Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
15 December 2016
On the Church calendar today is an Advent
Feria. Feria is Latin for “free day,” a day in ancient Rome on which
slaves were not obligated to work, and courts were closed. In Church usage the term refers to a day for
which no special feast is appointed, i.e.,
a day on which the Mass is said using the lessons from the preceding Sunday,
rather than for the feast of a particular saint or commemoration. But, even if a day is not “special,” is not a
feast day with special lessons appointed, it remains a day when we can offer
praise, worship and thanksgiving to God.
When all of life becomes an ongoing Advent,
the ongoing process of ever turning to the Lord, to prepare for His coming;
when all of life can be an ongoing Epiphany, the participation in how God chooses
to reveal Himself and His will for us to us; when all of life can be an ongoing
Lenten turning, in which we call to mind the ways in which we have strayed from
God’s will and turn yet again to Him; when life can be an ongoing participation
in Jesus’ sacrifice, and we can always live in our baptismal participation in
His resurrection because we have participated in His dying to self; when life
can be the ongoing “labor pains” of the time between Jesus’ ascension—His assumption
of His heavenly throne, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost—labor pains
that will allow us to participate in new birth; and when all of life then
becomes the newness of life lived in the fullness of God come down from above,
then all days—feast and “free” become truly free; all days become days lived in
the freedom of new life in Christ, new life in His truth.
Celebrate all days as free days, as days of
freedom, as days on which each day God creates life anew as life redeemed.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Wayne and Pat Sather,
and Tom Wright and Mary Snyder for the Sunday coffee hours.
§ Ben Dobey, Sandie
Palmer, and the choir for Advent Lessons & Carols.
§ Nicci Beeck and
Bernie Markevitch for Advent Lessons & Carols reception preparation and set
up.
§ Julie Davidson and
Elizabeth Schaffenburg for Advent Lessons & Carols cleanup.
§ Brian Munro and Bryan
Stenz for Grace Abounds support for
Advent Lessons & Carols.
§ Jennifer Pawlus for
pastoral ministry in caring for an injured parishioner.
§ Bobbie May for
reorganization work in the parish library.
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
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Organist: Ben Dobey
Choir
Direction: Sandie Palmer
Prelude Two Verses on the Magnificat
Marcel Dupré
Entrance
Hymn 72 “Hark! The glad sound!” Richmond
Offertory
Hymn
56 “O come, O come, Emmanuel,” Veni,
Veni, Emmanuel
Communion
Motet Ave Maria
Jacob Arcadelt
Communion
Hymn 60
“Creator of the stars of night” Conditor alme siderum
Closing
Hymn
436 “Lift up your heads, ye might gates” Truro
Postlude Chant de paix (Song of Peace) Jean Langlais
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 2016, you must have the payment in
the office by Thursday, December 29th. A check dated the 29th,
but arriving later cannot be counted as paid in 2016. All payments received
after the 29th will be credited in 2017. Thank you so much.
§ Christmas
Flowers/Music: If you would
like to contribute to the Christmas flowers/music in memorial or in
thanksgiving, please complete and submit the form inserted in the mass booklets
by noon on Wednesday, December 21st.
§ Christmas
Pageant: The final rehearsal
for the Christmas Pageant is Sunday, December 18th at 9:00 a.m. The rehearsals will begin in the church and then go downstairs for costumes. The Pageant will take place during the 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass and we ask all children on Christmas Eve to please come to the basement of the church at 3:15 p.m. After everyone is dressed and ready, we will proceed upstairs together. Children participating in the pageant will sit with their parents for the first part of the Mass, until the Pageant begins. At that time, the Sunday School Teachers will stand up and summon them to their places.
Participation is open to youth of all ages. If your child would like to participate but cannot attend rehearsals, we ask that they come to the basement of the church at 3:15 p.m. on Christmas Eve and they will receive a costume and part in the Pageant. All children are welcome and encouraged
to participate.
§ Youth
and Children’s Choir: The final
rehearsal will be Wednesday, December 21st at 5:30 p.m. only.
The choir is open to 2nd graders through high school, and will sing
for the 4pm service on Christmas Eve.
The Eve of The Epiphany Solemn Mass: will be held on January 5, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. followed by a Twelfth Night Potluck Supper.
§ Meals On Wheels Christmas Cookies: Volunteers will deliver
a box of homemade cookies to their clients again this Christmas
season. (As many of you know, for some, this is the only gift they will
receive). Boxes have already been donated, so now all they need are the
cookies! If you would like to donate cookies, please call Maureen at Meals
On Wheels at 451-7011. Drop off sites are in both Sheboygan and Plymouth and
cookies will be packaged on December 20th. Your response in the past
has been overwhelming and they cannot thank you enough for your continued
support.
§ Salvation
Army Adopt a Family Gift Drop-Off: Please return all gifts unwrapped, with value attached, to Grace Church
by Monday, December 19th. Distribution to families is Thursday,
December 22nd. Any questions, please call Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
§ Christmas
(Castle) Sort and Shop: On Monday,
December 19th, 10:00 - 1:00 p.m., volunteers are needed to sort and
organize all toy donations. This will be at 710 Pennsylvania Ave, Sheboygan.
And on Wednesday, December 21st, 10:00 – 1:00 p.m., volunteers are
needed to shop for each member of the families using the lists provided by the
parents. Sign-up sheets can be found on the table in the Narthex. If you have
any questions, please contact Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
§ Christmas
Gifts Distribution Volunteers! On Thursday, December 22nd, 8:30 – 11:30 a.m., at 710
Pennsylvania Ave, Sheboygan you can assist local families pick gifts from the
Toy Shop. This gives those in need an opportunity to “shop” for Christmas gifts
for their families. A Sign-up sheet can be found on the table in the Narthex.
If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
§ Christmas
Joy: is scheduled to
meet on Thursday, December 22 at 11:00 am in the church kitchen. At that time,
we will assemble winter greens and flowers and bag cookies, and then make
deliveries. A sign-up sheet is in the Narthex. We need helping hands. Can you
bake, make a delivery and/or help arrange? Please join us for this fulfilling
and fun ministry to our home-bound and elderly. They will appreciate it.
Questions, please call Barb MacEwen at 920-912-4505.
§ Love
Buckets: is a GAP Ministry
of Love INC organized by our neighbors, St. Luke’s Methodist Church. As other
churches have donated to our own GAP Ministry – Martha & Mary Cooking Guild
– St. Luke’s is asking for donations to their Love Buckets Ministry. A list of
supplies needed is posted on the notice board, and a large grey bin for
donations can be found in the Narthex. This drive will run until the end of
January.
§ 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.
§ Bible
Challenge: Videos for all 52
weeks of the year are now available on Grace Abounds. 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 is provided on the parish website, along with weekly study summaries
and a weekly video summary 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.
§ The
Annual Meeting: This year’s
Annual Meeting will take place on Sunday, January 29, 2017. 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
at office@gracesheboygan.com.
Please make every effort to attend and participate.
§ Flower
Schedule for 2017: 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.
§ 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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