Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
8 September 2016
Tomorrow is the
Feast of Constance and Her Companions, the Martyrs of Memphis (d. 1878), who
died in caring for victims of the yellow fever epidemic which killed one third
of the population of Memphis, Tennessee.
The story of the plague is related by Molly Caldwell Crosby in her 2007
book, The American Plague. Those responsible for medical care were
principally religious from Memphis and Boston, including physicians ordained as
priests. The cathedral in Memphis served
as the main hospital for fever victims, and the beautiful high altar at the
cathedral is a memorial to the nuns who there perished as nurses. The grave of the martyr priests is inscribed,
“Greater Love Hath No Man”.
Saints are not just
ancient and distant. Saints are around
us today, and the example we see in Constance and her companions is that being
Christ-centered means that the Cross is always a part of following our
Lord; dying to self is always a part of new birth in new creation. This is a reality that testifies both against
the culture (in which self-focus is very much reinforced) and against the
message of those churches which preach a “prosperity gospel,” in which the
message is focused on how God wants to bless us (which is true), and how this
will be manifested in material blessings (which, while possible, is not because
of God’s giving of Himself), and about
how God wants to bless you “this way” (pick:
usually some variation of worldly success) if you follow this program, and buy the preacher’s book (which is
certainly false).
When Jesus calls us
to follow Him, this is to the cross. We
participate in the redemption of the world through the giving of self, of
Christ in us as His Body. This may
involve suffering; it certainly involves giving of self. In professing to follow Jesus we must each
ask him/herself: How is Jesus calling me to give of myself? Is this in sacrificial service (which
need not be dramatic)? It can in as
simple as regularly visiting a shut-in, but it will involve saying “no” to
another option I might have. Is this
call to give to be lived out in the ministry of a “prayer warrior,” who intercedes for others, others who most often
won’t know that you are praying for them?
Is this call to be lived in your faithfulness in gathering for
worship? Is this call to be answered in
material giving, saying “no” to buying something for myself in order that I may
give to support the ministry of the Church?
Rarely will
sacrificial giving be as public and complete as that of Constance and her
companions. Rarely will any be called to
such martyrdom, but may we pray that if we are ever so called, we may be open
to the grace to all who turn to God!
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Kevan and Traci
Revis, Jennifer Pawlus and Grace Zangara for the Sunday coffee hours.
§ Hospitality (Jean Fisher funeral
reception): Cooking and set-up = Barb
MacEwen, Bernie Markevitch, Mary Snyder; Cleanup = Fr. John Ambelang, Pat Ford
Smith, Bobbie May, Pat Sather, Mary Snyder.
Thank you: Ed and I want to thank everyone for their
prayers, cards and notes of sympathy at the recent illness and death of my
mother, Jean Fisher. Although she was a
member of the parish for the five years that she lived in Sheboygan, she was a
shut in, so most of you never met her. A
special thanks to anyone who helped with her funeral and lunch last Saturday. I
am not sure I know the names of all the helpers, and i don't want to leave
anyone out. I am very thankful to Ben
Dobey for playing for the service, and Bernie Markevitch for doing the flowers
and the lunch. Barb McEwen baked
brownies for the luncheon using mom's recipe, and she and Mary Snyder and
several more luncheon helpers made it all very special. We heard from several people that this was
the best funeral lunch they had ever eaten.
(Not from members of Grace, since they are used to Bernie's menus!) Thanks also to the altar guild, and to
Deacon Michele and to Ellen for the planning and bulletins. And thanks to everyone who came. Her family
is not large and my cousins are geographically spread out. When you are 94, and have moved to your
daughter's city, you don't have many available friends. It was so nice to have so many at church. —Mary
& Ed
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.
Energy
Conservation! It has become almost a
daily occurrence to find a light or air conditioning unit running in empty/unoccupied
space, or a thermostat set to run the unit without stop, or a door left
unlocked. Please treat Grace as your
home. If you turn it on, turn it off! Don’t assume anyone else will lock or turn
off. Our utility bill was $300 above
normal last month!
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.
Special appeal: Later this Fall we will have a grounds
cleanup day that will include ground cover and shrubbery trimming. We are, however, overdue for major reshaping
of shrubbery, and the arbor vitae which flank the church entrance are
out-of-control. Quotations for shrub
reshaping and removal/replacement of the arbor vitae run into the thousands of
dollars. Major work will not be a 2016 initiative, but we are
appealing for your donations now, to build a fund for work in the Spring of
2017. Keep Grace beautiful! Give
“Something Extra”.
Music
this Week:
The
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 19C)
“Mass in
the Grass”: Joint service with St.
Paul’s,
Plymouth
and St. Peter’s, Sheboygan Falls
Entrance
Hymn 8 “Morning
has broken,” Bunessan
Offertory
Hymn “Seek Ye First,” Karen Lafferty
Communion
Motet “Amazing Grace,” (My Chains are Gone)
Communion
Hymn
488 “By
thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,”
Slane
Closing
Hymn
376 “Joyful, joyful, we adore thee” Hymn to Joy
Parish
Notices
§ Mass on Monday, September 12th: will begin at 5:30 p.m.
instead of 12:10 p.m.
§ Deacon School: will begin Saturday, September 17th,
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 pm. This first class in
September will cover the church in America in colonial times and the origins of
Anglo-Catholicism.
§ Sunday School registration: Classes begin September 18th. Please
look for the Sunday School table at Mass In The Grass with registration
paperwork, classroom lesson schedules, and snack ideas. Grace offers classes for
children of all ages at 9 am on Sundays:
- 3-k through 1st Grade with
Mrs. Andrea (Aparicio), Ms. MaryAnn (Portz) and Mrs. Danielle (Whitford)
- 2nd through 5th Grade
with Mrs. Nicci (Beeck)
- 6th-12th with Mr.
Nick (Whitford)
- If you don’t have children to register, how
about your grandkids? How about your neighbors’ kids or grandkids?
Help us teach the little children how much Jesus loves them, by bringing
them to Grace’s Sunday School beginning September 18th!
§ Sunday School Snacks: It's that time of year again! A time for learning
and Christian formation with our littles in Sunday School. One activity
that is a favorite of the children is sharing in a snack together and serving
each other in the Name of Christ. If you are able, we would so appreciate
donated snacks and juice boxes. Snack ideas include crackers, applesauce,
fruit snacks, popcorn or any other non-perishable item you think they might
like. String cheese, fresh fruit and veggies are also welcome, just alert
Ms Nicci or Ms Andrea if you placed something in the refrigerator and we'll be
sure to use them. Thank you!
§ Youth Group: will meet Sunday, September 18th, 5:00
p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
§ Catechumenate will begin: Catechumenate is a nine-month course in the basics
of the Faith and its practice. It is a period of training and instruction in
Christian understandings about God, human relationships, and the meaning of
life. It includes the Sacrament of Baptism, if you are not already baptized,
and culminates in Confirmation, Reception, or Renewal of Baptismal Vows. The
Catechumenate will meet on an evening each week starting at 6:30 p.m. until
8:30 p.m. The class will begin in late September and will continue until May
when Bishop Matthew Gunter makes his annual visitation. The study is led by
Deacon Michele Whitford, the Parish Catechist. If you would like to be a part
of this exciting study and fellowship or would like more information, please
call the office 452-9659 or e -mail Deacon Michele at mwhitford@gracesheboygan.com. There is a sign-up sheet on the
table in the Narthex.
§ “Here
I Am” Circle of Light:
Do you ever
wonder what God is calling you to do?
“Here I Am” is a six-month long process of meeting with other seekers
and a facilitator to listen and discern God’s calling in your life. Perhaps God is calling you to a ministry in
your neighborhood, at work, in the wider community or in your church. This
small group meets every 2-3 weeks for a couple of hours. The first session
begins on Sunday, September 25th, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at All
Saints, 100 N. Drew St., Appleton. For more information you may email Mother
Jane Johnson at mthrjane@gmail.com.
§ Deacon Michele Whitford: is traveling Sunday, September 4th
through Wednesday, September 21st.
§ 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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