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Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Happy Anniversary

Grace Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes
5 November 2015

By calendar date, today is the fourth anniversary of my service as rector of this parish.  It’s tempting at any anniversary to reflect on what has changed over the years—the changes in people, programs, etc.—but I believe it more important to focus on what has remained the same.  What has remained the same at Grace has been the underlying charisms (gifts of the Spirit) by and through which her people witness to the glory of God. 
Different faces are seen in particular ministries, but in each ministry what remains is what abides.  God’s Word does not change.  His beauty is everlasting.  His truth is eternal.  His holiness and love are beyond time.  His goodness and blessing abides in all.  To the extent that we have “made progress” as a congregation this is because of how we have remained faithful, and to the extent we face challenges this is because we have focused more on our own resources than on God.
Moving into year 5, I remain convinced that the best and only “strategic plan” for the Church and for the parish is to discern God’s will and do it.  It’s really that simple.  When we are faithful in prayer—in paying attention—and then, by God’s grace, act on the basis of prayer, God will both make clear what He desires and provide us with every blessing we need to accomplish His will.  His will may often be different from what we had in mind!  That’s the consistent witness of Scripture.  But equally consistent is the witness that when those who serve Him do what God purposes, it becomes reality.
Moving into year 5 we again face financial challenges, serious ones.  And yet the gospel lesson for this coming Sunday (Mk. 12.38-44—the widow’s mite) reminds us that the contrast that Jesus observes in the widow is not between prudence and a blind faith, it is between security and trust; it is between an offering of self and the preservation of self-protection.  Faith involves risk, great risk.  When Jesus speaks of the widow’s offering, where is He?  He is in the Temple, having come to Jerusalem, the place He has predicted to His disciples where He will be rejected, condemned, and killed.  He is in the place where He knows He will offer all, and seeing the widow offer everything she has, He sees one who too acknowledges the greatness of God.  May we offer of self.
I thank God, every day, for how He has called me to serve, and that He has called me to serve in this place.  I thank God for how He equips us to serve together. 

Grace abounds:  Please thank:
§  Pat Sather, and Andrea and Ellen Aparicio for the Sunday coffee hours.
§  Dcn. Mike Burg, Pat Ford Smith, Barn MacEwen and Mary Massey for packing clothing shipments for refugees in Croatia.

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.

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 24, Proper 27B2

Prelude                           Lento                                                               Stanford
                                      Prelude on “Lead us, O Father”
Entrance Hymn 475        “Give praise and glory unto God”
Offertory Hymn 388        “O worship the King”
Communion Motet           Lead us, O Father                                             Gibbons
Communion Hymn 302   “Father, we thank thee who hast planted”
Closing Hymn 686           “Come, thou fount of every blessing”
Postlude                         Toccata in D                                                    Pachelbel

Parish Notices

§  Adult Formation: At 9:00 a.m. Sunday we will continue with a validation phase of live-streaming adult education on the web.  To do this we 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.  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!
§  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
§  Christmas Shoeboxes: We are looking for the following items to fill the shoeboxes: toothpaste and individually wrapped toothbrushes, mild soap bars and wash cloths, pencils, colored pencils, erasers and pencil sharpeners, paper to write on. These items must be able to fit into a shoe box. Please deposit donated items in bin located on display table in the Narthex. Deadline for donations is November 16th.
§  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.
§  Israel Pilgrimage: A group of 25 pilgrims from the Diocese of Fond du Lac, including Deacon Michele and Jon Whitford, Ed Clabots, and Leslie Kohler, as well as friends from other dioceses and other denominations, are traveling in Israel.  Please hold these pilgrims 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 Narthex.
§  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.
§  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.
§  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 November 29th (First Sunday in Advent) and concludes at sundown of the Vigil of the Nativity, December 24th. For each day a scripture lesson will be provided. Those who participate will offer a brief meditation (up to 400 words) in response to the scripture reading. 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 no later than November 16th. Sign-up sheets and scripture readings can be found in the Narthex.
§  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.
§  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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