Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace Notes
2 April 2015
Shadows
and light. This
evening, at the end of the celebration of Maundy Thursday, the altar is
stripped, the tabernacle emptied, all church decorations are removed, the
lights are extinguished, and the people leave in darkness and in silence. This darkness is anticipated, in some places,
with a Wednesday service of Tenebrae (Latin for “shadows”), which is
comprised of three nocturnes (each with three lessons), plus antiphons (verses
recited or sung with the lessons) and psalms.
In these lessons, the lamentations over loss, as expressed in Scripture
and in meditations from the Church Fathers, are recited. With each lesson a candle is extinguished
from a set of fifteen candles, with the service ending in complete darkness,
accompanied, as well, by a loud noise (made by slamming a book on the floor)
which symbolizes the earthquake which occurred at Jesus’ death.
In this
parish we do not hold the service of Tenebrae (which is not in the
prayer book), but we should nonetheless pay attention to how darkness and light
are prominent throughout Holy Week and Easter.
The great triduum of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter
begins with the darkness with which Maundy Thursday ended. In the Passion we participate in the descent
of darkness, and we keep vigil in this darkness until the new light of Easter
is kindled at the Great Vigil of Easter, on Saturday night. When this fire is kindled in the dark church
the deacon will light the paschal candle and three times intone “The light of
Christ!”, to which the people respond “Thanks be to God!” She will then place the candle before the
people and into the ancient prayer Exsultet:
Rejoice
now, heavenly hosts and choirs of angels,
and let
your trumpets shout Salvation
for the
victory of our mighty King.
Rejoice
and sing now, all the round earth,
bright
with a glorious splendor,
for
darkness has been vanquished by our eternal King.
Rejoice
and be glad now, Mother Church,
and let
your holy courts, in radiant light,
resound
with the praises of your people.
All you
who stand near this marvelous and holy flame,
pray
with me to God the Almighty
for the
grace to sing the worthy praise of this great light;
through
Jesus Christ his Son our Lord,
who
lives and reigns with him,
in the
unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The
deacon goes on for another five minutes of singing, recounting the history of
salvation, but notice int he initial prayer that the light of Christ is invoked
as triumphing over death, and we rejoice in heaven and on earth as the
universal Church, the Church Militant (on earth) and the Church Triumphant (in
heaven), that meet in the Holy Eucharist, when we pray “... with angels and
archangels and all the company of heaven ...”
Light, truth, love triumph over death.
Rejoice indeed, and let the drama of the triumph envelop you.
Grace abounds:
Please thank:
§ Mary Snyder and Mary Ann Neuses for the Friday
simple supper.
§ Anne and Bob Hanlon, and Mary and Terry Kohler
for the Sunday coffee hours (with hot cross buns!), assisted by Barb MacEwen
and Leslie Kohler..
§
Altar Guild members Beverly Evans, Steve
Fischer and Barb MacEwen extra work in preparation for Holy Week services.
§
Acolyte Master Scot Fabbiano and all of the
altar servers for all of the extra work in Holy Week.
§
Ben Dobey and the choir for all of the extra
work in Holy Week.
§
Jon and Nick Whitford for additions to the
website and podcasts.
§
Michele Whitford for 4 extra service bulletins
this week!
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.
Podcasts
are found on the website under “Media”.
Youth and Family Ministry: Worn
Out, Beat Up, and Tired
As we
close out Lent and Holy Week and everyone has their eye on the
"prize" (Easter) I sympathize with those who are so very busy during
this week. My own tiredness is partly due to a lack of discipline regarding my
sleep schedule, but it also is a reflection of the fact that I am trying to do
more in the day, and finding it difficult.
For our
clergy here at Grace, and most definitely all over Christendom, Holy Week is a
frantic chase to make sure everything gets done, on time. On top of a work week
thrown into overdrive, is the other work that goes on in the week, daily
services.
At
Grace, this is not unusual in-and-of itself, we have daily mass and morning and
evening prayer, and sometimes more, but the drama of the week is wounding. And
no matter your strength, adding wounds will wear you down, and you'll feel more
and more beat up.
At Grace
we are starting something sort-of new. For years we have been posting
recordings of the Sunday sermons on our website ( www.gracesheboygan.com ), and now we are adding to that. We have
started posting three audio files to the website per week, now going on two
weeks.
There
are three separate series running simultaneously; all together these make the GEC
podcast. First is the Sunday Sermons. Second is called "Voices of Grace"
which will be conversations, articles, parish life, and other news. And Third
is called "Sounds of Grace" which will be sung daily offices and
musical offerings.
This is
a Grace Church ministry, this
is not a Fr. Karl or a Nick Whitford ministry. If you have something that you
want to discuss, present, or offer. Or if you have ideas or suggestions please
let us know; the more voices the better.
If you
want to know more about why Holy Week is so tiring, please listen to the newest
"Voices of Grace" where I sit down with Fr. Karl and ask him
questions about Holy Week. In it you will hear more about the drama of Holy
Week and why we are all waiting for dusk on Saturday.
Please
check it out, let us know what you think, and enjoy your Holy Week!
―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:
Maundy Thursday
Prelude Meditation on ‘Ubi caritas’ Maleingreau
Opening Hymn
“Zion, praise thy Savior,
singing” (Lauda Sion)
Gloria in excelsis Gregorian Mass X
adapt. Wildman
At the Foot Washing: Ubi caritas Durufle
God
is love, and where true love is Proulx
Offertory Hymn 315 “Thou, who at thy first Eucharist didst pray”
Communion Motet Ave verum Plainsong
Comm. Hymn 204 “Humbly
I adore thee”
Procession to the Altar of Repose: Hymn 329 “Now,
my tongue the mystery telling”
Good Friday
Sung Passion Gospel Plainsong
Veneration of the Cross Adoramus te, Christe Mozart
Behold the Lamb of God
Willan
Cross of Jesus Stainer
God so loved the world Stainer
Easter Vigil
(with Brass Quintet)
Gloria Communion Service Mathias
Offertory Christus vincit (Christ has conquered)
Noyon
Communion Motet Most glorious Lord of Life Harris
Comm. Hymn 305
“Come, risen Lord”
Closing Hymn 208 “The
strife is o’er”
Postlude Toccata (Symphonie V)
Widor
Easter Day
(with String Quartet)
Prelude Organ
Concerto in F, op. 4 no. 5 Handel
Entrance Hymn 207 “Jesus Christ is risen today”
Mass Setting Missa in C (‘Organ Solo Mass’) Mozart
Offertory Anthem Regina Coeli Mozart
Communion Motet Jesus, Sun of Life Handel
Communion Hymn 174 “At the Lamb’s high feast we sing”
Closing Hymn 210 “The day of resurrection”
Postlude Prelude
& Fugue in A Major Bach
Parish Notices
§ 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.
§ The Holy Noise: It is an ancient custom that parishioners bring
bells from home to make the Holy Noise during the singing of the Gloria
in exclesis at the Easter Vigil and to symbolize the waking of the dead in
Christ because of His resurrection, as well as the proclamation to the entire
world that Christ is risen from the dead.
§ Easter Gala Reception: We will continue our Easter celebration with a
Gala Reception after the 10:15 a.m. Mass on Sunday, April 5th. All
are welcome.
§ Christian Formation: there will be no
Christian Formation for adults or children on Easter, April 5th.
Christian formation for children will begin on April 12th for all
ages.
§ Office Closed: The office will be
closed Monday and Tuesday, April 6th & 7th. There
will be no Daily Offices or Mass either of those days.
§
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.
§ Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2015
§ 8:45 a.m. Morning Prayer
§ 9:30 a.m. AA Meeting in St. Mark’s Room
§ 5:10 p.m. Evening Prayer & Shrine Prayers
§ 6:00 p.m. Solemn Mass with Foot Washing,
§ Stripping of the Altar, and Procession to the
Altar of Repose
§ 7:00 p.m. Beginning of the Vigil before the
Altar of Repose
§ Good Friday, April 3, 2015
§ 7:00 a.m. Morning Prayer
§ 1:00 p.m. Liturgy of Good Friday with
§ Veneration of the Sacred Cross and Mass of the
Pre-Sanctified
§ 5:10 p.m. Evening Prayer and Shrine Prayers
§ Holy Saturday, April 4, 2015
§ 8:45 a.m. Morning Prayer
§ 9:00 a.m. Holy Saturday Liturgy
§ 7:00 p.m. The GREAT VIGIL OF EASTER
§ The Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter
§ April 5, 2015
§ 8:00 a.m. Mass
§ 8:00 a.m. Nursery Open
§ 10:15 a.m. Solemn Mass
§ followed by the Easter Gala Reception
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