Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan,
Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
6 August 2015
“For we did not
follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.” Writing at 2 Pet. 1.16 the apostle may well
be thinking about his witnessing of Jesus’ transfiguration. Peter speaks of eye witnessing, and in all
walks of life the testimony of an eyewitness is of far, far greater value than
what we might hear second- or third-hand.
You don’t need to be a lawyer to know that if someone has witnessed
something himself, we can rely on his testimony in a way that we don’t for
hearsay. So, let’s look at a few details. The apostle tells of the transfiguration of
Jesus, of God the Father speaking from heaven to testify to the Lordship of
Jesus. Note, however, that he uses the
word “we” to describe who heard the Father, and who saw Jesus transfigured.
Do we have the
testimony of the other witnesses? Luke’s
Gospel tells us that present with Peter were James and John. The transfiguration is also described in the
Gospels of Mark and Matthew, and Biblical scholars will tell you that the
Gospel of Mark was written based very much on the first-hand knowledge of
Peter, and that Matthew was mentored by James.
What about John? In his Gospel he
does not describe the transfiguration directly, but he leaves little doubt
about his knowledge of who Jesus is, when he begins his good news by saying,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God.”
OK. So we have the consistent testimony of direct
witnesses, transmitted to us by both direct and indirect means. We have a consistency in detail, of a
description of supernatural brightness, that is consistent with the description
of the brightness associated with direct manifestations of God, descriptions we
find in Exodus (e.g., 34.29-34) and in Acts’ account of St. Paul’s encounter with the risen
Christ on the road to Damascus (9.1-9).
This is starting to look like a pretty strong case; this is looking like
we can say that by relying on Scripture we can gain knowledge of God and of His
will for us.
And we can so
rely. As St. Peter says, “You will do
well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the
day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Pet. 1.19). Relying on the testimony of others is the
primary means we have of gaining knowledge.
What we know can be divided into two categories: what we have experienced ourselves (what we
call direct knowledge); and what we have learned by being told by others (what
we call indirect knowledge), and the reality is that most of our knowledge is
indirect (e.g., learning). So on this day that
we give thanks for the revelation of God’s glory let us give thanks, as well,
that testimony is something that we can share—that a small ray of the
brightness of God may shine through our own lives and words as “a lamp shining
in a dark place”.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§
The
Yang family for the Sunday coffee hour.
Tidings
from seminary: Greetings from Alexandria, VA!
Kaleigh and I left on Friday morning. Our
ride to VTS was uneventful and, upon arrival, were greeted by nearly fifteen
individuals who moved us into our apartment in just under an hour! It was an
amazing welcome … just as it was an amazing send off from Grace Sheboygan. I
will write more later, but wanted to take a moment to include this “thank you”
in this week’s blog.
Prior to our departure, we were blessed by:
Tasha & Tom Crouse with moving boxes, Scott Fabiano for painting, John
Davis for plumbing repairs, Nick Whitford for mowing, Bryan Stenz, Hannah &
Thomas Sanders, and Jon & Michele Whitford for assistance with packing.
Additionally, Jennifer Pawlus for hosting the fantastic Ladies Tea. Plus Hannah
& Thomas, Jon & Michele, and others who made sure Kaleigh and I ate a
meal once in awhile!
The sending from Grace is something I will
always remember! I haven’t yet read the book that was presented that Sunday
with all of your notes. It is set aside for a day in the not too distant future
when “packing & unpacking” is behind me. “Real” mail is always a blessing
and will reach me at: 3737 Seminary Road Alexandria, VA 22304. Stay tuned.
Updates from seminary will be posted shortly. “We do ministry together”.
Thank you for your love and prayers! ―Bobbi Kraft
Update
on media: Archdeacon Michele writes in this month’s
edition of The Angelus about progress on our web-based ministry
programs, Grace Abounds, but we have for some time already been
communicating using this blog, podcasts, and social media platforms such as
Facebook and Twitter. A few
statistics: As of right now, we have 222
followers at twitter.com/GEC_Sheboygan - Grace Episcopal
(WI)
We
have 242 "likes" or followers at facebook.com/GraceSheboygan - Grace Episcopal
Church Sheboygan, WI.
Facebook is updated on most days. Twitter (which we only began to use in the
first quarter) has so far included 233 unique tweets.
In addition, this blog averages 1,000 page
views per month (of which 15% originate from a mobile device), from an
average of 8 countries. The visits to
our website can relate to content under any menu, including podcasts. Unique visits average ____. All of these data
are for our platforms now, i.e., before we launch an integrated program
that is outreach-oriented.
If there are items you wish to share on
social media platforms, please contact the parish office, and we will direct
you to the appropriate feeds.
Music
this Week: The Feast of the Transfiguration, 6 August.
Prelude Chorale
Preludes on Lord, all my heart is fixed
on thee
Krebs
& Walther
Entrance
Hymn 427 “When morning gilds the
skies”
Offertory
Hymn 137 “O wondrous type, O vision
fair”
Communion
Hymn 383 “Fairest Lord Jesus”
Closing
Hymn 7 “Christ, whose glory
fills the skies”
Postlude Chorale
Prelude on The only Son from heaven Pachelbel
Sunday,
9 August, The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 14B.
Prelude
Prelude on Draw nigh
and take Leo Sowerby
Entrance
Hymn 408 “Sing praise to God who
reigns above”
Offertory
Hymn 523 “Glorious things of thee
are spoken”
Communion
Hymn 328 “Draw nigh and take the Body of
the Lord”
Closing
Hymn 657 “Love
divine, all loves excelling”
Postlude Finale
on ‘Hyfrydol’ Callahan
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.
Parish
Notices
§ Podcasts! Podcasts are found on the
website under “Media”. You can also
subscribe on ITunes or with RSS full feed at:
§ Ecumenical Thanksgiving Dinner: This year we will be hosting a Thanksgiving dinner open to the public
in conjunction with other churches in our community. On August 26th at 6
PM, we will discuss details of the event. If you can't make this meeting
but are still interested, then please contact Paul Aparicio.
§ Continuing
Education:
Michele will be out of the office August 3-7 at a Mediation Training class.
Ellen Aparicio will be in the office Monday- Thursday. The office will be
closed on Friday.
§ Brat
Fry and Bake Sale:
is August 8, 2015 at Miesfeld’s. Do you have an interest in baking goodies for
our bake sale? (This proves to be a major part of a brat fry event and your
help is most appreciated!) And/or could you help package the baked items on
Friday, August 7th at 1:00 PM? All sign-up sheets including working
at the brat fry are in the narthex. Thank you so much for your participation.
§ Bishop’s
Night at the Ballpark:
August 14, 5:30PM all-you-can-eat picnic on 3rd base picnic deck, 7:05PM first
pitch Timber Rattlers vs South Bend Cubs, at Fox Cities Stadium, Grand Chute,
WI. Picnic and game tickets: $22,50 ages 11+, $16.50 ages 2-10, no cost under
age 2. Game tickets only: $9. Parking: $5 per vehicle. Visit diofdl.org for
more info.
§ Women’s
Mini-Week:
August 13-16 “Surprised by Joy” retreat for adult women offering refuge,
friendship, relaxation, fun, and NO dishes! Held at Camp Lakotah in Wautoma, WI
Thursday supper through Sunday brunch. Varied lodging or program/meal is
available. Visit diofdl.org for more info.
§ St.
Mary the Virgin:
Monday, August 17th we will celebrate the eve of the Feast of St.
Mary the Virgin also known as the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. We will
celebrate with a Solemn Mass at 6:00 pm. We will continue the celebration with
an Ice Cream Social. Please join in the fun. If you can stay and help clean up
that would be wonderful.
§ 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.
§ 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.
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