Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
6 July 2017
The brat fry held
last Saturday raised over 29% of the amount budgeted for fundraising in
2017! Go ahead and look at the list of
those who helped, in the announcements section of this posting. The list is long. This kind of participation not only brings
about results but reinforces what we can do when we come together, when we
gather with purpose.
The biblical word
for “church” basically means “gathering” or “assembly”. There is no concept anywhere in scripture of
the church being a building or a place.
There is certainly value in having a building, in gathering in a given
place repeatedly. The environment
becomes hallowed and facilitates how we encounter God. (That’s part of the point made in the blog
posting for which a hyperlink is given, below, under “When you think about
giving”.) But the gathering, the
assembly, is key, and becomes holy when it is an expression of how we align our
wills with God’s will.
In a recent (2017)
book, The Face of Water: A Translator on
Beauty and Meaning in the Bible, Sarah Ruden makes a strong case for how we
need to dig into original meaning by understanding original context and the
differences between biblical languages and what we experience in any
translation. The book is very much worth
reading, but to follow her lead, I’m going to propose (on the basis of no
linguistic evidence) that the word for church (ekklesía) is one we should understand to mean “an
assembly/gathering with/sharing a common purpose”. We gather because each one of us, in an act
of individual will, says to himself/herself, “This is important. My will must be aligned with God’s.” These individual offerings of will come
together to assume a new life infused by God’s Spirit, and in the power of the
Spirit there is nothing that is beyond the reach of the assembly.
There’s a lot going
on. Quite apart from physical plant
projects (roof, bell tower, etc.) we are busier than you might expect, for a
Summer. There are new faces. We are meeting new needs in the
community. Work is ongoing on program
development for Grace Abounds. All of this represents individual offerings
of self in response to the Spirit prompting new life in the parish.
As you enjoy the
Summer, please be very intentional about prayer. Ask God to continue to reveal His will to
us. Ask God to continue to empower us to
act together. Ask God to continue to
breathe new life into this “assembly with a purpose,” that His purpose will be
manifested.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§ Pat Ford Smith for
the Sunday coffee hour.
§ Bobbie May for
gardening and janitorial help.
§ All who worked so
hard to make the brat fry such a success!.
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.
When you think about
giving: When you think about giving, consider that we
are one of the only churches in the downtown area that’s generally open for any
walk-in. Consider this in light of the
information and reflection included in the attached blog post:
Music this Week: The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9)
Guest Organist: David Bahrke
Prelude Tranquillo, ma con moto Herbert Howells
Entrance 414 “God my King, thy might confessing”
Stuttgart
Offertory 518 “Christ is made the sure foundation” Westminster
Abbey
Communion 609 “Where
cross the crowded ways of life”
Gardiner
Closing 657 “Love divine, all loves excelling” Hyfrydol
Postlude: Fanfare Noel Rawsthorne
Parish Notices
§ Volunteers still needed at All Saints’
Chapel: We
are in need of help for the following Sundays:
August 13 and August 20. 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.
§ Congratulations and thank you for
all the hard work the following parishioners did to make the Miesfeld brat fry
on July 1st a smashing success! A net total of $2,588 ($625
was from the bake sale which was all donations!) was raised to help fund
mission outreach! This was beyond our expectations and was $1,200 over
the first brat fry in 2015! Please thank and/or hug the following: Jill
Stagner, Kevan Revis, and Jon Whitford for advertising and media promotion. Bernie
Markevitch for onion preparations. Baked Goods donations: Andrea and Leona
Aparicio, Traci Revis, Jessica Ambelang, Helen Mallison, Mary Snyder, Katy
Larson, Mary Clabots, Ed Clabots, Polly Beebe. Nancy Imig, Deb Gagin, Karen
Ambelang, Anne Hanlon, Bev Evans, Pat Ford Smith, Joyce Wessel, Pat Sather,
Bobbie May, Elizabeth Schaffenburg, Ann Weeden, Pat Mahlendorf, Barb MacEwen,
Nicci Beeck. For those who packaged the goods on Friday: Pat Ford Smith,
Jennifer Pawlus, and Barb MacEwen. Volunteers who oversaw the Bake Sale on
Saturday: Andrea Aparicio, Leona Aparicio, Nicci Beeck, Nancy Imig, Bobbie May,
Traci Revis, Jennifer Pawlus, and Deb Gagin. And the brat fryers who made it
happen: Steve Larson, Jerry Molitor, Bryan Stenz, Bill Gagin, Paul Aparicio,
Scott Gedemer, Gary Dinstuhl, and Bob MacEwen. And the brat hut volunteers who
handled food orders: John Davis, Art Imig, Sutton Cecil, Bob Imig, John
Ambelang, Elizabeth Schaffenburg, Mary Ann Neuses, Polly Beebe, and Pat Ford
Smith. And many thanks to parishioners and friends who came to eat and buy
goodies!
§ Please
mark your calendar for the next brat fry on JULY 7, 2018 !
§ Biblical Greek to be offered:
Join us on Thursday evenings, beginning on Thursday, 7 September. (Classes
will meet 7—9 p.m.) This is not a course about learning to speak Greek,
and it is unlikely that you will become fully literate in the biblical language
but, what you will learn is how to really dive deeply into the Bible by using a
myriad of resources (online and in print) that will allow you to study the
words in the original and what the grammar in the original may point to in
meaning. There is a cost: $100—hence, the early notice. There
will be limited scholarships available. We are opening this course to other
churches, and will limit overall class size, so if you are curious explore your
interest with Fr. Karl or Mthr. Michele.
§ July
Ultreya - July 16th at St. Thomas, Menasha. Fellowship
at 2:00 pm, Ultreya at 3:00. Bring snacks!
§ Women’s Mini Week: Held at Camp Lakotah in Wautoma, August 10th – 13th. Women’s Mini-Week is to provide an annual retreat event for adult women, offering refuge, friendship, relaxation, and fun. And NO dishes! Mini-Week combines opportunities to learn with fellowship, spiritual exploration and delicious food as we invite all women to participate as much or as little as they would like and need. For more information see the notice board in the Narthex or go to womensminiweek.org
Cost: Thursday Dinner through Sunday Brunch: Cabin $245 Lodge $265
Friday Dinner through Sunday Brunch: Cabin $220 Lodge $240
(Cabin = platform bed, w/electric, bath house nearby)
(Lodge = dorm-style, platform bed, w/electric and full shared bathroom)
Requests for scholarships are due July 16th. Advanced reservations are requested with $50 deposit. Balance due by August 1st.
§ Please keep Bill in prayer: Bill May has been diagnosed with a compression fracture in a vertebra. This means that he will be on restricted duties. We have established a volunteer rota for items such as: fellowship hall set-up and take down; restroom cleaning; trash removal; floor cleaning; lawn care. Sign-up sheets are on the Narthex table. Thank you.
§ Women’s Mini Week: Held at Camp Lakotah in Wautoma, August 10th – 13th. Women’s Mini-Week is to provide an annual retreat event for adult women, offering refuge, friendship, relaxation, and fun. And NO dishes! Mini-Week combines opportunities to learn with fellowship, spiritual exploration and delicious food as we invite all women to participate as much or as little as they would like and need. For more information see the notice board in the Narthex or go to womensminiweek.org
Cost: Thursday Dinner through Sunday Brunch: Cabin $245 Lodge $265
Friday Dinner through Sunday Brunch: Cabin $220 Lodge $240
(Cabin = platform bed, w/electric, bath house nearby)
(Lodge = dorm-style, platform bed, w/electric and full shared bathroom)
Requests for scholarships are due July 16th. Advanced reservations are requested with $50 deposit. Balance due by August 1st.
§ Please keep Bill in prayer: Bill May has been diagnosed with a compression fracture in a vertebra. This means that he will be on restricted duties. We have established a volunteer rota for items such as: fellowship hall set-up and take down; restroom cleaning; trash removal; floor cleaning; lawn care. Sign-up sheets are on the Narthex table. Thank you.
§ Education for Ministry:
How do I learn to make the Bible stories become my stories? How do I learn how
God wants to bless me with more than I can imagine? Join the EfM (Education for Ministry) group
that is starting on Monday, September 11th. Two groups will meet at St. Peter’s
Church House in Sheboygan Falls. The morning group is from 9:30-11:30 and the
evening group runs from 5:00-7:00pm.
Scholarships are available, so don’t let the cost of $375 for this college
credited class, stop you from joining. Registrations are due by August 1st so
materials can be received before the first class. Contact Barb Drewry-Zimmerman
at bzimmy@excel.net or
920-893-5189 for registration materials. The choice is yours—do you want to
learn how to bring God’s mercy & delight into your neighborhood?
§
LoveINC
Monthly Newsletter: Here is the link
for the newsletter. Note that volunteers
are needed.
http://mailchi.mp/16dd91209e5a/live-to-love-updates-from-love-inc-1074545
§ 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!!!
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