Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan,
Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
26 May 2016
The past two weeks, beginning with the
run-up to Pentecost, we have spoken about the eternal Persons of Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. This week we will focus
on Jesus, the Son, and on how we experience the power of God in how each of His
Persons reinforces our knowledge of God.
Once we recognize that God send His Holy
Spirit to instruct us, the question becomes how do we pay attention? We can only listen to the Holy Spirit when we recognize His voice: In order to recognize God’s
promptings in our lives, and to respond to them, we must know who it is who
speaks to us and calls us. If a stranger
calls to you and tells you to do something, you will likely dismiss what he/she
says, even if it might otherwise make some sense. But if a loved one or trusted friend calls
you and counsels action you are much more likely to: (a) pay attention and listen; and (b) consider
what to do and how to respond. This
means that in order the hear God’s voice we need to focus on how He reveals
Himself to us, and this revelation is made in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Focusing on Jesus
to experience the Holy Spirit sounds counterintuitive. But consider how Jesus describes the
equation:
- At John
10.1-16 Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. He states that His sheep will follow Him
because they hear His voice as He calls to each of them by name.
God knows and calls
each one of us, but we must recognize His voice, and we can only do this by
walking with Him. To do this we must
focus on Jesus, for He is the complete revelation of God: “He who has seen me has seen the Father ... I
am in the Father and the Father in me ...” (Jn. 14.9).
- Jesus
reveals the truth of His identity with the Father right before He promises
that we will receive the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14.15-20), continuing this
revelation by teaching, “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it
is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I
will love him and manifest myself to him” (Jn. 14.21).
We need to pay
attention to this sequence in revelation, for against it most of modern culture
speaks, and much of the Church is silent in her testimony. It means that who we are and what we do
matters. It is not enough to just be
“spiritual” and to seek God; we must also walk in His way. We must strive for righteousness, to do His
will, and the more we do this the more we will recognize His voice that we
might respond to it. (Amos 3.3: “Do two walk together unless they have made
an appointment?”) This means we cannot
consider God to be insurance, and we cannot just be “social Christians”. It means we have to commit to obeying God; we
need to know Jesus not just as our Savior and Redeemer, but obey Him as Lord
and expect Him as Judge.
We do this by
focusing on Jesus, seeking always to follow Him, honor Him, and to walk in His
way. The closer we get to know God, the
more we will recognize His voice.
Wandering in
mental meadows after Trinity Sunday
The Trinity sometimes seems to me the
metaphysical version of Churchill’s
“Russia is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” In a simpler statement,
which I pray is not blasphemous, it is
as an ethereal moebius strip. When I am
in the weeds about it I try to quickly get back to my faith and yet remember the sheer beauty of the
Trinity Itself.
Dale Massey
Grace
abounds: Please thank: Elaine & Gary Dinstuhl and Mary & Ed Clabots for coffee hour.
Thank you to all who participated in the Celebration of Ministries! It was a wonderful example of how we at Grace Church are active and working in the Kingdom of God.
Thank you to all who participated in the Celebration of Ministries! It was a wonderful example of how we at Grace Church are active and working in the Kingdom of God.
§
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 after Pentecost (Proper 4)
Prelude Andante tranquillo Edward
Hopkins
Entrance
Hymn 372 “Praise to the
living God” Leoni
Offertory
Hymn 523 “Glorious things
of thee are spoken” Abbot’s Leigh
Communion
Motet Tantum ergo R.
Benjamin Dobey (based on a sketch by Don Frazee)
Communion
Hymn 567 “Thine arm, O
Lord, in days of old” St. Matthew
Closing
Hymn 579 “Almighty
Father, strong to save” Melita
Postlude
Toccata in C
Major Johann Pachelbel
Parish
Notices
§ The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: We will celebrate the Virgin Mary’s
visitation to her cousin Elizabeth on Tuesday, May 31st at 6:00pm
with a Solemn Mass. Please come and celebrate with the parish family.
§ Coffee Hour: Currently
we have no-one signed up for next Sunday’s coffee hour or for the Sundays on
6/26 through 8/28. If you feel moved to serve in this capacity, please see the
sign-up book on the table in the Narthex.
§
Elkhart Lake Chapel: The Chapel will have services every
Sunday through Labor Day weekend. We are
in need of help for each Sunday. This would include: picking up the box of
bulletins at Grace Church, arriving a little early to open the buildings,
finding readers for the lessons and the prayers of the people, lighting
candles, greeting the visiting priest, various other tasks, locking up at the
end and returning the box to Grace Church. There are instructions printed and
several people who would be able to help if you have questions. Please sign up
for a Sunday or two by calling the office at 452-9659 with dates you are
available. Thank you.
§ Parish Life Survey: During this season of Eastertide
your parish has been in celebration and examination of the love that God offers
to us all. To further the examination, please take a moment to participate in
the Parish Life Survey. In conjunction
with the "What's My Gift?" sessions in Adult Formation each week and
the Commission on Congregational Vitality event held last week, this survey
will continue our efforts to live as members of the Body of Christ. Printed
copies of the survey can be found in the Narthex or to complete the survey
electronically go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K2PT7KF.
§ Parish Music Survey: We have concluded our open forums and the Music Committee
is working towards forming a proposal of what this ministry is called to be
after Dr. Dobey's retirement. An additional aid in that effort is the
following survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RDMKWB8. Please take a few minutes and offer your thoughts so
that we as a family can best listen to how our Lord is guiding us.
§
Summer Camp: Diocese of Fond du Lac Summer Camp
is for kids age 4 through graduating 12th graders. Camp is an
opportunity for campers and staff to learn more about God, about community,
about themselves and have fun! If you have questions about what camp is like,
please call Michele at the office. There are application forms on the Narthex table.
§ Scholarships are available.
§
Senior Camp (completed grades 9-12) June
12 (Sun 3pm) – June 18 (Sat 12noon)
§
Middler Camp (completed grades 6-8) June
19 (Sun 3pm) – June 23 (Thu 5pm)
§
Junior Camp (completed grades 2-5) June
19 (Sun 3pm) – June 23 (Thu 5pm)
§
KinderCamp (parent & kids ages 4-7)
June 9 (Thu 2pm) – June 11 (Sat 12noon)
§ Like Grace Church on Facebook
§
Follow Grace Church on
Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan
§
Follow Grace
Church on Instagram: @GEC_Sheboygan
§
We Are on Itunes! Check out the new podcast!!!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/grace-church-sheboygan/id982836791
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