Participating and Leading

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

8 May 2014

In his book Grace in Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eeerdmans, 2007), Paul Zahl, a notable priestly leader and writer, argues for “passivity” in the pastoral role—that pastors are to resist the temptation to “fix” anything, and to rely on God’s grace to be active.  Pastors are to focus on listening and being present.  Another way to think of this is that pastors are to “participate” in the life of those within their spiritual cure (this is Eugene Peterson’s language), always remembering that it is God who brings about change, not human agency.

There is certainly truth and wisdom in the realization that God is in charge, and it is useful to remind ourselves that clergy, for example, do not and cannot “fix” situations or people.  Clergy can be present, and can seek to embody God’s grace, and can seek to foster every opportunity for all people to encounter God’s living Word and His life-giving sacramental presence.  Clergy can encourage, at times reprove.  Clergy can teach (and learn!), but fundamentally clergy can best act as a “resonator” within a worshipping community, to maximize opportunities for all to participate in God’s grace, and to seek to identify barriers to participation.

Think of how you can make a difference be being present to another.  A great example of this can be found in this short video:  http://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership

At Ephesians 4.12 the apostle writes that some are called to be pastors and teachers “... to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ ...”  In all that we do in this parish we must consider how what we do builds up the body of Christ, how what we do advances the kingdom of God, how what we do furthers the opportunities of all to participate in God’s grace.  “How we do things” (let alone “How we have always done things”) is secondary to why we do what we do and how we live into the identity that god calls us to.  Grace abounds!  In this abounding grace may we each incarnate God’s presence to each other, trusting that whatever we believe needs to be “fixed” will grow into greater holiness when we are more available to God.

Grace Abounds:  Please thank:

§   Bob and Barb MacEwen for the Sunday coffee hours.

§  The Boland-McIntosh and Crouse families for organizing last Sunday’s family game night, and all who providing food for the pot luck supper.

§  Jon Whitford and Joanne Otte for extra work in website evolution and new material loading.

§  Jane Hanson, Mary Massey, Connie Schneider and Mary Snyder for providing Bible study meditations for May.

§  Ben Dobey and the Schola Cantorum for the offering of sung Compline.

Prayer Ministry Beginnings:  A Prayer Ministry is beginning here at Grace and it will look

like this.  Saturday mornings at 10:00 am members of Grace will meet and walk throughout the church praying.  Our prayers will be focused  on asking the Holy Spirit to be released in a deeper, more powerful way into our Grace Church community.  The prayers will begin at the back of the church and continue through each pew, chapels, pulpit, sanctuary and sacristy.  Where the Spirit leads, we will pray, ending at the main altar.  In Acts1:14 we read that the early church prayed together constantly.  Paul reminds us in 1 Thess.5:17 we are to pray without ceasing.  It is with deep devotion and great conviction that we begin this Prayer Ministry by meeting once a week to pray for our Church.  If anyone feels called to join in the praying, please come.  

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.”  Romans 15:13       (Jane Hanson)

The power of prayer:  The prayer ministry described above is literally the answer to a prayer I have said during the Daily Office every day this year—that our Lord would raise up a new presence and gift of the Spirit in this place.  I cannot overemphasize the importance of such a ministry.  Here’s an example.  Church of the Incarnation, Dallas, Texas (http://incarnation.org/) is an Episcopal Church parish that can be described using any number of superlatives, in terms of faith, size, outreach, ministry, wealth—you name it.  One key, bedrock ingredient in this “success” (in living into this blessing) is the fact that for years a group of “prayer warriors” have gathered to pray about and over every decision in the life of the parish, to raise up those in need of prayer, to pray that God’s will for the parish might be revealed and lived, ... etc.  This ongoing prayer warrior ministry has made an abundant difference in the life of Incarnation (and other examples can be cited, as well).  I fully believe it will make a difference here.  Please gather in ministry.  Whether or not you gather on a Saturday morning, be constant in prayer. 

Call for Contributions:  If you have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshippers toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by Wednesday in the week of publication.

Book Review:  Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christ

This was a book whose title was so provocative I had to read it.

The author, Nabeel Qureshi, an American-Pakistani raised in an immigrant Muslim family spent his early life attempting to lead his friends to Islam as he was taught & encouraged by his parents.  When he went away to university through the debate team he met David Wood, a devout Christian, who becomes his best friend.  Both of them graduated in three years & were in the top six of their class. 

As they began to spar over their beliefs, Nabeel challenged David with the Koranic claims that God isn't a father, he has no son, and that Jesus didn’t die on a cross.  Furthermore while Jesus was a great prophet in time his message was so corrupted Muhammad was sent to correct the errors - Christians had even blasphemed by making Jesus into a god. He also questioned the validity of the Trinity (the belief of one God in three persons) and the Atonement (the belief that Jesus’ death somehow brings forgiveness).

There were two things about Islam that Nabeel eventually had to defend: if Jesus was as Christians claimed could Muhammad be a prophet of God?   There’s the Shahada, the identifying mark of the Muslim: “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet.”  The second being the Koran is a divinely inspired book.  As such the Koran had been directly delivered to Muhammad & nothing had been added or subtracted from the text.

As Nabeel went back to Islamic primary sources to affirm his beliefs to his horror he discovered he’d been taught a filtered version of history.  Still he didn’t want become Christian or to hurt his family.  At last he asked to be shown the truth through dreams.  He received a dream but it wasn’t enough; he asked for a second & a third; finally there was no doubt in his mind; Jesus was confirming all he’d fought so hard against. 

This is an intense & instructive book available in both electronic & book form.  If interested, you might want to check out further reviews on Amazon.com.  (Fr. John Ambelang)

Note:  Fr. Ambelang will lead adult education on Sunday, 25 May, with a focus on the growth of responses to Jesus Christ in the Islamic world.

Music this week:  

Prelude                         Pastorale                                                                     J. S. Bach

Entrance Hymn 205      “Good Christians all, rejoice and sing”

Mass setting:                 Communion Service                                                    William Mathias

Offertory Hymn 645     “The King of love my shepherd is”

Communion Motet        Brother James’ Air                                                      arr. Gordon Jacob

Closing Hymn 208        “The strife is o’er”

Postlude                       Acclamations sur ‘Christus vincit’                             Jean Langlais

Parish Notices

§  Spring Cheer: is scheduled to meet on Thursday, May 15^th  at 11:00 AM in the church kitchen.  At that time we will assemble freshly emerging daffodils (!) and bag cookies, and then make deliveries (there is a sign up sheet in the narthex.) We need helping hands and money (to buy for packaging supplies.) Can you bake, make a delivery or help arrange?  Please join us for this fulfilling ministry to our shut-ins.  They will appreciate it. If you have questions please call Barb MacEwen at 467-6909. 

§  Christian Formation Schedule for May:

o   11 May: Care and Share:  Small group ministries formation and sharing

o   18 May: Biblical Reflections:  Meditations/reflections will be offered on the Sunday lessons for all Sundays in May, as prepared by Mary Massey, Jane Hanson, Mary Snyder and Connie Schneider, for use in small group discussions. The meeting will be facilitated by Dcn. Michele Whitford.

o   25 May: Small groups: Such as Care Givers, Galatians and other existing ministries.

§  Enthronement of the Eighth Bishop of Fond du Lac: Please plan to attend the Enthronement of Matthew Alan Gunter, the Eighth Bishop of Fond du Lac at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, 2014 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Fond du Lac. Refreshments to follow.

§  Summer Camp: Diocese of Fond du Lac Summer Camp is for kids age 4 through graduating 12^th graders. Camp is an opportunity for campers and staff to learn more about God, about community, about themselves and have fun! If you have questions about what camp is like please call Michele at the office.  Scholarships are available.

o   Senior Camp (completed grades 9-12) June 15 (Sun 3pm) – June 21 (Sat 12noon)

o   Middler Camp (completed grades 6-8) June 22 (Sun 3pm) – June 26 (Thu 4pm)

o   Junior Camp (completed grades 2-5) June 22 (Sun 3pm) – June 26 (Thu 4pm)

o   KinderCamp (parent & kids ages 4-7) June 12 (Thu 5pm) – June 14 (Sat 11:30am) There are application forms on the Narthex table.

§  Stay Connected! There are many ways to stay connected and find all the latest announcements. Grace Church can be found by “liking” us on Facebook. You can also sign up for the Grace Notes blog at http://gracechurchgracenotes.blogspot.com/ on the right hand side there is a place to sign up and receive the blog by email. You can find the Grace Church website at www.gracesheboygan.com. At the end of each bulletin there is QR code that you can scan with your smart phone and it will take you directly to the website. If you have an email address you can receive the Angelus electronically and save the church some printing and postage costs as well as receive any gentle reminders that may pop up between Angelus publications. If you have questions about any of these things please call the office.

§  Eucharistic Festival: Plan to attend the 55th Annual Diocesan Eucharistic Festival at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 28th, at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Fond du Lac. The Homilist will be the Rt. Rev. Matthew A. Gunter, Eighth Bishop of Fond du Lac. Picnic to follow.