Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
11 August 2016
“Holy ‘coincidence’”! Note the quotation marks. William Temple (Archbishop of Canterbury
1942—44) once said words to the effect, “When I pray to God, coincidences
happen. When I don’t, they don’t.” We might add to this the similar observation
that a coincidence reflects “God’s decision to remain anonymous”. These observations came to mind yesterday
when, on the feast of St. Laurence the Deacon (d. 258), patron saint of the
diaconate, the New Testament lesson for Morning Prayer was Acts 6.1-7, the
story of the appointment of the original seven deacons in the Church.
Bear in mind that the lectionary of readings
for Morning Prayer is independent of the calendar of saints, so for Acts 6.1-7
to appear of Laurence’s day looks like a happy coincidence. But is it?
Indeed, is any such “coincidence” merely the result of random events?
Randomness presupposes a lack of
purpose. Belief in God presupposes
purpose. That’s the fundamental
difference between secularism and faith.
It is certainly part of Christian faith to discern how God reveals His
purpose for us, to ask questions, but the Christian worldview is fundamentally
different from the secular worldview. In
secularism life has no purpose; it is a phenomenon that we can argue over (e.g., what knowledge is, and how this
relates to sensation; whether the “self” can be “aware”; whether human life
differs in any way from the life found in other animals and in plants; how life
began and how it will end, etc.), and these arguments are common because our
experience of being human includes the experience of searching for
answers. But searching for any “answer”
presupposes purpose, that existence is not merely random and determined by the
random interaction of purely material forces, things and events! In other words, to be intellectually honest,
to be truly secular a person has to accept that any search for any answer is absurd.
Once we accept the revelation that life is
not random, that purpose exists, then we start to attempt to make connections
between events and purpose. This line of
speculation can follow many pathways, with conflicts between a strong
determinism (the view that everything is foreordained) and the concept of free
will (that our choices influence events and outcomes), and all such speculation
is informed in how God chooses to reveal Himself and His will for us (e.g., in Scripture, in the answers to
prayers).
The next time you encounter a “coincidence”
stop and consider that it might just be God “tapping your shoulder” to make
sure you are paying attention. You need
to not read too much into any coincidence, but asking whether there is
something to be read into the event can allow you to focus on the reality that
in all times and places God reaches out to us, and when He gets our attention
our response must be one which recognizes His rule, His greatness, His love.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Gary and Elaine
Dinstuhl, and Bryan Stenz for the Sunday coffee hours, assisted in cleanup by
Julie Davidson.
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
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15C)
Organist: Delpha McAloon
Cantor: Sandie Palmer
Entrance Hymn 544 “Jesus
shall reign wher-e’re the sun” Duke
Street
Offertory Hymn 366 “Holy
God, we praise thy Name,” Grosser Gott
Communion Hymn 419 “Lord of all being,” Mendon
Closing Hymn 655 “O
Jesus, I have promised” Nyland
Parish
Notices
§ St. Mary the Virgin: Monday, August 15th is the Feast of St.
Mary the Virgin, also known as the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. We will
celebrate with a Solemn Mass at 6:00 pm.
§ Fr. Karl Schaffenburg will be traveling: August 18th – 22nd. Fr. Marcus Cunningham will be presiding at
mass on Sunday, August 21st.
§ Coffee Hour: We need volunteers for the following Sundays: August
21st and 28th.
§ ESTHER: IT’S TOUGH BEING A WOMAN: Grace Church Women’s Bible Study
will begin on Monday August 29that 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: will hold their second cooking
session here at Grace Church on August 16th, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Please
pray for this 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 Coalition Lantern Walk: Unknown to many, the extent of
this horrific scourge on our Sheboygan community is second (Milwaukee being
first) in the State of Wisconsin. On August 19th at 7:00 p.m at the
Sheboygan County Christian High School there will be a free showing of the
documentary “Nefarious” (see poster on notice board in the Narthex). Due to the
images and content in the documentary, this event is for a mature audience. The
Lantern Walk will take place following the documentary. Funds raised
will go to Redeem and Restore in Waukesha and The Anti-Trafficking Coalition
of Sheboygan County.
§ For more information regarding
Love INC, items needed and volunteer opportunities please see their July
bulletin in the Narthex.
§ My First Year In Seminary: Bobby Kraft will be here on August
21st to give the aforementioned presentation at 9:00 a.m.
§ Eucharistic Festival: August 27, 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Cathedral
Church of St. Paul in Fond du Lac, WI. A traditional celebration of the
Sacrament, with an outdoor procession & adoration. Homilist is the Rev.
Matthew Olver, Teaching Fellow in Liturgics, Nashotah House Theological
Seminary. Picnic meal follows. All are welcome to this diocesan family
celebration. Sign up online to help or sing in the choir. For more details see
the notice board in the Narthex or visit diofdl.org/ef. Commemoration of
Blessed Charles Chapman Grafton: Included in the Eucharistic Festival is
The Grafton Lecture, 1:00–2:00 p.m in St. Augustine’s Chapel. Matthew P. Payne
presents “A Brief History of An Episcopal Orthodox Affair: a Russian and a
Bostonian” with response from festival homilist, Fr. Matthew Olver.
§ Blessing of the Backpacks! We will be blessing all the
backpacks and school children as well as all the teachers, on August 28th
at both 8:00 and 10:15 services. We will invite everyone, young and old, who
are starting school to come forward with their backpacks for a blessing. We
will also ask all the teachers to come forward to be blessed in their important
work as well.
§ Mass in the Grass: Please join us Sunday, September 11, 2016 for an
outdoor Mass and All Church Picnic together with the parish of St. Peter,
Sheboygan Falls and the parish of St. Paul, Plymouth. This event will take
place at Deland Community Center, 901 Broughton Dr., Sheboygan, beginning with
Mass at 10:00 a.m. with lunch following. There will be games and
activities for our children’s enjoyment. Inviting guests is encouraged. There
will be ONE MASS only that day. We will be asking for donations
of cookies/bars, potato chips, and monetary donations to defray the costs which
will be shared amongst all three parishes. We will also be asking for
volunteers for set-up and clean-up and two individuals to help in roasting the
pigs the day before. Please sign up on the sheet on the Narthex table.
§ Sunday School Begins: We are getting excited about Sunday School! The
teachers are making plans for another wonderful year of learning about the love
of Jesus Christ! Sunday School will begin on September 18th at
9:00am. Please watch for more information.
§ 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!!!
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