Return to Grace

Grace and Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church



It was with abundant joy, that today, we celebrated the return of the parish to our historic property on Tejon Street in downtown Colorado Springs. Five hundred plus of the faithful attended this morning's 11:30 Choral Service. The only fly in the ointment appeared to be the very fine line we needed to walk between our joy at coming home and the solemnity of the Passion of Our Lord.

Again, we offer grateful thanks to First Christian Church, also in downtown, for their wonderful hospitality during our time of exile.

Rejoice and Be Glad of It!

Grace and Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church Trial Update:

The Lord has been Very Good to Us.

It is with gratitude and a thankful heart, that I can report that the announcement came down from the judge in the legal case within our Parish. We are getting our building back! The judge has deemed it to be a property of the Diocese of Colorado and WE are a Parish of the Diocese.

There will likely be an appeal on behalf of the break-away congregation.

For now tho, we can return to the historic building that has long been our home (over 100 years). This building was designed by the same architects that designed our National Cathedral in Washington, DC. I have never actually worshiped in this building as the split happened at Eastertide 2007, before I moved here to the Springs. I so look forward to seeing the inside of this wonderful building at the first opportunity.

It was two years ago, that the congregation of Grace and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Colorado had to scramble to find a place of worship for Palm Sunday and the rest of Holy Week. We have been and are very grateful to the Shove Chapel at Colorado College for giving us a home for Holy Week then, as well as in 2008. We are also there for the 2009 Easter Season, that is if we aren't back in the Tejon Street building by then. The timing of our return to Tejon Street will largely depend on how difficult it will be to get back into the building. The Lord watch over all those involved in the transition.

Here's the link to the Colorado Springs Gazette article.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/property_50484___article.html/church_tejon.html

Here is the link to the Colorado Springs television report.
http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/41759617.html

Now, we can get back to the business of worship, good works and the rebuilding of our ministries where we rightfully belong.

My hope going forward is that the split between the two groups of parishioners can be mended and that we can be reconciled with each other with no carry over of the hard feelings and strong emotions this experience has generated.

My other hope is that the members of the Parish who have died during this time of strife, separation and contention can now go to their final resting place in peace, love and tranquility. (We were denied access to the Columbarium during this time as well.)


Thanks and Praise Be to God.

Gratitude for the Quilt Mavericks

I belong to an on-line quilt group called the Quilt Mavericks. Our motto is "My Quilt, My Rules." They are a wonderfully irreverent, bright, talented group of women and men who have inspired me and carried me through a horrible time in my life when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. They have caused me to think, laugh, love, learn and expand my quilting horizons. I just want to express my gratitude to all of the Quilt Mavericks for being a part of my life.

The reason I am writing this up is because one of our members has had the week from Hell and the outpouring of compassion, information and prayers for Luana (owner of eQuilter)and her family at this time of trial has amazed and humbled me. This is the evidence that makes me appreciate them all so very much.

Since I am not sure that I tell the people that mean the most to me how much I appreciate them, I am writing this post today as a public way of expressing how much I appreciate all those in my life who bring so much to it.

Thank you all for being there.