Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
4 January 2018
What does formation
in the faith look like? This question
occurs because in “the holiday season” it is common to meet people in church
who are otherwise infrequent in appearance.
The real question becomes, therefore, if the total experience a person
has of worship is at Christmas and Easter, how informed is her/his faith, and
how capable is this person of “to make a defense to any one who calls you to
account for the hope that is in [her/him]” (1 Pet. 3.15)? Can this person “defend” hope to
himself/herself, let alone to those others in a society in which scoffing at
belief has become common?
Formation involves
ongoing exposure, study, gathering.
Formation is not something done alone, even if important elements of
growth in faith (the study of scripture, personal prayer) can be. In thinking about formation, don’t fall into
the trap of a New Year’s resolution that can’t be kept. Resolving in a general sense to study or pray
more is fine, but you are far more likely to succeed if your resolution is very
specific. For example, you can resolve
to really read the Bible, and set aside time daily for this, knowing that if
you use The Bible Challenge and study materials found on the parish
website that you’ll have a specific program to follow. You can resolve to make a point to come to
Adult Formation at 9 a.m. on Sundays, or to bible study on Tuesdays (breakfast
at Fount Park Restaurant at 7 a.m.) or Thursdays (at the parish, following the
9 a.m. Mass).
If you resolve to
study alone, then keep a note pad handy to write down the questions that occur
to you. You can bring these questions to
the parish, and questions which recur may form the basis for a future Adult
Formation class. We are formed, in
part, by the questions we ask, but we are formed particularly in how we allow
God to form us, by making ourselves available to Him. When we set aside time for God, and pay
attention, God directs us. When we
gather, God directs us both in His word and in how He will give words to those
with whom we gather.
What dies formation
in the faith look like? It looks like
something that happens every day; every day that we make ourselves available to
God; every time we gather in worship.
Let 2018 be a year of growth for your faith.
Deacon
School begins 13 January: The diocesan Deacon School courses in Old
Testament (taught by Fr. Glen Kanestrom of St. Paul’s, Marinette) and Church
History (taught by Fr. Karl Schaffenburg of Grace, Sheboygan) will be offered
at Grace, Sheboygan, beginning on Saturday, 13 January. Classes meet 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the second
Saturday of each month, January—May and September—December. Auditors are welcome.
If you wish to
audit deacon school, contact Fr. Karl to receive details. Note:
Those in formation for the diaconate pay tuition. Auditors are requested to contribute to the
cost of the school, but if the offering of a donation would restrict your
attendance be assured that a donation is voluntary.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Jessica
Ambelang, and Steve and Katy Larson for the Sunday coffee hours.
Special “Thank You’ s” : A supply of Thank You note cards can be found
on the table at the back of church nave.
When someone in the parish does something special, take the time to
write them a personal note. Also, from
time to time, think about who you might want to thank for ongoing service, and
let them know you have noticed!
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
First Sunday after the Epiphany
Music
Director: R. Benjamin Dobey
Prelude Chorale
Fantasia on How brightly shines the
Morning Star
Dietrich Buxtehude
Entrance Hymn 124 “What star is this, with beams so
bright” Puer Nobis
Gloria S-202 Missa de
Sancta Maria Magdalena Healey Willan
Offertory Hymn 497 “How bright appears the Morning Star”
Wie schoen leuchtet
Communion Motet The Sinless One to Jordan Came Andro Hart
Communion Hymn 112 “In the bleak midwinter” Cranham
Closing Hymn 119 “As
with gladness men of old” Dix
Postlude Chorale
Prelude on ‘How brightly shines the
Morning Star’
J. S. Bach
Parish Notices:
§ Christian Formation: Classes begin again Sunday for adults at 9:00 a.m. in St.
Nicholas Hall and children in the Sunday School classrooms (lower level).
§ Book Study on Redemptive Compassion: The group study of
the book Redemptive Compassion: The
Defining Difference by Lois Tupyi, director of Love INC of Treasure Valley
in Idaho, begins this Sunday. The
book and class will help educate us on how we are biblically called to help
people in need. The eight-week class will meet on Sunday mornings at 9:00, beginning
tomorrow, consecutively, through March 4 with the exception of January 28. (There will be no class that day because of
the annual meeting.) If you find the following questions unsettling, Redemptive Compassion is for you:
o
Why do so many of the commonly used
methods seem so ineffective in reducing or alleviating ongoing need?
o
Why have good intentions to help
others produced such devastating results?
o
Is the crippling lifestyle in which
thousands of individuals find themselves trapped all that God desires for them?
The class will be
facilitated by Pat Sather. Cost of the book is $15. Please make payment to the
church office. Limited book scholarships are available. Books will be
distributed at the first meeting.
§ The
Annual Meeting:
This year’s Annual Meeting will take place on Sunday, January 28, 2018. We will
have one Mass at 9:00am followed by the Annual Meeting at 10:15am. If you have
been in leadership of any group or committee, please submit an annual report to
the office@gracesheboygan.com.
You are encouraged to make every effort to attend, as your participation is
valued.
§ 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 are 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.
§ Diocesan Deacons’ School: Begins Saturday,
January 13, 2018 at Grace, Sheboygan.
This presents an additional and in-depth education opportunity even if
you are not in formation to become a deacon.
Classes will meet every second Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
during the months of from January-May and September-December 2018. Two courses
will be offered for instruction and open to auditors in 2018: Old Testament and Church History. If you are interested, please request a copy
of the syllabus for either or both courses from the office.
§ Flower
Schedule for 2018:
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 2018. 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 Katy Larson. Thank you so
much.
§ HSHS St. Nicholas Hospice: Needs volunteers to
join their team! In as little as four hours per month, you can be a part
of a team that brings quality to the lives of patients at the end of their
life. Volunteers fill a variety of roles, such as being a companion,
assisting with tasks around the house, praying the rosary, and relieving
caregivers for a short time. The hours and assignments vary and can be
flexible to your schedule.
Please contact
Stephanie at SHSH St. Nicholas Hospice, 920-457-5770 for more details on how
you could be part of making a difference in the lives of others.”
§ Something Extra for Grace: Envelopes are
available in the pews if you are moved to give an extra gift, beyond your
pledge or regular plate donation, toward the life of the church. Gifts are tax
deductible if you write your name on the envelope
§ Grace Notes is here: http://gracechurchgracenotes.blogspot.com/.
You can sign up to receive the blog every Thursday
§ Like
Grace Church on Facebook:
@gracesheboygan
§ We
Are on Itunes! Check out the
new podcast!!!
§ Love INC Monthly Bulletin is now available
online at:
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