to eat and drink and feel my strength returning.  I didn’t mind doing the household chores or face again the challenges of work and home life.  It was certainly better than being sick and out of commission altogether.

What a gift it is just to be alive and to have enough health to face both the joys and frustrations that come with each day.  How wonderful it is to be engaged in the simple things of life which bring me so much pleasure: being with others, eating together, reading and writing, working, and discovering the beauty in the world around me.

Thankfulness arises out of an awareness of how the best things in life have been freely given.  We receive so much and let us never take those things for granted; our life, our health, our partners, our children, our community, the trees and the mountains which surround us.  Let us look with new eyes of appreciation and hearts of gratitude for all that has been given and respond with thank you Lord.

We are all invited to come together to express our thanksgiving at our Harvest Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, October 10^th, at 10:30 am at Grace Church.  It’s good to be together, to sing together, and to break bread together, in praise and thanksgiving to the One who gives life and who blesses us.

Since we last wrote to you:

We enjoyed another Ecumenical Celebration on Sunday, May 16^th here at Grace Church where Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Baptist and United Churches of Sutton joined together for singing, prayer, and Eucharist.  Afterwards, we had a full house in the parish hall as we ate a BBQ lunch together. 

On August 28^th, we held an ecumenical workshop led by the Rev. Holly Ratcliffe entitled, “A Day with Julian of Norwich”  About 25 people came out from around the townships to hear about the ancient mystic Julian’s experience of God in her life.

On August 29^th, Cynthia and John Dinsmore once again hosted a wonderful parish picnic.  After a service in their living room with a shared homily, we enjoyed a pot-luck lunch in the dining room and outdoors on the patio.  This year Ralph Davidson and friends brought their musical instruments and provided wonderful music to entertain us all.

Photos of these events as well as many other events can be found online at:   www.gracechurchsutton.org   

Baptisms: 
On April 25^th we baptized Takoda Riley Morse, the son of Samantha Morse and  Mark Dinarzo

Weddings: 
On May 22^nd  Kyla Victoria Scott and Andrew Joseph Cox-Twardowski
On August 14^th  Kathleen Marie Diane Desrochers and Dustin Sherrer
On August 14^th  Valerie Sisso and Franck Henri Bernascon
On August 21^st  Michelle Lee Thompsett and Michael Morse

On September 11^th  Michele Elizabeth Lengacher and Patrice Marcotte

On October 2^nd  Agnes Gallaher and James Everett Luce

Funerals and Interments:

Patricia Faye Deyette on May 6^th

Jonet Stenhouse (Gillett) on May 13th

Donald G. Burnham on May 27^th

Elden Clyde Judd on May 29^th

Allan Robert Mercier on May 29^th

Owen Burnham on June 6th

Charlotte Brunger (St. Amour) on July 9^th

Edward Charles Cox on August 1^st

Doris Smith (Marcoux) on September 18^th

Yoma B. Burnham (Elston) on September 25th

Upcoming Events:

On Saturday, October 9^th at 2 pm we gather in Grace Church to celebrate the ordination of Linda Spear to the priesthood.  Bishop Andrea Johnson of the RCWP (Roman Catholic Women Priests) movement will be here for the ordination and we are invited to participate.  Linda Spear (B.A., M.A., B.Ed., PhD, M. Pastoral Theology, and License in Medieval Studies) has been worshipping at Grace Church for a number of years and has been called to the priesthood.  Because the Roman Catholic Church at this time does not ordain women, there exists a separate and parallel structure by which RC women may be ordained.  You can find out more about this movement at the website of RCWP   www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org 

Ecumenical OutMass on Saturday, November 6^th, at 3 pm.  Celebrating the fact that there are gay and lesbian people in our churches and communities.  Together we are all in the family of God.  Everyone is invited to attend this service in which we affirm the importance of all God’s people.

Our Annual Christmas Bazaar hosted by the Anglican Church Women (ACW) is on Saturday, November 13^th beginning at 2 pm in the afternoon.

On Sunday, December 5^th at 10:30 am Bishop Barry Clarke will be with us to celebrate the Eucharist and join us in a parish pot-luck luncheon afterwards.  Please mark this date in your calendar and plan to be there. 
It has been some time since we have welcomed our Bishop to the parish.

Our Ecumenical Study Group continues to meet on Monday mornings at 11 am in the parish hall.
Currently, we are following a series of DVDs on the Old Testament.  Everyone is welcome. 

Calvary United Church has begun a book study group at their church.  We are welcome to join them on Wednesday afternoons.

In Thanksgiving for all of you
The Rev. Tim Smart