eGraceNotes from Grace Episcopal Church
News for and about Grace Episcopal Church
April 30, 2008
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Dear Friend,
 
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Ken Lyon,  editor
[email protected]
In This Issue ...
This Week's Weekday Services: Note Change
Thanks for Your Support of Last Week's Work Day
A Note from Phillis Dietz
"Got Questions" Group Discusses Bible; Next Topic: Atonement!
Saving the Earth Made Easy
Earth Day Message from the Health & Wellness Committee
Volunteer Needed to Chair Grace Church Participation in College Hill Block Party
Thanks to Those Who Contributed to the Vicar's Discretionary Fund
Check Out Our Web Site
This Week's Weekday Services:  Note Change
 
From the Vicar:
  • The Hip-Hop Service scheduled for Saturday, May 3 at 5pm has been rescheduled for Friday, May 2 at 6pm and relocated to St. Phillip's Church, 4230 Hamilton Avenue, Northside. 
  • An Ascension Day service will be held Thursday, May 1, 7:30pm at Ascension and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 334 Burns Avenue, Wyoming.
Thanks for Your Support of Last Week's Work Day
 
Dear Friends,
 
I can only say over and over how grateful I am to each of you for contributing and helping with (what seemed like) the feeding of the 5000 on the work day.  (It was only 30+, I know.)
 
To Jim Edgy for the delicious fresh strawberry topping and to Wanda Miller for the cake, ice cream and ice.  To Roger Perna for the iced tea (which in the melee', we forgot to serve, but it WILL get used.)  To Judy Handy for the additional salad and applesauce and other sundries.  To Chuck Bowles for shopping for his entree ingredients, lemonade, paperware and plastic cutlery and for cooking some of the casseroles.  And to Judy Handy, Susan Dewbrey and our Vicar for getting that food dished up and served to the hungry men and women who worked so hard.  And again to them for helping in the cleanup.
 
We always know who we can count on---and it's YOU.  Thanks for making it happen, once again.  I know the parolees and officers were very grateful and our church benefited tremendously.
 
Your friend and sister in Christ, Grace Staples
 
P.S. Others who worked outside with crews were David Mukasa, Laura Hall, Roger Perna, Chuck Bowles, Jim Edgy and Bob Poyer. 
A Note from Phillis Dietz 
 
To all my dear friends whose good wishes for recovery--and especially for your condolences--have come to me, my thanks from my heart. 
"Got Questions" Group Discusses Bible; Next Topic: Atonement!
Got Questions?
 
Sunday, the "Got Questions" group gathered after the 10am service to enjoy brunch provided by the Givlers and to discuss the Bible.  The group reviewed current scholarly understandings of what the Bible is, the church's stance about it, how each of experiences the Bible and, mostly interestingly, what those present believe about it. 
 
Although the "Got Questions?" group is scheduled to meet on 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month, we decided not to meet on Mother's Day. The next meeting will be May 25, and will take up the topic:  "How does Jesus' death 2000 years ago atone for my sins?"  This should be interesting!
 
Saving the Earth Made Easy
 
The Sunday before last, the Vicar reminded the congregation of God's command to Adam & Eve to be stewards of the earth that He has given us. 
 
One way to lessen our burden on the earth is to recycle things that we no longer have use for that could be of use to others. Here are two ways to make your discards useful to others, or to get new (to you) things without using up more of the earth's resources:
  • Check out the Lord's Bounty resale store in College Hill. For 25 years, the Lord's Bounty has provided funding to College Hill organizations and scholarships to College Hill students through the sale of gently used, moderately priced clothing. You can read more about the Lord's Bounty in a recent Enquirer article here.
  • Check out Cincinnati Freecycle here. Freecycle's goal is to reduce waste by connecting people who are throwing away unwanted items with others seeking the same items and have a little fun in the process. Nothing is too big or too small and everything is 100% free.

It goes without saying that we are all already using recycle bins to recycle paper, metal, glass and plastic.  And, of course, we're all in the process of replacing our incandescent lights with compact flourescents. 

Get more ideas in the following from the Health & Wellness Committee.
Earth Day Message from the Health & Wellness Committee 
 
April 22nd was Earth Day.  Its timely acknowledgment is temporarily taking the place of the second half of our discussion on the Counseling Process.  Here, we briefly discuss some of the tenets of environmental conservation, and then next month return to complete the counseling process.
 
I heard an interesting discussion on environmental conservation. Two divergent Christian perspectives were presented. 
  • From one perspective, God is characterized as having created the earth and human intervention to preserve or conserve the earth is unnecessary. 
  • Alternatively, God created the earth and called man to conserve its resources. 

I support the second perspective. 

Environmental Conservation begins at home.  The principles undergirding these lifestyle choices are simple.  Look for opportunities to recycle, reuse, repair rather than replace, and when disposal is necessary, do so properly. 
  • Recycling - The City of Cincinnati asks residents of single family dwellings to recycle their glass and clear plastic containers, paper products and aluminum cans.  Residents are encouraged to recycle the following items: mixed office paper, magazines, cardboard, broken down telephone books, junk mail, brown grocery bags, computer paper, and paperboard (such as cereal boxes).  Recycling bins are provided for free to these residents and are emptied weekly when set at the curb with your garbage. Recycling bins are also available to residents of dwellings of nine units or less.  Rumpke offers eight free drop-off sites within the City limits.  Recycling these items performs two functions.  It minimizes the need for manufacturing and packaging plants to buy additional raw material to make these products.  In addition, it reduces the amount of solid waste that must be transported to an appropriate site and landfilled.  Space within existing landfills is diminishing and siting new landfills for construction is becoming more difficult.
  • Reuse - Donating your used car (truck, van, RV) for reuse is an option for us all. Several local agencies (e.g., St. Vincent de Paul, Kars4kids, Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Foundation, the Kidney Foundation) all accept donations of vehicles.  Most of these agencies will come to your location and pick up the vehicle.  All that is required are the keys and title.  The vehicle does not have to be in good running order. 
  • Repair Rather than Replace - This wise saying used to be very common.  Admittedly for some items like shoes, electronics and many appliances, this practice is more challenging than it was even ten years ago, but it is still possible. Consider repairing items before defaulting to replacing them. Consider durability of an item during its purchase. 
  • Dispose of Properly - Once an item clearly falls into the category of waste, its proper disposal is critical.  Waste may be categorized as solid waste, construction and demolition debris (baseboard, wood products and concrete), hazardous waste (used motor oil, oil-based cleaning fluids, and turpentine),  infectious waste (medical waste, used bandages, needles and other "sharps") and yard waste (leaves and branches) . Solid waste is what we routinely put in our trash cans for weekly pickup at the curb.  Included might be such items as food products, broken toys, and vacuum cleaner bags. Neither construction debris, hazardous waste, nor yard waste, should be put in your trash.  Infectious waste may be placed in the "regular" waste stream but should be properly packaged to protect workers from injury. 

    
Should you have concerns or want additional information about the material presented above, please contact your local health department, department of environmental services, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , the Vicar or someone on the Grace Church Health and Wellness Ministry Committee (Chaired by Mrs. Florence Poyer, R.N.)

Prepared by: Walter S. Handy, Ph.D., member, Grace Church Health and Wellness Ministry Committee
Volunteer Needed to Chair Grace Church Participation in College Hill Block Party 
 
The College Hill Block Party (aka National Night Out) celebration is scheduled the evenings of August 5 to 8. If you can help, please let the Vicar or Jim Edgy know.
 
Thanks to Those Who Contributed to the Vicar's Discretionary Fund 
 
This fund allows the Vicar to help those who come to the church with needs as far-ranging as bus tokens or gas money to get to the doctor or to their work site, formula for their babies, food that is not available from food pantries and other such needs.  If you can, please contribute.  Make your check to Grace and state that it is for the Vicar's Fund.
 
Check Out Our Web Site 
 
You can get some of the inside scoop on what's happening at Grace on our website

During a typical week, we have 70 to 110 visits to our site, 50 to 90 of which are first-timers and 10 to 25 of which are people who have visited before.  These days, most newcomers to a city find their new church via the internet. 

If you think of things that should be on our web site or in eGraceNotes, do email the editor. And, of course, the editor always appreciates learning about improvements and corrections.
Coming Events 
 
  • Ascension Day Service: May 1, 7:30pm at Ascension & Holy Trinity, Wyoming.
  • Hip-Hop Service: May 2, 6:00pm at St. Phillips, Northside (NOTE CHANGE).
  • Drumming, Rieke and Healing: May 14, 6:30pm.
  • Evening Prayer & Confession: May 17, 5:00pm.
  • "Got Questions Brunch" & Discussion: May 25 following the 10:00am service.
Grace Episcopal Church | Phone: 513-541-2415 | 5501 Hamilton Avenue at Belmont Avenue | College Hill (Cincinnati) | OH | 45224