Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
19 January 2017
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living
God” (Mtt. 16.16). This is the
Confession of Peter, commemorated yesterday.
Peter’s confession of who Jesus is comes right after the disciples are
asked, “[W]ho do you say I am?” This is
a question that believers have answered by being believers. We confess that we believe in who Jesus is,
and we believe in what He teaches and reveals.
We trust in Him and seek to follow Him.
But in living out this confession we must be aware of how the question
Jesus asks the disciples is now phrased to us by those who do not know God. The topic of faith raises the question: Who do we say Jesus is to those who do not
know Him? Do we say anything at all, or
are we just “polite,” and leave the topic of faith outside of conversation?
Recall that Peter was by his own estimation
not only an ordinary but also a sinful man.
(“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord”—Lk. 5.8.) He was no more “equipped” to testify to Jesus
than any of us, except to the extent that God empowered him to do so. (Mtt. 16.18—“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to
you, but my Father who is in heaven.”)
God revealed Himself to Peter because of, and in, Peter’s following of
Jesus.
God reveals Himself to each one of us in how
we follow His Son, and God will use each one of us to reveal Himself and His
will to those who do not know Him, both in how we are seen to follow and (yes!)
in words. If ever you are hesitant to
say what you feel in your heart about faith, say it! Say it, because if
you feel it in your heart you feel it because God is prompting you. If your testimony is rejected or ridiculed,
know that before the world hates any disciples it has hated Jesus first (Jn.
15.18). Testify, and be in good company
with Peter. Testify, and be in good
company with Jesus!
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Bob and Anne Hanlon,
Tom Wright and Mary Snyder for the Sunday coffee hours.
§ Bernie Markevitch and
Bobbie May for redecorating the church.
§ Mary Clabots for
organizing a display of icons.
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
Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Organist: Ben Dobey
Prelude Cherubic Hymn Nicolai Tcherepnin
Entrance
Hymn 7 “Christ, whose glory fills the
skies” Ratisbon
Offertory
Hymn 490 “I want to walk as a child of
the light” Houston
Communion
Motet “Jesus, Sun of Life “ G.F. Handel
Communion
Hymn 661 “They cast their nets in Galilee” Georgetown
Closing
Hymn 598 “Lord Christ, when first thou cam’st to earth ”
Mit
Freuden zart
Postlude Prelude & Fugue
in F Minor J.K.F.
Fischer
Parish Notices
§ Adult
Education: Continuing
on Sunday, we will explore The State of the Church in 2017. We’ll use data
and trend lines related to what it means to be a Christian in America and the
world, to better define the broader context in which we live our faith. We will
focus on how the changes around us and in us can best be identified, that we
can best decide how to proactively serve in ministry.
§ Girl
Scout Cookies! On Sunday, after
both masses, Girl Scout Cookies can be preordered for $4.00/. Money will be due
when the cookies are delivered at church. Any Grace Church youth member who is
involved in Daisy/Girl Scouts should come in their troop uniform to help work
the booth and we will divide the orders up equally between the participants.
§ The
Annual Meeting: This year’s
Annual Meeting will take place next Sunday, January 29, 2016. We
will have one Mass at 9:00 a.m. followed by the Annual Meeting at 10:15
a.m. At the conclusion of the meeting we plan to have brunch in St. Nicholas
Hall. The agenda of the meeting will include committee reports, new Vestry
elections, 2016 financial review and 2017 budget, review Vestry actions, and an
overall review of the 2017 calendar. Please make every effort to attend and
participate.
§ Annual
Meeting Brunch: For those of
you planning to stay for brunch following the Annual Meeting, please sign your
name on the sheet provided in the Narthex so we may have an estimate of food to
provide.
§ LAST
CALL - We need your approval/updates for the Parish Directory: A draft of the parish directory can be found on the
Narthex table. Please initial your information if it is current, otherwise make
changes as necessary.
§ Call
for Diocesan Convention Delegates and Alternates: Diocesan Convention is scheduled for October 21st
from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. commencing with mass at Holy Apostles, Oneida at
9:00 a.m. followed by the convention meetings at the Radisson Hotel in
Ashwaubenon. We are in need of four delegates and four alternates to attend and
vote at Diocesan Convention. This will include a pre-convention information
meeting, there are several scheduled. If you are willing to serve, please call
the office. Delegates and alternates are determined by volunteer order. In the
event that we have more than eight responses, we will vote on January 29th at
the Annual Meeting.
§ Love
Buckets: Next week is the last Sunday to donate items. As other churches have donated to our own GAP
Ministry – Martha & Mary Cooking Guild – St. Luke’s is asking for
donations to their Love Buckets Ministry. A list of supplies needed is
posted on the notice board, and a large grey bin for donations can be found in
the Narthex. This is a GAP Ministry of Love INC organized by our neighbors, St.
Luke’s Methodist Church.
§ Bible
Challenge: Videos for all 52
weeks of the year are now available on Grace Abounds. If you take this
challenge, you will find that in one year you will read all of the Bible! This
will require less than an hour of your time, six days a week. A schedule of
readings is provided on the parish website, along with weekly study summaries
and a weekly video summary of the readings. If you need a good study bible for
the challenge, contact the parish office. When we immerse ourselves in
Scripture, the mantle of the Lord does fall upon us. We are equipped to discern
God’s will and to lead others to know and love and serve the Lord.
§ Flower
Schedule for 2017: Giving the
gift of flowers is a wonderful way to remember a loved one or to offer
thanksgiving for your blessings. If you wish to sign up for a specific Sunday,
the Flower Schedule is available on the table in the narthex. More than one
person can sign up for each Sunday.
§ Coffee
Hour Schedule: There is a
new sign-up sheet for hosting coffee hour in 2017. If you would like to host,
please sign up for either 8:00 a.m. or 10:15 a.m. If you have any questions,
please see Mary Massey. Thank you so much.
§ 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!!!
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