Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
8 June 2017
This past Tuesday
we observed the feast of St. Norbert of Xanten (d. 1134), founder of the Canons
Regular of Prémontre, otherwise known as the Norbertines or Praemonstratensians. This is the order that maintains St.
Norbert’s College (and the abbey) in Depere.
Canons Regular are
not monks; they are priests living in community under a common rule of life,
while working in ministry in the world.
It is possible to think of Canons Regular (regula is Latin for “rule”, and canon derives from the Greek word
for rule or measure, so the description is redundant!) as engaging in active
ministry but having a contemplative home base, a community in which to remain
grounded and with which to recharge.
This model poses for the rest of us the question of how we remain
grounded, how we recharge and remain focused on our relationship with God while
engaged in the daily struggles of work, family, education, etc.
Our bishop has
invited the diocese to live under a rule of life which involves:
§ Worship in Community
§ Prayer
§ Fasting
§ Sabbath
§ Examination of Life
Details and discussion can be found at:
The simple truth
about a rule of life is that we all need one.
Life is complicated and often frustrating, and it is all too easy to
become focused too much on the self in dealing with day-to-day challenges. Absent a rule of life under which we are
intentional in how we engage God, our “down time” can pretty quickly become no
more than one form of self-indulgence or another. We can end up just “killing time” until time
kills us!
God calls us to
purposeful life. A rule of life allows
us to better discern purpose and to focus on this purpose in ways that are
constructive. Study what the bishop
counsels. The rule in this diocese is
far from onerous. Life under a rule is
life which is balanced, balanced in ways that allow direction to remain when we
get surprised by a setback, and that allow the joy of an unexpected boon to be
shared with others. Life which can be
too self-focused becomes life which focused on God and God’s purposes, and
focused on others. The rewards are rich
for those who become “Disciples Regular”!
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Ed and Mary Clabots
for the Sunday coffee hour.
§ Nicci Beeck, Ed
Clabots, and Julie Davidson for janitorial help.
§ Pat Ford Smith and Sandie
Palmer for administrative help.
Special “Thank You’ s” : A supply of Thank You note cards can be found
on the table at the back of church nave.
When someone in the parish does something special, take the time to
write them a personal note. Also, from
time to time, think about who you might want to thank for ongoing service, and
let them know you have noticed!
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: Trinity Sunday
Organist/Choir Director: Ben Dobey
Prelude Prelude
on Kyrie J. S. Bach
Mass Setting English Folk Mass
Entrance Hymn 362 “Holy, holy, holy!” Nicaea
Offertory Hymn 366 “Holy God, we praise thy Name” Grosser Gott
Comm. Hymn 336 “Come with us, O blessed Jesus” Werder munter
Closing Hymn 368 “Holy Father, great Creator”
Regent
Square
Postlude Fugue
in E Flat J. S. Bach
Parish
Notices
§ Caregivers’ Support
Group: Do you
provide care to another person, a spouse, child, parent or friend? If you do consider joining a mutual support
group which meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month. The group will next meet at 10:30 a.m. on
Wednesday, 28 June, at the parish. Wendy
Limberg, a social worker with Embrace Care Management, will lead a discussion about finding the balance between caring for
ourselves and for others.
§ Love INC is
hiring: Love in the Name of Christ Sheboygan is recruiting Clearinghouse
Coordinator. This is a 25 hour per week position central to LoveINC
ministry operations. Job specifications
are available at the parish office.
Application deadline is 23 June.
§ Please keep both
Ellen and Bill in prayer: It is anticipated that Ellen
Aparicio will return to administrative duties on 20 June. Weekly
sign-up sheets are being posted for volunteers to help in the
office. There will be times when there is no office coverage (e.g.,
when I am away at a meeting). At these times the office door is locked.
§ Please Pray: Leslie Kohler, Bobbi Kraft, Deacon Mike, Mother Michele, Jon Whitford
Jeanna Werbeckes will be joining a group from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church,
Bellingham, WA on pilgrimage May 25 – June 12 to Greece studying “The
Footsteps of Paul” under The Rev. Dr. Kamal Farah. Please hold the pilgrims in
prayer.
§ Elkhart Lake Chapel: The Chapel will have services every Sunday through Labor Day weekend. We are in need of help for each Sunday.
This would include: 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 on the clipboard on the
Narthex table or by calling the office at 452-9659 with dates you are
available. Thank you.
§ Eucharistic Festival: Plan to attend the Annual Diocesan Eucharistic Festival at 11:00 a.m. on
Saturday, June 24th, at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Fond du Lac. The Homilist
is the Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, retired Bishop of Upper South
Carolina. He serves as Superior-General of the Confraternity of the
Blessed Sacrament and as episcopal visitor to a fledgling religious community
centered in the Diocese of Atlanta. A picnic lunch and a time of fellowship
will follow the Eucharist. At 3:00pm there will be afternoon prayer with
Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
§ Brat Fry and Bake
Sale: is July 1, 2017 at Miesfeld’s. There are many
opportunities to help with this fundraiser! We will need brat fryers, brat
stand attendants, bake sale attendants and homemade baked goods. Can’t fry,
bake or volunteer? No problem, we also need monetary donations for condiments,
paper products, etc. Any contribution make the check out to Grace Church, memo
brat fry. In 2015 we made $1300, let’s set our goal at $2000. All sign-up
sheets including working at the brat fry are in the narthex or call Barb
MacEwen at 920-912-4505. Be sure to stop out for lunch at Miesfeld’s on July 1st
and bring your friends! Thank you so much for your participation.
§ Summer Camp: Diocese of Fond du Lac Summer Camp is for kids age 4 through graduating
12th graders. Camp is an opportunity for campers and staff to learn
more about God, about community, about themselves and have fun! There are
application forms on the Narthex table.
Deadline for registration is May 22, 2017. If you have questions about
what camp is like please speak with Nick Whitford at the coffee hour following
this mass. Scholarships are available.
o Senior Camp (completed grades 9-12) June 11 (Sun 3pm) – June 17 (Sat 12noon)
o Middler Camp (completed grades 6-8) June 18 (Sun 3pm) – June 22 (Thu 12noon)
o Junior Camp (completed grades 2-5) June 18 (Sun 3pm) – June 22 (Thu 12noon)
o KinderCamp (parent & kids ages 4-7) June 22 (Thu 4pm) – June 24 (Sat 12noon)
§ Grace Notes is here: http://gracechurchgracenotes.blogspot.com/. You can sign up to receive the blog every Thursday
§ Like Grace Church on Facebook: @gracesheboygan
§ Follow Grace Church on Twitter: @gracesheboygan
§ Follow Grace Church on Instagram: @gracesheboygan
§ We Are on Itunes! Check out the new podcast!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment