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Thursday, August 21, 2014

The Ragged Edge

Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes
21 August 2014

This past week I was working with a parishioner on the floor refinishing project.  When we finished for the day, she made to feather in the boundary between the refinished and old sections, and I suggested that we should leave the borders stark and visible, that we want people to see the progress.  I made a half joke about the “raggèd edge of ministry”.  Little did I know how that joke would become manifest.
The first day this week I had a young woman come to see me.  She was in distress because she had found her life partner dead.  I knew him and her, having worked with both of them on and off over the past two years as they struggled to put their lives together despite long histories of substance abuse.  They worshipped with us a couple of times, and one of the reasons she came here in an hour of need was to just say “thank you” for what the people of this parish have done.  In speaking with her we talked about his death (from drugs), her struggle (with drugs), and how absent God and an abiding relationship with Him, we all will seek but not find.  Obviously, she was in shock, and so we spoke much about grief and about resurrection.  In the course of this conversation it became obvious that she needed prayer, and that she also needed anointing for healing.  And so it was that I found myself (having been working on the floor) standing to anoint  and pray while wearing shorts and a T-shirt, knee pads and old shoes; while being somewhat covered in grime, and yet then placing a priest’s stole over my shoulders and my hands upon her head to pray, to anoint with the holy oil of healing, and to incarnate the presence of our Lord who comes to all in need and invites that their burdens may be cast upon Him.
Ministry without a raggèd edge is in grave danger of becoming self-satisfying, of becoming too comfortable.  One thing that is witnessed to in all of the gospel accounts is that our Lord never stopped being on the edge.  When we get too comfortable it can be easy to say something like, “Well, I’m not Jesus Christ.”  Which is true except that we are Jesus ChristWe  incarnate Christ.  We are His Body, a Body which hungers and thirsts, and feels weariness, but a Body which nonetheless continues in mission, continues in service, continues to enter those dark places where people are lost, to bring the light; to bring the Way, the Truth and the Life.  When we do this we are sometimes covered with grime, and the stole of our office sometimes looks a little strange over our work clothes.  But it is at the raggèd edge that beauty and love, truth and good are most manifest, for it is at the edge that we can see the contrast between that which is eternal and that which is just dirt.

Grace Abounds:  Please thank:
§  Bobbi Kraft and Bryan Stenz for setting up Sunday coffee hour, and Tom Crouse and Julie Davidson for clean-up.
§  Jane Hanson for help in the office.
§  Jennifer Pawlus and Pat Reiss for help with the floor refinishing project.

Call for ContributionsIf you have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshippers toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by Wednesday in the week of publication.

A Prayer for the People of Iraq
Eternal God,
in whose perfect kingdom
no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness,
no strength known but the strength of love:
So mightily spread abroad your Spirit,
That all peoples may be gathered
under the banner of the Prince of Peace,
as children of one Father;
to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

This Prayer for Peace is found at p. 815 of The Book of Common Prayer.  It’s use is commended to the Church in this season by our presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts-Schorri.

Sheboygan County Interfaith Organization (SCIO):  With all of the discussion in the parish  about the LoveINC initiative, let’s not forget SCIO.  The parish supports SCIO with an annual donation, and members of Grace also work in SCIO-sponsored ministries.  Mary Ann N. attends SCIO meetings for Grace, but in order to elevate the profile of opportunities to serve we are specifically recruiting your interest.  Get further details at www.sheboygancountyinterfaith.org .  We need an in-parish champion who can provide timely electornic media feeds for the blog, newsletter, Facebook page, etc.  If you are interested, speak to Mary Ann and also to Fr. Karl.

Music this week:  Proper 16A

Prelude                                   Matines                                                                           Louis Vierne
Entrance Hymn   427            “When morning gilds the skies”                               Laudes Domini
Offertory Hymn  525            “The Church’s one foundation”                                              Aurelia
Communion Hymn 655        “O Jesus I have promised”                                                      Nyland
Closing Hymn 411                 “O bless the Lord, my soul!”                         St. Thomas (Williams)
Postlude                                  Thou art the Rock                                                            Henri Mulet
            “Thou art the Rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against thee.”

Parish Notices

§  Stewardship:  There will be a meeting of all callers for the stewardship campaign this Sunday, 24 August, at 9 a.m. in the St. Mark Room (the Vestry room).

§  Youth and Family Informational Meeting: All are welcome to come and share ideas for Youth and Family activities for this coming year. We will meet Sunday, August 24th from 5:30 – 7:00pm for dinner.  The venue has not yet been decided
§  We will be having an open and idea exploring discussion about our ideas and hopes for our Youth and Family ministries. Our plan is to put together a list of ideas for us to discuss, implement, explore, and expand, and also to fill in a calendar for these two ministries. This means that anyone that needs to come with you is invited. If you have any concerns, please let me know. If you can' make it to the meeting feel free to send your ideas and thoughts to NJWhitford@gmail.com. Thank you for being a part of this conversation, and for your input,

§  Mass in the Grass: Please join us Sunday, September 7, 2014 for an outdoor Mass and All Church Picnic at Deland Community Center, 901 Broughton Dr., Sheboygan, the Mass will begin at 10:15 a.m. with lunch following. There will be games and an appearance by Hiccup the Clown for our children’s enjoyment. Inviting guests is encouraged. There will be ONE MASS only that day. Please sign up on the sheet on the Narthex table.

§  Sunday School Begins: We are getting excited about Sunday School! The teachers have met and plans are being made for another wonderful year of learning about the love of Jesus Christ! Sunday School will begin on September 14th at 9:00am. Please watch for more information.

§    Walsingham Music and Flowers: The Walsingham Pilgrimage is just around the corner and preparations are being made. We will have a quiet day with meditations concluding with Solemn Evensong on October 10th; and a Solemn Pontifical Mass with the Gaudete Brass again this year on October 11th. Please donate so we can once again offer beautiful music that has become so much a part of the pilgrimage and the flowers that add so much to the beauty of holiness. Please make you check out to Grace Church with Walsingham music or flowers or both in the memo. Thank you.

§  Intercessory Prayer Team: The prayer team has changed their time of prayer in the church to Saturdays at 11:00am. All are welcome to come and pray for Grace Church and the world. If you have questions please call the office.

§  “Before and After”:  The floor cleaning project to well underway! The Chapel of Christ the King is complete and the floors surrounding the high altar are finished with the help from many people. If you are interested in participating, see Fr. Karl. This is tough, physical labor, so if you are challenged in working on hands and knees, consider whether you want to help with material costs, with a gift outside of your regular giving to the parish. Thank you to all who are helping.



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