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Thursday, October 15, 2015

The work will teach you how to do it

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 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:          

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
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!!!



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