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Thursday, April 23, 2015

Facing Dragons

Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes
23 April 2015

Today is the feast day of St. George.  George was a soldier in the Roman Army, a Greek-speaking Christian from what is now Syria.  George was an Tribune (commanding officer) of the guard of the emperor Diocletian, at Nicomedia in Asia Minor.  The emperor ordered his death (A.D. 303) when George refused to renounce his faith.  Diocletian has ordered all soldiers to publicly renounce Jesus Christ, and to offer sacrifice to the emperor.  Not only did George refuse, but he personally approached the emperor to attempt to dissuade him from his order.  When the emperor refused, George denounced the order in front of the assembled troops.  He was permitted to give his considerable wealth to the poor, and was then decapitated after lengthy torture.
George is that patron saint of England, Georgia (the country), Portugal, of many churches and dioceses, and of soldiers.  His red cross on a white field comprises the flag of England (and is incorporated in the Union Jack, and by this in the national flags of Australia and New Zeeland.
George is perhaps best remembered in the legend in which he slays a dragon, rescuing an imprisoned maiden.  The details of the legend vary, but they have no real relationship to the actual life of George.  The legend probably originated in the tales of returning Crusaders, who sought to increase their own chivalric prestige.  They would likely have visited his shrine in Beith Jala, Palestine.  (This shrine is a traditional site of veneration by Christians and Muslims, who also venerate George.  Jews have a tradition of visiting the shrine, as well, but this relates to their understanding of the location as related to Elijah.)  But, George did encounter a dragon, and did inflict a deadly wound upon him.  George confronted the most powerful man on earth, Diocletian, and stared him down.  This public confrontation, even though it resulted in George’s execution, was important in the death throes of the imperial cult.  Nine years after the death of George the Christian faith was declared legal throughout the empire, in part because the witness of those like George resulted in so many imperial officers embracing faith in Jesus Christ.
George reminds us that humility and pacifism must never be confused with “passivism”.  Passivism involves being completely passive, and never standing up for the faith.  Proclaiming and defending the faith requires real courage.  Passivism assumes the character of that postmodern disease, the chief symptom of which is the phrase “Whatever!”  George could have said “Whatever!”  He could have just complied “with a wink and a nod”.  He didn’t.  He stood before all the power of the earth and said “No” when called upon to renounce his Lord.  May his witness inspire us to face the daily dragons that would seek to make us conform to the world.

Grace abounds:  Please thank:
§  Pat and Wayne Sather, and Art and Nancy Imig  for the Sunday coffee hours.
§  All who helped on parish clean-up day:  Paul Aparicio, Jack Britton, Mike Burg, Ed Clabots, Julie Davidson, John Davis, Bill Gagin, Deb Gagin, Scott Gedemer, Bob Hanlon, Barb MacEwen, Bob MacEwen, Elizabeth Schaffenburg, Mary Snyder.

Podcasts!   Podcasts are found on the website under “Media”.  You can also subscribe on ITunes or with RSS full feed at:

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:  The Fourth Sunday of Easter

Prelude                                    Pastorale                                                                             J. S. Bach
Entrance Hymn 495                “Hail, thou once despised Jesus”                                     In Babilone
Gloria in excelsis S-278                                                                                           William Mathias
Psalm 23                                                                                                  Chant: R. Benjamin Dobey
Offertory Hymn 645               “The King of love my shepherd is”                               St. Columba
Sanctus S-128                                                                                                                        Mathias
Fraction Anthem                     Christ our Passover                                                         David Hurd
Communion Motet                  Brother James’s Air                                               arr. Gordon Jacob
Communion Hymn 312          “Strengthen for service, Lord”                                             Malabar
Closing Hymn 208                  “The strife is o’er”                                                                  Victory
Postlude                                  Acclamations sur ‘Christus Vincit’                                Jean Langlais

Parish Notices

§  Adult Formation: we will continue to offer a six week course on the nuts-and bolts of the Old Testament and how God’s Word continues to speak to us through this living testimony. Classes will meet on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. in the fellowship hall, and will be facilitated by Fr. Karl.

§  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.

§  Spring Cheer: is coming to the parish elderly and shut ins on Thursday, April 30. We will meet in the kitchen at 11:00 to assemble bouquets of daffodils and bags of cookies. Won't you join us and plan on making a delivery or two? Sign up sheet for delivery and cookie baking is on the table in the narthex. Our home bound parishioners and elderly will appreciate you!  Thank you for volunteering.  Questions?, please call Barb MacEwen at 467-6909.

§  Simple Potluck Supper and Compline: Sunday, May 3rd 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.

§  Bishop’s Visitation: May 17th we welcome Bishop Matthew Gunter for his first visitation. The Bishop will preach and celebrate at both 8 and 10:15 services. We will have a First Communions celebration at 8:00am. We will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation and First Communions at the 10:15 am service. Please join us for a gala reception to welcome Bishop Gunter and honor the Confirmed. Please sign up to bring sweets and savories and to clean up.

§  Summer Camp: Diocese of Fond du Lac Summer Camp is for kids age 4 through graduating 12th graders. Camp is an opportunity for campers and staff to learn more about God, about community, about themselves and have fun! If you have questions about what camp is like please call Michele at the office.  Scholarships are available.
o   Senior Camp (completed grades 9-12) June 14 (Sun 3pm) – June 20 (Sat 12noon)
o   Middler Camp (completed grades 6-8) June 21 (Sun 3pm) – June 25 (Thu 5pm)
o   Junior Camp (completed grades 2-5) June 21 (Sun 3pm) – June 25 (Thu 5pm)
o   KinderCamp (parent & kids ages 4-7) June 25 (Thu 2pm) – June 27 (Sat 12noon) There are application forms on the Narthex table.

§  We Are on Itunes! Check out the new podcast!!!



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