Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
3 January 2019
At a time when it is customary to think about
what shall be new in the new year, or to think about what we would will to be
new or different, we find that our first Sunday of the year is not a standard
Sunday, but is, rather, The Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus
Christ. We’ll certainly get to sing We,
three kings of orient are, but more to the point, as we gather for this
first Sunday celebration of the new year, we may well ask ourselves “How will
my life, and the life of this church, be a part of God’s manifestation
(epiphany) of Himself and His will to the world?”
The manifestation of who God is, and of what
His will is, is the “showing forth” of the reality that life in Christ is
different. In the Bible, for example, we
encounter two different words for life, one of which (bios) refers to
life as observed in the fact that an organism is alive—that it processes
nutrients, consumes oxygen, etc. The
second word (zoé) refers to life as the experience of self-awareness, of
blessing, of life-everlasting. In the
world around us the experience of bios is “a fact of life”. All can distinguish a live person from a dead
one! But what about the experience
of zoé? When you encounter someone who is stuck in a
mode that looks a lot like no more than survival, no more than a day-to-day
routine of hanging on, how will you manifest to them that life can be much more
than survival? How will you manifest
blessing?
We manifest blessing principally in how we
are seen to be different because of our experience of Christ. In the Prayer of Humble Access found in Rite
I in Holy Eucharist, and used in this parish (in Rite II) during Lent we pray
that “we may evermore dwell in [Christ], and he is us”. It is in this dwelling, this Presence, that
we become vessels whereby God’s presence can be experienced by others. Be seen to be different because Jesus dwells
in you. Manifest His presence, His love,
His invitation to all.
But how to do this? Allow me to suggest a simple New Year’s
resolution: Be present to all who
you encounter. To do this stop
multitasking. Don’t, for example,
attempt to talk while responding to a text message or typing on a
computer. Turn off the television if you
are having a conversation. Turn your
phone off in church! By not allowing
ourselves to be distracted (“multitasking” is just a positive spin on “being
distracted” or “less than focused”) we can be present to others. They will sense this presence, that we care,
and it is then that we can begin to manifest the zoé within, the
life-everlasting of being in Christ.
Grace abounds: Please thank:
§ Steve and Katie Larson for the Sunday coffee hour.
§ Thanks to all of you who answered the call to prepare a
devotional for the Advent Booklet. The
booklet is another way we can live and grow in community with each other. I was
fed by the readings, and they are an important part of my Advent
preparations. I trust each writer also
grew from the time spent preparing the devotional.
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
Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord
Dr.
R. Benjamin Dobey, Music Director
Prelude Chorale Prelude on ‘How brightly
shines the Morning Star’
Johann Pachelbel
Entrance Hymn 109 “The First Nowell”
The
First Nowell
Offertory Hymn 128 “We three kings of
Orient are” Three
Kings of Orient
Communion Motet Saw you never in the twilight
French carol, harm. Charles Wood
Communion Hymn 112 “In the bleak midwinter”
Cranham
Closing Hymn 117 “Brightest and best of the stars of the
morning”
Morning
Star
Postlude Chorale Prelude on ‘How
brightly shines the Morning Star’ Max
Reger
Parish Notices:
§ Sung
Compline and Potluck:
Sunday, January 6, in celebration of The Epiphany of Our Lord, there will be a
potluck supper at 6:30 p.m. followed by Sung Compline at 8:00 p.m. Compline, or
night prayer, is a Christian service of worship dating back to monastic life in
the Middle Ages. The choir sings The Office of Compline by candlelight; this is
a beautiful and restful way to nurture one’s soul. The sign-up sheet for the
potluck can be found on the Narthex table.
§ Diocesan
Deacons’ School:
Begins Saturday, January 12, 2019 at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in De Pere
(347 Libal Street, DePere 54115). Two courses will be offered for instruction:
Theology (taught by Fr. Glen Kanestrom of St. Paul’s, Marinette) and New
Testament (taught by Mother Barb Sajna of St. Luke’s, Sister Bay). 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 the office to receive details.
§ The
Annual Meeting:
On Sunday January 20, there will be one Mass at 9:00 a.m., followed by the
Annual Meeting 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. 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.
§ A
draft of the 2019 Parish Directory: can be found on the Narthex table.
Please initial your information if it is current, otherwise make changes as
necessary.
§ 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.
§
The 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.
