"Madam, I'm Adam"

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

26 March 2015

A palindrome is a word or phrase that reads the same forward and backward.  For example, “Was it a car or a cat I saw?” reads the same in both directions, allowing for punctuation, spacing, etc.  Wags who are enamored of palindromes love to claim that the first words between two human beings were palindromic, as in “Madam, I’m Adam.”  The reality of course, is that the first words recorded for Adam when he saw Eve were “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh ...” (Gen. 2.23).  We understand this phrase to reveal the revelation of a divine mystery, of the new creation that comes about in human bonding.  But what about how this bond then works in the Church, in the Bride of Christ?

    God rarely acts alone.  He chooses to act with others.  He used human authors in revealing His will through the word of scripture.  He used Mary to give His Son human nature and flesh.  In other words, He chooses to act with us, and the “us” becomes God’s partner in the Church.  As important as an individual relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior is, the Christian vocation and identity is incomplete alone.  This being God’s plan, we need to pay attention to the implications between the identification of Adam and Eve as bone of bone and flesh of flesh of each other, and the identification of the Church as the Bride of Jesus.  We become the flesh of Jesus Christ!  We, gathered as the Church, literally incarnate Jesus to the world.  And, we become flesh of each other in the mystical union of the Church with Christ.

    When I reported to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, SC in 1977, a company commander advised that each of us look to our right and to our left.  He said, “Of the three people, you, the one on your right and the one on your left, one will be gone before you become a Marine.”  Sadly, this was true, but consider this exercise from another perspective.  When you look around you in worship, look at the people you know and the people you do not know, and realize that in Christ each one of them is a part of you and you are a part of them.  Church is something that happens together, together with each other in God.  We matter to each other because God has placed us here together.

    Can we look to another member of the Church and say “flesh of my flesh”?  In Christ we can and must.  In Christ we experience new creation together.  As we gather over the coming week in our annual remembrance and participation of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, let us keep close to our hearts the truth that as we experience new life in God we experience new life in each other.  Oh, and when you disagree, you might quote another palindrome, “Go hang a salami!  I’m a lasagna hog!”

Grace abounds:  Please thank:

§  Jessica Ambelang the Friday simple supper.

§  The Aparicio family for the Sunday coffee hours.

§  Jessica Ambelang, Nicci Beck, and Traci Revis for food for the Saturday Stations of the Cross procession.  Mary Snyder for managing publicity of the event.

§  Mary Snyder for food for the Vestry retreat.

Installation of the Archdeacon:  Details are found below on the Chrism Mass, which will be held on Saturday, 28 March, at the cathedral.  This is a wonderful opportunity to gather will all of the clergy of the diocese, but at Grace we have an extra reason to be present.  Our own Deacon Michele Whitford will be installed as archdeacon of the diocese.  Here is the story from clergy news:

An archdeacon is a clergyperson with a defined administrative authority delegated by the diocesan bishop. The archdiaconate dates to antiquity and until the fifteenth century it was of great importance in diocesan administration. Its beginnings in the first three centuries of the Church were as a deacon selected by the bishop for service as an assistant charged with the care of the poor and supervisor of other deacons. By the middle ages, the position included priests and much more authority, so much that in the thirteenth century the church began to limit the archdeacons' independent character and so it practically became an empty title. For more in-depth treatment of the archdiaconate, click here.

In the Episcopal Church the position of archdeacon has grown in the past decades with a bishop assigning limited diocesan administrative authority to an archdeacon. The position may be held by a deacon or a priest. An archdeacon is often installed (placed in a stall) at the Cathedral. The written honorific for an archdeacon is "The Venerable."

The Venerable Edwin B. Smith was instituted and installed as Archdeacon in 1993 and has served since then as a counselor to bishops. Most recently he serves as deployment office of clergy for the diocese. The Venerable Michele E. Whitford will be instituted and installed as Archdeacon at the 2015 Chrism Mass. She will serve as a liaison between the bishop and the deacons of the diocese and chair the Deacon's Council overseeing diaconal ministry.

diofdl.org/chrismmass

Podcasts!  The parish is blessed with many gifts that allow for more effective communication and outreach.  We have a truly superior website (thanks to Jon!), with many useful links; there is a weekly blog; and starting tomorrow we will add podcasts.  A podcast is a short audio and video broadcast received over an internet connection, on your smart phone or computer or tablet.  We will begin on a Mon—Wed—Fri schedule, with links posted to the blog and website.  On Mondays we will simply post the Sunday sermon as an audio file.  Wednesdays will feature a brief talk that might involve teaching or discussion of a current issue.  Fridays will feature a broadcast of evensong.

In most weeks the Friday evensong will be for that day, Friday.  For our first podcast we will post evensong for Thrudsay, 19 March, the Feast of St. Joseph.  To begin evensong will be offered by Fr. Karl and Ben Dobey, two voices, but we are working to turn this into a four voiced service.

Once you link to the podcast (found here on the website under "Media" you can enter your details to receive the podcasts automatically.

Youth and Family Ministry: Spring is here, and as we know here in Wisconsin that means, there's a mess outside. The youth group noticed this problem and a couple of weeks ago, we grabbed some gloves and garbage bags and we picked up litter all the way around the church building, and the surrounding block or two.

 I didn't put it in the newsletter before because I was struggling with whether or not I should tell everybody, or keep it quiet. In the bible Jesus tells a parable about a Pharisee who prays loudly about how well he follows the Law, so that others to notice that he is being devout. While another person who is struggling in mind and body prays silently and earnestly for forgiveness for his sins.

In this story obviously the Pharisee is obnoxious, proclaiming to God, but really to those around him, how great he is for doing good things. The other man is a tax collector, and a Jewish tax collector has a lot of bad stigma surrounding them. However it is the person who prays quietly that is justified. So, I'm struggling with the line, "all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted."

Obviously, by now I've decided that advertising that we did something helpful (if not good) is in our best interest. I feel that the more I can keep the activities of the youth group front and center, the more likely their actions will be noticed at all. Our young people are amazing, and busy, and stressed, and trying to find their place in the wider world, but for a couple of hours on a Sunday evening we stopped, and picked up the trash outside their (our) church.

We are not asking thanks or congratulations, that is the opposite of what we want. I just want you to know that this happened.

 In other news, starting the week after Easter we will be starting a new movie in Film School. We will be discussing the movie "The Fault In Our Stars" in which two young people with cancer fall in love. Afterwards we will have our last movie of the school year called "Stolen Summer" about a Jewish boy who meets a Catholic boy, and learn about each other's families, and what find a community in spite of borders.

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:  Palm Sunday (The Sunday of the Passion)

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)                                                                                       Chant: 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

§  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, March 30^th 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 17^th and concluding Friday, April 18^th 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 Good Friday 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 4, at 7:00 p.m. The Easter celebration then continues at Trattoria Stefano, 522 South 8^th 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 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 March 30^th.

§  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.

§  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.

§  Bake Sale/Plant Sale/Rummage Sale: Friday, April 24^th from 12:00-3:00pm and Saturday, April 25, 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. We will be once again selling plants from our cutting garden. Proceeds go to maintain the garden. Grace will also have a small rummage. Please bring your items pre-priced. The proceeds will go to Grace Church fund raising. Please contact Jessica Ambelang if you have questions.

God-Given Responsibility

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

19 March 2015

Today is the feast of St. Joseph, Our Lord’s foster father.  Joseph is described sparsely in the gospels, as a righteous man  (Mtt. 1.19), as a man of deep devotion, open to mystical experiences (being guided by an angel in dreams), and as a man of compassion who accepted his God-given responsibility with gentleness and humility.  Joseph the carpenter, in addition to being patron of those engaged in manual trade, is patron of many countries, of the Roman Catholic Church, and, of course, of fathers.

Joseph descended from the house of David.  The genealogies given by Matthew and Luke (mark and John do not mention Joseph) follow different lines:  that in Matthew the major line from David, and that in Luke the minor Nathanic line.  This gives additional credence to the Church tradition about the authorship of Matthew and Luke.  In addition to both relying on Mark, Matthew and Luke each seem to have had their own unique sources.  (Luke is explicit that he was not a witness to the events described in his gospel.)  From the beginning the Church consensus has been that Matthew relied on testimony from James, Joseph’s oldest son, and Luke relied on testimony from Mary.  Thus each of their gospels is told from a slightly different perspective, and in Matthew’s we get a lot more detail of the kind a man would share with his eldest son.  In Luke we get detail about Mary’s encounters with the angel Gabriel, with Elizabeth, etc.

We may pray that by the Holy Spirit we too may accept God-given responsibilities with gentleness and humility.  We may pray that by God’s grace we too may be men and women of deep devotion, open to mystical experiences, people of compassion.  The example of Joseph testifies to the reality that those who are open to the Lord will be equipped by Him to do whatever we are called to do.

Grace abounds:  Please thank:

§  Barb and Bob MacEwen, Jennifer Pawlus, and Grace Zangara for the Friday simple supper.

§  Traci and Kevan Revis, Katy and Steve Larson, and Caleb Klinzing for the Sunday coffee hours.

Installation of the Archdeacon:  Details are found below on the Chrism Mass, which will be held on Saturday, 28 March, at the cathedral.  This is a wonderful opportunity to gather will all of the clergy of the diocese, but at Grace we have an extra reason to be present.  Our own Deacon Michele Whitford will be installed as archdeacon of the diocese.  Here is the story from clergy news:

An archdeacon is a clergyperson with a defined administrative authority delegated by the diocesan bishop. The archdiaconate dates to antiquity and until the fifteenth century it was of great importance in diocesan administration. Its beginnings in the first three centuries of the Church were as a deacon selected by the bishop for service as an assistant charged with the care of the poor and supervisor of other deacons. By the middle ages, the position included priests and much more authority, so much that in the thirteenth century the church began to limit the archdeacons' independent character and so it practically became an empty title. For more in-depth treatment of the archdiaconate, click here.

Deacon Michele at the Consecration of Bishop Gunter where she helped lead coordination of arrangements.

In the Episcopal Church the position of archdeacon has grown in the past decades with a bishop assigning limited diocesan administrative authority to an archdeacon. The position may be held by a deacon or a priest. An archdeacon is often installed (placed in a stall) at the Cathedral. The written honorific for an archdeacon is "The Venerable."

The Venerable Edwin B. Smith was instituted and installed as Archdeacon in 1993 and has served since then as a counselor to bishops. Most recently he serves as deployment office of clergy for the diocese. The Venerable Michele E. Whitford will be instituted and installed as Archdeacon at the 2015 Chrism Mass. She will serve as a liaison between the bishop and the deacons of the diocese and chair the Deacon's Council overseeing diaconal ministry.

diofdl.org/chrismmass

Podcasts!  The parish is blessed with many gifts that allow for more effective communication and outreach.  We have a truly superior website (thanks to Jon!), with many useful links; there is a weekly blog; and starting tomorrow we will add podcasts.  A podcast is a short audio and video broadcast received over an internet connection, on your smart phone or computer or tablet.  We will begin on a Mon—Wed—Fri schedule, with links posted to the blog and website.  On Mondays we will simply post the Sunday sermon as an audio file.  Wednesdays will feature a brief talk that might involve teaching or discussion of a current issue.  Fridays will feature a broadcast of evensong.

In most weeks the Friday evensong will be for that day, Friday.  For our first podcast we will post evensong for Thrudsay, 19 March, the Feast of St. Joseph.  To begin evensong will be offered by Fr. Karl and Ben Dobey, two voices, but we are working to turn this into a four voiced service.

Once you link to the podcast (found here: http://www.gracesheboygan.com/index.php/resources/podcasts/sermon/37-gec-sounds-2015-03-20 ), you can enter your details to receive the podcasts automatically.

Adult Education:  We are the midst of a “how to” course on the Daily Office.  This week we will fosuc on practical questions that have arisen in the context of your own experiences.

Youth and Family Ministry:  "And then God showed up"

This past weekend I participated in the Happening weekend as a staff member. We had a fantastic time, and My official role was "Dad", but I actually acted more like "Roadie/Musician". All I had to do, was to make sure none of the kids did anything that would cause them harm or get them in trouble, and make sure the musician knew where to be, when, and what to do when she was there. No problem.

Seriously, no problem. I have been on many happenings, I know the program inside and out. I know who is doing what at any given time, and I can tell you exactly when things "get heavy". This is because the weekend is designed to create an atmosphere that allows for youth to comfortably enter into an experience of God with each other. First we build community. Then we build on the spiritual reasons for gathering together. Then we provide experiential opportunities that don't happen very often, if at all, in our home parishes (opportunity for reconciliation, healing and laying on of hands, having the leaders of the weekend mimic Christ by washing feet in the context of servant ministry, one-on-one conferences with an adult who are just there to listen and get to know you a little better).

Happening, on the one hand, is very predictable, we have the same progression of talks, and the same flow to the weekend time in and time out. On the other hand, it is not predictable at all, depending on your leadership, and the group of kids that are in attendance makes a huge difference in the energy, pace, and volume of the weekend. But something happens that is both predictable and wholly unexpected every time, God's presence manifest.

We sometimes hear the phrase, "and then God showed up", when we are talking about some spiritual event. It's interesting that we say it this way when we conceptually understand that God is always "showed up". God's presence isn't less and more, however our awareness of Him is. And we can do things that attune us to be better receivers of His holiness. Prayer, singing, community, focused energy into the who, what and why of God, time to think about who we are, and our relationship with Jesus.

This means that even though I have been on many Happenings, and I don't even have to think about the schedule to know where and when to be; I don't have a clue when or where or how God will "show up", or maybe another way to say this is: when or where or how we will enter into the awareness of God, present with us.

I have seen groups manifest this presence by a relaxing of everyone's shoulders, and community suddenly becomes easy. I have seen groups lift each other up in healing and prayer for hours. I have seen groups sing their hearts out because the thing they wanted most was more time for worship. I have seen groups be very quiet because the stillness was so peaceful. This does not mean that a group will stay quiet, or what have you (far from it), but for that time, God was known in a way that we didn't recognize before.

My point is, that when we say, "and then God showed up", I believe what we really mean is "and then I entered into God's presence". It's what we do to posture our hearts and minds to the reality of God that allows Him to act within us, and allows us to be present. God is always "showed up", and for that I am very thankful.

―Nick

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:  The Fifth Sunday in Lent (Laetare Sunday)

Prelude                        Preludes on Passiontide Chorales:

                                      Ah, Holy Jesus and O Christ, thou Lamb of God                        J. S. Bach

Introit                          Give sentence with me, O God                                                       Plainsong

Mass Setting:              Gregorian Mass X (Kyrie ‘Alme Pater’)      Plainsong, adapt. W. Wildman

Offertory Hymn 441   “In the Cross of Christ I glory”                                                       Rathbun

Communion Motet      Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks                                Healey Willan

Comm. Hymn 691      “My faith looks up to thee”                                                                 Olivet

Closing Hymn 457      “Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life”                                         St. James

Postlude                      Toccata in A                                                                          Johann Kuhnau

Parish Notices

When the Christ in Me Meets the Christ in You

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

12 March 2015

A guest column from Jane Hanson:  When the Christ in Me Meets the Christ in You

We are ALL made in the image of the  Creator (Genesis 1:26.)  Scripture tells us we are His children.  This we are comfortable with.  We are comfortable when we are with people who are warm, loving and who believe what we believe, live like we live and worship God like we worship Him.  But our journey of faith often takes us to landscapes that are not serene and familiar.  In front of us are strange sights and sounds.  We find ourselves sharing the path with unexpected companions.  And now we are uncomfortable, tense, fearful even.  Most certainly we are suspicious.  They don’t look like us, talk like us, worship God like us.  Yet our faith tells us these strangers are God’s children.  Our faith tells us to see the Christ within each person we meet.  How do we look beyond all the differences, the voices so unfamiliar, the appearance so unsettling.  Beliefs and ideas we find disturbing.  We can’t!  Not by our own power.  It seems that most of the time we do not stop and tap into the Spirit within us.  That Holy Spirit so ready to guide our thoughts, our words.  So, the fear, the suspicions arise.  Then the bigotry and hatred takes over, at the most, or we simply turn and walk away, at the least.  How do we master the tapping into the Christ within?  How do we reign in those powerful negative feelings toward those who challenge our status quo?  Have we forgotten that “His divine power has given us everything needed for life…“ 2Peter1:3.  We learn to live and walk the words of The Christ. “Our love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all…..”  2Cor5:14.   Only then can we see beyond the differences in those who walk onto our path, see beyond the  uncomfortable, beyond the distain.  We can then see as our Creator sees.  With merciful, grace filled love for all the travelers we meet on our life’s journey.  Yes, within you and me is the ability to embrace the differences of others, to love them.  Because within each of us dwells The Christ. 

Grace abounds:  Please thank:

§  Traci and Kevan Revis for the simple supper at our last Friday in Lent meeting.

§  Boy Scout Troop 801 for the Sunday pancake breakfasts.

Adult Education:  For the next two Sundays adult education will focus on the “how to’s” of praying the Daily Office.  This is intended to be a very practically-oriented class on the ins-and-outs devloping and maintaining the habit of daily prayer using the prayer book.  The class will meet in the fellowship hall at 9 a.m. each Sunday.

Youth and Family Ministry:  Prayers Please  This weekend our own Dee C. will be a candidate at Happening, and Nick W. will be on staff. Please lift up these two, and the rest of the staff and candidates as they enter a time of prayer, questions, talks, community building, and fun. Happening is a youth lead youth organized retreat for youth, and has been a staple of Christian Development in our diocese for many years. Please pray for us. Our time begins Friday evening, and ends with Eucharist on Sunday.

All are welcome to the closing Eucharist, All Saints Church, Appleton, 2pm.  Thank you for your prayers and support!

Happening is a high school lock-in/retreat that focuses on faith, Jesus, and refection. On March 13-15 they will be meeting, and sharing, and there is an outpouring of love that goes into a Happening. Caritas, is one way for us as a community to share the love with those participating. If you are a Happener (have participated in Happening) or if you are part of the Cursillo community you have experienced this kind of love.

As our Lent continues, perhaps you would like to take a couple of moments and share the love with each other. If you would like to learn how to participate with Happening in this way, please contact Nick or the Office, and they can give you more details.

―Nick

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.

A relevant reflection in Lent, on how slowing down allows us to listen to God:  http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/want-hear-god-slow-down?utm_source&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=1%20Title&utm_campaign=RELEVANT%20Newsletter

Music this week:  The Fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetare Sunday)

Prelude                        Jesu dulcis memoria                                                    Henry Walfor Davies

Introit                          Rejoice, Jerusalem                                                                          Plainsong

Kyrie                           Missa ‘Alme Pater’                                 Plainsong, adapt. Wayne Wildman

Offertory Hymn 523   “Glorious things of thee are spoken”                                      Abbot’s Leigh

Communion Motet      My spirit longs for Thee                           Traditional Irish, arr. Leopold Dix

Comm. Hymn 321      “My God, thy table now is spread”                                           Rockingham

Closing Hymn 541      “Come, labor on”                                                                         Ora labora

Postlude                      Prelude on ‘Amor Patris et Filii’                            Charles Villiers Stanford

Parish Notices

§  Adult Education: Adult education will focus on the “how to’s” of praying the Daily Office.

§  Please stop for Soup-de’-Do! And purchase our delicious homemade soups in a variety of sizes and tastes: Pizza, Sicilian Chicken, Bean & Ham, and Vegetarian Vegetable! Your purchase assists us inour fundraising efforts this year. Added benefits are they taste good and are good for you! Don’t delay, they will sellout fast!

§  Stations of the Cross, Simple Suppers and Teaching:  We will meet each Friday at 5:30 p.m. for Stations of the Cross, followed by a simple supper and Christian formation.  Our formation program this year will be looking at our Parish Meditations for the week. Please sign up to attend on the sheets in the Narthex so the people who are providing the meal will know how much food needs to be prepared.

§  Service of Reconciliation: Please join Grace Church, Sheboygan, and St. Paul’s, Plymouth on Wednesday, March 18^th at 6:00pm. The evening will include Holy Eucharist and self-examination. There will also be opportunity for both corporate and private confession. Please come for an evening of hope and forgiveness. The service will take place at St. Paul’s, 312 Main St. Plymouth.

§  Living Stations of the Cross: Living Stations is Thursday, March 19^th at 7:00 PM at St. Dominic Church, 2133 N 22^nd St, Sheboygan.  Come and pray the Living Stations of the Cross as presented by our Northside Faith Formation high school students and music team.  Contact Dianne at marshalld@archmil.org or Edie at morrison@stdominic.us or call 458-5390 for more information.

§  Ecumenical Stations of the Cross Hike: In cooperation with local Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts, and with the participation of youth from congregations on the hike itinerary, we are planning an Ecumenical Stations of the Cross Hike for Saturday, 21 March. Participants will gather at 9:30 a.m. in Fountain Park and, as a group, will proceed to Fountain Park UMC, Holy Name, St Luke UMC, Grace Episcopal Church and The Salvation Army. The hike will conclude at Grace Episcopal Church where refreshments will be provided. At each stop, a church leader will discuss their church and the stations relevant to their order in the walk. Please join us in this focused time of ecumenical Christian devotion and fellowship, and this Christian witness to the wider community. All are welcome.

§  The Feast of the Annunciation: We celebrate on 24 March at 6:00 p.m. the Eve of the Feast of the Annunciation, which commemorates the annunciation by the archangel Gabriel to Mary that she will bear the Messiah (Luke 1.26-38) On this day the liturgical colors change in Lent, i.e., the feast takes precedence over the season. It was, in the West, New Year’s Day until 1582. Please come and join the festivities.

§  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.

§  Easter Flowers and Music: Please 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, March 30^th at noon.

§  Easter Vigil Dinner: The first Mass of the Resurrection is on Saturday, April 4, at 7:00 p.m. The Easter celebration then continues at Trattoria Stefano, 522 South 8^th 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 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.

§  Fabric Donations: Boy Scout Troop 801 wants to have the boys make patrol flags. The big stumbling block has been no materials.  If you have any fabric you would like to donate, please bring it to the office.  New material is especially useful.  Especially felt cloth.

Apostolic Times

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

5 March 2015

I have elsewhere referred to those 21 Coptic Christians murdered recently in Libya as The Martyrs of Derna.  News reports now indicate that they died praying, and that one of them was not a Coptic Christian but a man from Chad who had befriended the Copts and was attracted to their faith.  He, too, confessed Christ and was killed.  His death is what is known in theology as a “baptism of blood”.  He is now in Christ.

What must be remarked upon in the case of these martyrs, and in the cases of all persecuted for the faith, is the reality that we live in apostolic times.  It is common to think of the “age of the apostles” as that time period described in Acts, and also including the centuries of persecution leading up to the official toleration of Christians announced by the Roman emperor in A.D. 312.  Indeed, some have even argued that the miracles described in Scripture ceased with the end of the time of the original apostles.  But accounts such as those of the martyrdom in Derna speak loudly to the reality that all times are apostolic; all times include the call to witness to the faith; all times include miracles.

Before He ascends to heaven to inaugurate His reign, at Acts 1.8 Jesus tells His disciples, “[Y]ou shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”  This is the programmatic verse for all of Acts.  Luke’s Gospel (volume one of his writing) tells the story of the coming of the Christ, of His passion, death and resurrection.  Volume two (Acts) tells of the birth and spread of the Church against all obstacles.  The Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples at Pentecost.  They witness first in Jerusalem and Judea, then in Samaria, then (through Paul) to the end of the earth (Rome).  No matter what opposes the Gospel—martyrdom, persecution, shipwreck, disease, imprisonment, indifference, mocking—the Gospel prevails.

The Good News of God in Christ Jesus prevails.  It prevails in Acts and it prevails now.  In Acts it prevails by the mighty acts of God and by the faith of His followers,  In our age it prevails by God’s mighty acts and by our faith.  When we realize that we live in apostolic times we are more ready to recognize and put upon on the mantle of power that God gives us by His Holy Spirit.

This Lent go back and reread Acts.  In reading the story of the birth of the Church, remind yourself that she is born anew in you, in us.  Put on the mantle of God’s power. 

Grace abounds:  Please thank:

§  Anne and Bob Hanlon, Mary Snyder and Tom Wright for the coffee hours on Sunday.

§  Elizabeth Schaffenburg for the Friday simple supper.

§  Ben Dobey and the Schola Cantorum for sung Compline.

Adult Education:  We recently completed a course on the Psalms.  Here is a related article about the place of lament in prayer:  http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/are-we-missing-something-important-about-prayer?utm_source&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=1%20Title&utm_campaign=RELEVANT%20Newsletter

For the next two Sundays adult education will focus on the “how to’s” of praying the Daily Office.

Youth and Family Ministry:  Inward focus, outward love.  As Lent continues and we focus on our faith with inward reflection, we can't lose sight of each other. This is at the heart of the last week and next couple of weeks within the youth ministries of the Diocese. As part of the plan to have a Diocesan wide youth event every month.

In February we had an event called "30 Hour Famine" in which youth and adults in attendance deliberately fast for approximately 30 hours, in order to raise awareness in ourselves about what it means to be hungry, and to raise money and awareness in the community about world hunger. There were around 40 people in attendance, and everyone had a lot of fun together, even if they were hungry.

Simultaneously, the staff for Happening #69, met for training. Happening is a high school lock-in/retreat that focuses on faith, Jesus, and refection. On March 13-15 they will be meeting, and sharing, and there is an outpouring of love that goes into a Happening. Caritas, is one way for us as a community to share the love with those participating. If you are a Happener (have participated in Happening) or if you are part of the Cursillo community you have experienced this kind of love.

As our Lent continues, perhaps you would like to take a couple of moments and share the love with each other. If you would like to learn how to participate with Happening in this way, please contact Nick or the Office, and they can give you more details.

―Nick

Thank you:  I want to thank the parish for all their prayers over the last week.  I am very blessed.  The first blessing was that i was at church when my condition worsened and that Dcn Michele quickly took me to Express Care, then to the ER, notified Ed and stayed with me.  Once i decided i needed medical help, i really was not frightened, a true expression of God's love.  I had surgery on Wednesday and I came home Saturday evening.  I have been improving everyday.  (If you haven't heard the medical report, i had a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain.  Tests showed i had two ovarian cysts, and the larger one had twisted cutting off its blood supply, which is what caused the pain.)  Thank you again for all the prayers.

―Mary Clabots

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:  The Third Sunday in Lent

Prelude             Meditation on ‘Let thy Blood in mercy poured’                               Sowerby  

Introit                           My eyes are ever looking unto the Lord                                         Plainsong

Mass Setting                 Gregorian Mass X (Alme Pater)                          Plainsong, adapt. Wildman

Offertory Hymn 598     “Lord Christ, when first thou cam’st to earth”            Mit Freuden zart

Communion Motet        O. for a closer walk with God                                                                      Stanford

Comm. Hymn 313        “Let thy Blood in mercy poured”                                  Jesu, meine Zuversicht

Closing Hymn 594        “God of grace and God of glory”                                             Cwm Rhondda

Postlude                       Toccata & Fugue in E Minor                                                                 Muffat

Parish Notices

§  Adult Education: For the next two Sundays adult education will focus on the “how to’s” of praying the Daily Office.

§  Scout Appreciation "Pancake Breakfast": Sunday March 8^th Please mark your calendars to stay a few minutes, after each service, to savor a down home Pancake Breakfast. Scouts will supply all the know how for the event. As an added bonus, Maple Syrup will be supplied by the Drewry Farms of Plymouth. This award winning Maple Syrup is served at all the major restaurants in the area and beyond. The Scouts will also have available Maple Syrup gift assortments.

§  Stations of the Cross, Simple Suppers and Teaching:  Beginning on the first Friday in Lent (February 20^th) we will meet each Friday at 5:30 p.m. for Stations of the Cross, followed by a simple supper and Christian formation.  Our formation program this year will be looking at our Parish Meditations for the week. Please sign up to attend on the sheets in the Narthex so the people who are providing the meal will know how much food needs to be prepared.

§  Service of Reconciliation: Please join Grace Church, Sheboygan, and St. Paul’s, Plymouth on Wednesday, March 15^th at 6:00pm. The evening will include Holy Eucharist and self-examination. There will also be opportunity for both corporate and private confession. Please come for an evening of hope and forgiveness. The service will take place at St. Paul’s, 312 Main St. Plymouth.

§  The Feast of the Annunciation: We celebrate on 24 March at 6:00 p.m. the Eve of the Feast of the Annunciation, which commemorates the annunciation by the archangel Gabriel to Mary that she will bear the Messiah (Luke 1.26-38) On this day the liturgical colors change in Lent, i.e., the feast takes precedence over the season. It was, in the West, New Year’s Day until 1582. Please come and join the festivities.

§  Soup-d’-Do: Pizza Soup is back and available for purchase!! The single $4.00 and double $7.00 serving containers are frozen and are ready for purchase. The soups offered are Sicilian Chicken, Pizza, Bean & Ham and Vegetarian Vegetable.