Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
31 December 2015
Tomorrow is the Feast of the Most Holy Name
of Our Lord Jesus Christ. How fitting it
is that we begin the (secular) New Year by commemorating that Our Lord’s very
Name reveals His will. The name Jesus
means “The Lord saves”. It
is a verb, which reveals God’s will in action, that His will for us is our
salvation. For reasons that are
“mysterious” (in the sense that a mystery can only be understood by being
experienced), God reaches out to us at all times and in all places. His will is that we should know Him, love
Him, and serve Him, and we begin to know God in understanding that in the
ancient calculus a name embodies and personifies the One who bears it. “The Lord
saves” embodies God’s will, just as God’s proper name, I AM (Exod. 3.14, also
rendered as I AM WHO I AM)—also a verb—embodies His timelessness and eternal majesty.
In other faith traditions it is common to
give names to particular years. In the
Taoism of Chinese culture, for example, we remain (until 14 February) within
the Year of the Horse. In our faith we
recognize that the year follows a cycle of seasons and feast which commemorate,
and allow us to live within, the history of Our Lord’s life on earth. But, what if we were to assign a particular
name to 2016? Just as Francis I has
declared a jubilee Year of Mercy, can we not designate 2016 to be a year of
particular focus? Can we not recognize
that, just as God’s Name embodies a verb, we are called to embody faith in
action? If we both declare 2016 to be a
year of particular focus on outreach and evangelism, on proclaiming the faith
by our actions and in our words to those who do not know God, can we not begin
to embody the “name” we give to the year?
Blog meditations like this one, the
meditations offered in our Grace Abounds podcasts
and on the website, newsletters—all of these means of communication exist to
allow us to reach out, to proclaim. But
proclamation must be personal as well as programmatic, so begin this year of
proclamation by resolving to proclaim.
Start small. Start by just taking
the contents of our parish programs (blog, website, podcasts, social media
postings, etc.) and share them. Share
them with friends and family. Link them
to your own social media pages, etc. The
idea is to continue to spread all that we are trying to do in spreading the
Word. Let 2016 be a year in which you
become more comfortable with your own role in proclamation, that proclamation
just becomes an aspect of your own identity in faith. When we do this together we will reach wider
audiences of those who do not yet know God, that His living Word may touch them;
that they too may come to know that the Lord
saves.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Jim Gardner, and the
Aparicio family for the Sunday coffee hours.
Thank you: On December 21st the Grace Church elves gathered to arrange flowers, package homemade cookies, and then deliver to our elderly and shut ins. Thank you to all the volunteers who devoted their time and talent to this endeavor, including Mrs. Aparicio’s Sunday School class!
§ And thank you: to Ed Clabots for opening all Saints Chapel on Monday, December 28th for a memorial service.
Education Alert! Diocesan Deacons’ School will begin on
Saturday, 9 January 2016 at Grace,
Sheboygan! This presents an
additional and in-depth educational opportunity even if you are not in
formation to become a deacon. Classes
will meet every second Saturday, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. (gathering for
worship at 8:15, and ending with prayer at 3 p.m., with a lunch in
common). Two courses will be offered for
instruction in 2016:
§ Old Testament: 3 contact hours. An in-depth survey of the origins,
composition, canonization, contents and theology of the Old Testament.
§ Church History: 3 contact hours. The history of the Church from the apostolic
age to today, with specific focus on theological development.
The courses will not result in any
educational credit, but will be taught at a college level. There will be no required tests or papers for
any participants not in formation for ordination. Approximately one to two hours study per day will be necessary to keep
current in the courses.
It is not necessary that you attend all
sections of either course, i.e., if
you want to dive deeper in particular parts of the Old Testament or Church
History you can attend only those sessions.
There will be no cost to attend, except for
the cost of textbooks (approximately $80-100).
A free will offering will be collected to help defray meal costs.
If you are curious, please request a copy of
a detailed syllabus for either or both courses from the office. It is necessary to act quickly (a lot of
reading prior to 9 January!)
Call for
Contributions: If 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:
Second
Sunday after Christmas
Entrance Hymn 94 “While shepherds watched their flocks by night”
Offertory Hymn 110 “The snow lay on the ground”
Communion Hymn 480 “When Jesus left his Father’s throne”
Closing Hymn 107 “Good Christian friends, rejoice”
Eve
of the Epiphany, January 5th, 2016
Prelude How brightly shines the Morning Star Pachelbel and Bach
Entrance Hymn 109 “The first Nowell”
Offertory Hymn128 “We three kings”
Communion Motet Saw you never in the twilight
French carol, harm. Wood
Communion Hymn 127 “Earth has many a noble city”
Closing Hymn 117 “Brightest and best of the sons of the morning”
Postlude How
brightly shines the Morning Star Reger
Parish
Notices
The Feast of the Epiphany: We will
celebrate the Eve of the Feast of Epiphany Tuesday, January 5th.
Parishioners and their guests are invited to Solemn Mass beginning at 6:00 p.m.
followed by Twelfth Night Reception.
§
Adult Education: We will resume Sunday morning Adult Education
on January 10th with a four-part series on Christian Community. How do we build Christian community within and
outside the Church? What are the
elements of community in Christ? What
are the challenges? The focus will
include examining the scriptural models for community, those of the early Church,
those within our own heritage, and how all of these relate to our sense of
community within the wider culture.
§
Bible
Challenge: Grace
Abounds will launch The Bible Challenge
on the First Monday of 2016, January 4th. 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 will be provided on the parish website, along with weekly study
summaries and a weekly video summery 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.
§
§
Diocesan Deacons’ School: Begins Saturday, January 9, 2016 at Grace,
Sheboygan. This presents an additional and in-depth education opportunity even
if you are not in formation to become a deacon. Classes will meet every second
Saturday, from 9:00 a.mn. until 3:00 p.m. Two courses will be offered for
instruction in 2016: Old Testament and Church History. There will be no cost to
attend, except for the cost of textbooks. If you are interested, please request
a copy of the syllabus for either or both courses from the office. It is
necessary to act quickly (a lot of reading prior to January 9th!)
§
The Annual Meeting: This year’s Annual Meeting will take
place on Sunday, January 31, 2016. We will have one Mass at 9:00am followed by
the Annual Meeting at 10:15am. If you have been in leadership of any group or
committee please submit an annual report to the office@gracesheboygan.com.
Please make every effort to attend and participate.
§ Something
Extra for Grace: Envelopes
are available in the pews if you are moved to give an extra gift, beyond your
pledge or regular plate donation, toward the life of the church. Gifts are tax deductible if you write your
name on the envelope.
§
Resting in the Heart: On Saturday, January
9, 2016, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, the Rev. Paul Feider, nationally known author and
speaker, will be presenting a Healing Conference called “Resting in the Heart –
a search for inner peace.” This conference is for those who are searching for
inner healing or those who seek to help others find inner healing. There will
be a Healing Eucharist at 1pm with time for healing prayer. All are welcome to
share in this conference which takes place at St. Thomas Church, 226 Washington
St, Menasha. Please register online at www.stthomaswi.com or by calling (920) 725-5601.
Flower Schedule for 2016: 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.
§
Like Grace Church on Facebook
§
Follow Grace Church on Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan
§ We Are on Itunes! Check out the new podcast!!!
