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.
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:
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 30th 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 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 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 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 30th.
§ 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 24th 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment