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Thursday, November 12, 2015

Flying Glass


Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin



Grace Notes

12 November 2015



  On this date forty-nine years ago I was with my family, returning from a harpsichord concert at a prominent Episcopalian church in Philadelphia.  We were in a serious head-on automobile collision, and I ended up going through the windshield, but ending up essentially unhurt, with a large goose egg on my head.  What I remember best about the accident—even better than the serious injuries suffered by others—was what it looked like as the windshield shattered around me.  In my perception, everything happened very slowly.  I could watch the glass break and fly, with time to speculate about how badly cut I might find myself.

The phenomenon of “time standing still” is common in incidents of trauma, shock, etc.  Our senses are heightened, no doubt as part of a primal survival adaptation related to the “fight or flight” instincts in our lower brains.  But the phenomenon is notable, for it should make us wonder more about all the details we are missing on a daily basis.

In faith we recognize that we live in eternity.  We are, of course, time-bound creatures of flesh and blood, and yet we confess that we are timeless, eternal, in who and what God has created us to be.  Indeed, we confess a resurrection not of spirit only, but of flesh as well.  And so the question becomes, How do we recognize eternity now, while we still experience time?  This question was brought to the fore in a recent conversation I enjoyed, in which an elderly widower, still in fresh grief, described his heightened awareness of eternity, of God’s plan and of God’s blessing.  Perhaps an increased awareness of mortality gives rise to an increased awareness of immortality?  The mortal and the immortal at some point (in time) meet, and when they do life does not end, but assumes a new and continuing beginning.  If, in the “meantime” we can better learn to pay attention amidst changes in life that placed against the eternal are even more fleeting than the flying of broken glass, it will be in these details of life that we can better understand God’s presence in all.

May God forbid that it should require trauma to pay attention!  Rather, can we not heighten our own awareness through the simple and yet oft-repeated practice of the faith.  It will be in the little and seemingly boring details of daily prayer, daily thanksgiving, attendance on worship on days convenient and not, that our spiritual perception will be heightened.  And as this happens, flying glass will be as nothing compared to flying angels, to the glimmers of God’s glory.



Grace abounds:  Please thank:

  • Kevan and Traci Revis, and the Aparicio family for the Sunday coffee hours.
  • Dcn. Mike Burg, Pat Ford Smith, Barn MacEwen and Mary Massey for packing clothing shipments for refugees in Croatia.
  • Please thank Ben Dobey for gardening.



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.



Help needed!  Books are piling up in the parish library.  What can you do to help?  (1) You can volunteer to shelve books and reconcile the card catalogue.  (2) We cannot accept any donations until further notice.

If you want to become familiar with the organization of the library and card catalogue, please visit the office, and we’ll walk you through what needs to be organized.  Thank you!



Advent meditations:  For several years the parish has prepared and published a booklet of Lenten meditations, in which parishioners have reflected on the prayer and scripture lessons appointed for each day in Lent.  This year we will begin an additional meditation series, with meditations offered for each day in Advent.

Advent, sometimes called “Little Lent,” begins on 29 November (First Sunday in Advent) and concludes at sundown of the Vigil of the Nativity, 24 December.  For each day a prayer and scripture lesson will be provided.  Those who participate will offer a brief meditation (up to 400 words) in response to the prayer, meditation, and progress of the season as we each prepare to receive Our Lord become flesh.  These meditations will be published in print and online, and can be submitted for attribution or anonymously.  In addition, meditations can be read aloud on Grace Abounds, as part of our podcast series.

If you wish to participate, please sign up for a day, and have all meditations completed and submitted to the parish office not later than 16 November.



Grace Abounds Developments:  New hardware and software is arriving as this is written, which will allow video and audio live streaming within the month.  In addition, effective now the hearing aid loops are active in the church nave and in St. Nicholas Hall.  If you wear a hearing aid, and set the T-coil switch, the loop will automatically feed into your hearing aid.  This is independent from the speakers in the nave and hall; it feed directly into the hearing aid.  If you want to try the system, and do not use a hearing aid, headsets are available.



Music this Week:          Pentecost 25, Proper 28B2



Prelude                      Alla Sarabanda                            Vaughan Williams

                                Musette

Entrance Hymn 598      “Lord Christ, when first thou cam’st to earth”

Offertory Hymn 665     “All my hope on God is founded”

Communion Motet       God be in my head                                      Rutter

Communion Hymn 615 “Thy kingdom come”

Closing Hymn 594        “God of grace and God of glory”

Postlude                     Fantasy in C                                                Byrd



Parish Notices



  • Christmas Shoe Boxes: This Sunday we plan to assemble the shoe boxes and we would like to pair each child in our classes with an adult. Feel free to meet in Ms. Andrea’s Sunday School Classroom at 9:00 a.m. to participate in this unique opportunity for fellowship with our youngest members.  Should you still have items you would like to add to the shoeboxes (small toys, school supplies, non-liquid hygiene products – toothbrushes, soap bars etc. – craft supplies and accessories – hair bows, socks, hats or jewelry) we will continue to pack these boxes throughout the coming week.  Collection dates at Sonlight Books are November 16th through November 23rd.
  • Fall Clean-up: Saturday November 21st there will be a Fall Clean-up – outside only – commencing at 8:30 a.m. for 3 hours.  Breakfast and snacks will be provided.  The Boy Scouts will help us at the beginning of what will be their own leaf cleaning campaign.
  • Tripartite Thanksgiving Eve Worship: Join the Celebration on Wednesday, November 25th at 7:00pm at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. Join in the Tripartite Combined Choir and enjoy fellowship and deserts following the worship. The Thanksgiving Offering will benefit the Salvation Army. We will need two people to serve as ushers and a reader, if you can help please call the office. Thank you.
  • Israel Pilgrimage:  Please continue to hold our pilgrims, who are returning this week, in your prayers for safe travel and enrichment. For further information go to https://stthomas2israel.wordpress.com/
  • Refugee Crisis in Croatia: Missionaries Aaron and Winnie Horvat are trying to help the Syrian refugee families flooding into Croatia. The stories of hardship, horror and desperation are hard to imagine. Most have had to leave everything behind, coming with only the clothes on their backs. Many have makeshift shoes. Aaron and Winnie’s main focus has been mothers with small children. Items needed: baby blankets, children’s socks & underwear, sweaters, hoodies, warm jackets, toothbrushes & small size toothpaste, individually wrapped sanitary napkins, children’s shoes, women’s underwear & socks. Please deposit donations in plastic bin in Narthex. Deacon Mike will box and ship the items. Donations towards shipping are also welcome. There is no deadline. For more information please refer to bulletin board in the Narthex.
  • 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.
  • Something Extra for Grace: Envelopes are available in the pews if you are moved to give an extra gift, beyond your pledge or regular plate donation, toward the life of the church.  Gifts are tax deductible if you write your name on the envelope. 

  • Missing Tables: Six rectangular tables have gone missing since Mass in the Grass. If anyone has knowledge of where they might be, please call the office.  Or, if you have these tables in your possession, please return them as soon as you are able.  These tables are used for set up in meetings.
  • Adult Formation: Adult formation will not meet this Sunday.  Fr. Karl will be travelling.  Please welcome Fr. John Cell as the celebrant the Sunday.
  • Lindsay Fischer is the solo cellist: at the next Sheboygan Symphony Concert on November 14th at the Weill Center, in their performance of the J.S.Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 6. The concert also features Ana Sinkovec Burstin playing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1.  For more information go to weillcenter.com or call 920 208-3243. The Symphony Office number is 920-452-1985 and their website also has information at sheboygansymphony.org

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