Rev. Beau Farr

This week we draw on a story from the Talmud to bring together the Pentecost story in Acts with the "Feast of Weeks," the Jewish festival which celebrates God's gift of the Torah to Israel.

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠

Reading

• Acts 2:1-21

Rev. Brandon Nonnemaker, Ed.D.

Ascension is not a story of departure but of transformation—of Christ moving beyond limits into a deeper, more expansive presence. This sermon explores the paradox of a God who is both lifted beyond us and more fully presence within the fabric of our lives. In a weary world, Ascension becomes an invitation to live with open hearts, holding grief and hope together as we are drawn more deeply into the world.

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Readings

• Acts 1:1-11
• Ephesians 1:15-23
• Luke 24:44-53

Aidan Voyles

This sermon considers the human inclination to gravitate towards a location of familiarity. In examining the Holy Spirit through the lens of Paul's teachings to the Athenians in Acts, it questions how our mental confinement of Biblical understanding affects the potential of our relationship with God

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Reading
Acts 17:22-31

Rev. Brandon Nonnemaker, Ed.D.

This sermon reflects on the quiet, disorienting moments when life feels unstable and what it means to trust in that uncertainty. Drawing from John 14, it reframes Jesus’ promise not as an explanation or map, but as the assurance of belonging—a place prepared in God, discovered in community. In conversation with Thomas and Stephen, it invites us to see faith as a way of being held in a shared life.

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Reading

John 14:1-14

Welcome to the first episode of the Grace Episcopal Outreach Mission Spotlight, a new series on the Glimpses of Grace podcast highlighting community partners supported by the Grace Episcopal Outreach Ministry in Gainesville and Hall County, Georgia. Each episode features local organizations making a measurable impact through service, advocacy, and compassionate support.

Featured Organization: Bloom Enterprises (Gainesville, GA)

In this episode, we spotlight Bloom Enterprises, a Hall County nonprofit dedicated to empowering adults with different abilities. Their mission is rooted in inclusion, dignity, and faith-based community support. Bloom Enterprises works to ensure that adults with different abilities can participate fully in community life and experience meaningful opportunities for growth, contribution, and connection.

Mission Statement: “To support, encourage and empower adults with different abilities to participate as contributing members of their community and to enrich their quality of life. Our faith-based organization aims to celebrate each person’s value while shining a light on inclusion in all that we do.”

Guest Interview

Our guest is Cathy Drerup, Chairperson of Bloom Enterprises. Cathy shares the organization’s vision, the motivation behind their work, and the values that sustain their mission of inclusion in the Gainesville–Hall County community.

Learn More & Get Involved

Discover Bloom Enterprises’ programs, volunteer opportunities, and ways to support their mission at bloomga.org.

Learn more about Grace Episcopal Outreach Mission at https://www.gracechurchgainesville.org/grace-church-outreach-ministry-spotlight-on-funding-recipients/.

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Rev. Stuart Higginbotham, DMin

We may feel we know the story of the shepherd, the sheep, and the gate very well, but in this Gospel reading, Jesus offers a powerful teaching that invites us to use our imagination in a new way. How can we use our spiritual muscles and explore the profound insights that rise within us as we examine our faith? We remember once more that, in the end, it is not we who read these stories but the stories that read us.

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Readings

• Acts 2:42-47
• Peter 2:19-25
• John 10:1-10

Rev. Brandon Nonnemaker, Ed.D.

This sermon invites listeners into the Emmaus story not as observers, but as companions on the road. Inspired by the Ignatian Examen, it explores how Christ meets us not in certainty but in brokenness and quiet recognition. In the breaking of bread and turning back toward life, we discover that even in what we had hoped would be different, God is still drawing near.

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Reading:

Luke 24:13-35

Rev. Stuart Higginbotham, DMin

Christ has risen, Alleluia! Now comes the hard part. The disciples are left in confusion. When Jesus returns the disciples struggle to recognize him. Christ has been raised from the dead, but we do not receive a quick fix to our daily struggles. How do we take Christ's message and see the world through different eyes? How do we navigate life now?

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Reading:

John 20:19-31