Of Fools and Formation

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

28 July 2016

At Mtt. 5.22 Jesus admonishes that one who calls another “fool” is liable to judgment, and yet in our gospel lesson for the coming Sunday He places (at Lk. 12.20) the epithet “fool” in God’s mouth.  At first glance this might look like an example of a different standard being applied to God, that as Judge He is not subject to judgment.  This distinction would be valid, even if we chose to cloud the argument by pointing out that the words translated as “fool” are in each case different.  In Matthew the word is mōré (stupid person); in Luke, Jesus uses aphrōn (one lacking in perception and moderation).  The reality is that God is judged by no one, except to the extent that He chooses to reveal how He judges Himself.

God does choose to reveal His character, i.e., how He judges Himself.  He does this in becoming one of us, in Jesus, and giving all of Himself.  He does this even in the story which includes last week’s Old Testament lesson (Gen. 18.20—32, the judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah).  In the verses which immediately precede what we heard last week, the Lord speaks aloud before Abraham, saying, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation … No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and household after him to keep the way of the Lord …” (Gen. 18-17—18).  In other words, God reveals His way to Abraham, to us.  He reveals His character and His will, and it is up to us to respond freely to this revelation not only in how we live but in how we become examples to others.

Abraham participates in God’s soliloquy that “he may charge his children and his household”.  We experience God’s living Word both in Jesus’ presence and in holy Scripture in order that we may charge/instruct those whose lives we touch.  God uses us to reveal His character and will to others.  To be instruments of this revelation we must know God as intimately as He was known by Abraham.

Can we know God this intimately?  We can and do, even the more so!  At Genesis 18 God passes before Abraham, and Abraham invites God to his table.  In the Holy Eucharist we stand before God, and He invites us to His table.  We participate in His very life, enjoying communion with Him by and through the Body and Blood of His Son.  We are formed and made more Christ like in order that God may use as His instruments to instruct all people of who He is and what His will is.

With each participation in the Holy Eucharist we become more Christ like.  We each participation we become more the instrument God intends.  Be formed; be formed that God may use you to reveal Himself to those who do not yet know Him.

Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Bobbie May for the Sunday coffee hour.

Call for Contributions:  If you have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshipers toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by Wednesday in the week of publication.

Don’t forget “Something Extra for Grace”:  Supplemental giving envelopes can be found in pews.  If you want to give something extra, please use an envelope to ensure that you are credited. 

Music this Week:  The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13C)

Prelude                           Trumpet Concert in D                                     T. Albinoni

                                      Michael Winkler, trumpet

Entrance Hymn432          “O praise ye the Lord”                         Laudate Dominum

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

Communion Hymn 564    “Come down, O Love divine”                     Down Ampney

Closing Hymn 564           “He who would valiant be”                           St. Dunstan’s

Postlude                          Allegro (Trumpet Concerto in E flat)                 F.J. Haydn

Parish Notices

§  Ben Dobey, our Organist & Choirmaster, is retiring: On July 31^st a celebration brunch will be held in honor of Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey and the ministry of music that he has shared with us. All food will be catered by the hospitality committee. Please stay and help clean up as you are able.

§  Caleb Klinzing and the Spanish students from IDEAS Academy: (A public charter school part of the Sheboygan Area School District) are hosting a brat fry on July 31st to raise funds for a service learning trip to Costa Rica in the summer of 2017. If you are unable to attend, please consider making a donation on the gofundme page: https://www.gofundme.com/24jwby5k

§  ESTHER: IT’S TOUGH BEING A WOMAN: Grace Church Women’s Bible Study will begin on Monday August 29^that 10:00am.  Join us for a faith journey through the Book of Esther.  Beth Moore will take us through a very personal examination of this Old Testament story of Esther as she peels back the layers of history and shows us how very contemporary and applicable the story is to our lives today. If you’ve ever felt inadequate, fearful or find yourself in situations that seem overpowering, this is the study for you. Just as it was tough being a woman in Esther’s time, it is tough being a woman today. During this nine-week study we will watch a lecture on DVD’s, use a workbook ($15.99), and talk about Beth’s teachings. The Book of Esther contains treasures to aid us in our sometimes hurried, harried and pressured lives.

§  For those of you who are interested, there is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex.

§  Love INC - Love In The Name of Christ:

§  The Guild of Martha & Mary: launched their “Feed Your Soul” cooking ministry, here at Grace Church, with 3 Neighbors-In-Need referred through Love Inc. Please pray for the new cooking ministry! If you want to get involved please call Jenna, Love Inc. Coordinator, at 920-783-6701, ext. 103 or call Paul Aparicio at 920-912-6009.

§  “Freedom Cry Anti-Sex Trafficking: This Coalition is hosting a lantern walk on August 19^th. They are looking for 150 mason jars and 150 battery operated tea lights to place along the walk.  They will need these supplies to be dropped off at Love INC. by July 31^st.

§  For more information regarding Love INC, items needed and volunteer opportunities please see their July bulletin in the Narthex.

§  Education for Ministry (EfM): This class was created to help you find your vocation and ministry with a trusted group of friends. By studying scripture, history and reading other people’s writings, we discover more about God’s wonderful plan for our lives. The EfM class will meet on Tuesday nights starting September 13 at 5:30 pm. at the St Peter’s Church House, Sheboygan Falls. Interested individuals can contact Barb Drewry-Zimmerman at: bzimmy@excel.net or call 920-893-5189 for registration materials. Cost is $350 & scholarships are available. Registrations are due by August 1.  They can be mailed to Barb at: PO Box 67, Boulder Junction, WI  54512.

§  Like Grace Church on Facebook

§  Follow Grace Church on Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan

§  Follow Grace Church on Instagram: @GEC_Sheboygan

§  We Are on Itunes! Check out the new podcast!!!

§  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/grace-church-sheboygan/id982836791

The Figure of the Magdalene

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

21 July 2016

Tomorrow is the feast of St. Mary Magdalene.  Mary has for centuries been known in the Orthodox Church as “the apostle to the apostles”, because at Jn. 20.17 Jesus specifically commissions her to tell the disciples that He is risen.  This year the Roman Catholic Church will also proclaim the title for Mary, a title which has been used in many Anglican circles for a long time.

In popular understanding many think of Mary as a reformed prostitute.  (She is depicted this way in the 2016 movie Risen.)  There is no biblical evidence of this.  Mary is described by Luke as having been cleansed of seven demons (8.2).  She is further described as a member of a group of women providing for the disciples’ needs.  The fact that she has a surname (Magdalene = “of Magdala”) is highly unusual, and indicates a high status.  (Another of the women in her group is the wife of Herod’s steward.)  The association of her with prostitution is an artifact of the how Luke’s first mention of her relates to his story of Jesus being anointed by a sinful woman (Lk. 7.36—50).  Until the early fifteenth century bibles were not organized in chapters and verses, and the flow of the story in what is now chapter 7 into chapter 8 is an assumption that Pope Leo I made in preaching bout Mary in a famous sermon given in A.D. 451.  (But note that not even the sinful woman at Lk. 7.36—50 is anywhere described as a prostitute.)

“The figure of the Magdalene” became a theme in Medieval and Renaissance thinking.  One need not be a feminist to note that this supreme example of a reformed sinner was one written about by men in patriarchal societies.

We may remember Mary as one who gave her life to Jesus.  She provided for His needs.  She did not abandon Him at the cross.  She went to anoint His body, at great risk to herself.  And it was to her that Jesus first appeared.  May the faith that animated her serve as an example to all of us—dedication to the Christ brings transformation in this life, and salvation to life everlasting.

Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Polly Beebe, and Steve and Polly Schmeisser for the Sunday coffee hour.

§  Bobbie May for gardening, and for work in the parish library.

§  John Davis for lawn care.

§  Archdeacon Michele Whitford and Bryan Stenz for preparing studio space for Grace Abounds.

Call for Contributions:  If you have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshipers toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by Wednesday in the week of publication.

Don’t forget “Something Extra for Grace”:  Supplemental giving envelopes can be found in pews.  If you want to give something extra, please use an envelope to ensure that you are credited. 

Music this Week:  The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12C)

Prelude                          Chorale Preludes by J. S. Bach and Max Reger on Our

                                      Father, thou in heaven above

Entrance Hymn 410       “Praise, my soul, the King of heaven”          Lauda anima

Offertory Hymn 477      “All praise to thee, for thou, O King divine”   Engelberg

Communion Hymn 664 “My Shepherd will supply my need”             Resignation 

Closing Hymn 613         “Thy kingdom come, O God”                         St. Cecilia

Postlude                       Allegro assai vivace (Sonata I)             Felix Mendelssohn

Parish Notices

§  Ben Dobey, our Organist & Choirmaster, is retiring Sunday, July 31st:  Mark your calendars and sign up on the sheet on the table in the Narthex, or call the office to make a reservation, for the celebration brunch to be held that day in Ben’s honor. All food will be catered by the hospitality committee.

§  Point In Time Semi-Annual Homeless Count: Volunteers are needed on Wednesday, July 27^th, 11:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. Training will be provided on that day at 10:00 p.m. Please see the notice board in the Narthex for more details.

§  Love INC - Love In The Name of Christ:

§  The Guild of Martha & Mary: launched their “Feed Your Soul” cooking ministry last week Saturday, here at Grace Church, with 3 Neighbors-In-Need referred through Love Inc. Please pray for the new cooking ministry! If you want to get involved please call Jenna, Love Inc. Coordinator, at 920-783-6701, ext. 103 or call Paul Aparicio at 920-912-6009.

§  “Freedom Cry Anti-Sex Trafficking: This Coalition is hosting a lantern walk on August 19^th. They are looking for 150 mason jars and 150 battery operated tea lights to place along the walk.  They will need these supplies to be dropped off at Love INC. by July 31^st.

§  For more information regarding Love INC, items needed and volunteer opportunities please see their July bulletin in the Narthex.

§  Caleb Klinzing and the Spanish students from IDEAS Academy: (A public charter school part of the Sheboygan Area School District) are hosting a brat fry on Sunday, July 31st to raise funds for a service learning trip to Costa Rica in the summer of 2017. If you are unable to attend, please consider making a donation on the gofundme page: https://www.gofundme.com/24jwby5k

§  ESTHER: IT’S TOUGH BEING A WOMAN: Grace Church Women’s Bible Study will begin on Monday August 29^that 10:00am.  Join us for a faith journey through the Book of Esther.  Beth Moore will take us through a very personal examination of this Old Testament story of Esther as she peels back the layers of history and shows us how very contemporary and applicable the story is to our lives today. If you’ve ever felt inadequate, fearful or find yourself in situations that seem overpowering, this is the study for you. Just as it was tough being a woman in Esther’s time, it is tough being a woman today. During this nine-week study we will watch a lecture on DVD’s, use a workbook ($15.99), and talk about Beth’s teachings. The Book of Esther contains treasures to aid us in our sometimes hurried, harried and pressured lives. For those of you who are interested, there is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex.

§  Education for Ministry (EfM): This class was created to help you find your vocation and ministry with a trusted group of friends. By studying scripture, history and reading other people’s writings, we discover more about God’s wonderful plan for our lives. The EfM class will meet on Tuesday nights starting September 13 at 5:30 pm. at the St Peter’s Church House, Sheboygan Falls. Interested individuals can contact Barb Drewry-Zimmerman at: bzimmy@excel.net or call 920-893-5189 for registration materials. Cost is $350 & scholarships are available. Registrations are due by August 1.  They can be mailed to Barb at: PO Box 67, Boulder Junction, WI  54512.

§  Like Grace Church on Facebook

§  Follow Grace Church on Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan

§  Follow Grace Church on Instagram: @GEC_Sheboygan

§  We Are on Itunes! Check out the new podcast!!!

§  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/grace-church-sheboygan/id982836791

Who,Why, not What

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

14 July 2016

I love the worship and music of the Russian Orthodox Church.  I have a very extensive collection of recordings of this music, a reasonable collection of sheet music and reference materials, and the knowledge of a dedicated enthusiast and critic who lacks any substantive musical skill, but has been privileged to sing examples of this music in worship and concert.  It was with a certain pleasurable anticipation, therefore, that I recently acquired two new recordings of this music, on the basis of very favorable reviews by a widely-respected critic. I was disappointed, and not because of any lack of technical quality in the performances.  What was lacking was a sense of inhabiting the music as worship.

The recordings were made by a notable Western choir.  Any quibbles about diction from English men and women singing in Church Slavonic were vanishingly small.  The musical talents of the performers were prodigious.  The recorded sound was award-winning.  So what was missing?  I think what was lacking was a sense that the singing involved more than words set to music, more than a performance.  What was needed was evidence of hearts being lifted up.

An example:  The All Night Vigil of Sergei Rachmaninoff has been recorded by many notable choirs.  The most recent recording combines choirs from Kansas City and Phoenix, and the result is aurally spectacular, but no hearts are moved.  In contrast, evidence of hearts being lifted up is very much present in a 1960’s Soviet era recording made in Moscow.  The Russian singers—“performing” in an officially and militantly atheistic society, are moved by what they sing.  They are praying and not just singing.

Which brings us to our own experience of worship.  Regardless of tastes in music and in styles of worship, do we offer our hearts or are we focused more on whether or not we are doing things “correctly”?   We must always offer our best to God.  This is an offering of self that may include superior skills or may include a heart that is lifted up even when it resides in one who “cannot carry a tune in a bucket”.  What we do in liturgy is an offering focused on why we make this offering and to whom.

I guess it is the why and the whom that seem so secondary in the what of the recordings I have referred to.  When we can keep the why and the whom primary in all of our worship, we’ll not go wrong.

Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Elizabeth Schaffenburg, and Steve and Katie Larson for the Sunday coffee hours.

§  Archdeacon Michele Whitford and Bryan Stenz for ongoing work preparing studio space for Grace Abounds.

§  Ben Dobey for work in the garden.

Call for Contributions:  If you have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshipers toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by Wednesday in the week of publication.

Don’t forget “Something Extra for Grace”:  Supplemental giving envelopes can be found in pews.  If you want to give something extra, please use an envelope to ensure that you are credited. 

Music this Week:  The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11C)

Prelude  Preludes on Jesus, lead thou on & Let us ever walk with Jesus   Paul Manz

Entrance Hymn  637      “How firm a foundation”                                         Lyons

Offertory Hymn 525       “The Church’s one foundation”                             Aurelia

Communion Hymn 488 “Be thou my vision”                                               Slane

Closing Hymn 411         “O bless the Lord, my soul”            St. Thomas (Williams)

Postlude                        Prelude & Fugue in D Major (WTC II)                 J. S. Bach

Parish Notices

§  Ben Dobey, our Organist & Choirmaster, is retiring on July 31^st:  Mark your calendars and sign up on the sheet on the table in the Narthex, or call the office to make a reservation, for the celebration brunch to be held that day in Ben’s honor. All food will be catered by the hospitality committee.

§  Esther: It’s Tough Being a Woman:  Grace Church Women’s Bible Study will begin on Monday August 29^that 10:00am.  Join us for a faith journey through the Book of Esther.  Beth Moore will take us through a very personal examination of this Old Testament story of Esther as she peels back the layers of history and shows us how very contemporary and applicable the story is to our lives today. If you’ve ever felt inadequate, fearful or find yourself in situations that seem overpowering, this is the study for you. Just as it was tough being a woman in Esther’s time, it is tough being a woman today. During this nine-week study we will watch a lecture on DVD’s, use a workbook ($15.99), and talk about Beth’s teachings. The Book of Esther contains treasures to aid us in our sometimes hurried, harried and pressured lives. If you have not already signed up, there is a sheet in the Narthex. We hope you can join us as we walk through this portion of God’s Word.  

§  Point In Time Semi-Annual Homeless Count: Volunteers are need on Wednesday, July 27^th, 11:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. Training will be provided on that day at 10:00 p.m. Please see the notice board in the Narthex for more details.

§  Love INC - Love In The Name of Christ:

§  The Guild of Martha & Mary: launched their “Feed Your Soul” cooking ministry yesterday, here at Grace Church, with 6 Neighbors-In-Need referred through Love Inc. Please pray for the new cooking ministry! If you want to get involved please call Jenna, Love Inc. Coordinator, at 920-783-6701, ext. 103 or call Paul Aparicio at 920-912-6009.

§  “Freedom Cry Anti-Sex Trafficking: This Coalition is hosting a lantern walk on August 19^th. They are looking for 150 mason jars and 150 battery operated tea lights to place along the walk.  They will need these supplies to be dropped off at Love INC. by July 31^st

§  For more information regarding Love INC, items needed and volunteer opportunities please see their July bulletin in the Narthex.

§  Education for Ministry (EfM): This class was created to help you find your vocation and ministry with a trusted group of friends. By studying scripture, history and reading other people’s writings, we discover more about God’s wonderful plan for our lives. The EfM class will meet on Tuesday nights starting September 13 at 5:30 pm. at the St Peter’s Church House, Sheboygan Falls. Interested individuals can contact Barb Drewry-Zimmerman at: bzimmy@excel.net or call 920-893-5189 for registration materials. Cost is $350 & scholarships are available. Registrations are due by August 1st.  They can be mailed to Barb at: PO Box 67, Boulder Junction, WI  54512.

§  Like Grace Church on Facebook

§  Follow Grace Church on Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan

§  Follow Grace Church on Instagram: @GEC_Sheboygan

§  We Are on Itunes! Check out the new podcast!!!

§  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/grace-church-sheboygan/id982836791

Sowing and Reaping

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

7 July 2016

Today is the feast of St. Paladius of Ireland (d. ca. 457—461).  Paladius is remembered as apostle to Ireland, a designation usually associated with St. Patrick.  Patrick is far better remembered, and can perhaps be better thought of as apostle “of” the Irish, because Paladius’ one year mission was so unsuccessful that he left Ireland, and Patrick succeeded spectacularly.  This contrast, however, begs the question “Would Patrick have succeeded absent the prior mission of Paladius?”

This is a question of the type that we should each ask of ourselves whenever our efforts to witness to the faith seem to fail.  The ultimate success of all mission is that God’s will may be done, and when we witness to the faith we witness to the reality that the message is God’s, not ours; the work is God’s, not ours; the “success” is God’s, not ours—to God be the glory!

Paladius and Patrick each brought the Good News to a land then considered barbarous, and populated by those who were not disposed to receive any witness that would challenge their ways.  We may each have a differing opinion on what we now consider to be civilized ways, but we also commonly experience that most whom we meet are not disposed to listen to any faith testimony.  Our culture is one in which the sharing of faith is itself considered “out of bounds”, just as it was out of bounds for Paladius and Patrick to go to Ireland in the first place, and just as it was out of bounds for them to testify to Jesus in the face of pagan belief.

When we remind ourselves that the work is God’s, then we can focus on the reality that it is pointless to worry about “success”.  We can focus on being available to God to do His work, to plant seeds that will be harvested by another.

The next time you are discouraged in any ministry, ask St. Paladius to pray for you!  Remember that he must have been very discouraged, but that the seeds he planted for God allowed Patrick to both sow and harvest a rich bounty for the kingdom.

Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Elizabeth Schaffenburg, and Jessica and Tom Ambelang for the Sunday coffee hours.

§  Bryan Stenz and Archdeacon Michele for their work in cleaning basement rooms to prepare for Grace Abounds ministry space.

§  Ben Dobey for work in the garden.

§  Scott Gedemer for lawn care.

§  Elizabeth Schaffenburg, Elaine Dinstuhl, Julie Davidson, and Pat Ford Smith for help with a parish 4^th of July cook-out.

Call for Contributions:  If you have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshipers toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by Wednesday in the week of publication.

Music this Week:  The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9C)

Prelude                          Andantino                                                    Harold Darke

Entrance Hymn  376       “Joyful, joyful we adore thee”                      Hymn to Joy

Offertory Hymn   660     “O Master, let me walk with thee”                Maryton

Communion Hymn  609  “Where cross the crowded ways of life”        Gardiner

Closing Hymn  529         “In Christ there is no east or west”               McKee

Postlude                        Toccata in C  J                                          Johann Krieger

Parish Notices

§  Elkhart Lake Chapel: We are still in need of help for the following Sundays: July 17 & 31, August 14 & 21 and September 4. This includes: picking up the box of bulletins at Grace Church, arriving a little early to open the buildings, finding readers for the lessons and the prayers of the people, lighting candles, greeting the visiting priest, various other tasks, locking up at the end and returning the box to Grace Church. There are instructions printed and several people who would be able to help if you have questions. Please sign up for a Sunday or two by calling the office at 452-9659 with dates you are available. Thank you.

§  Unless volunteers come forward there will be no Coffee Hour: for the month of August. Please see the sign-up book on the table in the Narthex.

§  Ben Dobey, our Organist & Choirmaster, is retiring on July 31^st:  Mark your calendars and sign up on the sheet on the table in the Narthex, or call the office to make a reservation, for the celebration brunch to be held that day in Ben’s honor. All food will be catered by the hospitality committee.

§  Lobster Boil: Once again, for the 24^th year, on July 15th the Sheboygan Early Bird Rotary are offering a Lobster Boil. For more details, see the notice board in the Narthex or call Greg Burgett at 451-6264. Closing date for tickets is July 11^th.

§  Education for Ministry (EfM): This class was created to help you find your vocation and ministry with a trusted group of friends. By studying scripture, history and reading other people’s writings, we discover more about God’s wonderful plan for our lives. The EfM class will meet on Tuesday nights starting September 13 at 5:30 pm. at the St Peter’s Church House, Sheboygan Falls. Interested individuals can contact Barb Drewry-Zimmerman at: bzimmy@excel.net or call 920-893-5189 for registration materials. Cost is $350 & scholarships are available. Registrations are due by August 1.  They can be mailed to Barb at: PO Box 67, Boulder Junction, WI  54512.

§  Like Grace Church on Facebook

§  Follow Grace Church on Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan

§  Follow Grace Church on Instagram: @GEC_Sheboygan

§  We Are on Itunes! Check out the new podcast!!!

§  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/grace-church-sheboygan/id982836791