Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
24 December 2015
It’s the Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord. Following ancient practice, in which the day
begins at sundown, we will celebrate the first Mass of Christmas this
evening. When this meditation publishes
we will be daylight hours away from our annual celebration that God is with us,
that He took on our flesh. Jesus redeems
us. He saves us, and on this Feast of
the Nativity we celebrate that salvation happens this day. In the words of St. Paul in the Christmas
lesson from the Letter to Titus, “The grace of God has appeared, bringing
salvation to all ...” God has
appeared. God appears. He is with us. “He it is who gave himself for us ...” In the words of psalm 96:
Sing to the LORD and bless his Name;
proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations
and his wonders among all peoples.
We celebrate that salvation happens this day,
that God is with us. We celebrate that
God has so loved us that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes
in Him might not die but live eternally.
We celebrate that in taking on our flesh, in being born to us as the
child in a manger, God shares in the way of all flesh, and yet calls us to
Himself and blazes a trail that no flesh could walk—that no flesh can walk absent
God’s saving power; a trail which leads beyond the death of the body to the
kingdom of heaven, in which the God who suffers with us is the great God in
who’s beauty and love and joy we may share.
The God who consoles us here, who is with us in our aloneness, is the
God who calls us to be one with Him, that the consolatio—the suffering with—given us in this world may become the
joy of redemption in heaven.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Wayne and Pat Sather, and
the Aparicio family for the Sunday coffee hours.
§ All who participated in the Christmas Castle gift
distribution: Bev Evans, Art Imig, Bob
MacEwen, Pat Sather, Nancy Yurk.
§ Those who helped in baking, flower arranging, packaging and
delivering Christmas Joy to elderly and shut-in parishioners: Mrs. Aparicio's Sunday School class, Katy
Larson , Jessica's Ambelang, Joyce Wessel, Jennifer Pawlus, Claudia Fischer,
Traci Revis, Mary Kohler, Mary Snyder, Deb Gagin Polly Schmeiser, Pat Sather,
Bev Evans, Mary Ann Neuses, Bernie Markevitch and Barb MacEwen.
§ Those who decorated
the church for Christmas, including:
Rachel Boland, Scott Fabiano, Susan McIntosh, Bernie Markevitch, Bryan
Stenz, and Jon Whitford.
Education Alert! Diocesan Deacons’ School will begin on
Saturday, 9 January 2016 at Grace,
Sheboygan! This presents an additional
and in-depth educational opportunity even if you are not in formation to become
a deacon. Classes will meet every second
Saturday, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. (gathering for worship at 8:15, and ending
with prayer at 3 p.m., with a lunch in common).
Two courses will be offered for instruction in 2016:
§ Old Testament: 3 contact hours. An in-depth survey of the origins,
composition, canonization, contents and theology of the Old Testament.
§ Church History: 3 contact hours. The history of the Church from the apostolic
age to today, with specific focus on theological development.
The courses will not result in any
educational credit, but will be taught at a college level. There will be no required tests or papers for
any participants not in formation for ordination. Approximately one to two hours study per day will be necessary to keep
current in the courses.
It is not necessary that you attend all
sections of either course, i.e., if
you want to dive deeper in particular parts of the Old Testament or Church
History you can attend only those sessions.
There will be no cost to attend, except for
the cost of textbooks (approximately $80-100).
A free will offering will be collected to help defray meal costs.
If you are curious, please request a copy of a
detailed syllabus for either or both courses from the office. It is necessary to act quickly (a lot of
reading prior to 9 January!)
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:
December
24th, Christmas Eve at 4pm
Prelude Lindsay
Fischer, cello
Processional Hymn “O
come, all ye faithful”
Gloria New English Folk Mass
Sequence Hymn “Away in a manger”
Carols during the Pageant:
“O little town of Bethlehem”
“The first Nowell”
“Joy to the world”
Offertory Hymns “The snow lay on
the ground”
“What child is this”
Communion Hymn “Silent night”
Closing Hymn “Angels we have heard on high”
Postlude Allegro giocoso from the Christmas
Concerto Liberti
Prelude at 10:30pm
Ding,
dong, merrily on high Traditional English Carol, arr.
Willcocks
Adagio from Concerto in G
Minor Georg Matthias Monn
Lindsay
Fischer, cello
In the
bleak midwinter Harold Darke
Hymn 105: “God rest ye merry,
gentlemen”
Sinfonia from the Christmas
Oratorio J. S.
Bach
Sandie
Palmer and Sutton Cecil, flutes; Lindsay Fischer, cello
Sicilienne Gabriel Fauré
Berceuse (Lullaby)
Fauré
Lindsay
Fischer, cello
Solemn Mass at 11pm
Introit Dominus
dixit Plainsong
Processional Hymn 83 “O come, all ye faithful”
Gloria
in excelsis
S-202 Willan
Offertory Hymn 79 “O little town of Bethlehem”
Sanctus S-114 Willan
Agnus
Dei Missa de Angelis Plainsong
Communion Anthems “As Joseph was a-walking” 15th century English
carol,
arr. Wells
Manger Carol 13th
century French
carol, arr. Sowerby
Communion Hymn 111 “Silent night”
Recessional Hymn 96 “Angels we have heard on high”
Postlude In
dulci jubilo J. S. Bach
December 25th at 9am
Entrance Hymn 83 “O come, all ye faithful”
Gloria
in excelsis New English Folk Mass
Offertory Hymn 87 “Hark! the herald angels sing”
Sanctus
& Agnus Dei New English Folk Mass
Communion Hymn 115 “What child is this”
Closing Hymn 96 “Angels we have heard on high”
Sunday, December 27th at 10:15
Entrance Hymn 102 “Once in royal David’s city”
Gloria S-202 Willan
Te Deum S-205 Plainsong
Offertory Hymn 82 “Of the Father’s love begotten”
Choir Motet What is this lovely fragrance French
carol, arr. Willan
Closing Hymn 100 “Joy to the world”
Parish
Notices
§ End of Year Pledge Reminder: Please make every
effort to pay the remainder of your pledge before the end of the year. If you
need to know your balance, please call the office at 452-9659. If you want tax
credit for your pledge paid in 2015, you must have the payment in the office by
Wednesday, December 30th. A check dated the 30th, but
arriving later cannot be counted as paid in 2015. All payments received after
the 30th will be credited in 2016. Thank you so much.
§ Christmas Pageant: will take place
during the 4:00 p.m. Family Christmas Eve Mass. Please be at the church for
costuming at 3:00pm December 24th.
§ Fr. Schaffenburg will be on Vacation: Fr. Karl &
Elizabeth will be on vacation December 28, 2015 through January 2, 2016. If you
have a pastoral emergency, please call Deacon Mike Burg at 918-9944 or Deacon
Michele Whitford at 918-1230 or the office 452-9659.
§ Something Extra for Grace: Envelopes are
available in the pews if you are movedto 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.
§ The Feast of the Epiphany: We will
celebrate the Eve of the Feast of Epiphany Tuesday, January 5th.
Parishioners and their guests are invited to Solemn Mass beginning at 6:00 p.m.
followed by Twelfth Night Reception. Please sign up in the narthex or by
calling the church office at 452-9659.
§ Bible Challenge: Grace Abounds will launch The Bible Challenge on the First Monday of 2016, January 4th.
If you take this challenge, you will find that in one year you will read all of
the Bible! This will require less than an hour of your time, six days a week. A
schedule of readings will be provided on the parish website, along with weekly
study summaries and a weekly video summery of the readings. If you need a good
study bible for the challenge, contact the parish office. When we immerse
ourselves in Scripture, the mantle of the Lord does fall upon us. We are
equipped to discern God’s will and to lead others to know and love and serve
the Lord.
§ Resting in the Heart: On Saturday, January 9, 2016, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m, the Rev.
Paul Feider, nationally known author and speaker, will be presenting a Healing
Conference called “Resting in the Heart – a search for inner peace.” This
conference is for those who are searching for inner healing or those who seek
to help others find inner healing. There will be a Healing Eucharist at 1pm
with time for healing prayer. All are welcome to share in this conference which
takes place at St. Thomas Church, 226 Washington St, Menasha. Please register
online at www.stthomaswi.com or by calling (920) 725-5601.
§ The Annual Meeting: This year’s Annual
Meeting will take place on Sunday, January 31, 2016. We will have one Mass at
9:00am followed by the Annual Meeting at 10:15am. If you have been in
leadership of any group or committee please submit an annual report to the office@gracesheboygan.com. Please make every
effort to attend and participate.
§ Flower Schedule for 2016: Giving the gift of flowers is a wonderful way to
remember a loved one or to offer thanksgiving for your blessings. If you wish
to sign up for a specific Sunday, the Flower Schedule is available on the table
in the narthex. More than one person can sign up for each Sunday.
§
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Follow Grace
Church on Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan
§ We Are on Itunes! Check out the new
podcast!!!
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