Search This Blog

Thursday, August 20, 2015

The Few

Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes
20 August 2015

Seventy-five years ago today Winston Churchill gave a speech in the British Parliament.  It was the fourth of his famous wartime speeches, and was given one week after the German air force had begun its series of “Eagle Attacks” in what became known as The Battle of Britain.  The survival of Britain was at stake when Churchill spoke, and in speaking he magnified the role of the fighter pilots in the Royal Air Force (RAF), saying “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”  The speech became know as the “never was so much owed by so many to so few” speech, and Fighter Command of RAF became known as “the few”.
This was all very dramatic, and Churchill certainly had a gift for drama, but seventy-five years ago the drama was very real.  The drama was much more real two thousand fifteen years ago.  The drama was, literally, cosmic, and remains so.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3.16).  One of the reasons John 3.16 is the best known verse in all of the Bible is that it embodies the most dramatic reality of all time and creation.  The verse reveals God’s love and His will.
We all know that in drama depicted in media such as film or TV the tension and our interest is highest when the hero is in danger of destruction.  Churchill certainly understood that by focusing on the heroes of Fighter Command he could mobilize his people to work and fight all the harder to ensure victory, and he knew, as well, that he had to focus his people on victory, for there were more than a few (including members of his own government) who were ready to cut a deal with Nazis.  They were ready to accept the terms that Hitler had already offered—to stop the war and give Germany a free hand in Europe, in exchange for Germany agreeing to not further interfere with the British Empire.
Where would we be seventy-five years later if the British government had agreed to Hitler’s terms?  It would make for an interesting drama to consider a counterfactual history based on this possibility.  (This has been done in fiction, such as in Robert Harris’ Fatherland or Len Deighton’s SS-GB.)  But far more importantly and dramatically, where would we be if Jesus had looked into the “cup” of His Passion in Gethsemane (Lk. 22.42), and rather than saying that the Father’s will must control had sought a “way out”?  We would be lost!  How’s that for drama? 
The British people in 1940 desperately needed “the few”.  We desperately need the Savior.  Let the cosmic drama of salvation keep us focused not only on all that God calls us to but, as well, on the very real danger of ignoring His call.

Grace abounds:  Please thank:
§  Bob and Barb MacEwen for the Sunday coffee hour.
§  Jack Britton and Jennifer Pawlus for the Society of Mary ice cream social which followed the feast of the Assumption celebration this past Monday.
§  Andrea Beeck for cleaning and reorganizing the children’s library.

Music this Week:  The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 16B

Prelude              Chorale Partita on Blessed Jesus, we are here
                                                                      Johann Gottfried Walther
Entrance Hymn 388      “O worship the King”                                 Hanover
Offertory Hymn 460     “Alleluia, sing to Jesus”                                     Hyfrydol
Communion Hymn 691 “My faith looks up to thee”                           Olivet
Closing Hymn 561       “Stand up, stand up for Jesus”            Morning Light

Postlude                    Prelude and Fugue in A Major                              Walther

Call for ContributionsIf you have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshipers toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by Wednesday in the week of publication.

Parish Notices

§  Volunteers Needed for Ecumenical Thanksgiving Dinner: Grace Church is hosting the dinner this year and an informational meeting will be held on August 26 at 6PM.  Volunteers are needed for cooking, serving and clean-up.

§  Blessing of the Backpacks! We will be blessing all the backpacks and school children as well as all the teachers, on August 30th at both 8:00 and 10:15 services. We will invite everyone, young and old, who are starting school to come forward with their backpacks for a blessing. We will also ask all the teachers to come forward to be blessed in their important work as well.

§  Fundraising for All Saint's Chapel: We are in the process of replacing the roof for All Saint's Chapel. In recent years its age has started to show where shingles are missing and some leakage is occurring. Our hope is that funding will be available from a private foundation but nothing is guaranteed especially if the funding will be available this year. Would you be interested in contributing towards this project? We are looking to start work on this project before winter before more damage occurs. If funding does come from the foundation your donations will be dedicated to other maintenance items at the chapel and St. Hubertus Hall. Feel free to make donations in the offering plate, noting “Roof” in the memo, or contact our main office at office@gracesheboygan.com. Thank you so much for your generosity.

§  Eucharistic Festival: August 29, 11AM-2PM at Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Fond du Lac, WI. A traditional celebration of the Sacrament, with an outdoor procession & adoration. Homilist is Archdeacon Michele Whitford. Picnic meal follows. All are welcome to this diocesan family celebration. Sign up online to help or sing in the choir. Visit diofdl.org for more info.

§  Commemoration of Blessed Charles Chapman Grafton: August 29, 2:00-6:30PM at Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Fond du Lac, WI. An event honoring a former bishop of our diocese. Includes presentation by Nashotah House Dean Steven A. Peay at 2:30PM, Evening Prayer at 3:45PM, Holy Eucharist at 4:15PM, and Garden Party. Visit diofdl.org for more info.

§  Mass in the Grass: Please join us Sunday, September 13, 2015 for an outdoor Mass and All Church Picnic at Deland Community Center, 901 Broughton Dr., Sheboygan, the Mass will begin at 10:15 a.m. with lunch following. There will be games and activities for our children’s enjoyment. Inviting guests is encouraged. There will be ONE MASS only that day. We will be asking for donations of cookies/bars, potato chips, water and monetary donations to defray the cost. Please sign up on the sheet on the Narthex table.

§  Sunday School Begins: We are getting excited about Sunday School! The teachers are making plans for another wonderful year of learning about the love of Jesus Christ! Sunday School will begin on September 20th at 9:00am. Please watch for more information.

§  Pastoral Letter on Same Sex Unions:  Bishop Matthew Gunter has issued a pastoral letter, dated 6 August 2015, announcing diocesan policy on the blessing of lifelong unions between same sex couples.  Copies of this letter are available in the parish (narthex table and office). 
The policy provides that unions may be blessed only in those congregations where the priest and 2/3 of the Vestry agree that such unions may be blessed.  The policy also provides:  (a) congregations must engage in an open forum discussion of matters relating to the blessing of same sex unions, using the *Study Guides for Congregational Use* (see below); and (b) if a priest/congregation decide that blessings will not take place in a given congregation, those members seeking blessing will be directed to another congregation in the diocese for pastoral ministration.
A parish forum will be held on Thursday, 8 October, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., in St. Nicholas Hall.  This forum will be facilitated by the Senior Warden, Paul Aparicio.
Fr. Schaffenburg has communicated to the Vestry that he will not participate in the blessing of same sex unions.

§  *Study Guides for Congregational Use*: Bishop Gunter has released two study guides for use by congregations and individuals of the Diocese of Fond du Lac. The King or a Fox: Configuring the Mosaic of Scripture is a 14-page document as a guide to understanding and interpreting Scripture. It was used by clergy during deanery clericus gatherings. In Dialogue With Each Other is a Study Guide created to aid congregations in studying and discussing the topic of same-sex unions. Clergy may want to encourage individuals to make use these resources or use them as a basis for forums or other study series. Downloads are available both as PDF and Word files. Visit diofdl.org.

§  Like Grace Church on Facebook
§  Follow Grace Church on Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan
§  We Are on Itunes! Check out the new podcast!!!







No comments:

Post a Comment