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Thursday, October 23, 2014

The Gospel and Prayer

Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes
23 October 2014

The Gospel:  the Good News; the evangelion; “the Good News of God in Christ” which we each promise in our Baptismal vows to “proclaim by word and example” (BCP 305).  What is the Gospel?  Before you dismiss this as a facile question, consider possible definitions.  We can define the Gospel as the life of Jesus as described by the four evangelists:  that the record of this life reveals to us who God is and what His will is for us.  We can describe the Gospel as a proclamation:  that Jesus is King; that at His Name every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2.10-11).  We can describe the Gospel as the revelation of salvation; that we are saved by and through the merits of Jesus Christ, by our faith in Him (Rom. 3.24), and adopted as God’s own sons and daughters (Gal. 3.26).  We can describe the Gospel as the means of salvation, and use the most famous verse in all of Scripture, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3.16).  All of these definitions apply, but the most important definition of the Gospel which we have vowed to proclaim relates to the blessings of the Gospel, that we have attained a  state of grace, sharing in the glory of God (Rom. 5.2).
So what is the Gospel?  All of the answers given above are correct, although each in its own way is more or less incomplete.  The completeness of the Good News is a new creation (2. Cor. 5.17), Christ in us (Col. 1.27).  This means that we participate in the reign of God.  When we realize that God is with us, and uses us to proclaim and extend His reign, then we need to ask another question.  What prevents us from accomplishing God’s will?  It’s not God; He is sovereign.  It can only relate to our own timidity in claiming and exercising the reign which God gives us, and in examining our own timidity it is instructive to focus on how Jesus teaches His disciples to pray.
Jesus has a lot to say about prayer.  In the sermon on the mount He teaches that we are to be intentional in prayer, to not “heap up empty phrases” (Mtt. 6.7).  This instruction is amplified upon His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, that in praying for something we are to “believe that you have received it” (Mark 11.24).  Jesus emphasizes that we are to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4.23-24).  Jesus assures us that what we ask for we shall receive, but, crucially, right after teaching His disciples how to pray (that God’s will be done) He reveals what the answer to true prayer and worship is.  We may like to think that God will bless us in the terms we had in mind in asking, but Jesus teaches that in answer to our prayers God will give us the Holy Spirit!  “... the heavenly Father [will] give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11.13).  When we are intentional in prayer, when we worship in spirit and truth, God gives to us His own Spirit.  When we live in the power of the Holy Spirit we are both changed and “change agents”. 

Grace abounds:  Please thank:
§  Kevan and Traci Revis for coffee hour this past Sunday.
§  John Davis, Bev Evans, Bob Hanlon, Bob Imig, Steve Larson, Jeremy Williams, and Nancy Yurk for serving as the stewardship campaign calling committee.

Useful hints about reading the Bible:  Language matters.  We think using verbal constructs, and we certainly express ourselves using words.  The language of the Bible matters especially, for it is in the Biblke that God chooses to reveal who He is and what His will is for us.  So, inaddition to paying attention, we need to understand better how pay attention.  This link (to Relevant magazine) provides useful hints.  (And, yes, I will confess to feeling a little vindicated to have preached all of these points for years!)

Youth EventsHigh Schoolers  If you have never been to a Happening weekend, you're chance is coming. Happening is a High School only lock-in that is intentional about being together and learning together about our faith, and who we are as Christians. Many people find that Happening is a defining moment for them in their faith journey, and the friends and community you create together lasts long after the weekend. Happening will be held at All Saints in Appleton, on Nov. 14-16, and you can register at www.diofdl.org/happening

Estate Planning:  This is National Estate Planning Awareness Week (which sounds like it was thought up by lawyers!), and so is a good time to consider whether and how you have provided for the Church, or for other godly work, in your will.  The Grace Walsingham Foundation is able to provide useful information on planned giving.

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.

Music this week:  Proper 25A

Prelude                                    Lord Jesus Christ, thou living Bread                                         Reger
Entrance Hymn 450                “All hail the power of Jesus’ Name”                               Coronation
Offertory Hymn 517               “How lovely is thy dwelling-place”                          Bro. James’ Air
Communion Motet                  As pants the hart                                      Early American folk hymn 
Communion Hymn 336          “Come with us, O blessed Jesus”                               Werde munter
Closing Hymn 551                  “Rise up, ye saints of God”                                             Festal Song 
Postlude                                  Prelude and Ricercar in B flat                                                           Krieger

Parish Notices

§  Heresies: Adult Formation on the third and fourth Sundays will begin a five part series on Heresies. Heretical beliefs are both ancient and current, with none really being new. For example, it is common to hear Jesus described as a very holy man adopted or anointed by God, but “not God”. This is one of the ancient heresies (Arianism) about the person and nature of Christ. We’ll examine all of the classical heresies about who God is, what His will is for the Church, etc., to better understand our own faith. The class will be facilitated by Fr. Karl.

§  Winter is Coming! We will need to prepare All Saints’ Chapel for winter with some light cleaning inside and out. Please join us on the November 8th 9am to Noon to help (back-up date is November 15th).

§  12 Oils of Ancient Scripture Class: Would you like to know a little more about essential oils and their history? Learn about the twelve most significant oils of the Bible, their scripture references, and some of their uses—both ancient and modern. You’ll be able to smell the oils of spikenard, myrrh, myrtle, Rose of Sharon, and more. Bring a guest! October 28, 6:30 pm at Grace Church, for more information please call Sandie Palmer at 920-980-1770 or www.facebook.com/sandpiperartsoils.

§  LoveINC: Orientation for volunteers, and for those interested in just getting more information about volunteering, will take place on Wednesday, 29 October, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Great Marriages building, 612 Center Avenue, Sheboygan.  All are welcome.

§  Adult Education: On Sunday, 2 November, our 9 a.m. adult education hour will feature John and Stephanie Weiss, Sheboygan natives, of Wycliffe Bible Translators. They will present on the topic of bible translation and biblical literacy. The couple and their family will serve next year in Tanzania. Join us to learn more about how we better understand God’s Word by understanding how this world lives in our own language and in other languages, and about the challenges of making the Bible available to all. They will not be soliciting funds, however, they will have information if you feel called to help with their ministry.

§  Simple Potluck Supper and Compline: Sunday, November 2nd we will have our first Sunday of the month Simple Potluck Supper at 6:30pm. Come and enjoy the fellowship then stay for Compline at 8:00pm. The Schola Cantorum will be singing Compline which is the night time prayers said or sung just before retiring. It is a wonderful and peaceful way to end the day.

§  All Soul’s Day: All Soul’s Day will be transferred to Monday, November 3rd. We will celebrate the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed with a 12:10pm mass.

§  Office Closed: The office will be closed Monday and Tuesday, November 3rd and 4th for Sabbath rest. There will be no Daily Office on either of those days. There will be Mass on Monday –see above– and no Mass on Tuesday. In case of an emergency, please call Fr. Karl on his cell at 889-7190.

§  Commission on Ministry Discernment Series: The focus is vocation to ministry, lay or ordained. The next Circles of Light is about to begin. This is the first step in diocesan discernment for ministry-baptismal or ordained. Clergy are invited to encourage any persons considering their vocation to ministry to attend. More information at diofdl.org/com or contact Mother Jane Johnson at rector@intercessionsp.org.

§  Salvation Army Bell Ringing: Grace Church is signed up to ring bells for the Salvation Army on November 8th in two different locations. At the Piggly Wiggly on the north side from 1:00-7:00pm and at the Pick & Save on the south side from 1:00-7:00pm. 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.

§  Operation Christmas Child: Miss Pat's and Miss Nicci’s Sunday School classes is spearheading the effort to put together shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, and would like to invite the whole parish to participate by donating small items for the shoe boxes, or if you desire a monetary donation that will be spent to get shoe box gift items. The goal is to have this be a parish outreach lead by the youth and children of the parish. Please participate as you can, including prayers for this to be a successful project. The drop off date is in mid November (before Thanksgiving), and there will be more information in the next couple of weeks.

§  Life Line Screening: Grace Church is pleased to offer a preventive health event.  Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, will host their affordable, non-invasive and painless health screenings on 11/20/2014.  Five screenings will be offered that scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries which is a leading cause of stroke; abdominal aortic aneurysms which can lead to a ruptured aorta; hardening of the arteries in the legs which is a strong predictor of heart disease; atrial fibrillation or irregular heart beat which is closely tied to stroke risk; and a bone density screening, for men and women, used to assess the risk of osteoporosis. Register for a Wellness Package which includes 4 vascular tests and osteoporosis screening from $149 ($139 with our member discount).  All five screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete.  In order to register for this event and to receive a $10 discount off any package priced above $129, please call 1-888-653-6441 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com/community-partners.



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