Grace Notes: September 2014

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

The Old Testament Today

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

25 September 2014

It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome. With this truism in mind we are going to change the parish breakfast model. In the past we have had a breakfast for men, with the intention being to be agenda-free, and to just allow building of community. This model was extended to include all comers, and we have certainly enjoyed some good fellowship together, but the staying power of the model is questionable, so we will try something different.

Parish breakfasts will continue to meet at 7 a.m. on Tuesdays, at Fountain Park Restaurant. (Anyone who is concerned about the cost of the meal should plan on being the guest of the rector.) What will be different is that we will not be agenda-free. We will meet to enjoy fellowship and build community, to be sure, but this will be done in the context of discussion of the application of Scripture to our lives.

How will this work? We have actually heard more preaching in this parish that takes account of the lesson from the Old Testament, than in many, but to emphasize the wholeness of all of Scripture, on Tuesdays our breakfasts will include a discussion focused on the O.T. lesson for the coming Sunday. We’ll talk about the lesson itself, the author, the context, and what in this biblical revelation resonates in our lives and world today. What is God revealing about Himself and His will for us? How does this revelation guide us in life decisions today, whether they are large or small, in a world that is vastly different from that of the Old Testament? How does better understanding O.T. revelation allow us to better understand and participate in the life of Jesus Christ, who revealed in the Sermon on the Mount that He had come to fulfill the law and the teachings of the prophets (Mtt. 5.17)?

When Jesus spoke to His listeners and said “[You] have Moses and the prophets ...” (Lk. 16.29) He referred to what His listeners understood Scripture to be. There was no New Testament! Paying attention to the Old Testament was important to Jesus, and so it must be important to us. Life in Christ, life in the Spirit, is life informed by all of God’s revelation. Join with us on Tuesday mornings to explore this, and to enjoy good company and food!

Grace Abounds: Please thank:

§ Danie Wilson and the Boland family for the Sunday coffee hours.

§ Paul Aparicio for helping with Sunday School.

§ Bobbie May for gradening.

§ John Davis for fixing the kitchen stove.

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.

Youth and Family updates:

Music this week: Proper 21A

Prelude Prelude on Strengthen for service, Lord Leo Sowerby

Entrance Hymn 477 “All praise to thee, for thou, O King divine” Engelberg

Offertory Hymn 435 “At the Name of Jesus” King’s Weston

Communion Motet O thou who camest from above S. S. Wesley

Comm. Hymn 312 “Strengthen for service, Lord” Malabar

Closing Hymn 564 “He who would valiant be” St. Dunstan’s

Postlude Toccata in G Johann Speth

Parish Notices

§ Love for the Least: On 28 September at 9:00am we will be joined by a priest active in mission in areas of the world in which Islam is the dominant faith and culture, and militant Islam is active. This priest (who cannot be named in a public communication)

§ had his church burned last year, and will be with us following a mission planned to an area subject to ISIS attack. He will speak about witnessing to the faith in an alien and hostile environment.

§ Coffee Hour there are still a few openings: Thank you to all who have volunteered for coffee hour and all who have stepped in and made coffee and put out snacks. We do have a sign-up sheet in the white binder on the Narthex table. Several of the upcoming Sundays have taken but we are in need of more volunteers. The weeks that are open are 8:00am: 9/28, 11/16, 11/30, 12/21 and 12/28. For 10:15am: 9/28, 10/12, 11/16, 11/23, 12/28. If you can help please sign up on the green sheets in the white binder on the Narthex table. Thank you so much.

§ Coats for Kids: is a community service campaign. Area residents are asked to donate clean coats in good repair. We accept coats of all sizes for people of all ages, with the need being greatest for children’s coats. These coats will be distributed to Sheboygan county residents who would otherwise go without. Drop off location: Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home, 1535 S. 12 St. Sheboygan. September 2 –October 3 Monday–Friday 8:30am–4:00 pm. Distribution Location: Salvation Army, 710 Pennsylvania Ave. Sheboygan, Tuesday, October 7^th, from 9:00am–1:00pm and Thursday, October 9^th from 2:00–6:00pm.

§ New Time for Men’s Everyone’s Breakfast: The parish breakfast will be Tuesdays at 7 a.m., Fountain Park. This is open to everyone to gather for a bite of breakfast and conversation before the day begins.

§ Walsingham Volunteers Needed: There are many opportunities to help with hospitality for the Walsingham Pilgrimage. We will need volunteers to greet pilgrims as they arrive for both the quiet day on Friday as well as Saturday morning for the Solemn Mass and for the musical offering, healing prayer and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, We will need help with the set up of St. Nicholas Hall for lunch and especially for clean-up after lunch. Please sign up on the sheet on the Narthex table.

§ Walsingham Pilgrimage Music and Flowers: The Walsingham Pilgrimage is just around the corner and preparations are being made. We will have a quiet day with meditations at 12:00 and 3:00pm concluding with Solemn Evensong at 6:00pm on Friday, October 10^th. The meditations will be led by Mother Miriam, CSM, Superior of the Eastern Province of The Community of St. Mary. On Saturday, October 11^th the Rt. Rev. Matthew A. Gunter, eighth Bishop of Fond du Lac, will celebrate at the Procession and Solemn Pontifical Mass at 10:30am. Mother Miriam, CSM, will preach. Music will include the Gaudete Brass again this year. As you are able, please donate so we can once again offer beautiful music that has become so much a part of the pilgrimage and the flowers that add so much to the beauty of holiness. Please make you check out to Grace Church with Walsingham music or flowers or both in the memo. Reservations are required for lunch at a cost of $15 per person and will be served at noon on Saturday. Thank you.

§ SCIO – Sheboygan County Interfaith Organization: We have been a member of SCIO for many years. We have donated time and money for the outreach to the community, especially for women and children. There is a sign up sheet on the table in the Narthex to receive the newsletter which will give many ideas about how to help. If you have questions please talk to Mary Ann Neuses.

§ St. Paul’s New Book Club: Will meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month beginning on October 9, 2014 at 11am at St Paul's Episcopal Church in Plymouth. They will be reading, viewing, and discussing books, movies, and documentaries that have a spiritual element to them. The books, movies, documentaries will not be heavy but encourage, challenge and motivate rewarding discussions and impress us in some way. They will also have quest speakers now and then. A list of suggestions for books and movies will be presented; however, every participant is welcome to suggest their own ideas. Everyone is welcome to join. You don't have to be a member to join us, just a love of learning and child-like curiosity. Contact Pat at 920-400-0048

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Common Focus

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

18 September 2014

We recently celebrated the Feast of St. Cyprian of Carthage (13 September, d. 258), a saint who reminds us of the importance of the Church. While it is true that the only really interesting thing about religion is God, Cyprian reminds that focusing of God cannot really happen unless we are gathered. In his famous phrase, “You cannot have God for your Father unless you have the Church for your Mother.”

The Church matters. In our wider world she is considered very much optional even among those who profess to believe in Jesus Christ. And there is a creeping tendency for members of churches to consider the Church optional. It is in the Church, however, that we are bound together to Jesus, who tells us that it is in our gathering that He is present. It is in our gathering that sacramental Presence is manifested to us. This point is emphasized by one of the spiritual progenitors of this parish, Bl. Edward Bouverie Pusey, whose feast is today.

Pusey (the early Tractarians, or Anglocatholic Ritualists who started the revival of catholic piety in the Church of England, a revival which spread to Nashotah House and from thence to Grace Episcopal Church, were often referred to mockingly as “Puseyites”) focused above all on the mysteries of faith, and the sacramental presence embodied as the bedrock of who and what the Church is. He wrote: God give us grace more and more to seek Him; so, if we find Him, we shall in Him find each other who shall have sought Him our common Centre; shall in His light and love at length understand one another; shall see in one another the work of His Grace, and love one another in Him, and Him in one another. (“Preface to Sermons Preached at St. Saviour’s, Leeds, 1845”)

As we find God (together) we find each other, understand each other, see in each other the work of God’s grace, love one another as we love God. As written by St. Paul in our epistle lesson from this past Sunday, “If we live, we live to the Lord ...” (Rom. 14.8). In this new season of our life together, may we grow in faith as we grow in life together. And what is the fundamental thing we must do to allow for this growth in faith, growth in the Spirit? We must gather. There is simply no concept in all of Scripture of being a member of a church. The word for church is gathering, and if one is not gathered with fellow believers s/he is not a member of the Body of Christ. This does not mean that if I cannot be present for worship on a given Sunday that I am no longer in Christ. It means that to live into the fullness of what it means to be in Christ I must gather consistently; I must grow into the fullness of life in Christ, and this is something that can only happen when I gather with fellow worshippers often. And when I do, I find that my faith increases, and that whatever it is that has made worship a lesser “priority” is revealed to be just a distraction.

Focus on God. When we gather together each one of us is a necessary element in the “Light-gathering lens” by which God and His will come into focus. The Light is always there, but to focus this Light in ways that allow us to see clearly requires that we act together.

Grace Abounds: Please thank:

§ Kevan and Traci Revis, and Scot Lubbers for the Sunday coffee hours.

§ Paul Aparicio and Bobbi Kraft for organizing the Vestry retreat, and to Vestry members for their time and talents!

§ Hannah Sanders for work on the floor refinishing project.

§ Barn MacEwen for cleaning the kitchen.

§ Jane Hanson for helping in the office.

Youth and Family updates: Making tides out of waves.

Sometimes when you're going through your life, and you're thinking about how to change your situation for the better, God comes along and pushes you forward without warning. This happened to me this week. As of Monday I no longer have a full-time job.

Going through the hoops that you're required to go through whenever you have a life-changing event is never really fun, but it does help you clarify what your short term future looks like. It also shows you that you are not alone. There are people around you all of the time who are either there to help with their support, stories, experiences, even their hospitality and cooking, or they are there with you walking the same road you are, looking and praying, asking for guidance and wisdom.

I believe that God loves us, and cares for us and puts things in our path that will ultimately lift us up, rather than beat us down.

Sometimes we look at what's happening to us and we only see the tide rolling in over us, when in fact, what we ought to be seeing is the waves washing over our feet. Sometimes we need to be overwhelmed, or shall we say baptized, in change, in order to live the life we are called to live. Other times we need to have our feet washed, to clean off the dirt of the road we were walking, in order to step into the hospitality of those who support us, and ultimately go back and get our feet dirty again walking a different road.

To you my church family, thank you for your support, pray for me and my family as we find ourselves walking on a new road. My time with you is not changing, but change can be hard even with steady rocks to cling to.

In Christ's steady hand,

Nick

Music this week: Proper 20A

Prelude The Winds of Worship Flute Choir

Lynn Walford, director

Entrance Hymn 408 “Sing praise to God, who reigns above” Mit Freuden zart

Mass Setting Deutsche Messe Franz Schubert, arr. Richard Proulx

Offertory Music Winds of Worship Flute Choir

Communion Hymn 660 “O Master, let me walk with thee” Maryton

Closing Hymn 541 “Come, labor on” Ora labora

Postlude Winds of Worship Flute Choir

Parish Notices

§ Alan Dobey’s Funeral: will be at 11:00am, Saturday, September 27, 2014 at Holy Name Parish, 807 Superior Ave. Sheboygan. Everyone is invited back to St. Nicholas Hall for a luncheon beginning at noon. All are welcome.

§ Please Welcome: The Rev. Andrew Grosso, PhD. and his lovely wife Diana. Fr. Grosso will be the preacher and celebrant this Sunday while Fr. Karl and Elizabeth are away. Fr. Grosso, is the Director of Distance Learning at Nashotah House and is canonically resident in the Diocese of Kansas. Please welcome them to Grace Church.

§ Fr. Karl and Elizabeth in Vacation: Fr. Karl and Elizabeth will be celebrating the wedding of their son William beginning Thursday, September 18^th and will return on Monday, September 22^nd. If you have a pastoral need please do not hesitate to contact Deacon Michael Burg at 918-9944 or Deacon Michele Whitford at 918-1230.

§ Sunday School! It is not too late to sign up! Registration paperwork, classroom lesson schedules, Christmas pageant practice schedules, Operation Christmas Child information and snack ideas will be on hand. Grace offers classes for children of all ages at 9 am on Sundays:

― 4-k through 2^nd Grade with Mrs. Pat (Ford-smith) and Ms. MaryAnn (Portz)

― 3^rd through 5^th Grade with Mrs. Nicci (Beeck) and

― 6^th-12^th with Mr. Nick (Whitford)

If you don’t have children to register, how about your grandkids? How about your neighbors’ kids or grandkids? Help us teach the little children how much Jesus loves them, by bringing them to Grace’s Sunday School!

§ Sunday School Snacks: If you would like to provide snacks for our children during Sunday School, please see Pat Ford Smith, Nicci Beeck or Nick Whitford.

§ Adult Formation: On 21 September the adult education hour will be dedicated to a walk-through of the church, reviewing the history and symbolism of windows, statues, door carvings, etc. Join us to learn more about the beauty and history of this place, and the “cloud of witnesses” surrounding you.

§ On 28 September we will be joined by a priest active in mission in areas of the world in which Islam is the dominant faith and culture, and militant Islam is active. This priest (who cannot be named in a public communication) had his church burned last year, and will be with us following a mission planned to an area subject to ISIS attack. He will speak about witnessing to the faith in an alien and hostile environment.

§ Coffee Hour: Thank you to all who have volunteered for coffee hour and all who have stepped in and made coffee and put out snacks. We do have a sign-up sheet in the white binder on the Narthex table. Several of the upcoming Sundays have taken but we are in need of more volunteers. The weeks that are open are 8:00am: 9/28, 10/5, 10/19, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/30, 12/21 and 12/28. For 10:15am: 9/28, 10/12, 11/2, 11/16, 11/23, 12/28. If you can help please sign up on the green sheets in the white binder on the Narthex table. Thank you so much.

§ New Time for Men’s Everyone’s Breakfast: The new default day and time for parish breakfast will be Tuesdays at 7 a.m., Fountain Park. This is open to everyone to gather for a bite of breakfast and conversation before the day begins.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Poured Out

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

11 September 2014

Poured out. On the cross Jesus poured out His lifeblood in atonement for the sins of the world. This reality leapt into the forefront of my consciousness when at last Sunday’s Mass in Deland Park I placed the chalice back on the table serving as an altar. The table was of a very different height from our altars in the parish, and in placing the chalice down I hit the edge of the ciborium (the bowl-like container containing the hosts) and spilled the consecrated hosts—Jesus’ Body—onto the ground. What happened? Something happened not intended by me or by the altar party (who, as ever, reacted as pro’s, and simply helped in picking up all of the hosts). But it strikes me that maybe God intended this “mishap”. Maybe in leading us to be out in the world, celebrating the Mass before both our own people and guests and strangers, God was showing how He is poured out into the world. (Thanks for the grace that we can pick up hosts, rather than react to the spilling of the chalice!)

In the gospel lesson last Sunday, Jesus spoke of the circumstance under which a member of the Church is to be treated “as a Gentile and a tax collector”. But we must notice what Jesus does with Gentiles and tax collectors. He shares in fellowship with them. He reaches out to them. At the Mass in the Grass I met people who are strangers to the Church, “Gentiles”. There are doubtless things we disagree about, but we shared in fellowship with them, and together we experienced Jesus being poured out into the world. In fact, one of our visitors expressed a reservation about “organized religion” as involving “people who think they are better”. What did this person see? The celebrant at the Mass “messed up” at the altar. How did this person react? Maybe s/he saw that God uses very imperfect people to accomplish His will.

God will use us to make Himself manifest. He will use us in unexpected ways, including ways that might look to us like a mishap. He will use us despite our failings, for it is God who will equip us for the ministries to which He calls us. None of us is “good enough” to do God’s will, but by His will we are clothed with His merit that His purpose may be made good.

Grace Abounds: Wow! The Mass in the Grass was a huge success thanks to many blessings from Our Lord and the efforts in ministry of those who serve Him and work to make Him known to all. Please thank:

§ Hiccup the Clown (Pat Ford Smith) for her service entertaining the children.

§ Paul Aparicio for serving as crucifer/acolyte.

§ Scot Fabiano for serving a thurifer.

§ Jon Whitford, for serving as a “runner” in set-up and take-down.

§ Nick Whitford for providing music.

§ Bernie Markevitch for preparing the salads.

§ The members of the Picnic Committee: The idea for a parish-wide picnic enjoyed in the context of the celebration of Holy Eucharist originated with Barbara Knauf, who worked tirelessly in organization and execution. Kudos to Barbara for vision, generosity, and hard work. In addition to her efforts the rest of the committee was busy with sourcing and preparing food, set-up, clean-up, promotion, etc. Members include:

― John Davis; Bev Evans; Bill & Deb Gagin; Steve & Mary Gallimore; Bob & Ann Hanlon; Bob & Debbie Imig; Steve Larson; Bob & Barb MacEwen; Susan McIntosh; Kevan and Traci Revis; Tom Wright; Nancy Yurk.

― Plus all those who stayed and cleaned even though they were not members of the committee!

Ø Please thank Terry Kohler for the donation of a beverage cooler to the parish.

Parish Discernment: Bobbi (Roberta) Kraft has completed the diocesan “Circles of Light” process to discern whether she is called to further ministry, and of what kind. The result of this process is that she has been identified to have a vocation to ordination to the priesthood. Pursuant to diocesan procedure, the parish will now form a committee to engage in a formal discernment process with Bobbi. Recommendations from this process (and a Vestry vote) will be made to the diocesan Commission on Ministry (COM) in December, for a review by the COM, the bishop, and the Standing Committee of the diocese in January 2015. If the diocese approves Bobbi advancing in the ordination process, she will begin seminary training in August 2015.

Two members of the committee will be from outside the parish (per COM procedure)—one (Helen Seubert) from St. Peter’s, Sheboygan Falls, and one (Sandy Sparks) from St. Mark’s, Waupaca. Three members of the parish will serve on the committee, which will be lay-led. Tom Wright will facilitate committee meetings. Ed Clabots and Jane Hanson will serve on the committee with him.

Youth and Family updates: Film School, Now Playing: Waste Land (2010) Sept. 14, 21, 28.

Outside Rio de Janeiro is the largest landfill in the world which services approximately 70% of Rio itself and nearly all of the suburbs nearby. This landfill has 2500+ people, who sometimes live there five or more nights per week. These people pick through the garbage pulling out recyclable materials to re-sell. This is how they make their living. This is their life. They are the outcasts, the forgotten, the people who aren't acknowledged by normal society. They are the poorest people, and yet they survive. They find purpose. There is beauty in their life, it's just not always obvious where to find it.

In film school, we will be watching this documentary and learning what Jesus through the Bible teaches us about how we should treat the poor, the outcast, the forgotten, the untouchables so that we might live more fully in the way God calls us to live and treat our neighbors.

Please join us at 9:00 am in the youth room, on the lower level for this series. As we use the stories we tell through film and experience, to help us understand, and live into the stories God tells; through us, and through his word. All 6-12th graders are welcome, as well as any parents who wish to see what this is all about.

The winter semester films have been picked and scheduled, you can find full details from myself or at the youth room. Waste Land is currently streaming on NetFlix if you wish to preview the documentary as well.

Youth Group: The youth group will reconvene their weekly meetings this Sunday from 5-7 PM, and as always, dinner will be served. This week we will be meeting at my house 2620 N. 9th St. This year we will be particularly focused on practicing our faith through outreach, study, and fun!

Our first meeting will involve baking cookies and putting together care-packages for those of us who are away (or near) at college! All 9-12th graders are welcome, and encouraged to invite their friends to join us.

Family Events: In the last month we have spent a lot of time discussing what we are called to do as a parish in terms of youth and family ministry. Soon we hope to start adding things to our calendar that meet the needs and desires of the parish, in order to have events that we can all join in on together. In the past, for example, we have had several family game nights where anyone can come and join in, or start a game to play together as a church family. These have been very fun, and well attended. We want to bring more of what we want and need to the parish, and less of what we don't want. If you have any ideas please give them to me, Bobbi Kraft, Paul Aparicio, Deacon Michele, or Fr. Karl.

Thank you and God bless,

Nick Whitford

Director of Youth and Family

Music this week: Proper 19A

Prelude Chorale Preludes on Lord Jesus Christ, be present now J. S. Bach

Entrance Hymn 377 “All people that on earth do dwell” Old 100^th

Mass Setting Deutsche Messe Franz Schubert, arr. Proulx

Offertory Anthem O how amiable are thy dwellings Ralph Vaughan Williams

Communion Motet God be in my head Philip Wilby

Comm. Hymn 593 “Lord, make us servants of your peace” Dickinson College

Closing Hymn 473 “Lift high the Cross” Crucifer

Postlude Trumpet Tune in C David N. Johnson

Parish Notices

§ Sunday School Begins! YAY, it’s time for Sunday School! The teachers have missed those familiar faces and are looking forward to some new ones, too. Registration paperwork, classroom lesson schedules, Christmas pageant practice schedules, Operation Christmas Child information and snack ideas will be on hand. Grace offers classes for children of all ages at 9 am on Sundays:

―4-k through 2^nd Grade with Mrs. Pat (Ford-smith) and Ms. MaryAnn (Portz)

―3^rd through 5^th Grade with Mrs. Nicci (Beeck) and

―6^th-12^th with Mr. Nick (Whitford)

§ Adult Formation Begins! Second Sunday (beginning on 14 September) will feature discussions centered a series of short films in the BASIC series: — Trends come and go in our culture and the Church sometimes seems to follow. BASIC is a seven-part series of short films that challenges us to reclaim the Church as Scripture describes her to be. This series speaks to those who have questions about the Church and to those who may have lost interest in the Church. Each Sunday we will watch one of the seven short films followed by a time of group discussion facilitated by Bobbi Kraft. The seven films are: Fear God, Follow Jesus, Holy Spirit, Fellowship, Teaching, Prayer, and Communion. Please join us. (This is also an ideal series to invite friends who have no church but who are open to explore faith.)

§ New Time for Men’s Breakfast: The new default day and time for men’s breakfast will be Tuesdays at 7 a.m., Fountain Park Restaurant. This is open to all men to gather for a bite of breakfast and conversation before the day begins.

§ Coats for Kids: is a community service campaign. Area residents are asked to donate clean coats in good repair. We accept coats of all sizes for people of all ages, with the need being greatest for children’s coats. These coats will be distributed to Sheboygan county residents who would otherwise go without. Drop off location: Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home, 1535 S. 12 St. Sheboygan. September 2 –October 3 Monday–Friday 8:30am–4:00 pm. Distribution Location: Salvation Army, 710 Pennsylvania Ave. Sheboygan. Tuesday, October 7^th, from 9:00am–1:00pm and Thursday, October 9^th from 2:00–6:00pm.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Knowing Enough?

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

4 September 2014

This coming Sunday we will celebrate a return to full scheduling with our Fall kick-off, “Mass in the Grass” at Deland Park. The one service (10:15 a.m.) will be very much like a regular Sunday service with hymns, and will be followed by a picnic and games. This is an ideal time to invite friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. to experience worship together with us.

When we think about inviting others to worship, we often stumble over a fear that we won’t “do well” in explaining who we are, in defending faith, and in calling others to know, love and serve God. Such fear is misplaced. It is based on the false premise that we need to “know enough” about our faith in order to be able to offer and defend it. So let me comment on why the model of testifying through apology (the defense of faith) is not helpful.

I am a seminary-educated priest who has served in parish ministry for eight years. Prior to seminary I was trained in philosophy and the law. In seminary I was educated in biblical languages and studies, theology, history, liturgics, ... etc. I preach each week, and prepare bible study each week, and have prepared and published a study guide to the whole Bible. I have taught biblical languages to others, and have served as a canon law consultant in church trials. But I don’t “know enough” to convince anybody to have faith. No one does. If leading others to Christ was about intellectual brilliance and education, I guess we would all be Roman Catholics, given the indisputable brilliance and wide-ranging erudition of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. But, despite the learning, the communications skills, the personal saintliness of the last two popes we are not all Roman Catholics, in part because we did not make a personal connection with God by and through a personal connection with them as people. No one “knows enough” to convince anyone else to seek God.

So what do we do? We plant seeds which God will water. These seeds of faith involve personal sharing. They involve each one of us testifying not to why (for example) a given proposition in the Creed is true, but about what God is doing in our lives. I can talk about who I am. I can talk about my own relationship with God, about how I speak and listen to Him in prayer; about how I gather with others to offer Him worship, praise and thanksgiving; about how I receive Him in my body; about how in gathering I live in community with others and know God better because of this community.

Gather. Invite. Invite especially this coming Sunday. You can bring others to Christ by bringing them to just be with us as we gather with Him. Whatever seed is planted it is God who will provide the growth.

Grace Abounds: Please thank:

§ Ann and Bob Hanlon for setting up Sunday coffee hour.

Two members of the committee will be from outside the parish (per COM procedure)—one from St. Peter’s, Sheboygan Falls, and one from St. Mark’s, Waupaca. Three members of the parish will serve on the committee, which will be lay-led. Final agreement on names is pending, and will be announced on Sunday, 7 September.

Sheboygan County Interfaith Organization (SCIO): With all of the discussion in the parish about the LoveINC initiative, let’s not forget SCIO. The parish supports SCIO with an annual donation, and members of Grace also work in SCIO-sponsored ministries. Mary Ann N. attends SCIO meetings for Grace, but in order to elevate the profile of opportunities to serve we are specifically recruiting your interest. Get further details at www.sheboygancountyinterfaith.org . We need an in-parish champion who can provide timely electronic media feeds for the blog, newsletter, Facebook page, etc. If you are interested, speak to Mary Ann and also to Fr. Karl.

Sunday School registration: YAY, it’s almost time for Sunday School to begin! The teachers have missed those familiar faces and are looking forward to some new ones, too.

Look for the Sunday School table at Mass in the Grass on Sunday, September 7th. Registration paperwork, classroom lesson schedules, Christmas pageant practice schedules, Operation Christmas Child information and snack ideas will be on hand. See you for sign up there!

Grace offers classes to children ages at 9 am on Sundays:

― 4-k through 2^nd Grade with Mrs. Pat (Ford-smith) and Ms. MaryAnn (Portz)

― 3^rd through 5^th Grade with Mrs. Nicci (Beeck) and

― 6^th-12^th with Mr. Nick (Whitford)

Music this week: Proper 18A (Guitar accompaniment for hymns and anthem; service music a

capella).

Prelude Hymn Jars of Clay

Entrance Hymn 8 Morning has broken

Offertory Seek Ye First (choir-led round)

Communion Motet “I Need You More” Lindell Cooly & Bruce Haynes

Comm. Hymn 488 Be Thou My Vision

Closing Hymn 376 Joyful Joyful

Postlude “Open the eyes of my heart” (guitar)

Parish Notices

§ Mass in the Grass: Please join us Next Sunday, September 7, 2014 for an outdoor Mass and All Church Picnic at Deland Community Center, 901 Broughton Dr., Sheboygan, the Mass will begin at 10:15 a.m. with lunch following. There will be games and an appearance by Hiccup the Clown for our children’s enjoyment. Inviting guests is encouraged. There will be ONE MASS only that day. Please sign up on the sheet on the Narthex table.

§ Sunday School Begins: We are getting excited about Sunday School! The teachers have met and plans are being made for another wonderful year of learning about the love of Jesus Christ! Sunday School will begin on September 14^th at 9:00am. Please watch for more information.

§ Youth & Family News: At our brainstorming meeting for Youth and Family Ministries, we had a great turnout and many ideas were put forward to be considered for the direction, course, and future activities of our ministries at Grace Church. Many of the ideas that were put forward are ones that would be fun for a parish family to participate in to create a larger sense of community, and let's be honest, just to have some fun. Other ideas were specifically focused on community and mission minded outreach. As we continue to brainstorm separately and bounce ideas off of each other. Please put forward any ideas you have for any ministry in our church. If you don't know what ministries there are, ask. If there something that you think should be at Grace Church, but we don't have it, talk about it and maybe you're being called to start something new! Stay tuned to see what happens next, and don't forget to get involved!

§ Coats for Kids: is a community service campaign. Area residents are asked to donate clean coats in good repair. We accept coats of all sizes for people of all ages, with the need being greatest for children’s coats. These coats will be distributed to Sheboygan county residents who would otherwise go without. Drop off location: Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home, 1535 S. 12 St. Sheboygan. September 2 –October 3 Monday–Friday 8:30am–4:00 pm. Distribution Location: Salvation Army, 710 Pennsylvania Ave. Sheboygan. Tuesday, October 7^th, from 9:00am–1:00pm and Thursday, October 9^th from 2:00–6:00pm.

§ “Before and After”: The floor cleaning project to well underway! 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. Thank you to all who are helping.

Search This Blog

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

The Old Testament Today

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Common Focus

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Poured Out

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Knowing Enough?