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Thursday, April 10, 2014

Great Expectations

Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes
10 April 2014

On Palm Sunday we will enter the church nave singing “All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King!” (Hymn  154)  We will sing that our praises are to echo the praises of the angels, and in the canon of the Eucharist we will do that.  If our hearts are focused on praise and worship, if our hearts are open to receive our Lord and to allow Him to rule, then our words are genuine.  But, if we’re just going through the motions, and our hearts do not burn within with the fire of the Spirit, then we won’t recognize who God is because He won’t meet our expectations.  That’s what happened in the people who cried “Crucify him!”  They were ready to celebrate the arrival of someone whom they thought would kick the Romans out, but when it became clear that the house He was going to clean was not the house of Jerusalem but the house of their own hearts, then it was all too easy to first say “Wait a minute!” and then to join in with those who wanted to get rid of this trouble-maker.
We have to be open to Jesus, rather than focus on what we want and how He might accomplish this for us.  Our song giving glory to Jesus must be from the heart.  This will only happen when we open our hearts to receive God, and when expectations are defined by Jesus’ own words to the Father, “… thy will be done …” (Mtt. 26.42)  We de not gather to welcome God into our lives because of all the great things He has done, is doing, and will do for us.  We gather because we are grateful, and are to offer thanksgiving and praise for the fact that God loves us so much that He has given His only Son for us (John 3.16).  Our expectations have been exceeded, that while we were yet sinners God gave His Son to die for us (Rom. 5.16), and when we realize this and live it, then we will give all glory, laud, and honor to our Redeemer, King, not in singing only, but every day of our lives in who we are.

Grace Abounds:  Please thank:
§  Nick Whitford and the youth group for the Friday night lenten meditations.
§  The Boland family for the Friday night lenten supper.
§  Jeremy and Emily Williams, and the Yang family for the Sunday coffee hours.
§  Nicci Beeck and Bernie Markevitch for the Sunday tea reception.

Call for ContributionsIf 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.

Music this week:  

Blessing of the Palms             Hosanna in the highest                                    Dobey
Processional Hymns:   154      “All glory, laud and honor”                            Valet will
                                    156       “Ride on! Ride on in majesty”                       Winchester New
Psalm 22:1-11 (responsorial)                                                                           Dobey
Tract: Ps. 22:26-30                                                                                          Plainsong
Offertory Hymn 162               “The royal banners forward go”                     Vexilla Regis
Communion Motet                  Daughters of Zion                                           Mendelssohn
Communion Hymn 168          “O sacred head, sore wounded”                     Passion Chorale
Postlude                                              Chorale Prelude on ‘O sacred head, now wounded’     
Brahms

Parish Notices

Holy Week Schedule

Monday                       11:00am          Chrism Mass, The Cathedral, Fond du Lac
Monday                       5:30pm            Mass
Tuesday                       5:30pm            Mass
Wednesday                 5:30pm            Mass
Maundy Thursday       6:00pm            Solemn Mass with Foot Washing      
Prayer Vigil                 7:00pm Thursday – 12:00pm Friday
Good Friday               1:00pm            Service
Holy Saturday             9:00am            Service
Easter Vigil Saturday  7:00pm            Solemn Mass
Easter  Sunday            8:00am            Mass
Easter  Sunday            10:15am          Solemn Mass

§  Stations of the Cross, Simple Suppers and Teaching:  This is the last Friday in Lent that we will meet at 5:30 p.m. for Stations of the Cross, followed by a simple supper and Christian program. The program will consist of facilitated discussion which will focus on particular stations of the cross in the context of our own spiritual
§  lives. Such a testimony will be followed by facilitated small group discussions. Please sign up to attend on the sheets in the Narthex so enough food will be prepared. Thank you.

§  Spring Clean-up!  We will gather for Spring clean-up on Saturday, 12 April.  This will allow us to get the parish in top shape before the start of Holy Week.  Please sign up to work on the indoor crew, which will focus on cleaning and painting, or the outdoor crew, which will focus on garden and grounds clean-up.  In the event of bad weather, the outdoor clean-up will be rescheduled, but the indoor crew will meet.  The day will begin at 8:30 a.m., to be concluded by 12:30 p.m.  Morning snacks will be provided.  If you can’t help with clean-up, sign up to provide help with the lunch that will conclude the effort!  Contact the office to sign up.

§  Easter Flowers and Music: It is not too late to donate for Easter Flowers and Music. We enjoy the Beauty of Holiness in both the flowers that adorn the church and the special music which includes brass at the Easter Vigil and strings at the Solemn Mass on Easter morning. Please be generous at you are able. Please call the office or fill out a pink slip to indication your wish for memorials and/or thanksgivings. The deadline is Monday, April 14th at noon.

§  Sacrament of Reconciliation: Lent is a time of self-examination preparing for the death and resurrection of our Lord. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered by appointment. Please contact Fr. Schaffenburg to set up an appointment to make your confession.

§  Maundy Thursday Foot Washing: Everyone will have the opportunity to have their feet washed and to wash someone else’s feet following the example of Jesus washing his disciple’s feet. Please wear socks and shoes that are easily removed.

§  Vigil before the Altar of Repose: Please sign up to watch and pray for an hour at the Altar of Repose beginning immediately following the Maundy Thursday Mass April 17th and concluding Friday, April 18th  as the Good Friday Liturgy begins. There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the Narthex, more than one person can sign up for any given hour.

§  Good Friday Offering: Every year since 1922 the church has taken a collection for the Church in the Middle East during Holy Week. This year our loose plate offering on Maundy Thursday will go to support the church efforts in Jerusalem and throughout the Middle East. Please be generous as you are able.

§  Easter Vigil Dinner: The first Mass of the Resurrection is on Saturday, April 19, at 7:00 p.m. The Easter celebration then continues at Trattoria Stefano, 522 South 8th Street, at 9:30 p.m. The actual cost of the meal is a gift to the parish, so you not only get a delicious meal but you help the coffers of the church by purchasing a ticket for the dinner. Tickets can be bought in the parish office or in the narthex after mass for $50 a person. Everyone is invited, but seats are limited. There are scholarships for anyone wishing to attend but are unable to donate. The deadline is Monday April 14th.

§  Easter Gala Reception: We will continue our Easter celebration with a Gala Reception after the 10:15 a.m. Mass on Sunday, April 20. Please sign up to bring sweets or savories and to help clean up afterwards. There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the Narthex.

§  Abuse Prevention Training: In the coming months, there will be opportunities to work with our youth as well as those from around the area and Diocese.  Among these opportunities will be our parish hosting the Diocesan Middle School kids for New Beginnings. The Diocesan office provides Abuse Prevention Training for all adults to help us better identify situations that could be troublesome.  A flyer with details of who should take courses and hot to enroll can be found here. If you are interested or have questions, please talk to Fr. Karl, Dcn. Michele, or any member of the Vestry.

§  Stay Connected! There are many ways to stay connected and find all the latest announcements. Grace Church can be found by “liking” us on Facebook. You can also sign up for the Grace Notes blog at http://gracechurchgracenotes.blogspot.com/ on the right hand side there is a place to sign up and receive the blog by email. You can find the Grace Church website at www.gracesheboygan.com. At the end of each bulletin there is QR code that you can scan with your smart phone and it will take you directly to the website. If you have an email address you can receive the Angelus electronically and save the church some printing and postage costs as well as receive any gentle reminders that may pop up between Angelus publications. If you have questions about any of these things please call the office.

§  Bishop Consecration Volunteer Opportunities: Voices in all ranges are requested to sing with the choir. Music will be available in advance and there will be a rehearsal from 8:30-10:00am on Saturday morning. Please bring along a choir robe if you have one. There are many other volunteer opportunities on Friday and Saturday including greeters, collecting vessels arriving from congregations, helping with refreshments on Friday and the reception on Saturday, being a gofer or being an usher. Please go to

Click the purple volunteer button to see times and descriptions. Or ask Michele about the many ways you can be included in this historic event.

§  Sunday School Bake Sale: Friday, April 25th from 12:00-3:00pm and Saturday, April 26, from 9:00-2:00, in conjunction with St. Luke Methodist rummage sale, Grace will be selling baked goods with proceeds going to Sunday School’s outreach projects. Baked goods will be accepted by anyone who would like to bake: pies, breads, muffins, cookies or anything you would like to donate. Baked goods can be dropped off at the church anytime before Friday at noon. If you have anything you would like to donate to the St. Luke’s rummage sale you can drop it off at St. Luke’s now until April 22nd.

You are invited to attend the
Chrism Mass
With Renewal of Ordination Vows
11:00am, April 14, 2014
being the Monday of Holy Week

Cathedral Church of St. Paul the Apostle, Fond du Lac
Followed by a simple lunch in the Cathedral’s Trakel Hall

The Chrism Mass gathers the faithful of the diocese at their mother church with their shepherd to prepare for celebrations of Christ’s Resurrection in all our congregations. It is one of the most solemn liturgies of the Church. Chrism is a Greek word meaning “an anointing”.
In the early church bishops baptized catechumens at the Easter Vigil with blessed oils. Over time this blessing moved to Holy Thursday so oils could be transported to congregations for use by clergy at the local level. Recently this blessing has moved to Tuesday in Holy Week so more people could attend the liturgy.
A Bishop will continue this tradition of the church and bless the oil of catechumens (for adult catechumens preparing for baptism), oil of the sick (for anointing) and chrism (for baptism, confirmation, ordination of clergy, and consecration of altars) at the Chrism Mass. The oils are prepared with olive oil, balsam and other ingredients.
The Chrism Mass also highlights ordained ministry. A bishop’s apostolic ministry is extended symbolically by the chrism priests and deacons use in baptism and other rites. Clergy also may take fermentum (consecrated Eucharistic bread from the Mass) as a sign of the communion between the bishop and congregations of the diocese.
We hope you can attend this liturgy with special intention to support the ministry of our priests and deacons. During the service all clergy renew their commitment to ordained ministry, receiving the prayers and support of the laity. A diocesan clergy photo is taken immediately following the Mass.

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul the Apostle is located at
51 West Division Street near downtown Fond du Lac.
For directions, visit stpaulsfdl.org or call (920) 921-3363.


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