Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
18 August 2016
When we make our lives fully available to God
He will use us to bring His blessing to others.
Perhaps we should consider how the words of Psalm 34.1, “I will bless
the Lord at all times …”, can be
lived out in ways in which our own praise of and thanksgiving to God become a
form of His blessing offered to all who He chooses to put into our lives.
When we think of life we can all think of
people of whom we might politely say “Happier elsewhere” (i.e., as not a part of my
life). But the reality is that once we
recognize that God is in charge, anybody being a part of our lives means that
their presence is one in which God has appointed us to some ministry. Ministries must have, of course, healthy
boundaries, but once we start to look upon others as those to whom we have been
appointed to minister, they start to look different in our own eyes, because
our own eyes start to see them a little bit more in the way that God does.
Which brings us to the question whose
ministry is involved. Perhaps the
question of tone of voice is instructive.
Imagine, for example, if we could know the tone of Jesus’ voice when He
says at John 14.9, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me,
Philip?” One can certainly sense frustration
in Jesus, and in sensing frustration better understand all of the ways that God
interacts with us and shows us His will.
But, for those who do not know God, His “tone of voice” that will allow
them to better sense His presence will be experienced through the voices of His
followers. We become those who, trusting in God’s plan, become the words of
blessing to those who do not know God, that they too may know Him and “bless
the Lord at all times”.
Just as we might imagine a tone of
frustration in Jesus’ voice, we find much frustration in any ministry we engage
in. But when 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.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Bobbie May for the
Sunday coffee hour, and for her ongoing work organizing the parish library.
§ Randie Barrows for
work to ameliorate a gathering of bats!
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.
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
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 16C)
Organist: Wayne Wildman
Cantor: Sandie Palmer
Entrance
Hymn 368
“Holy Father, great Creator” Regent Square
Offertory
Hymn 493 “O
for a thousand tongues to sing” Azmon
Communion
Hymn 339 “Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness” Schmücke dich
Closing
Hymn 524 “I
love they kingdom, Lord” St. Thomas (Williams)
Parish
Notices
§ Fr. Karl Schaffenburg will be traveling: August 18th – 23rd. Fr. Marcus Cunningham will be presiding at Mass
on Sunday, August 21, 2016
§ My First Year In Seminary: Bobbi Kraft will be here this
Sunday, August 21, 2016 to give the aforementioned presentation at 9:00 a.m.
§ Blessing of the Backpacks! We will be blessing all the
backpacks and school children as well as all the teachers, on August 28th
at both 8:00 and 10:15 services. 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.
§ Eucharistic Festival: August 27, 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Cathedral
Church of St. Paul in Fond du Lac, WI. A traditional celebration of the
Sacrament, with an outdoor procession & adoration. Homilist is the Rev.
Matthew Olver, Teaching Fellow in Liturgics, Nashotah House Theological
Seminary. Picnic meal follows. All are welcome to this diocesan family
celebration. Sign up online to help or sing in the choir. For more details, see
the insert in Sunday’s mass booklet, the notice board in the Narthex or visit
diofdl.org/ef.
Commemoration of Blessed Charles Chapman Grafton: Included in the Eucharistic Festival is The Grafton Lecture, 1:00–2:00 p.m in St. Augustine’s Chapel. Matthew P. Payne presents “A Brief History of An Episcopal Orthodox Affair: a Russian and a Bostonian” with response from festival homilist, Fr. Matthew Olver.
Commemoration of Blessed Charles Chapman Grafton: Included in the Eucharistic Festival is The Grafton Lecture, 1:00–2:00 p.m in St. Augustine’s Chapel. Matthew P. Payne presents “A Brief History of An Episcopal Orthodox Affair: a Russian and a Bostonian” with response from festival homilist, Fr. Matthew Olver.
§ 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.
§ 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 will be asking for donations
of cookies/bars, potato chips, and monetary donations to defray the costs which
will be shared amongst all three parishes. We will also be 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. Please watch for more information.
§ 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
No comments:
Post a Comment