Share God

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

26 February 2015

The fundamental truth about sharing a story is that it is a sharing of self.  If you have been following the parish lenten devotions you will have been struck by how much of the content involves the writer sharing of himself or herself.  In the context of meditating on a gospel passage and on a prayer, the writer has had things to say in the form of a meditation on meaning, but this has been stated very much with reference to personal experience.  A common response could be described using a formula like:  “Jesus teaches about X.  I understand X because of what happened to me once.  Here’s what it felt like, and what I learned.”

How we experience God is shaped by who we are, and it is shaped by where we meet God, in time, place, circumstances, and with other persons.  No two meetings are ever alike, but the truth always involves that a meeting with God is memorable, even when we don’t realize that we had an experience of God until afterward (sometimes long afterward).  We confess to God’s providential presence in all of our life, and in all of our lives, so why should we be surprised that when we speak of God we speak about how we have experienced Him?

How we share our faith is shaped less by how we can ever hope to explain belief, and a lot more by how we can just share our experience.  Sharing faith involves story-telling a lot more than analysis and explanation, even when we may have a profound insight to share, because the reality is that when we do have a profound insight it is because of how God has given us the eyes to see, the heart to feel, the “gut” to be grounded in in sureness that can be voiced at best clumsily.

Share God by sharing yourself.  Share God, share the faith with those who do not know God, by sharing how you have experienced His presence, how you have been shaped.   If someone talks to you about being “equipped for evangelism” you may well shy away, but if we translate that phrase to reflect that all you need do is share of yourself, then the fright factor decreases materially.  It may remain a little scary to think about sharing of self, but remember that you don’t do this alone.  You do it with God.  As He has formed you, as He guides you, you can allow others to gain experience of God.  Share the stories, that all may know the Author.

Grace abounds:  Please thank:

§  John Davis and Jack Britton for the coffee hours on Sunday.

Youth and Family Ministry: 

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.

Music this week:  The Second Sunday in Lent

Prelude                        Chaconne in F Minor                                                                      Pachelbel

Introit                          Call to Remembrance                                                                     Plainsong

Kyrie                           Missa ‘Alme Pater’                                             Plainsong, adapt. Wildman

Offertory Hymn 448   “O love, how deep, how broad, how high”                Deus tuorum militum

Sanctus & Agnus Dei                                                                                                          Plainsong

Communion Motet      Dear Lord and Father of Mankind                                                        Parry

Comm. Hymn 707      “Take my life, and let it be”                                                         Hollingside

Closing Hymn 142      “Lord, who throughout these forty days”                                    St. Flavian

Postlude                      Fantasia in C Minor                                                                               Bach

Parish Notices

Adult Formation: March 1^st, Christopher Wood, our Seminarian, will facilitate a class on the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). Confession or the Sacrament of Reconciliation, is not just for Roman Catholics. Come to the adult class and learn about this vital sacrament. We will explore the biblical beginnings of confession, how making a sacramental confusion differs from the general confession we say during Mass, when we should make sacramental confession, and how to prepare for confession. If Confession is something you have done in the past, or something you feel strongly about not doing, please come to the adult education class. This will be very informative, and there will be absolutely no pressure about whether you should make an individual confession.

Potluck Dinner and Compline: Bring a dish to pass and join us next Sunday, March 1^st at 6:30pm, for a potluck dinner and fellowship. At 8:00pm the Schola Cantorum will sing Compline, a beautiful restful service full of candles and music.

Stations of the Cross, Simple Suppers and Teaching:  Beginning on the first Friday in Lent (February 20^th) we will meet each Friday at 5:30 p.m. for Stations of the Cross, followed by a simple supper and Christian formation.  Our formation program this year will be looking at our Parish Meditations for the week. Please sign up to attend on the sheets in the Narthex so the people who are providing the meal will know how much food needs to be prepared.

Scout Appreciation "Pancake Breakfast": Sunday March 8^th Please mark your calendars to stay a few minutes, after each service, to savor a down home Pancake Breakfast. Scouts will supply all the know how for the event. As an added bonus, Maple Syrup will be supplied by the Drewry Farms of Plymouth. This award winning Maple Syrup is served at all the major restaurants in the area and beyond. The Scouts will also have available Maple Syrup gift assortments.

Soup-d’-Do: Pizza Soup is back and available for purchase!! The single $4.00 and double $7.00 serving containers are frozen and are ready for purchase. The soups

offered are Sicilian Chicken, Pizza, Bean & Ham and Vegetarian Vegetable.