Grace Notes
March 29, 2013
Vol. XXXIX No. 11
GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
3604 N. BEN JORDAN,
VICTORIA, TX 77901
Telephone
(361) 573-4840
E-Mail
grace@gracevictoria.org
Website
www.gracevictoria.org
_________________________________________________________
FROM DAN’S DESK
GETTING UP EARLY ON SUNDAY MORNING
This Sunday people will be crawling out of bed early, gathering up their sleepy families and seek
out hillsides and beaches and cemeteries and churches all over the world. While it is still dark, they
will join one another, greeting each other with smiles and handshakes and warm embraces. They
will pray together, singing songs of faith, listening to scripture, hearing once again the story of
God’s astounding love for us. As they do this the sun will begin slowly to rise out of the East,
bringing light and warmth and all the assurance and hope of God’s new day.
In the early church, Christian worship would be held before dawn on Sunday mornings as they
would then have to go to work, which began at sun up. In times of persecution, Christians would
worship in the catacombs of Rome, a kind of underground cemetery. Later, after Rome became
Christian in 321 AD the church was able to come out of hiding and Sunday became a day of rest.
Later with all of Sunday as a day of rest, church would start later in the day giving rural people a
chance to get their cows milked before coming to church.
The first record of an Easter Sunrise Service may be that of a Moravian church in Herrnhut, Saxony
(Germany) in 1732. After an all night prayer vigil the unmarried men of the community went to
the town graveyard, “God’s Acre”, on a hill above the town to sing hymns of praise to the Risen
Savior. The following year the whole congregation joined in the service. Soon the Easter Morning
Sunrise Services spread to Protestant churches all around the world.
The Gospel of John tells us, “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary
Magdalene came to the tomb and saw the stone had been removed from the tomb.” As we gather
early on this Easter morning we come looking for many things. Like Mary we may be coming to
give thanks to the one who has given so much to us. We may be looking for inspiration or
encouragement or the company of friends. We may come out of love or devotion, out of loneliness
or desperation or maybe just curiosity. Whatever the reason, like Mary, we may just find a miracle.
We may find that our Lord is here with us. Won’t you please join us? And have a Happy Easter!
Grace and peace,
Dan 
Coming Up this Easter Sunday ……...…
7:00 am Sunrise Service
Breakfast following service.
10:45 am Worship service
Introit: Brass Trio Miranda Aguilar, Roman Zamora & Abby Muehlbrad
Anthem: Brass Trio
Children’s Sermon: “Hoping Down the Bunny Trail”
Sermon: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 Rev. Dan Fultz
Offertory: “We Bow Down” Choir
There will be an Easter Egg Hunt for children of all ages after the worship service.
Please gather in Tracy Hall if you would like to participate.
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This Week’s Missionary – South Sudan
Rev. Shelvis Smith-Mather & Rev. Nancy Smith-Mather work with RECONCILE (Resource
Center for Civil Leadership), an indigenous ecumenical Christian organization that promotes
“Peace-building.” RECONCILE provides training in trauma recovery, conflict transformation,
and civic education in areas of high inter-ethnic conflict.”Please pray God will heal the people
of South Sudan so they can build a peaceful nation,” Shelvis and Nancy write. “Please pray for
the RECONCILE staff as they train leaders and for us as we seek to be ambassadors for Christ
carrying out God’s ministry of reconciliation.”
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PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN NEWS
Ruth Circle will meet on Tuesday, April 2 in the church library at 9:30 a.m. with Betty Prichard
and Millie Sweeney as co-hostesses.
Belle Sparks will host Rachel Circle on Wednesday, April 10 at 9:30 a.m. in the church library.
Lesson 8 - The Bad Seeds - will be discussed at both Circles.
The monthly "Dutch Treat" Ladies Luncheon will meet on Tuesday, April 16th at
La Hacienda on Houston Highway at 11:30 a.m. Those who wish may meet at
Tracy Hall after the luncheon to play cards during the afternoon.
All Grace Ladies and their friends are invited to attend any of these events!
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The Good Grief Gang will meet on Tuesday, April 9 and Tuesday, April 23rd at La Hacienda on
Houston Highway at 6:00 p.m.
5TH SUNDAY SPECIAL OFFERING
Each 5th Sunday, we designate a special offering to a worthy cause. This month the 5 th Sunday
falls on Easter. On Easter we also receive the One Great Hour of Sharing. The One Great Hour
of Sharing is a worthy cause, so this month, the 5th Sunday special offering is the One Great
Hour of Sharing.
Immediately following World War II, Protestant churches in the United States made appeals for
relief and reconstruction of areas devastated by the war, primarily Europe and Asia. In 1949 the
leaders of several denominations formed a committee to organize an appeal to support their
churches’ separate campaigns. A program called “One Great Hour” was broadcast on March
26, 1949, over major networks and many independent stations. The broadcast closed with a
request that listeners attend their local church the following morning and make a sacrificial
contribution. No exact measure of receipts was possible, but it was estimated that more than
75,000 churches participated.
Today the offering continues to be an ecumenical effort with each participating denomination
designating where their support goes. The Presbyterian Church (USA) sends 36% to
Presbyterian Hunger Program, 32% to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and 32% to Self
Development of People. In recent years Presbyterians have given about $8 million annually.
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COUPONS FOR MILITARY FAMILIES
The Mission & Evangelism Committee is collecting manufacturer’s coupons from the
newspaper or magazines to send to military families overseas. Collection boxes have been
placed on the table in the hallway by the library and another is at the east entrance to the
sanctuary.
It would be very helpful if you can cut out each coupon just inside the dotted line and
place them in the collection box. If you are unable to cut them out, you can place a sheet of
coupons inside the boxes and someone will cut them out.
They can use coupons which have expired up to 6 months, but because of frequent mail service
delay, we ask that you donate only 4 month old coupons (or less). We accept all coupons: food,
cosmetics, baby, medicine, pet food, and personal care and the like. What we CANNOT accept
are store or restaurant specific coupons such as Walgreens, Domino Pizza, and the like. No milk
or egg coupons.
Thanks for helping make this mission program a real success and helping our military personnel
save a considerable amount of money.
THIS WEEK IN GRACE
Easter Sunday, March 31st
One Great Hour of Sharing
7:00 am Sunrise Service
followed by Breakfast
9:30 am Sunday School
10:15 am Coffee Fellowship
10:45 am Worship w/communion
12:00 noon Easter Egg Hunt
Wednesday, April 3rd
9:30 am Homewood
No rehearsal Bells Rehearsal
No rehearsal Choir Rehearsal
Friday, April 5th
6:30 pm 1st Friday @ Chili’s
Next Sunday, April 7th
Monday, April 1st
Church Office Closed
No Monday Morning Coffee Sermon
7:00 pm Grace Crusaders vs. B&D Autoglass
Tuesday, April 2nd
Communion Sunday
VCAM
9:30 am Sunday School
10:15 am Coffee Fellowship
10:45 am Worship w/communion
3:00 pm Youth Group
9:30 am Ruth Circle meets in Church Library
3X Readings
3X is the daily practice of reading scripture in a manner that is often called Lectio Divina.
Lectio Divina is Latin for divine reading, and represents a traditional practice of prayer and
scriptural reading intended to promote communion with God and to increase in the knowledge
of God’s Word. It is a way of praying with Scripture calls one to study, ponder, listen and,
finally, pray and even sing and rejoice from God's Word, within the soul.
March 28, 2013
March 29, 2013
March 30, 2013
March 31, 2013
April 1, 2013
April 2, 2013
April 3, 2013
Acts 8:34-40
Acts 9:1-9
Acts 9:10-19a
Acts 9:19b- 22
Acts 9:23-25
Acts 9:26-31
Acts 9:32-35
April 4, 2013
April 5, 2013
April 6, 2013
April 7, 2013
April 8, 2013
April 9, 2013
April 10, 2013
Acts 9:36-43
Acts 10:1-8
Acts 10:9-16
Acts 10:17-23a
Acts 10:23b-29
Acts 10:30-33
Acts 10:34-43
HAPPY EASTER FROM THE
STAFF!
Rev. Dan Fultz,
Sandra Glenn, Janie Ayala,
Jeff Meyer,
& Lois Davis