Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace Notes
17 July 2014
A common refrain heard among
long-standing members in just about all church congregations relates to those
things that “we used to do ourselves, and now pay for”. Examples include maintenance and cleaning
projects, whether publications are out-sourced, how people are active in
outreach v. donating money for outreach, etc. To be fair, we hear similar observations
about society in general, but it is always a danger sign when a congregation
starts expecting somebody else to get done what needs doing, or that the
money to pay for something is just going to materialize.
Grace has not been immune from the
broader trend away from active discipleship, but that trend line is reversing
here! If you pay attention to what is
recited in this weekly web log, you have noted how many names are listed under
our “Grace Abounds” thanksgivings. People
are giving of their time and talent. The
whole idea behind the ongoing project to refinish the floor is that we will do
this ourselves, and that in doing this together will show each other what
ministry looks like. In the process we
will certainly save a lot of money, money that can be deployed to support
ministry rather than maintenance. In the
process we will, as well, have plenty of time for prayer and to get to know
each other better, to learn about each other in the stories told between people
as they work side-by-side on an otherwise tedious project.
Those of us who are working on the
floor may soon see hexagonal patterns in our sleep, but we will also have spent
hours in our Lord’s presence together.
We will have had hours on our knees together in the type of prayer that
is just being present and making an offering of self. We will have hours to listen to God, to
understand better what He is calling us to in ministry, what He is calling us
to in mission and outreach and how we are going to do this.
Most people in the parish won’t
work on the floor, but most are active in some ministry or project. No matter what you are involved in (or want
to be), when we spend time together working together we have time to listen to
God in the words of each other, and time to listen to God in the silences of
our own work. Let us listen both with
ears, and with hearts and minds!
A final point: Part of the forces at work that have moved
many in church life away from “what we used to do ourselves” is the idea that
any of us needs permission for ministry, permission to get done what
needs doing. We don’t, none of us. It is our Lord who calls us to ministry and
equips us for ministry. When you are
called, when you see something that needs doing, do it. You don’t need to ask if it’s OK. The Church is not a permission-granting
organization. If your initiative is godly it will bear fruit!
Grace Abounds: Please thank:
§
Bev Evans, Bobbi Kraft and
Dcn. Michele Whitford for the Sunday coffee hours.
§
Jane Hanson and Pat Ford
Smith for help in the office.
§
Ben Dobey and Bobbie May
for gardening.
§
Bill and Deb Gagin,
Shepherd Goodenow, Pat Ford Smith and Mary Snyder for work on the floor
refinishing project, and Bill and Deb for donating a steam mop to the parish.
§ Martha Shad for donating a floor cleaner.
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.
The Healthy
Habit of Worship: (Fr. Jeff Reich, St. John’s Episcopal Church,
Laurel, MS—used with permission.)
[To the people of St. John’s]: I
hope and pray all are well. Yesterday I read an article that proposed
that the greatest cause of church decline was not people leaving the Church,
but rather it was an issue of frequency of attendance. I found the idea very interesting… especially
in that the English word frequency has is origins in the Latin word frequins,
which means crowded or a crowd of people.
The idea is that is if there is a congregation of 200 people, and every
person comes to Church on Sunday- the average Sunday attendance
is 200. But, 100 of those people miss once a month, the
average Sunday attendance drops to 175 people. Here at Saint
John’s, according to our latest survey, the largest group of our parish family
only attends twice in a month. So, we have around 300 members, and our
average Sunday attendance around 150.
The author of the article argued that there are some very serious and
severe consequences to a decrease in attendance frequency- the most severe
being a decline in commitment. That is to say, when average attendance
drops from frequency change, two things happen: 1) morale and commitment fades
in the parish- if you see your church family with a decreasing frequency, bonds
of affection stretch, and you yourself feel less compelled to be there for
others. 2) And if people notice these shifts in frequency, they feel more
liberty themselves to attend less frequently. So, a decline in frequency
leads to a decline in morale and commitment- as you go about your week,
consider frequency… your attendance habits have a direct impact on your parish
family- either encouraging or discouraging them. So, when you miss church
with increasing frequency, it is not just your family who is effected, but the
whole parish family, and when you attend church with greater frequency you do
much to help encourage the parish family.
No man is an island entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent,
a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less, as well as if a
promontory were,
as well as any manner of thy friends
or of thine own were;
any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know
for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
―John Donne
Hebrew: After two years of study of New Testament
Greek we will offer a course in biblical Hebrew. Classes will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. on
Thursdays, beginning on 11 September.
There is a cost of $100 for materials, but this can be supported through
a generous scholarship fund. The class
is open to people who are not members of the parish, so feel free to invite
friends from the community or other churches.
This class does not assume that
you have any particular ability in learning a language. The goal is not to learn to speak and write
Hebrew, but to be able to work in the biblical text using written and online
aids. We want to be able to work in the
text to gain insights into the message of the Bible, insights that may not be
apparent in English. For example, how
verbs work is vastly different in Hebrew.
The concept of time is very different.
What can we learn about God and His will for us by exploring these
differences? Our discussions will be
more theological than linguistic, as they were in our Greek class.
If you are interested, or know
someone who is, contact Fr. Karl.
Summer adult
formation: In the 17 June web publication of the journal First Things: A Journal of Religion and Public Life is found the
article “Why Do People Become Catholic?”, in which R. R. Reno examines the
phenomenon and reasoning of conversion of Protestants to Roman
Catholicism. See http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2014/06/why-do-people-become-catholic R. R. Reno (a Roman Catholic) celebrates the
catholicity of the Church, and enumerates the following realities about the
Church Catholic, that she is: 1. visible; 2. universal; 3.
enduring; 4. possessed of
authority; 5. embodies beauty; 6. hierarchical; 7. in communion with the saints; and 8. a moral witness. Our discussions will focus on these eight
realities of the Church, and particularly how these are embodied in Anglicanism. In other words, we are going to
talk about how and why the Church matters, and how we participate in how she matters!
This class will meet beginning on Sunday, 20 July, at 9 a.m.
Music this week: Proper 11A
Prelude Andantino; Larghetto Charles Tournemire
Entrance Hymn 375 “Give
praise and glory unto God” Du
Lebensbrot
Offertory Hymn 686 “Come,
thou fount of every blessing” Nettleton
Communion Hymn 620 “Jerusalem,
my happy home” Land of Rest
Closing Hymn 625 “Ye
holy angels bright” Darwall’s 148th
Postlude Sortie Tournemire
Parish Notices
§ Antiques and Collectibles Appraisal Event: featuring expert
Mark F. Moran on Thursday, July 24, 2014 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Interest in
this event is already starting to build and this is exciting. Parishioners have already started to register
to have their valuable evaluated and volunteers are stepping forward to help on
this date. Won’t you consider donating
one to two hours of your time that day?
A sign up in the narthex is available. Pre-registration and payment is required. Cost is $15 per
item. Cash, check or MC/VISA will be accepted. You may sign up for a maximum of
3 items. Please call to schedule your appointment or for further information
and if you would like to help on this event please contact Barb MacEwen at
920-912-4505. Proceeds from this fund-raiser goes towards youth outreach.
§ Picnic Committee:
will meet at 9:00am in St. Mark’s room on the lower level, Sunday, July 27th.
Logistics and assignments will be discussed. If you cannot attend, please call
Barbara Knauf at 457-5414.
§ “Before and After”:
The floors in the church have not been cleaned since April of 2006. Through the
help of many parishioners Christ the King Chapel is nearing complete and the
difference is remarkable. If you are interested in participating, see Fr. Karl. This
is tough, physical labor, so if you are challenged in working on hands and
knees, consider whether you want to help with material costs, with a gift
outside of your regular giving to the parish.
§ Coffee Hour a time of
gathering for Fellowship: There
is now a green sheet on the table in the narthex for people to sign up. There
are many open dates. Please consider taking one of the Sunday services. Tom and
Tasha Crouse have signed up for the 20th of July for 10;15 service and Paul and
Andrea have signed up for the 3rd of August 10:15 service. This does not need
to be anything elaborate, just the willingness to make coffee and supply some
simple cookies, etc. This “get together” is about community, meeting, greeting
and checking in with each other on how we our week has been. Please come and
join the fun, if you have never done it sign up with someone who has and learn
how simple it can be.
§ EfM or Education for Ministry: was created to help you find your vocation and ministry with a trusted
group of friends. By studying scripture, history and reading other people’s
writings, we discover more about God’s wonderful plan for our lives. Two groups are starting September 8, 2014.
The Monday group meets at 6 pm and the Tuesday group meets at 9 am. Sign up by
August 1st in order to get your books before the first class. Cost is $350 and
this includes college credits and all your materials. Scholarships are
available, so don’t let the cost keep you from participating. You can go to the
EfM website at: www.sewanee.edu/EFM
and print your registration materials or if you have questions, don’t hesitate
to contact Barb Drewry-Zimmerman at: bzimmy@excel.net
or call her at 920-893-5189.
§ 4th Annual Rummage Sale Blessed Trinity Parish: Friday, July 18 & Saturday, July 19,
2014 from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm Blessed Trinity Parish (in Church Basement) 319
Giddings Avenue, Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin will have a rummage sale which will
include household items, toys, children’s clothes and small appliances. Please
plan to attend our 4th Annual Rummage Sale.
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