Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
17 November 2016
In the 1975 movie Monty Python and the
Holy Grail, Arthur, King of the Britons, can’t get any respect. When a peasant asks him why she should do
something he has commanded, and he tells her that he is the king, she turns to
another peasant and says, “Didn’t know we ‘ad a king,” to which statement is
received the reply “’E’s the one who doesn’t have [dirt] all over ‘im like the
rest of us.” (Actually, if you know the
movie you know that I cleaned that up a bit.)
The concept of kingship, of rule, is one that
can seem very foreign to us as 21st century Americans. Why?
Because we like to think that we are in charge. But, every part of Scripture makes clear that
we are not in charge; that God is. One
way to appreciate this better is to understand how the title “Christ” is
used. I know some people who think that
Christ is Jesus’ last name! We certainly
tend to use the title that way. The
title is just the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah, God’s anointed One, méshēach. And in Hebrew, to refer to Messiah is to
refer to power and rule. When we
understand this we can better grasp that in English we get a little closer to
reality by rendering Jesus Christ as King Jesus, or Jesus the King. King Jesus, the One who rules.
It is the universal rule of Jesus that we
celebrate this coming Sunday, the last of the Church year, the Feast of Christ
the King. We are, in fact, under the
rule of a gracious king who really doesn’t have “dirt” all over him, like the
rest of us. We can experience His
immeasurable power. Why we gather and
how we “do church” has to do with a reality far above and beyond our routine
for a given morning of the week. It’s
not about the format of the worship service—about what we read and sing, how we
greet each other, how we gather. How we
do things matters, but why we do them matters so much more. We gather to offer worship that we may participate
in God’s life, in the reign of Jesus Christ.
We are freed in worship, in our relationship
with God, in His reign. We are freed
from fear, from death. We are freed from
any need to jockey for power. When we
recognize God’s rule we experience His rule.
Yes, Jesus is our Savior, but He is also our Lord, our King! When we recognize this power we no longer
need to ever worry about how to “win,” for the victory is God’s. It is God who gathers, God who shepherds, God
who rules. On the Feast of Christ the
King, and on all days, may we ever look to Jesus as our Lord, experience His
rule in our lives, and offer our very selves into the life of His most gracious
kingdom.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
·
Dale
Massey for providing transportation
·
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.
Energy
Conservation! Please treat Grace as
your home. If you turn something on,
turn it off! Don’t assume anyone else
will lock or turn off.
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.
Special appeal: Later this Fall we will have a grounds
cleanup day that will include ground cover and shrubbery trimming. We are, however, overdue for major reshaping
of shrubbery, and the arbor vitae which flank the church entrance are
out-of-control. Quotations for shrub
reshaping and removal/replacement of the arbor vitae run into the thousands of
dollars. Major work will not be a 2016 initiative, but we are
appealing for your donations now, to build a fund for work in the Spring of
2017. Keep Grace beautiful! Give
“Something Extra”.
Music
this Week: The
Last Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 29C)
Organist: Ben Dobey.
Christ the King year
C
Prelude Chorale Prelude on O Lamb of God, pure, spotless J.
S. Bach
Entrance Hymn 544 “Jesus shall reign where’er the sun” Duke Street
Offertory Anthem Jesus,
joy of man’s desiring J. S. Bach
Communion Motet King
of glory, King of peace Charles
Walker
Communion Hymn
383 “Fairest Lord Jesus” St. Elizabeth
Closing Hymn
494 “Crown him with many crowns” Diademata
Postlude Fugue in C Major J. S. Bach
Parish
Notices
Fund
Raising Forum: On
Sunday, following the 8:00 a.m. Mass, we
will conduct an adult forum to discuss ideas for fund raising in
2017. This parish will need to engage in purposeful and focused fund
raising in 2017, and we want to share the wealth of ideas and experience of all
members. This forum will be about ideas, what might work, what has worked
elsewhere, how to …, etc. Come and enjoy coffee and a lively discussion.
Ultreya: Cursillo Ultreya is a
reunion open to anyone to attend and for those who have attended Cursillo. Sunday,
November 20th at St. Paul, Suamico from 2-5 p.m. for fellowship, food and
sharing stories of faith. Please bring a snack to share.
The Art of
Neighboring: Next
Sunday, November 27th, at 9:00 a.m. we will begin a short three-part
course on how we can better reach out into our immediate community by using
simple skills and methods of how to meet and engage our actual neighbors. This
course will use discussion materials from http://www.artofneighboring.com/ a
ministry of Dave Runyon and Jay Pathak, pastors in Colorado. Dave Runyon was the recent headliner at the
Fall event sponsored by LoveINC, and those who attended came away impressed
enough to want to focus on practical follow-through.
When
the lawyer asks Jesus “And who is my neighbor?” (Lk. 10.29), he is asking about
an abstraction, the idea of neighbor.
When Jesus answers him, giving the parable of the Good Samaritan, He takes the
abstraction and teaches that our neighbor is this person in front of you. Our coursework will focus on the
practical, on the persons who live around us and our duty to reach out to them.
Thank you! To all who donated
both items and money for the Samaritan’s Purse Shoe Boxes. This a tangible way
for us to see gifts given to children around the world and to celebrate a Merry
Christ’s Mass through mission.
Emmaus
Meal Volunteers Needed:
The Tripartite Emmaus Meal will be December 3rd at the Salvation
Army Center. The Theme of the Day will be Christmas, please wear holiday
attire. We need three people from each church to set up from 8:30-10:30am. We
will need 10 people from each church at 10:30-1:00 to serve the meal and greet
the guests and clean up. There is more information on the sign-up sheet on the
table in the Narthex.
Thanksgiving Love Feast:
On
November 24th The Blind Horse, in partnership with Love INC, and
Plymouth Alliance Church will be serving a Thanksgiving dinner for those in
need from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. in The Blind Horse Winery. Seating begins at
11:00 a.m. and every hour after. Each group will have 45 minutes of delicious
food and fellowship. You must sign up for your time by calling
920-204-5111.
If anyone would like to assist with volunteering for the event or providing
pumpkin pies, please sign up at: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0a45a4a922abfd0-thanksgiving.
Put
Christ in Christmas in a special way: Love for the Least, a
Christian ministry working with believers displaced by extremist attacks in the
Middle East, is making appeal for funds food, clothes, gifts, and children’s
toys, as Christmas presents to those who have nothing. Please make any
check payable to L4L ME Advent Challenge, and bring this to the parish
office before 3 December. For more information, please see the flyer on the
notice board in the Narthex.
Holiday Parade: Grace Church will be selling
hot coffee and cocoa, hot dogs, apple crisp, brownies, and popcorn, before and
during the Holiday Parade – 5:00 p.m. next Sunday, November 27th.
The money raised goes to outreach projects both near and far. Please come by
the front of the church and enjoy a warm treat as you enjoy the parade, and be
sure to bring your friends!
Youth and Children’s Choir: Youth and Children’s choir
rehearsals for the Christmas Eve service are at 3:30 p.m. or 5:30 p.m.,
depending on your preference, beginning Wednesday November 30th, downstairs in the
choir room. Additional rehearsals will be on December 7th, 14th,
and 21st. The final rehearsal will be Wednesday, December
21st at 5:30 p.m. only. The choir is open to 2nd graders
through high school, and will sing for the 4pm service on Christmas Eve. Please
see the sign-up sheet in the Narthex.
Christmas
Pageant Rehearsals: will now be held during Sunday School classes on December 4th,
11th and 18th. Participation is open to youth of all ages. The
Pageant will take place during the 4:00pm Christmas Eve Mass.
St
Nicholas’ Visitation: St. Nicholas will visit
Grace Church on December 4th at the 10:15 service. We invite all children to come and receive a treat.
Advent
Lessons and Carols:
On Sunday, December 4th, a festival of Advent Lessons and Carols will be
offered at Grace Episcopal Church, beginning at 4:00 p.m.
The
festival prepares us for the coming of the Messiah by following the scriptural
record through nine lessons, each followed by a seasonal carol offered by choir
and congregation. The choir will also offer seasonal anthems, and music
will include Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey on organ. The service is followed
immediately by a High Tea reception. Volunteers for food and clean-up, please
see sign-up sheet in Narthex.
Meals On Wheels Christmas Cookies: Meals On
Wheels volunteers will be delivering a box of homemade cookies to their clients
again this Christmas season. (As many of you know, for some, this is the
only gift they will receive). The boxes have already been donated, so now all they need are the
cookies! If you would like to donate cookies to their
project, please call Maureen at Meals On Wheels at 451-7011. Drop off sites are
in both Sheboygan and Plymouth and they will be packaging cookies on the
December 20th. Your response in the past has been overwhelming and they
cannot thank you enough for your continued support.
Salvation
Army Adopt a Family Gift tags: Please take a name or two and follow the
instructions on the table next to the tree. Please return all gifts
unwrapped, with value attached, to Grace Church by Monday, December 19th.
Distribution to families will be
Thursday, December 22nd. If you have any questions, please call
Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
Christmas (Castle)
Sort and Shop: On
Monday, December 19th (10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.) volunteers are needed to sort
and organize all the toy donations. This
will be at 710 Pennsylvania Ave, Sheboygan. And on Wednesday, December 21st
(10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.) volunteers are needed to shop for each member of the
families using the lists provided by the parents. Sign-up sheets can be found on
the table in the Narthex. If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
Christmas Gifts
Distribution Volunteers! On Thursday, December 22nd (8:30 a.m. – 11:30
a.m.), you can assist local families pick presents from the Toy Shop. This
gives those in need an opportunity to “shop” for Christmas presents for their
families. This will be at 710 Pennsylvania Ave, Sheboygan. A Sign-up sheet can
be found on the table in the Narthex. If you have any questions, please contact
Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
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Church on Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan
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Church on Instagram: @GEC_Sheboygan
We Are on Itunes! Check out the new
podcast!!!
God willing and the people
consenting
The Right Reverend Matthew
A. Gunter
Eighth
Bishop of Fond du Lac
shall ordain
shall ordain
Rodger Lindsay Patience
Amanda Louise Sampey
Michele Elaine Whitford
to
the Sacred Order of Priests in Christ’s
One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
Saturday,
the seventeenth of December
in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen
at ten o’clock in the morning
in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen
at ten o’clock in the morning
The
Cathedral Church of St. Paul
51
West Division Street
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Your
prayers and presence are requested
Clergy: red stoles Reception
to follow
