Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace Notes
1 November 2012
All Saints’: Don’t forget that today is All Saints’! Solemn Eucharist (with Baptism) will be celebrated at 6 p.m. today.
How do we know God? This was the question posed this past Saturday in our discipleship program, Being the Body: Knowing, Being, Doing. The session (with forty participants from four congregations) was led by The Rev. Dr. Steven A. Peay, Academic Dean at Nashotah House. The question is the most basic question of “fundamental theology”. It is the question that we ask ourselves as individuals and as the Church. Fortunately, we find answers.
Answers are found in how God reveals Himself and His will for us. This revelation can be “general” or “special,” encompassed in the classical Anglican formula of faith informed by Scripture, Reason and Tradition. Reason encompasses general revelation, the ways in which we—as created beings—can use our own powers of observation and experience to experience little glimmers of God when we experience love, beauty, truth, good, and being. But most of what we know of God is not something we can figure out. It must be revealed to us. This is where the Anglican formula of Scripture, Reason and Tradition needs to be considered with care, for while it is common to refer to this formula as the “three leggèd stool” it is not, for the three legs are not of equal authority.
We need to understand Scripture, Reason and Tradition not as a “stool” but as a tricycle. There’s one big wheel, Scripture, that drives our understanding of faith, with the two smaller wheels of Reason and Tradition providing additional ways in which to understand God’s revelation. In other words, Reason and Tradition cannot contradict the revelation found in Scripture.
In the Church today it is not uncommon to hear someone say something like, “God gave me a brain, and so I can disagree with the Bible.” This disagreement usually relates to something in the Bible that the speaker does not really understand, but more importantly it represents a fundamental misunderstanding of Reason. Reason (in theological terms) is not cognition—it’s not the way we think. Reason must be understood in a classical sense, drawing from Plato and Aristotle, as a participatory knowledge. To know something is 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. Equally, there is a mutual, inward hold that Scripture makes upon us and we upon it. As such, Reason may be best understood as a practical wisdom. It is in this sense that Scripture, Reason and Tradition inform each other. We can use our minds to question the meaning of Scripture—how we are to interpret God’s Word and apply it in our own lives—but we can’t just say that we disagree with what Scripture reveals, in part because at its most complete Reason cannot inform us of many things (for example, the nature of the Eucharist).
We say that our faith is founded on Scripture, Reason and Tradition (God’s holy “Big Wheel”), but it is more accurate to say that our faith is informed by this revelation. Faith is founded first on relationship, on trust in God. So we need to focus first and foremost on our encounter with God—on meeting the risen Christ and on receiving the Holy Spirit. It is in meeting and knowing the Person that we know who to follow, who to trust, and the “Big Wheel” then just becomes one more way to know, to pay attention, and above all to follow.
Consecration Sunday: Consecration Sunday is two Sunday’s away! We will gather following our one service of worship that day. (Worship will be at 10 a.m.) Our gathering is a time of celebration, at which we can thank God and each other for the blessings we enjoy, including the blessing of giving. This is a catered luncheon (not pot luck), because it is a time of special celebration, as we come together in the life of the church. Mark your calendars now, and look for your luncheon reservation cards to be distributed in one week!
Due to deaths and parishioners moving away, we have lost pledges for 2013 which would have totaled $31,879. In order to stand still (and standing still involves a 2012 deficit), we need to significantly increase how each one of us participates in giving.
Grace Abounds: Please thank Jessica Ambelang for special Halloween treats provided at last Sunday’s coffee hour.
Please take the opportunity to notify the office of any member or friend of the parish to whom we owe thanks, in order that we can publicize this in the weekly newsletter.
Interested in flowers? Flowers are used in Grace at both the high altar and in the chapels. If you are interested in participating in the ministry of arranging flowers for the altars, please see bernie Markevitch, who is willing to train interested persons in flower arranging. No prior experience or knowledge is necessary, just a call to serve!
Fall clean-up: Fall clean-up is scheduled for Saturday, 3 November, from 8:30 a.m. until noon. (Breakfast snacks will be provided.) We need to rake, weed, clean-up, trim, etc. Please bring hand garden tools with you, and let Ed Clabots or the parish office know you are coming.
Youth Sunday: This coming Sunday, 4 November, our 10:15 service will be led by the youth of the parish. With the exception of functioin sreserved specifically to the priest, all leadership in the service will be given by young people in the parish. Please plan to attend to support them in ministry.
Adult Christian Education: Adult Education meets on Sundays at 9 a.m., in St. Nicholas Hall. On 4 November we continue our nine part series on Christian ethics. The entire course can be found on the parish website under “Christian Formation: Adult Education”.
Biblical Literacy: The Bible Challenge readings will be for week 36. Bible study for the Sunday lessons meets on Thursdays, following the 9 a.m. Mass. Bible study will not meet this Thursday due to a conflict with a diocesan clergy meeting.
The number of people following The Bible Challenge on-line is gratifying, and weekly summaries will continue to be posted. However, attendance at the Tuesday evening sessions has been problematical. Therefore, Tuesday evening pot-luck and discussion sessions are cancelled.
Music this week:
ALL SAINTS’ DAY
Prelude Justorum Animae Willan
Entrance Hymn 625 “Ye holy angels bright” Darwall’s 148th
Offertory Hymn 287 “For all the saints” Sine Nomine
Communion Motet The souls of the righteous Thiman
Communion Hymn 620 “Jerusalem, my happy home” Land of Rest
Closing Hymn 293 “I sing a song of the saints of God” Grand Isle
Postlude Toccata on Christe, Redemptor Omnium Benoit
SUNDAY, NOV. 4TH
Proper 26B
Prelude Tranquillo; Andante Darke
Entrance Hymn 625 “Ye holy angels bright” Darwall’s 148th
Offertory Hymn 618 “Ye watchers and ye holy ones” Lasst uns erfreuen
Communion Motet O Spirit of Life Bach
Communion Hymn 321 “My God, thy table now is spread” Rockingham
Closing Hymn 551 “Rise up, ye saints of God” Festal Song
Postlude Trumpet tune in B Flat Johnson
Parish Notices
§ Old-Fashioned Hymn Sing, Dessert Party, & Concert: An old-fashioned hymn-sing (you know you’ve been wanting to sing those favorite old-time hymns we never get to do because Episcopalians have such good taste) will be held on FRIDAY, NOV. 16TH at 6:30pm in St. Nicholas Hall, featuring Aaron Horvat at the mighty Steinway Grand, and Ben Dobey at the fabulous (or appalling, depending on your point of view) Hammond electronic spinet. The purpose is to have some fun and raise money for the Arts in Croatia Ministry for teens in Osijek, led by Aaron and by Winnie Coleman-Horvat. It will be worth it just to see if the Hammond explodes, like it kept doing when we did this in 2008. Come, bring a dessert to share if you feel inspired, and enjoy!
§ Hosting the Seminarian and His Family: Please consider hosting our seminarian Ryan Delaney and his family for a Saturday evening. Ryan and his lovely wife Melanie and children Brenna and Bemen will be staying most Saturday evenings in preparation for services on Sunday morning. This will give the parish an opportunity to get to know them and for the Delaney’s to get to know the parish. Please find a sign-up sheet on the table in the Narthex for dinner Saturday evening and brunch Sunday after the service.
§ Salvation Army Bell Ringing: There is still space to sign up! You can have multiple people on, at any time, the more the merrier! Grace Church is signed up to ring bells for the Salvation Army on November 10th in two different locations. At the Piggly Wiggly on the north side from 1:00-7:00pm and at the Piggly Wiggly on the south side from 9:00am-3:00pm. Both of the locations are inside. The bells and kettle will be there, & a sign in sheet. Please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex. If you have any questions please call Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
§ Annual Clothing Drive: The annual community clothing drive is Saturday, November 10th from 9:00-11:00am at the Grant School Gym 1528 North 5th St, Sheboygan. Donations of warm clothing in good condition (for all ages) is being accepted during the Annual Clothing Drive. Clothing donations can be dropped off at church by November 3rd. What a great way to help the community! This program is sponsored by Kiwanis Club & SASD and open to ALL community members and is FREE. It is suggested that a non-perishable food item be donated in exchange for warm winter clothing items.
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