Holy Friendship

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

15 January 2015

Holy friendship:  Earlier this week we observed the feast of St. Aelred of Rievaulx (12 January).  Aelred was a twelfth century monk, abbot of the great Cistercian house in north Yorkshire.  His best known work, Spiritual Friendship, addresses the issue of how we have “particular friends”.  What, you may ask, is the question?  The question arises because we are to love all humans—each created in the image and likeness of God—as Christ loves them.  We “seek and serve Christ is all persons”.  And yet we know that Jesus took particular comfort in the company of John, Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  Indeed, Jesus, in addressing His disciples at the last supper makes the point of saying “I have called you friends” (Jn. 15.15).

So what do we make of friendship in Christ?  Aelred wrote an entire book on this topic (  http://www.scribd.com/doc/39428/Aelred-of-Rievaulx-of-Spiritual-Friendship#scribd), but when we consider the topic even briefly we understand that anyone who is our friend is someone whom God has given to us, and when we are the friend of another we act as a friend because of the spiritual gifts we have received from God.  A friend thinks first of the other.  A friend reaches out, even if this is in something as subtle as just spending silent time together in commiseration.

Friendship itself also illustrates the importance of remembering that any supposed dichotomy between faith and reason is false.  When we speak of reason (in the modern sense) we tend to think of a cognitive, analytical approach to thinking.  When we think of unreason we rightly think of madness.  But what about non-reason.  For example, if I decide to buy a product because it fulfills a need, this is a rational decision.  If I decide that I am the Tsar of Russia, this is an example of irrational thinking.  But, if I decide to help me friend because he is my friend, this is a decision that involves taking a non-rational motive (friendship) as the basis of a rational decision (to help my friend).

It’s the same with faith.  Faith does, in fact, involve a lot of reason (particularly in the pre-modern understanding of reason as involving participatory knowledge), but faith itself is also non-rational.  It is not irrational; it is not in any sense opposed to reason. Faith is, in Blaise Pascal’s famous phrase, involved when “the heart has its own reasons”. 

Pascal’s use of “heart” is in the same pre-modern sense as he uses “reason”.  He is speaking of participatory knowledge, of how we know something because of intimate contact, because of being a part of something.  Friends are a part of each other, they participate in each other, they care about each other.

God participates in each of us, knows us, cares for us, gives to us.  Call Him your friend, and know Him as Friend.

And see:  http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/what-keeps-us-having-deeper-friendships?utm_source&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=1%20Title&utm_campaign=RELEVANT%20Newsletter

Grace abounds:  Please thank:

§  Anne and Bob Hanlon, Bobbi Kraft and Susan McIntosh for the Sunday coffee hours.

§  Bobbi Kraft and Michele Whitford for Bernie Markevitch and Barb MacEwen for set-up and cleanup for the Compline supper.

§  Ben Dobey and the Schola Cantorum members for sung Compline.

Change in Monday schedule:  Because of a diocesan meeting, on Monday, 19 January, the time Mass will be moved from 12:10 to 5:30 p.m.  The Society of Mary will meet for coproate rosary at 5 p.m.

“Leave behind” cards:  Small bookmark shaped cards are available for you to give to friends when you talk about the church.  These cards list the times of all of our prayer and worship services, how to get mor einformation, when Bible study and adult education meet, etc.  The cards are available in the office or in the Ontario Avenue entrance to the nave.  The supply in the office is packaged with small olive wood crosses.  These “leave behind cards” should always be offered to visitors, but also take a supply with yoiu to share in outreach.

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 Ministry: 

Music this week:  The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Prelude                         All glory be to God on high                                                       Bach

Entrance Hymn 7                      “Christ, whose glory fills the skies”                                        Ratisbon

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

Communion Motet                    Eternal light, shine in my heart                                              Scheidt

Communion Hymn 126 “The people who in darkness walked”                          Dundee

Closing Hymn 542                    “Christ is the world’s true light”                                    St. Joan

Postlude                                   The people who in darkness walked                                          Parry

Concert at 4pm: “Evocations”

Thou art the Rock                                                                                                                     Mulet

The Battle between David & Goliath                                                                                    Kuhnau

Woodland Sketches                                                                                                          MacDowell

In a Monastery Garden                                                                                                          Ketelby

In a Persian Market                                                                                                               Ketelby

Fire in a Chinese Laundry                                                                                 Feibel & Harrington

Commemoration March ‘Victoria our Queen’                                                                          West

Parish Notices

§  Adult Formation: Sunday, 18 January we will continue our adult education hour (9 to 10 a.m.) focusing on the Holy Spirit. We speak of and invoke the Spirit in prayer and in our understanding of faith. We give thanks for the gifts of the Spirit, but what do we really know about this Person of the godhead? What does the Church teach? How is the Spirit experienced in the life of faith, by individuals and by the Church? How do we make ourselves more available to the Spirit? We will discuss these topics during the January classes, as facilitated by Fr. Karl. 

§  Organ Concert: Sunday, January 18^th at 4pm. Prior to the Official Launch of the Soup-d’-Do Fundraising Event, R. Benjamin Dobey will present “Evocations,” a diverting organ concert which will include “Thou art the Rock,” “The Battle between David and Goliath,” “Fire in a Chinese Laundry,” and “Victoria our Queen,” along with other colorful and evocative pieces not normally associated with the pipe organ. Dr. Dobey will be ably assisted by Bernie Markevitch, narrator, and members of the Parish Choir providing occasional special effects, including, at times, singing. The concert is free, however a free-will offering will be accepted.

§  Soup-d’-Do: On January 18^th a post organ concert supper will introduce a new fundraiser for Grace Church. Bernie and Barb are offering 3 gluten-free soups to be sampled and orders can be taken. The single and double serving containers will be frozen and orders picked up. The soups offered on the 18^th will be Sicilian Chicken, Pizza Soup and Bean & Ham.

§  Girl Scout Cookies! Girl Scout Cookies can be preordered for $3.50/box Sunday, January 11^th and 18^th after both masses. Money will be due late in February when the cookies will be delivered at church. Any Grace Church youth member who is involved in Daisy/Girl Scouts should come in their troop uniform to help work the booth and we will divide the orders up equally between the participants.

§  Annual Meeting Reports: If you are in charge of anything, please write a short report to be included in the Annual Report and send it to the office office@gracesheboygan.com by Sunday, January 18th. Thank you so much.

§  The Annual Meeting: This year’s annual meeting will take place on Sunday January 25, 2015.  We will have one Mass at 9:00am followed by the annual meeting held in the Church.  We plan to have an all parish pot-luck lunch in St. Nicholas Hall at the conclusion of the meeting.  The agenda of the meeting will include committee reports, new Vestry and Warden elections, 2014 financial review and 2015 budget, review Vestry actions, and an overall review of the 2015 calendar. Please make every effort to attend and participate.

§  All Parish Potluck Lunch: Following the Annual Meeting we will have and All Parish Potluck Lunch. Please bring a dish to pass and share in fellowship. Please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex.

§  Call for Vestry Nominations: Vestry elections will be held on Sunday, 25 January, at the parish annual meeting. We need at least six nominees, with names provided to the parish office by 20 January. You can nominate another person or yourself. To run for Vestry you must be a qualified elector of the parish, which means that: (1) You are regular in your attendance on worship;(2) You have received Holy Eucharist at least once in the prior year;(3) You are active in your support of the parish through a pledge or some other form of giving; and (4) Your are at least sixteen years of age. Vestry members are called to lead. Be prepared in the election process to provide a brief biographical sketch which allows your fellow parishioners to better understand your relationship with God and His Church, and your call to lead. Vestry members are called to commitment, and are expected to attend twelve meetings throughout the year (once per month).

§  Call for Diocesan Convention Delegates and Alternates: Diocesan Convention is scheduled for October 23-24, 2015 at St. John’s in Wausau. We are in need of 5 delegates and 3 alternates to attend and vote at Diocesan Convention. This will include a pre-convention information meeting, there are several scheduled including a webinar; Friday evening October 23^rd and all day Saturday, October 24^th. If you are willing to serve please call the office. In the event that we have more than eight responses we will vote on January 25 at the Annual Meeting.

§  Last Call Directory Update: We will be printing a new directory to be finished in time for the Annual Meeting on January 25^th. Please check your entry to make sure your address, phone and email are all correct. The draft can be found on the narthex table. Thank you.

§  Coffee Hour Schedule: There is a new sign-up sheet for hosting coffee hour in 2015. If you would like to host please sign up for either 8:00am or 10:15am. We are in need of someone to oversee the schedule and be the point person for questions. If you would be able to spend a few minutes a week double checking the sign-up sheet and giving reminders or if you have questions please see Deacon Michele or Bobbi Kraft. Thank you so much.

§  Flower Schedule for 2015: Giving the gift of flowers is a wonderful way to remember a loved one or to offer thanksgiving for your blessings. If you wish to sign up for a specific Sunday, the Flower Schedule is available on the table in the narthex. More than one person can sign up for each Sunday.