The Giving of Time

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

3 September 2015

“[W]here your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6.21).  This begs the question of what we treasure most, and a pattern is emerging in many church communities, a pattern in which many people are more willing to give money than they are to give time.  It is often a lot easier to ask for money than to ask (and expect) that people will show up for a work project.  In addition, even those willing to work are often willing to do so on the basis of showing up for a particular time slot in a project that has been already defined.  They don’t want to give time in the organization and planning phase, and really don’t want to “be in charge”.

Before you think I am complaining, let me state up front that I am not particularly writing about this parish.  The phenomenon I describe is present to an extent here, but what I am writing about is a broad pattern across all churches, one that can be seen in broad coalitions of churches, like LoveINC, and that can be seen when diocesan ministries events are organized.

What’s going on here?  It is common that, for anything we consider good,  value generally varies inversely with scarcity.  The treasuring of time over money points to the reality that many people feel quite harried and over-scheduled, and find that cannot escape from commitments that prevent down time.  One result is that Sunday (which is supposed to involve sabbath!) can be treated as down time in an unhealthy manner; we can look at Sunday as a day of rest from all commitments, including our commitment to gather and offer worship to God.

But let’s leave the Sunday phenomenon aside.  Let’s focus on the scarcity of time overall.  Electronic communications and social media have not helped.  Many now are always “connected,” and feel a need to be up-to-date in social media spheres.  Remote work connections mean that job concerns can follow many home.  It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the volume of information.  It is easy to feel compelled to respond to every update.  We all need to take a deep breath, offer a prayer in which we thank God and recite His greatness and blessing, and focus on regaining balance.

Balance involves the proper apportionment of focus and of resources.  In the classical spirituality of the Church, balance involves a rule of life in which work, study and prayer are kept in healthy relationship.  Work involves both our vocations in the world and our vocation as Christians (which involves the giving of time in ministry).  Study involves being attentive to God’s Word, engaging with God’s revelation every day.  Prayer involves dedicating time to God, to listen and to speak.

Many techniques for achieving balance exist, probably the best known being The Rule of Saint Benedict.  But, regardless of technique and rule, the first need is one of will.  We have to decide to focus.  When God is the most important Person in our lives, we will than naturally focus in ways that involve the giving of time for His work.  In so doing we will find that all the things that have kept us too busy become so secondary in concern that we are blessed with more time to enjoy the blessings that God showers on us daily!

Grace abounds:  Please thank:

§  Steve and Katy Larson for the Sunday coffee hour.

§  Pat Ford Smith for help in the office.

Music this Week:  Proper 16B  (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)

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 Bus:  Introduction:  This is a deep thought, dream, or spiritual message that awoke me in July of 2014 the night before I was diagnosed with a terminal brain cancer.  It is called "The Bus."  I believe this was a spiritual message that I needed to hear to prepare for this part of my journey in this life, to try and keep a positive attitude.  I also believe God wants me to share this message.

―Stephen Roman Schad (transcribed by P.F.S.)

"WE ARE ALL ON A JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE AND WE HAVE A CHOICE WHERE TO SIT ON THE BUS AND VIEW LIFE FROM."

God is steering the bus and only He knows the route we must take.  Always remember it isn't just my journey but everyone's journey together.

THE DIFFERENT VIEWS FROM DIFFERENT SEATS.

a.    The seats over the rear axle or hump.

a.    These seats can be fun when you hit bumps and you bounce off the seat.  These seats can get annoying after awhile and even make you sore if you sit too long.

b.    The side window seats.

a.    You are only seeing 1/2 of the journey and missing the other 1/2.

b.    Staring too long out the side windows can be hypnotizing and make you feel alone and make your mind wander. 

c.    Looking out the rear window from the back seats.

a.    You can't prepare yourself for the things ahead.

b.    If you see something you like, you already went past it.

c.    All you can hope for is that it follows you and you get another chance.

d.   Staring out the back window can make you feel you are on this journey alone.

e.    You don't see the journey unfold before you if you only look out the rear window.

d.   Looking out the windshield from the seats in front of the bus.

a.    You will see many things from the windshield seats that you won't see from other seats.

b.    You will see the sun rises and the sunsets.

c.    You will see the beautiful views and have time to enjoy them before they pass.

d.   You can sometimes see storms before you get there.  You can't stop them, but at least you can try to prepare for them.

e.    You can see when you are climbing a hill or when you are going to coast.

f.     You will see accidents, tragedy and devastation.

g.   During these times you will also see people helping people, friendships being made, aid coming in to help.

THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON TO HELP US THROUGH THESE TIMES.  STAY LOOKING FORWARD.  IT IS THE ONLY WAY THROUGH THESE TIMES.

     Some amazing things can be seen and heard but you have to be patient. Keep your eyes, ears, mind and heart open.  These are the seats of positive thought on the bus.

     In these seats in the front of the bus you will see who gets on and off.  Take the time even if only for a moment to introduce yourself, share a laugh, shed a tear, hold a hand or just listen.

AFTER ALL THIS IS OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER.  Traveling together is a lot more fun than traveling alone.  There are no seat belts on a bus and the seats are wide.

THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS.

a.    I believe we should share our seat, move around, see things from different views and let people know about the the view from the windshield.

b.    None of us really know when our journey ends but they all do.

c.    There may be time when you see the gauge close to E, but only God knows how many mpg the the bus gets, where the next fuel stop is, how many hills to climb, how many times we coast, how many people get on and off the bus.

An important thing to remember is, God will always let you on the bus.  So enjoy the journey together.

CONCLUSION:  This is a Team Bus.

a.    The word team starts with the letter "t" which is a Cross.

b.    Look around for a Cross when you feel alone or scared.  You will be surprised at how many are out there when you look around.

c.    A Cross might be just 2 intersecting lines in a tile or ceiling grid.

d.   This will pull your thoughts back to the center which is where God is.

LOVE-LAUGH-SHARE-BE GENTLE AND KIND―Stephen R. Schad (d. 2 August 2015)

Worthwhile reading:  A blog worth visiting regularly is one described as  “place of dialogue between Catholics and atheists”.   http://www.strangenotions.com  This is the blog of philosopher/theologian Peter Kreeft, and other contributors, and the discussions are not limited to a Christian identity founded in Roman Catholicism.  The discussions are lively, and involve real people asking real questions, but they are also very thoughtful, and beg us to go deeper.

Parish Notices

Mass in the Grass: Please join us Sunday, September 13, 2015 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 activities for our children’s enjoyment. Inviting guests is encouraged. There will be ONE MASS only that day. We will be asking for donations of cookies/bars, potato chips, water and monetary donations to defray the cost. Please sign up on the sheet on the Narthex table.

§  Sunday School registration: Yea, 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, Sunday, September 13^th.  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!

Grace offers classes for children of all ages at 9 am on Sundays:

―    3-k through 1^st Grade with Mrs. Andrea (Aparicio), Ms. MaryAnn (Portz) and   

         Mrs. Danielle (Whitford)

―    2^nd through 5^th Grade with Mrs. Nicci (Beeck)

―    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 beginning September 20^th!

§  Adult Formation: Beginning on Sunday, 20 September (during the 9 a.m. education hour) we will begin a four week series on Giving Faith a Voice. We are molded by language, by what we call things. How we “process” information about life affects how we understand these data. This can determine, for example, how we experience the reality of faith, but also how we share this reality. For example, if you are overwhelmed in worship this may relate to “the beauty of holiness”. Or, how you identify as one sealed and “marked as Christ’s own for ever” can help you relate to another what “holiness” itself is. In our course we will discuss absolutes like love, truth, beauty, good, being—how we get glimpses of these eternal realities “as through a glass darkly” but shall one day see face to face. We will explore how we understand our own experiences in ways that allows us to share them with others, to let them too know how God is present in their own lives and the life of the world.

Join with us as we explore the connections between experience and understanding, and how to give faith a voice. Come prepared to listen and to share.

§  Catechumenate will begin: Catechumenate is a nine-month course in the basics of the Faith and its practice. It is a period of training and instruction in Christian understandings about God, human relationships, and the meaning of life. It includes the Sacrament of Baptism, if you are not already baptized, and culminates in Confirmation, Reception, or Renewal of Baptismal Vows. The Catechumenate will meet on Tuesday evenings each week starting at 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. The class will begin September 29^th and will continue until May 1^st when Bishop Matthew Gunter makes his annual visitation. The study is led by Deacon Michele Whitford, the Parish Catechist. If you would like to be a part of this exciting study and fellowship or would like more information, please call the office 452-9659 or e-mail Deacon Michele at mwhitford@gracesheboygan.com. There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the Narthex.

§  Fundraising for All Saint's Chapel: We are in the process of replacing the roof for All Saint's Chapel. In recent years its age has started to show where shingles are missing and some leakage is occurring. Our hope is that funding will be available from a private foundation but nothing is guaranteed especially if the funding will be available this year. Would you be interested in contributing towards this project? We are looking to start work on this project before winter before more damage occurs. If funding does come from the foundation your donations will be dedicated to other maintenance items at the chapel and St. Hubertus Hall. Feel free to make donations in the offering plate, noting “Roof” in the memo, or contact our main office at office@gracesheboygan.com. Thank you so much for your generosity.

§  Community Prayer Summit: Praying together, loving our neighbors Monday, September 28, 2015 beginning at 5:30pm with registration and fellowship continuing from 6:00-8:00pm with prayer. Southside Alliance Church, 4321 County Road A, Sheboygan. The evening will feature John Kieffer, Wisconsin State Facilitator of City/Community Ministries. All church leaders, congregational members and interested community members are encouraged to come and be a part of this intentional prayer time. This event is organized by Love INC. Register now at: www.evenbrite.com search: Community Prayer Summit.

§  Like Grace Church on Facebook

§  Follow Grace Church on Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan

§  We Are on Itunes! Check out the new podcast!!!

§  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/grace-church-sheboygan/id982836791