Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
3 November 2016
Today is the feast of Bl. Richard Hooker (d.
1600), a theologian of the Church of England most famous for his formulation of
faith as being based upon the “three legged stool” of Scripture, Reason and
Tradition. Except that Hooker never referred to a “three legged stool”. Regardless of how the phrase arose, let’s
look at what faith is informed by.
In the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity (1593), Hooker argued that Puritans
claimed too much in proposing that Scripture provided the only source of
knowledge, including knowledge about all matters of church order and
discipline. In turn, he claimed that the Roman Catholicism claimed too much in
believing that the Church had infallible understanding of faith (as given by
the Pope speaking in Council), much less the order and discipline of the
church. Instead, Hooker maintained, Scripture contains all things necessary to
salvation. We know this as we come into relationship with God through Scripture
and worship. In other words, Scripture speaks to us the truths of faith as we
have come to experience those truths in our lives. There is a mutual, inward
hold that Scripture makes upon us and we upon it. The Christian life is then
lived out in light of this faith, shaped by the order of Church and society as
that reflects the continuing, developing understanding of both.
Reason was understood in a classical sense, drawing
from Plato and Aristotle, as a participatory knowledge. To know something was
to experience it, to share or participate in something. It is not just about how we think. Hence, Scripture and reason inform each
other, with Reason allowing us to experience some of the revelation of God (His
“general revelation”) in nature; in how we can come to know some aspects of God
though our experience of the world. As
such, reason may be best understood as a practical wisdom.
Tradition
is not just about “how we have always done things in the Church,” for in
truth most of what we do in ceremony and order has changed. Tradition, understood properly, is defined
under the so-called “Lerintian canon” of St. Vincent of Lerins (5th
C.), who defined catholic doctrine as "That which has been believed
everywhere, always, and by all."
Hooker was thinking of this rule, with a mind to dogma, doctrine and
discipline as defined in ecumenical councils of the Church, when he
spoke of Tradition. In other words, when
the Church has gathered in council and defined belief (e.g. in the
Creeds), that constitutes Tradition.
Tradition is about the content of belief, not just about practice.
How does this understanding apply in our
daily practice of the faith? What does
Hooker have to say us? He testifies to
the reality that faith is about a lot more than feeling; there is a content to
the faith, a content referred to by St. Peter who writes that we are to “Always
be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope
that is in you …” (1 Pet. 3.15).
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Kevan and Traci Revis,
and Mary Snyder and Tom Wright for the Sunday coffee hours.
§ All who supplied food
for the All Saints’ potluck, with thanks for the cleanup crew as well.
§ Pat Ford Smith and Leona
Aparicio for office help.
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.
Music
this Week: The
Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 27C)
Organist: Fr. Alexander Pryor.
Entrance Hymn 495 “Hail,
thou once despised Jesus!” In
Babilone
Offertory Hymn 624 “Jerusalem
the golden” Ewing
Communion Motet “Brother James’ Air” arr. Gordon Jacob
Communion Hymn 526 “Let
saints on earth in concert sing” Dundee
Closing Hymn 625 “Ye
holy angels bright” Darwall’s 148th
Parish Notices
§ Adult Christian Formation: There is no Christian adult
formation on Sunday, November 6th; instead we will have an
extended fellowship at the 8:00 a.m. Mass coffee hour. We will continue with
the sixth session of the six-week course, The
Christian Worldview Through the Artists’ Eyes on Sunday, November 13th.
§ Sunday, November 6th is the National Day of Prayer for the
Persecuted Church: Please keep in prayer Canon Andrew White, Emeritus
Vicar of St. George’s Church in Baghdad, the only Anglican Church in Iraq. He
serves a Christian population of refugees escaping ISIS genocide. His church
has been damaged five times and he has been witness to unspeakable human
suffering.
§ Operation Christmas Child – Christmas Shoeboxes: It is that time of
year again! Our Sunday School classes will be once again filling Christmas
boxes with items for the Operation Christ Child ministry. This has been an
extremely rewarding and fun ministry for our Sunday School children to be a
part of. One of our children has even
started a pen pal relationship with a recipient in Africa! We can use your help
to keep this ministry going by donating items to fill the shoeboxes.
Suggestions for donations include toys such as toy cars, yo-yos, jump ropes,
balls, toys that light up and make noises (with extra batteries), small stuffed
animals or dolls, craft kits, school supplies of all kinds, non-liquid hygiene
items such as toothbrushes, mild soap bars, wash cloths, combs, and brushes.
Items can also include accessories such as socks, hats, sunglasses, hair clips,
jewelry, and flashlights with extra batteries.
There is a $7 shipping cost per box which Grace Sunday School Ministries
covers, however, if you’d like to sponsor a box or two, donations may be
submitted to the office to offset this cost.
(Note: Toothpaste and candy will no longer be accepted in 2017, but it
can be for 2016 as long as the expiration date is at least 6 months out from
the national collection week of November 14-21, 2016). Please drop off items in
Ms. Nicci’s classroom. DEADLINE for items is before Sunday School begins on
November 13, 2016 when the children will be packing the items.
§ Tripartite Thanksgiving Eve Worship: This year Grace
Church will be hosting the joint celebration on Wednesday, November 23rd at
7:00pm. Please come and join in the Tripartite Combined Choir and enjoy
fellowship and deserts following the worship. We will need two people to serve
as ushers and a reader, and also help with clean-up following fellowship; if
you can help please see the sign-up sheet 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.
§ Salvation Army Bell Ringing: Volunteers are need
for hourly slots of bell ringing on November 26th at Piggly Wiggly
Northside 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and Pick & Save Southside 9:00 a.m. – 1:00
p.m. Sign-up sheets can be found in the Narthex. For any questions please call
Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
§ Advent Meditations: For several
years the parish has prepared and published a booklet of Lenten meditations, in
which parishioners have reflected on the prayer and scripture lessons appointed
for each day in Lent. This year we will begin an additional meditation
series, with meditations offered for each day in Advent. Advent, sometimes
called “Little Lent,” begins on November 27th (First Sunday in
Advent) and concludes at sundown of the Vigil of the Nativity, December 24th. For
each day a scripture lesson will be provided. Those who participate will
offer a brief meditation (up to 400 words) in response to the scripture
reading. These meditations will be published in print and online, and can
be submitted for attribution or anonymously. In addition, meditations can
be read aloud on Grace Abounds, as part of our podcast series. If you
wish to participate, please sign up for a day, and have all meditations
completed and submitted to the parish office no later than November 14th.
Sign-up sheets and scripture readings can be found in the Narthex.
§ 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.
§ 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.
§ Like Grace Church on Facebook
§
Follow Grace
Church on Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan
§
Follow Grace
Church on Instagram: @GEC_Sheboygan
§
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