March 2020

Grace Episcopal Church Lexington, North The GraceVine

my bench with my apprentices. The conversations weren’t always about our work. The deep questions of life beyond the shop floor and door often got laid on that table. Without realizing it at the time, my workbench was the setting for my introduction to “Pastoral Counseling: 101.” As such, it was an altar of sorts. Or better, a prie-dieu, especially when the conversation was focused inward … just between me and Jesus. That woodworking connection again, you see. We met there a lot, some days for hours at a time, day after day, year after year. And for the last five years I’ve missed that time; I’ve been so focused on my work at another altar that I’ve neglected this important part of my life. It hit me how neglected when, to keep a New Year’s resolution I made myself, I went into the basement and opened my tool chest to take inventory and found every hand plane and chisel covered with a layer of ugly red- brown, rust. My heart sunk. I knew it was time to get literal. First job was to clean, sharpen, polish, and restore all of my hand tools to working order again. What I couldn’t be brought back I’m in the process of replacing. And then, I set to work transforming a pile of 2 x 4’s from the local big box store into what you see pictured above, a new prie-dieu, a new place of meeting for “The Master” and the disciple, me. And the best thing is that it’s portable. It breaks down and flat packs in the back of the minivan, so that it and my tools can go with me on Sabbatical this summer. Like Moses’ “tent of meeting” that was carried wherever he and Hebrew children wandered. Only instead of a pillar fire and of cloud, the Lord will hopefully appear here in a pile of sawdust and wood shavings.

“At the Master’s Bench” by The Rev. M. Alton Plummer

My life is spent in allegory, metaphor, and parable. It’s what theological thinking and speaking requires; discerning where and how the Holy Spirit is at work and finding ways to communicate that understanding to fo that connect with their own lives and stories. Sometimes though you can spend so much time in allegory, metaphor, parable, and other people’s stories that

you lose connection with your own. When I feel that happening my way to reconnect is to get literal. For instance, the title of my monthly offering to you ~ “At The Master’s Bench” ~ I came up with it twenty years ago in seminary. It’s a prayerful, imaginary play on the tradition that Jesus was a carpenter. What if we able to hang out while Jesus was working in his shop and just “shoot the breeze” about faith and life? It was a thought born from my experience as a cabinetmaker, chatting across

Grace Episcopal Church 419 S. Main Street Lexington, NC 27292-3234 336.249.7211 phone 336.249.8711 fax gracechurch@lexcominc.net

www.gracechurchlexington.org or http://grace-lexington.dionc.org/ Sunday Services Rite 1 - 9:00 a.m., in the Chapel Rite 2 - 11:00 a.m., in the Church 9:45 a.m., Sunday School Summer - 10:00 a.m. in the Chapel

At the Master’s Bench (continued from page 1)

Page 2 The GraceVine—March 2020

Vestry Meeting Report

On February 18, 2020, the Vestry held its regularly scheduled meeting. New Vestry members, Robin Sink, David Jones, and Walter Beeker, were welcomed. Commission reports were accepted and January Minutes were approved. The only major decision made was to accept the recommendation of the Finance & Administration Commission to

authorize Walser Roofing to begin repairs on the roof over the undercroft kitchen/mechanical room. The roof has been leaking for some time now and has been leaving a fair amount of water in the kitchen every time we receive a hard rain. Private donations were received to fund this project.

The Finance Committee reported that pledge payments are currently behind the year-to-date projection. The next meeting of the Vestry will be on Tuesday, March 17.

~Tommy Black Senior Warden

Until then my new prie-dieu stands in the small basement of our home, where it is being put to use while I build a new tool chest … another of my “getting literal” projects. Or is it? Is it literal or merely another metaphor … another parable … of a soul who’s wandered off … gotten lost … and repented … turned ‘round and headed back to where they came from … another prodigal moving toward home? Is this just my story, or is it one that we share; that touches all of our lives? As we begin this season of Lent, it’s a good time to take inventory … knock the rust off … and address things neglected … to rediscover, or perhaps discover for the first time, who we really are in Jesus’ love. Until next time when once again we’ll gather ‘round The Master’s Bench, I bid you peace. Fr. Alton +

A Simple Reminder

Pledge payments for this year are beginning to run behind in our year-to-date analysis. Please take a minute to make sure your monthly payments are up-to-

date. Your attention to this matter is definitely appreciated!

~Miles Cleckley, Treasurer

Grace Episcopal Church Lexington, North Carolina Page 3

Christian Formation

Adult Forum will meet in the Commons Room during the month of March. We will be following the Life Transformed: The Way of Love in Lent series from The Episcopal Church.

Children's Sunday School will meet upstairs during the month of March to learn the story of Mary and Martha. The rotations this time will include art, games, cooking, drama, and science.

On Sunday, March 29 there will be no Adult Forum or Sunday School since our Parish Weekend at Kanuga will take place that weekend.

We are still looking for several volunteers to help with our family-friendly Holy Week Festival on April 4. We need 10 more adults willing to help lead one of the Stations of the Cross. Please let Carrie Ingram know if you are available to help.

This month the J2A class toured the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro. We saw the original Woolworth’s lunch counter and learned the story of the four young men who changed history. Our guide was very engaging and informative; it was especially enlightening for our youth to realize these 4 men were only 17 years old when they staged the sit-in.

The Rite 13 and J2A classes participated in the intergenerational Sunday school gathering helping Marlene and Mary with Sunday lunch prep. We chopped vegetables and practiced our knife skills.

The youth would like to thank all of the chili chefs who made this year’s chili cook-off our most

successful yet! We had 11 chefs and a variety of chili including elk, sweet potato and woodchip chili! We also want to thank the congregation who came, ate and voted. Dan Briggs was the winner of the wooden spoon award, and he will be defending his title next year. The youth raised over $1500 which will go towards our pilgrimage in 2021. Upcoming events include Bishop’s Ball at Camp Walter Johnson February 28th - March 1st. We look forward to practicing our dance moves with Bishop Sam and Bishop Anne! Stay tuned for photos in the next Grace VineJ

2020 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Thank you to all of the men of Grace Church who participated in any way in our 67th annual pancake supper held February 25, as well as to all who attended and supported this fun community event. The weather cooperated and we had perhaps more volunteers than in recent years, including several newcomers whose presence we especially valued. The help of may spread the work out and lessened everyone’s load to make this event go smoothly. Special thanks are owed to Patrick Miller who served as our coordinator (aka “trail boss”) again this year, Barry Wardle and Warren MacKinstry our sausage

chefs, and to another one of our own, Seth Miller, who is the only man on our crew whose tenure goes back to the earliest pancake suppers. Seth generously donates all of the pancake mix and joined us to wait tables for much of the night. I heard many, many of our guests comment how much they enjoy and look forward to this event each year. For all of this we are extremely grateful.

Our gross proceeds from this year’s sale also exceeded expectations, coming in at nearly $3,000.00. Anyone who still needs to turn in monies please do so as soon as possible so we can

finalize our books for the year. After expenses are paid, we will certainly look to donating the bulk of this to local outreach endeavors and toward some of the renovation/repair work that is needed in (and above) our kitchen to ensure our facilities are in good shape for events such as these in the future.

Thank you again to all men of the

church, Grace Church

parishioners, and the wider

community for supporting this

annual event.

~David Inabinett

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Grace Episcopal Church Lexington, North Carolina Page 5

67th Annual Pancake Supper

Mar 2 Elijah McCall

Mar 3 Kristi Allred

Mar 6 Becky Jo Davis

Mar 7 Charlie Manning

Mar 8 Coty Burke

Mar 8 Analise Petruzzi

Mar 9 Lynn Mack

Mar 9 Victoria Wyatt

Mar 11 Bryce Jones

Mar 12 Sims Riggan

Mar 13 Parker Miller

Mar 14 Ron Briggs

Mar 15 Bit Holton

Mar 16 David Inabinett

Mar 18 Kathie Goodman

Mar 22 Mike Craver

Mar 23 Jim Nance

Mar 23 Erik Petruzzi

Mar 26 Robin Sink

Mar 27 Bob Husted

Mar 27 Chris Hodges

Mar 29 Carrie Ingram

Mar 31 Emerson Hayes

March Birthdays Adkins, Mark Parishioner Alexander, Chris Friend Alexander, Cora Friend Amon, Amanda Rick Mack’s sister Asebes, Ella B & W MacKinstry’s granddaughter Beck Barbara Parishioner Bralkowski, Mike & Rhonda Parishioners Brown, Baylee Parishioner Cain, Andrea Friend Cinque, Russell Friend Cleckley, Lynne Parishioner Curia, Morgan Former Parishioner Dixon, Barbara Friend Dresser, Johanna Friend Egan, Mike Parishioner Gallen, Aubrie Friend Garland, Shana Friend Gaskins, Marlon Friend Gibson, Susan Friend Grimes, Jane Parishioner Hanna, George K. Everhart’s brother Hare, Rob Penny Taylor’s brother Harris, Kristen Friend Hinkle, Nance Talmadge’s sister-in-law Hodges, Chris & Mike Parishioner Holmes, Will M. Parker’s great nephew Honbarger, Bob Kelly’s father (our bookkeeper) Hutchins, Nancy Friend Johnson, Brinkley Friend Keaton, Jonah Friend King, Anne Former Parishioner Lang, Sally Parishioner Layfield, Lindsay Friend Lowery, Michael Friend Mack, Lynn Parishioner May, Carol Parishioner Melomo, Nicholas Max & Peggy Walser’s grandson Michael, Molly Talmadge’s cousin Miller, Seth Parishioner Morgan, O’Lema Friend Onorato, Page Parishioner Parsley, Lynn Friend Plott, Gabby Friend Reynolds, Bob Friend Rojas, Jacklynn M&L Cleckley’s granddaughter Sheets, Suzy Parishioner Sills, Denise Friend Silversides, Talmadge Parishioner Smith, Amy Burkhart Art’s daughter Smith, Dan Parishioner Smith, Martha Ellen Parishioner Surratt, Clarice & Henry Parishioners Taylor, Jeff John Taylor’s brother Tilley, Robin Frances Garner’s niece Touchton, Jackie B. MacKinstry’s sister Underwood, Toni Friend Welch, Frances Suzy Sheets’ mother Weller, Courtney Friend Whitehurst, Bill Friend Young, Charlotte Carolyn Wolfe’s sister

Prayer List

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March Ministries Schedule

March 1 March 8 March 15 March 29 Parish Weekend

March 22

Lector 9:00 11:00

Belinda MacKinstry Tere Wagner

Philip Matthews Jim Nance

Sally Dodd Jennie McDonald

Mary Matthews Penny Taylor

Walter Beeker Russ Johnson

LEM Kathie Goodman Staley Nance

Sally Hanson Miles Cleckley

Pat Plummer Staley Nance

n/a Karl Bolstad Pam Harvey

Intercessor n/a Logan Sheets Kathy Johnson n/a Staley Nance

Acolytes Sidney Briggs Cooper Petruzzi

Lyndon Briggs Hadley Briggs Jack Briggs

Will Burke Anderson Carter Fisher Welborn

n/a n/a

Ushers Richard Wolfe Ed Huneycutt

Joe Wallace Sims Riggan

John Burke Bill Gilleland

(Doug Hartzog Ed Huneycutt)

Tommy Black Barry Wardle

Greeters Sandra Husted Barbara Presnell Rite-13 Sandra Husted Penny Taylor

Nursery Cameron Miller Shannon Jones Carolyn Wolfe Jennie McDonald Mary-Cameron Welborn

Social Hour Welborn family Frances Garner Staley Nance

Robin Petruzzi Mary Bolstad

Riggan family Sheets & Bowers families

Flowers n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Altar Guild: Mary Williams, Julie Dayvault, Sally Dodd, Kathie Goodman, Lynn Meeks, Patricia Wardle

Crisis Ministry Meal — March—Sandy & Terry Reynolds, Shannon Jones, Glenn & Libby O’Shea April—Page Onorato, Beth DeLapp, Lisa Timberlake, Staley Nance May—Susan Terrell, Pam Alley, Peggy Walser, Frances Garner

Vestry Person of the Month: various members

Pastor’s Pantry Food of the Month: March—Boxes of Individually packaged oatmeal Toothbrush/Toothpaste April—Cans of vegetables/fruit Paper Towels May—Canned Tuna Bar Soap June—”Hamburger Helper” Toilet Tissue July—Grits / Boxes of cereal Toothbrush/Toothpaste August—Instant Mashed Potatoes Paper Towels

*If you are unable to serve on the assigned Sunday, please secure a substitute and notify the church office by Wednesday noon prior to the Sunday you are assigned.

Grace Episcopal Church Lexington, North Carolina Page 7

March 2020 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

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7:00 pm UC Dav. Cty. Dem. Women

8:00 pm UC: Al-Anon

Pastor’s Pantry food Item of the Month: Boxes of Individually-packaged oatmeal

Non-Food Item: Toothbrush/Toothpaste

4:00 pm—Sophie’s Liturgy & Worship

Meeting

8:00 pm UC: Al-Anon

8:00 pm UC: Al-Anon

6:00 pm UC Food Ministries

Meeting 7:15 Choir Practice

CR = Commons Room CL1 = Classroom 1, 1st floor CL4 = Classroom 4, 2nd floor Chr = Choir Room UC = Undercroft CL2 = Classroom 2, 1st floor CL5 = Classroom 5, 2nd floor Nsy = Nursery Room CS = Children’s School CL3 = Classroom 3, 2nd floor CL6 = Classroom 6, 2nd floor CH = Church CP = Chapel

Undercroft Activities

Commons Room Activities

8:00 pm UC: Al-Anon

5:30 pm—CR Finance Comm.

Meeting

7:00 pm—CR Vestry Meeting

6:00 service

6:30 meal

7:15 Choir Practice

7:15 Choir Practice

6:00 service

6:30 meal

6:00 service

6:30 meal

6:00 service

6:30 meal