Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan,
Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
15 October 2015
The
work will teach you how to do it. Regardless of what you think of fortune
cookies, this is a great statement at a number of levels, but especially when
we consider what our work is. At John
6.29 Jesus states, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he
has sent.”
In our life of
faith we often worry over what we are supposed to do. Jesus focuses on who we are
called to be, but in speaking of what we are to do He makes it clear that our
identification with Him and in Him is paramount. We are to follow Him, and we follow because
of belief, but it is in the act of following that our faith strengthened and
ultimately perfected. “Religion” (from
the Latin re ligio, “that which binds again”) is the practice of faith. It is something that we do together, and in
doing this work we are taught, formed into the persons God intends.
How does the
work of faith teach us how to do it?
Consider that every time you pray you learn more about prayer and about
God. Every time you read the Bible, God
speaks to you and instructs you. Every
time you gather in worship you are further formed as member of the Body of
Christ. Every time you seek God’s will
you do this because you have exercised your own will to turn to God, that you
may follow His Son. In other words,
every action and decision by and through which we practice our faith becomes a
spiritual exercise.
We know that in
physical exercise we both improve health and that muscle memory develops. In practicing a tennis backhand enough, your
body learns the motion and performs the motion better. You learn by doing. It is the same with faith, with the work of
God. We learn by doing.
Most of us have
had the experience of being challenged in our faith. Often these challenges are raised by those
who have never practiced the faith, or who stopped practicing the faith long
ago. The challenges thus have an
abstract quality; they come across as a series of questions without focused
context. It is sort of as if I were to
tell a musician what is wrong in a performance when my knowledge of music is
limited to studying piano as a child. In
music, I can say what I like or dislike, but to say what is valid or not would
be a statement made in the absence of any practice, and work, and learning on
my part.
When we continue
the work we grow in our knowledge of the work and in our understanding of how
we embody the work. We are, in other
words, formed. The alternative is to say
something like “I am not good at prayer, and so I won’t pray.” It is by praying that I will become “better
at” (formed in) prayer, that I will develop in prayer. It is in the study of Scripture that I will
come to better engage God’s Word. It is
in seeking God’s will that my own will become aligned with His, that in
gathering for worship I may be His Body.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§
Anne
and Bob Hanlon, and Mary Massey and Mary Ann Neuses for the Sunday coffee hours.
§
All
those who cleaned the church in advance of the Walsingham pilgrimage: Paul Aparicio, Dcn. Mike Burg, Julie
Davidson, Bob MacEwen, Jennifer Pawlus, Hannah Sanders and Elizabeth
Schaffenburg.
Another “coincidence”: Archbishop of Canterbury
William Temple once said “I do not believe in coincidences. When I pray to God ‘coincidences’
happen. When I don’t, they don’t.”
Consider
this train of events: Two members of
this parish meet at a fundraiser which includes a silent auction. One of the prizes is free gutter
cleaning. The first parishioner, who has
purchased tickets for the auction, says she’s not sure what to use the tickets
for. The second parishioner says that
perhaps a ticket should be used for the gutter cleaning, because he has just
spoken with a third parishioner who needs his gutters cleans. This third parishioner could ask for help,
but is planning on proceeding on his own.
The ticket is used for gutter cleaning, which is won, and the gift
certificate is given to the parishioner who needs his gutters cleaned.
The
context for this whole exchange was a faith-based fundraiser, that the two
parishioners in conversation attended because of faith-based connections. The two parishionerts speculated about what
was best, and both stated that it would be better if gutter cleaning were
provided. In this faith-based context,
were these two not gathered in Jesus’ Name, i.e., when He promises to be
present (Mtt. 18.20)? Prayers heard;
prayers answered.
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:
Music for October 16th-18th,
2015
Evensong Friday, Oct. 16th at 6pm
Nashotah House choral scholars
The Rev. Alexander Pryor, conductor
Prelude Two verses
from Magnificat for Organ R. Benjamin Dobey
Esurientes implevit bonis
Sicut locutus est
Phos hilaron O Gladsome Light Raymond Weidner
Psalm 45 chant: Hylton Stewart
Canticles Magnificat & Nunc dimittis in E flat Healey Willan
Anthem Dixit Maria Hans Leo Hassler
Postlude Sicut erat in principio from Magnificat Dobey
Pontifical Mass with Procession, Oct. 17th at 10:30am
Prelude Canciones y
Villanescas espirituales Francisco
Guerrero
The
Gaudete Brass Quintet
Processional The
Pilgrim’s Hymn
Mass setting Deutsche Messe Franz Schubert
Offertory Hymn “Hail, holy Queen, enthroned above”
Communion Motet Mary the
Dawn Dobey
Communion Hymn “Sing of Mary, pure and lowly” Raquel
Closing Hymn “Ye who claim the faith of Jesus” Den des Vaters Sinn geboren
Postlude My Spirit be
joyful (from Cantata 146) J. S. Bach
Sprinkling, Intercessions, Musical Offering and Benediction at 2pm
Prelude Largo (from
String Quartet op.76, no.5) Franz
Joseph Haydn
Aria (Cantata 68) J. S. Bach
the String Quartet
the String Quartet
During the Sprinkling Adagio
(Symphonie V)
Charles-Marie Widor
Ave Maria, op.104, no.2 Marco Enrico
Bossi
Musical Offering Music of Sir Edward Elgar
Angelus
Ave Maria
As
torrents in summer
Benediction O Salutaris Charles Gounod
Tantum ergo Dobey
Closing Hymn “Alleluia, sing to Jesus” Hyfrydol
Postlude Magnificat
(Fuga) Bach
Sunday, October 18th Pentecost 21, Proper 24B
Prelude Invocation
Alexandre Guilmant
Entrance H. 477 “All praise to thee, for thou, O King
divine” Engelberg
Offertory H. 444 “Blessed be the God of Israel” Thornbury
Communion Motet God be in
my head Philip Wilby
Comm. Hymn 475 “God himself is with us” Tysk
Closing Hymn 655 “O Jesus, I have promised” Nyland
Postlude Processional in E Flat David N. Johnson
Parish
Notices
Equipment
alert: With the installation of new video equipment
and TV's we will be recycling the old TV's and carts. If anybody has an
activity in church who could use a TV cart for that activity, please let me
know by Oct 12th or they will be repurposed for other needs. (Ed Clabots)
§ Adult Formation: This Sunday at 9:00 a.m. will start with a
“rerun”. We will offer a course first
offered in early 2012, as updated, to test how existing educational materials
can be adapted and expanded in a webcast context. As the course progresses we will go live on the web (once equipment on order arrives!) The course will be Anglican Identity, a four
part series for which the written (from 2012) materials can be found already on
our website. The Anglican Identity course focuses on what it means to follow
Jesus Christ in the unique ways that are Anglican. What is different about being an
Episcopalian, for example, than about being a Christian in another
tradition? How is this identity
manifested uniquely, and what strengths and challenges exist in being not just
a Christian but an Anglican Christian?
This course can provide a good refresher or process check for lifelong
Episcopalians, and a more complete grounding for new Episcopalians. Come prepared to share!
§ 25th
Annual Coats for Kids: is a community service
campaign that over that last 24 years the community has donated 20,000 coats to
those in need. Area residents are asked to donate clean coats in good repair.
We accept coats of all sizes for people of all ages, with the need being
greatest for children’s coats. These coats will be distributed to Sheboygan
county residents who would otherwise go without. Drop off location:
Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home, 1535 S. 12 St. Sheboygan, Tuesday, September 1st – Thursday, October
22nd, Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m. –4:00 p.m. Distribution Location: Salvation
Army, 710 Pennsylvania Ave. Sheboygan, Friday, October 23rd, from
1:00 – 7:00 p.m.
§ 23rd Annual Clothing
Exchange: Please
bring by October 30th, gently worn, clean, warm winter clothes
(infant to adult), to any public school in Sheboygan, Kohler and Howards Grove,
or St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School, or to any Sheboygan Wisconsin Bank
& Trust. Exchange will take place at
Grant Elementary School, 1528 N. 5th Street on November 7th
at 9:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. For more information please call Chris Kennedy at
208-5459.
§ Salvation Army Bell Ringing: Volunteers are need
for hourly slots of bell ringing on November 28th at Piggly Wiggly
Northside 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and Pick & Save Southside 9:00 a.m. – 7:00
p.m. Sign-up sheets can be found in the Narthex. For any questions please call
Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
§ 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