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Thursday, January 31, 2019

Baptism of a Feast


Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes
31 January 2019

Tomorrow is the feast day of St. Brigid of Ireland (or Kildare, often also known as St. Bride).  The early biographies of Brigid place her birth in 451 and death in 523.  In the last half century it has been common for many historians to dismiss Brigid as legendary, but this ignores that these early biographies refer to at least eleven other persons whose historical reality is attested to by multiple sources.  The principal problem doubters of Brigid’s reality seem to have is that her name derives from that of a legendary Celtic goddess associated with Kildare.
The association of a Christian saint with a preëxisting legend or figure would be problematical if, and only if, the saint’s life and miracles pointed to any reality in a spiritual presence in opposition to the faith.  But the fact that a particular pagan observance has been “baptized” into the Christian faith (for example, that a feast has been taken over and rededicated to the worship of God) should neither surprise us or trouble us, because faith in Jesus supersedes any prior groping for meaning that our human yearnings may lead us into.  Some elements of truth (very often remote) can be found in all religious systems, but this does not mean that truth is in any way relative.  Some elements of truth may be found because in looking outside of ourselves we exercise God-given faculties to observe that there is some order—some rhyme or reason—to creation, and these hints point to the existence of a Creator.
In theology the existence of hints at the truth is classified as general revelation or Reason (sometimes referred to as Natural Law), as opposed to special revelation (found most particularly in Scripture—in the record of how God has chosen to reveal Himself and His will).  Because we are created in God’s image and likeness we have the capacity to observe and classify, but absent the special revelation of Scripture we won’t get very far. 
God has given us brains.  The reality is that when the Word became flesh a new age was inaugurated, and pinning things down to  specifics demonstrates nothing so much as a desire to remain in charge, to “figure things out”.  But this desire ignores the reality that God can and does use all times and places to be among us, and that the “baptism” of a date (or even of a legend)—when received in faith—hallows that day as a day we may turn in special devotion to God.
If the evangelists, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, considered information to be material we would have been supplied this.  Consider, for example, that at Mk. 1.29—31 we encounter a story that refers to Peter’s mother in law, and yet nowhere in any gospel account is Peter’s wife ever named.  The details of the personal lives of the disciples are spare, at best, and only shared to the extent needed to advance the narrative.  The same goes for when St. Brigid of Ireland lived.  What matters is not how we can document a particular event but how we receive the testimony of believers who have gone before.
We are given the powers of observation and reason, to be sure, but the real gift we receive is that of faith:  to encounter and respond to the many ways in which God chooses to reveal Himself and His will.  May we in all things pay the closest attention to this revelation!

Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Bill and Deb Gagin, and Paul and Andrea Aparicio for the Sunday coffee hours.

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.

Emergency Coast Guard appeal:  Update:  An additional $300 was received since last week.  A thank you letter from the Coast Guard commander has been posted to the parish email list serve.

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 Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany (Baptism of Our Lord)
                              Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey, Music Director

Prelude                            Psalm-Prelude (Psalm 139 v.11)              Herbert Howells
Entrance Hymn 598         “Lord Christ when first thou cams’t”         Mit Freuden zart 
Offertory Hymn 444        Blessed be the God of Israel ”                        Thornberry
Communion Motet          O Everlasting light                                      John E. West
Communion Hymn 302    “Father, we thank thee who hast planted”   Rendez à Dieu                           
Closing Hymn 438           Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord  Birmingham                      
Postlude                                Trumpet Voluntary in D                       William Boyce

Parish Notices:
§  Adult Formation: The Language of Faith: Class continues at 9:00 a.m. in St. Nicholas Hall, exploring the language of faith. What words do we use to describe faith? How do the words we use shape our own understanding? How do words we use present barriers to those who have no experience of faith, or whose experience is different? All are welcome.
§  Boy Scouts Sunday: Today, Grace Church welcomes Troop 801, Pack 3801 and their families.
§  Signing of the Tripartite Covenant: Today, we also welcome the members of St. Dominic and St. Peter Lutheran Church in attendance for the annual signing of our Tripartite Covenant.
§  The Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple: On February 6 a Solemn Mass will be celebrated at 6:00 p.m. This holy day is also known as Candlemas; all the candles used for the year are blessed. You are welcome to bring in your own candles to be blessed during this service.
§  Candlemas Lasagna Supper: After the Solemn Mass on February 6, there will be a shared supper in St. Nicholas Hall. Lasagna will be served; please bring a dish to pass and share in fellowship. A sign-up sheet is on the Narthex table.
§  Lenten Meditations:  Our book of meditations, written by parishioners, has become a treasured tradition to enter into the Lenten season.
To participate:
Choose from the scripture readings on the Narthex table; you are welcome to choose more than one.
Read and reflect on the scripture for the scripture(s) chosen.
Write a meditation based on what resonated with you, or you feel called to share based upon the readings.
The meditation can be 10 words or 300 words (maximum, please); there are no rules and no right or wrong ways.
Submit your meditation to office@gracesheboygan.com by February 20 to allow production time. These meditations will be published in print and online before Lent begins. In addition, meditations can be read aloud on Grace Abounds, as part of our podcast series.
§  Diocesan Clergy Retreat, February 25-28:  There will be no Masses or Bible Study on these days.
§  Shrove Tuesday Feast before the Fast: March 5 is Shrove Tuesday. We will be having a Parish Potluck Supper following the 5:30pm Mass. More information will be shared in the upcoming weeks.
§  Ash Wednesday: March 6 is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent and a day of fasting and penitence. We will observe this day with Mass and Imposition of Ashes at 12:10 p.m. and Solemn Mass with Imposition of Ashes at 6:00 p.m. This is a holy day and a wonderful way to begin your Lenten observance.
§  Lenten Formation:  Beginning on Friday, March 15, our Lenten formation will consist of a 5-part program involving:
Stations of the Cross in the church from 5:30 to 6 p.m.
Simple Supper:  6—6:30 p.m.  Please sign up to host a simple supper (e.g., soup and salad), or to share a dish.
The Public Face of Faith:  6:45—8 p.m.  Fr. Karl will lead a series of discussions about faith which is lively because it is not private. In a militantly secular culture, problems like the dangers of growing up in a family which is not intact, or the psychological damage attendant on the “hookup” culture, or the damages to psychological health caused by the consumption of pornography are finally showing up in the popular media as problems to be named and addressed. But the media have, in general, treated the existence of these problems as “news”, as if we should be surprised.  We’ll discuss real examples of how:
What the Church has always taught now must be “rediscovered”, because a culture hostile to faith has never engaged in wisdom which has been handed down; and
“Rediscovery” is necessary because people of faith have not shared it.  Too many people of faith have bought into the model of faith being only private.
How we share our faith, how we speak to contemporary issues by addressing the cultural amnesia around us will be discussed using examples and interactive small group exercises. Join us!
§  Flower Schedule for 2019: 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.
§  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.



Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Christian Unity Redux


Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes
24 January 2019

Last week I wrote about Christian unity and about what separates us.  This week let’s focus upon what unites us.  As we heard in the epistle last Sunday, “[N]o one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12.3).  We must, of course, read this teaching together with Jesus’ word, “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mtt. 7.21).  But we must also read both of these teachings together with our Lord’s teaching that it is His word that will judge the unbeliever on the last day (Jn. 12.48).  In other words, lacking the perfect knowledge of Jesus what we can judge about others is restricted to things like:  Is a person’s behavior consistent with God’s revelation?, and Is the professed belief of a person consistent with the teaching of the apostles?  What we cannot judge is whether any person may be saved.  We must trust in God’s mercy and pray all the more for those with whom we disagree.
I well recall a clergy colleague in another diocese.  We agreed about almost nothing, and spent many hours in dispute over after-hours libations at clergy conferences.  We were very different people.  He was about three decades  my junior.  His churchmanship was much more at the “can’t we just get along and sing” end of the spectrum, and his life experience involved a career as a rock musician.  But—and this is crucial—I came to know him (and he to know me) as a person who not only proclaimed “Jesus is Lord” but sought in his own way to follow Jesus.
What unites us is a common confession that Jesus is Lord.  What unites us is the common profession and practice of seeking to follow Jesus, which no one of us does perfectly.  There are and will be many times when differences in dogma, doctrine and, discipline will be apparent.  Differences in dogma are material.  Differences in doctrine can be very illuminating.  Differences in discipline may be classified, in general, as adiaphora—which wonderful Greek term may be translated as “those things not necessary to salvation”.
What is necessary to salvation is to turn to God.  The effectiveness of our turning and following—as individuals and as churches—will always be imperfect.  The gap between our holiness and the holiness to which we are called cannot be bridge by us.  But this gap can be bridged, and is, by and through Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead in His infinite mercy.  In this world, let us focus especially on following together.

Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  All who worked to prepare and serve the brunch offered at the parish annual meeting:  Mary Snyder (overall coördination and setup, plus cooking); Jessica Ambelang, Nicci Beeck and Polly Schmeiser (food); Elizabeth Schaffenburg, Polly Schmeiser and Elizabeth Schaffenburg (setup); and cleanup by Beth and Rachel Boland, and Joann and Zack Sorensen.
§  Barb MacEwen for organizing the emergency fundraiser for the local Coast Guard.
§  Ellen Aparicio for help in the office.
§  Nicci Beeck for all of the extra work she performed to make the parish annual meeting a success.

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.

Emergency Coast Guard appeal:  Many thanks to the generosity of our parishioners we were able to present the Sheboygan based US Coast Guard with $1000 in grocery gift cards on Monday, January 21st. Thank you Grace Church for reaching out to our military personnel in their time of great need.  It is greatly appreciated.
On Wednesday, January 23rd we learned that all the cards have been distributed to the 31 guardsmen/women, 75% of whom have families (one family has five children).  Our local Semper Paratus servants are extremely appreciative of this outpouring of generosity and concern.  Thank you for supporting our military in their time of great need.

 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 (Baptism of Our Lord)
                              Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey, Music Director

Prelude                           Chorale Partita on All glory be to God on high    
                                                                                     Johann Gottfried Walther
Entrance Hymn 616         “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”              
                                                                            Es flog ein kleins Waldvögelein 
Offertory Hymn 544        Jesus shall reign where’er the sun ”              Duke Street
Communion Motet          Eternal light, shine in my heart                 Samuel Scheidt
Communion Hymn 632    “O Christ the Word Incarnate”                              Munich
Closing Hymn 539           O Zion haste, thy mission high fulfilling              Tidings              
Postlude                          Carillon                                                   Herbert Murrill

Parish Notices:
§  Adult Formation: The Language of Faith: Class continues at 9:00 a.m. in St. Nicholas Hall, exploring the language of faith. What words do we use to describe faith? How do the words we use shape our own understanding? How do words we use present barriers to those who have no experience of faith, or whose experience is different? All are welcome.
§  Boy Scout Sunday: The Boy Scouts of America designates the Sunday that falls before February 8 (Scouting Anniversary Day) as Scout Sunday, to recognize the contributions of young people and adults to Scouting. Therefore, Grace Church will welcome Troop 801, Pack 3801 and their families on Sunday, February 3. Please greet our Boy Scouts and let them know how much we appreciate their service. If you are willing to bring extra coffee hour treats, please contact the office; there will be a larger than usual crowd.
§  Signing of the Tripartite Covenant: We need four lay members of the parish to attend mass on Sunday, February 3 at St. Dominic and St. Peter Lutheran Church (two members at each church) as representatives of Grace Church to sign the Tripartite Covenant. Mass at both churches begins at 10:30 a.m. Please call the parish office if you are willing to participate in this Ministry.
§  Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple: Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this Solemn Mass on February 6 at 6:00 p.m. This holy day is also known as Candlemas in which all the candles used for the year are blessed. You are welcome to bring in your own candles to be blessed during this service.
§  Candlemas Lasagna Supper: On Wednesday, February 6 after the Solemn Mass, there will be a shared supper in St. Nicholas Hall. Lasagna will be served; please bring a dish to pass and share in fellowship. A sign-up sheet is on the Narthex table.
§  Bible Challenge: Grace Abounds launched The Bible Challenge on Monday, January 4, 2016. 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 will be provided on the parish website, along with weekly study summaries and a weekly video summery 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.
§  Coffee Hour Schedule: There is a new sign-up sheet for hosting coffee hour in 2016. 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.
§  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.
§  Flower Schedule for 2016: 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.
§  The 19th Annual Love Bowls event: benefiting Fresh Meals On Wheels of Sheboygan County will be held at Sheboygan South High School on February 17 from 10 am to 3 pm. Featuring nearly 70 different soups, breads and cookies, as well as musical entertainment and a silent auction. Tickets can be purchased at the door the day of the event for $25 per person. Please call (920) 451-7011 for more information or visit www.freshmealsonwheel.org/love-bowls



Thursday, January 17, 2019

Prayers for Christian Unity


Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes
17 January 2019

Tomorrow begins the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”, bracketed by the feast of the Confession of Peter (18 January) and the Conversion of Paul (25 January).  In prayer our focus is directed more toward God’s will that there be “one flock, one shepherd” (Jn. 10.16).  This is reflected in the reality that what unites as Christians is far, far more than what separates us.  What separates us relates principally to the “three D’s” (Dogma, Doctrine, and Discipline), whether or not we use this exact terminology. 
Dogma refers to what we consider to be essential to the faith, to salvation—something that is beyond argument and opinion.  For example, statements contained in the Creed are dogmatic statements, and whether or not a church uses the Creed the denomination may well believe and affirm what is stated in the Creed.
Doctrine involves statements of faith that are, in effect, explanatory.  Doctrine is about how things work.  For example, we can agree that Jesus has made atonement for our sins and then argue about how this works in the “economy of salvation”.  (E.g., does Jesus bear the penalty for our sins?)  A famous example involves the “righteousness of God” which is “revealed “through faith for faith” (Rom. 1.17)can be interpreted in ways that have been seen as core to the identity of being a Lutheran, a Roman Catholic, or a Reformed Christian.  Church identities have evolved around arguments as to what “righteousness of God” means, without reference to the reality that Paul may well be referring to “all of the above” in the list of disputed meanings. 
Our arguments about doctrine are more common than our arguments about dogma.  Doctrine is more associated with denominational identity.  But what we notice the most is differences surround the third “D”, discipline.  Discipline is about how we do things.  For example, can musical instruments be used in worship.  Can women be ordained?  To be fair, discipline reflects doctrine, but in looking upon brother and sister Christians of other denominations, are we in any position to determine who shall be saved on the basis of how they order their worship services?
What saves us is Jesus Christ and our identity in Him.  In this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity lets us especially recognize that our fellow Christians all seek to known and love and serve God, and to follow Jesus as empowered by the Holy Spirit.  When we can focus on this identity, what separates us becomes quite secondary.

Wrap up for the December collection for St Nicholas Parish, Paradise, CA.  

Right before Christmas we were able to send gifts to two families of St Nicholas parish.  One family is that of their priest, Pastor Ann Sullivan, whose house and belongings were lost in the fire.  We were able to send $500 of Bed Bath & Beyond gift certificates to help restock their kitchen and  replace their bedding.  We included  three $40 Kohl’s gift cards for their children.   We also sent $400 for an  older engaged couple who also lost where they were living.  They were quite poor even before the fire, living in rooms behind where one of them had worked.  They have been helped (by someone else) to rent an apartment, and also gained a roommate.  One of them had some belongings in storage, but they still needed help to make their space livable.   I believe the ornaments we sent are being shared.    Please see the thank you notes on the bulletin board in the narthex. 

Thank you all for your generous gifts (and to Mary Clabots for organizing the campaign).

An additional appeal for emergency help

Yesterday  it was brought to my attention that the Coast Guard is currently working without pay.  As you may know the US Coast Guard is under the umbrella of Homeland Security and during this government shutdown these honorable military personnel continue to work without a paycheck. These are indeed very unusual times and there is a great financial need for many. Perhaps many of us can recall (or still do)what is like to live from paycheck to paycheck and hope we have enough money to buy milk for our kids. While we can’t do a lot we can do something to help those who defend our coastlines.  There are 28 military personnel stationed in Sheboygan. 
Grace Church has been a generous giver to those in need as exemplified by the recent outpouring of gifts to the fire victims in California.  Could we also not help our neighbors  locally who continue to do their jobs without pay? 
I have contacted the Sheboygan US Coast Guard and have asked what their great need might be.  Food was the reply.
A donation bucket will be passed around at the annual meeting and whatever money you can give would be most appreciated.  If you use a check please make it payable to Grace Church and put Coast Guard families in memo area.  On Monday I will take our collection and buy grocery gift cards  for these deserving military personnel. An urgent response is needed.
Please give this your prayerful consideration.  Thank you in advance for your generosity.
In His Name,  Barb MacEwen
 
Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Bob and Anne Hanlon, and Steve and Polly Schmeiser for the Sunday coffee hours.

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 Second Sunday after the Epiphany (Baptism of Our Lord)
                              Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey, Music Director

Prelude                           Duo and Adagio on All glory be to God on High   J.S. Bach        Entrance Hymn 135         “Songs of thankfulness and praise”                     Salzburg  
Offertory Hymn 339        Deck thyself my soul with gladness”        Schmücke dich 
Communion Hymn 488    “Be thou my vision”                                               Slane
Closing Hymn 542           Christ is the world’s true Light                          St. Joan
Postlude                          In thee is gladness                                           J.S. Bach

Parish Notices:
§  Annual Meeting Reports: If you are in leadership of any Ministry, please write a short report to be included in the Annual Report and send to nbeeck @gracesheboygan.com by Friday, January 18. 
§  The Annual Meeting: This Sunday, January 20, there will be one Mass at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Annual Meeting and Brunch at 10:15 a.m. in St. Nicholas Hall. The agenda of the meeting will include committee reports, new Vestry Elections, 2018 financial review and 2019 budget, review of Vestry actions and an overall review of the 2018 calendar. You are encouraged to make every effort to attend, as your participation is valued.
§  Call for Vestry Nominations: Vestry members are called to committed leadership for a three-year term, and are expected to attend twelve meetings throughout the year (once per month); as well as participate in parish activities, as able. Names of nominees must be provided to the parish office by January 20. You may nominate another person or yourself; call 452-9659 or email office@gracesheboygan.com.
Vestry elections will be held this Sunday, January 20 at the Annual Meeting.
To run for Vestry, you must be a qualified elector of the parish, which means:
Nominee is regular in your attendance on worship.
Nominee has received Holy Eucharist at least once in the prior year
Nominee is active in their support of the parish through a pledge or some other form of giving
Nominee is at least sixteen years of age.
Nominee must provide a brief biographical sketch which allows fellow parishioners to better understand nominee’s relationship with God and His Church.
§  Call for Diocesan Convention Delegates and Alternates: We are in need of 5 delegates and 3 alternates to attend and vote at Diocesan Convention. If you are willing to serve, please call or email the parish office. Delegates and alternates are determined by volunteer order. In the event that we have more than nine responses, we will vote on January 20 at the Annual Meeting. The 2019 Convention of the Diocese of Fond du Lac will take place on Friday, October 25 from 9am - 4pm at the Red Lion Hotel Paper Valley in Appleton, Wisconsin. The Convention will end with the Convention Eucharist at All Saints Episcopal Church beginning at 3:00pm.
More information can be found at: https://www.diofdl.org/convention.html
§  John’s Gospel: Insights in the Original, Thursday evenings (7—8:30 p.m.)  To participate in this course will not require any prior study of Greek.
Participants will explore:
The Gospel of John using an interlinear bible, in which both the English text and the original Greek appear.
§  how to better understand what is happening in the gospel, and the message of the gospel, by gaining insight into how the original language is different enough (e.g., in how verbs work, in how what a “case” system for nouns reveals about what is being described) to allow us to see an otherwise familiar message in new lights. 
For more information, contact the parish office.
§  Parish Directory: A draft can be found on the Narthex table. If your information is current, please initial; if incorrect, please update directly on the draft.
§  Boy Scout Sunday: The Boy Scouts of America designates the Sunday that falls before February 8 (Scouting Anniversary Day) as Scout Sunday, to recognize the contributions of young people and adults to Scouting. Therefore, Grace Church will welcome Troop 801 and their families to the 10:15 service on February 4.  Please greet our Boy Scouts and let them know how much we appreciate their service. If you are willing to bring extra coffee hour treats, please contact the office; there will be a larger than usual crowd.
§  Ushers Needed: Ushers are often the first people seen by newcomers, visitors, and even regular parishioners when coming to Grace Church. People enjoy being greeted by a smile.  Contact the office at office@gracesheboygan.com to become part of this ministry today.
§  Flower Schedule for 2019: 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.
§  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.



Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Plene Esse


Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes
10 January 2019

Today is the feast of Bl. William Laud (d. 1645), a controversial figure whose theological stand during the Reformation in England served, in part, to preserve a catholic stream within Anglicanism.  This history of Grace Episcopal Church springs, in part as well, from the stream kept alive by Laud, who served as Archbishop of Canterbury under Charles I, from 1633 until Laud was executed in 1645.  (Charles I consented to Laud’s execution, in part as a delaying tactic to try to preserve his own position.  Charles was executed in 1649.)  Laud was at best a difficult man.  His personal flaws were, no doubt, exacerbated by the trying circumstances of his rule, but these flaws included a level of anger that allowed him to order that an opponent’s ears be cut off because the opponent would not “listen”!  (Just imagine how many earless people would be walking around today if this punishment could be inflicted by any leader.)
Laud is remembered for his defense of a “high” churchmanship.  His feast allows us to remember the distinction between what it means to High or Low as a church.  Being High is not about having bells and incense and chant, or about having a richness in visual imagery.  The highness of a church is reflected in the liturgy, but this is because what is “high” is the view of the Church.  In other words, the continuum of High to Low stretches along the spectrum of opinion about how important the Church is to salvation.  A low view is one in which the Church is seen as helpful, but with the primary driver being the individual’s personal response to God’s call. The Church is seen as a voluntary association.  In a Low Church environment, therefore, the liturgy may focus more on how personal response is cultivated  through a focus on the learning of scripture, personal prayer practices, and music intended to “warm the heart”.  A High Church view is one in which the Church is deemed essential to individual salvation; the Church is deemed to be God’s chosen vehicle/vessel to mediate His sacraments, with sacramental participation being necessary to salvation.  Liturgy in a High Church environment tends to focus, therefore, on things like the “beauty of holiness” as a means to focus the worshipper on the reality of the Church as herself a holy mystery.
In a High Church view things like the historic episcopate and apostolic succession are deemed to be plene esse (that is, necessary for salvation, as affecting the validity of sacraments).  In a Low Church view these are matters deemed bene esse (that is, supporting the well-being of the Church but not in themselves necessary).  Our prayer book includes, as an historical document, “The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral” of 1886 (found on pp. 876—7), which defines the historic episcopate to be an “inherent part[] of this sacred deposit” (the Church).  This is the view from which Grace Episcopal Church has found her roots, but you can be as “snake belly low” (mild pejorative used by some Anglo-Catholics) as you may wish or be called and still both follow Our Lord and follow Him together here!
 
Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Wayne and Pat Sather, and Bobbie May for the Sunday coffee hours.
§  Mary Gallimore, Nancy Imig, and Jasmine and Sandie Palmer for pastoral care.
§  Bobbie May for church decoration.

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 (Baptism of Our Lord)
                              Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey, Music Director
                                     
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  
Offertory Hymn 497        How bright appears the morning star” Wie schön leuchtet          
Communion Motet           The sinless one to Jordan came                      Andro Hart
Communion Hymn 121    “Christ when for us you were baptized”             Caithness
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:
§  The Language of Faith: Adult Formation begins: Today at 9:00 a.m. in St. Nicholas Hall, we begin a six-part series in which we will explore the language of faith. What words do we use to describe faith? How do the words we use shape our own understanding? How do words we use present barriers to those who have no experience of faith, or whose experience is different?
§  Annual Meeting Reports: If you are in leadership of any Ministry, please write a short report to be included in the Annual Report and send to
nbeeck @gracesheboygan.com by Friday, January 18. 
§  The Annual Meeting: Next Sunday January 20, there will be one Mass at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Annual Meeting and Brunch at 10:15 a.m. in St. Nicholas Hall. The agenda of the meeting will include committee reports, new Vestry Elections, 2018 financial review and 2019 budget, review of Vestry actions and an overall review of the 2018 calendar. You are encouraged to make every effort to attend, as your participation is valued.
§  Call for Vestry Nominations: Vestry members are called to committed leadership for a three-year term, and are expected to attend twelve meetings throughout the year (once per month); as well as participate in parish activities, as able. Names of nominees must be provided to the parish office by January 20. You may nominate another person or yourself; call 452-9659 or email office@gracesheboygan.com.
Vestry elections will be held on Sunday, January 20 at the Annual Meeting.
To run for Vestry, you must be a qualified elector of the parish, which means:
Nominee is regular in your attendance on worship.
Nominee has received Holy Eucharist at least once in the prior year
Nominee is active in their support of the parish through a pledge or some other form of giving
Nominee is at least sixteen years of age.
Nominee must provide a brief biographical sketch which allows fellow parishioners to better understand nominee’s relationship with God and His Church.
§  Call for Diocesan Convention Delegates and Alternates: We are in need of 5 delegates and 4 alternates to attend and vote at Diocesan Convention. If you are willing to serve, please call or email the parish office. Delegates and alternates are determined by volunteer order. In the event that we have more than nine responses, we will vote on January 20 at the Annual Meeting. The 2019 Convention of the Diocese of Fond du Lac will take place on Friday, October 25 from 9am - 4pm at the Red Lion Hotel Paper Valley in Appleton, Wisconsin. The Convention will end with the Convention Eucharist at All Saints Episcopal Church beginning at 3:00pm.
More information can be found at: https://www.diofdl.org/convention.html
§  John’s Gospel: Insights in the Original, Thursday evenings (7—8:30 p.m.)  To participate in this course will not require any prior study of Greek.
Participants will explore:
The Gospel of John using an interlinear bible, in which both the English text and the original Greek appear.
§  how to better understand what is happening in the gospel, and the message of the gospel, by gaining insight into how the original language is different enough (e.g., in how verbs work, in how what a “case” system for nouns reveals about what is being described) to allow us to see an otherwise familiar message in new lights. 
For more information, contact the parish office.
§  Parish Directory: A draft can be found on the Narthex table. If your information is current, please initial; if incorrect, please update directly on the draft.
§  Boy Scout Sunday: The Boy Scouts of America designates the Sunday that falls before February 8 (Scouting Anniversary Day) as Scout Sunday, to recognize the contributions of young people and adults to Scouting. Therefore, Grace Church will welcome Troop 801 and their families to the 10:15 service on February 4.  Please greet our Boy Scouts and let them know how much we appreciate their service. If you are willing to bring extra coffee hour treats, please contact the office; there will be a larger than usual crowd.
§  Ushers Needed: Ushers are often the first people seen by newcomers, visitors, and even regular parishioners when coming to Grace Church. People enjoy being greeted by a smile.  Contact the office at office@gracesheboygan.com to become part of this ministry today.
§  Flower Schedule for 2019: 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.
§  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.