Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
25 August 2016
This Saturday is
the diocesan Eucharistic Festival, in Fond du Lac. At this annual festival we gather to
celebrate the great gift of God’s offering of Himself, of the reality that in
communion “… we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of [God’s]
Son …” (BCP 339). We give thanks that we may abide in Christ,
as He abides in us.
The quotation just
given is from the prayer after communion found in Rite I of Holy
Eucharist. Rite I language is less
familiar than it used to be, and unfamiliar to many. Leaving aside the preferences that any one of
us might have in language, Rite I expresses a different form of offering than
that found in any of the prayers of Rite II.
The offering in Rite II is very much focused on the bread and wine which
will become Jesus’ Body and Blood. In
Prayer B of Rite II we do recite that we offer “our sacrifice of praise and
thanksgiving”, but this a different focus from the language found in Rite
I: “And here we offer and present unto
thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and
living sacrifice unto thee …” (BCP 336). This is a different offering! Rite I is more focused on us standing before
God, and in making this offering we recognize that the Eucharist involves more
than Jesus being broken.
In the Holy
Eucharist we are broken. We are broken
that we may be used by God, mended for His work, sent forth from His
table. We must focus on what we take
away from God’s table, not just upon the blessing we receive at His table. We take away His presence to do His
work. We are sent, and all ministry must
be ministry which embodies God’s presence or it will be at best a work of our
own vanity.
Offer your
self. Let God mold and use you. Be sent.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Kevan and Traci Revis
for the Sunday coffee hours.
§ Bobbi Kraft for her presentation
on the first year of seminary.
§ Ellen Aparicio for
help in pastoral care.
Call for
Contributions: If you
have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshipers
toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by
Wednesday in the week of publication.
“[W]hen
we understand that ministry involves God using us, that the work is His and
that He will determine the outcome, then our frustration can be channeled into
the need to remain faithful, remain focused, and to experience the blessing God
gives to those who do His will.” Those words appeared
in last week’s blog posting. This week
we received the anonymous contribution which follows:
By any objective measure my life has been
blessed. Sure, it’s had ups and downs, like all lives do, but I have been
blessed in ways that have given me options that most do not have. I have
thought about this for a long time. Recently, however, I’ve gone through
a series of troubles that have ranged from something like a heart attack to a
serious auto accident to pneumonia, and my thinking has been more focused on
asking why I have survived. Believe me, when you’re sick you have time to
think about these things! And what have I learned? I have learned
that despite all of the options I have had and have in life, God’s in
charge. He has seen me through times of both happiness and trouble.
He’s not through with me yet. He has a plan, and my plan is to try to pay
my most serious attention in all of the ways that I can to what God intends.
When life is good, thank God for the
blessings. When life is challenging, thank him! God is in charge,
and in his plan he will see you through all challenges. Part of his plan
in keeping you is to allow you to be part of his blessing to others. Trust
in God, and let him use you in his blessings.
—Anonymous
Don’t forget “Something
Extra for Grace”: Supplemental giving envelopes can be found in
pews. If you want to give something
extra, please use an envelope to ensure that you are credited.
Music
this Week: The
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 17C)
Organists: Caleb Klinzing and Sandie Palmer
Cantor: Bernie Markevitch
Prelude Preludes
on “Largo” Anton Dvorak & “Theme from
Finlandia”
Jean Sibelius
Entrance
Hymn 376 “Joyful,
Joyful, we adore thee,” Hymn
to Joy
Offertory
Hymn
477 “All praise to thee,” Engelberg
Communion
Hymn
321 “My
God, thy table now is spread,” Rockingham
Closing
Hymn
438 “Tell out, my soul,” Woodlands
Parish
Notices
§ Blessing of the Backpacks! On Sunday, August 28th,
we will be blessing all the backpacks and school children as well as all the
teachers, at both 8:00 and 10:15 services and at All Saints Chapel, Elkhart
Lake. We will invite everyone, young and old, who are starting school to come
forward with their backpacks for a blessing. We will also ask all the teachers
to come forward to be blessed in their important work as well.
§ Bishop’s Visitation at Elkhart Lake: The Rt. Rev. Matthew A. Gunter
and his wife Leslie will be at Elkhart Lake for their visitation to All Saints
Chapel on Sunday, August 28th. There will be a time of fellowship and
conversation with Bishop Matt and Leslie in St. Hubertus Hall following the
service. The undesignated offering will go to the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund
which provides for the pastoral emergencies and other unplanned pastoral
expenses. Please be generous as you are able.
§ ESTHER: IT’S TOUGH BEING A WOMAN: Grace Church Women’s Bible Study
will begin on Monday August 29that 10:00am. Join us for a faith journey through the Book
of Esther. Beth Moore will take us
through a very personal examination of this Old Testament story of Esther as
she peels back the layers of history and shows us how very contemporary and
applicable the story is to our lives today. If you’ve ever felt inadequate,
fearful or find yourself in situations that seem overpowering, this is the
study for you. Just as it was tough being a woman in Esther’s time, it is tough
being a woman today. During this nine-week study we will watch a lecture on
DVD’s, use a workbook ($15.99), and talk about Beth’s teachings. The Book of
Esther contains treasures to aid us in our sometimes hurried, harried and
pressured lives. For those of you who are interested, there is a sign-up sheet
in the Narthex.
§ Choir: Rehearsals resume September 7th at 6:00 p.m. Everybody is welcome, new and old
members. We especially need tenors and
basses.
§ Mass in the Grass: Please join us Sunday, September 11, 2016 for an
outdoor Mass and All Church Picnic together with the parish of St. Peter,
Sheboygan Falls and the parish of St. Paul, Plymouth. This event will take
place at Deland Community Center, 901 Broughton Dr., Sheboygan, beginning with
Mass at 10:00 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 are asking for donations of
cookies/bars, potato chips, and monetary donations to defray the costs which
will be shared amongst all three parishes. We are also asking for volunteers
for set-up and clean-up and two individuals to help in roasting the pigs the
day before. Please sign up on the sheet on the Narthex table.
§ Sunday School Begins: We are getting excited about Sunday School! The
teachers are making plans for another wonderful year of learning about the love
of Jesus Christ! Sunday School will begin on September 18th at
9:00am. Registration forms are available in the Narthex or at Mass in the
Grass on September 11th.
§ 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!!!
Lots of meaning packed into those last six lines. Thanks, Father Karl
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