Repentance to ...

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

20 September 2018

Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, began at sundown on the 18^th and concluded at sundown last night.  The name for the holiday means “Day of Atonement”, and refers to the atonement of sins for those who repent.

In our faith we recognize that Jesus Christ—by His supreme sacrifice offered once—atoned for the sins of the world.  We pray this in the rites of the Church, and may our personal prayers always include the recognition of, and offering of thanksgiving for, that the sins of each one of us are forgiven.  But in doing so, let’s consider how the Jewish understanding of atonement instructs us in our Christian understanding of atonement.

Judaism specifies a process of repentance (Teshuva) that includes confession (Vidui) which is made in a specified manner on Yom Kippur.  Repentance requires  regretting having committed the sin, resolving not to commit that sin in the future, and confessing that sin before God.  In our general confession made at most services of Holy Eucharist we use a form of prayer (p. 360 in the BCP) in which we make confession expressing regret (“We are truly sorry …”) and resolve to live differently (to “walk in [God’s] ways”), having confessed sin in general terms (of failure of love of God and neighbor).  If we compare this to the form of individual confession found on p. 447 in the prayer book, we note that individual confession is more specific, much more like Teshuva and Vidui.  In effect, we “own” our sin much more closely in order that Jesus may lift it from us.

Confession is not about just saying a prayer and feeling vaguely sorry.  In this respect, it is healthy to remember that we repent (“turn”) not just from something (sin) but also to something (what the confessional prayer on p. 360 describes as God’s will and ways).  To truly repent and confess we need to get specific.  In many cases it will be helpful to do this using the individual form of confession found on p. 447, but as one way to further call to mind what we are doing, a practice we follow in this parish is to allow for a longer period a silence between the time the deacon bids our confession and when we begin the prayer of general confession.  During that silence focus, and call to mind what you are offering to God.  When we can be more specific about what it is that we repent from we can all the more experience the joy of what we repent to.

Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Steve and Katy Larson for the Sunday coffee hour.

§  Julie Davidson for landscape watering.

§  Jack Britton for building maintenance.

§  Jack Britton, Bobbie May, Jennifer Pawlus, and Pat Ford Smith for pastoral care (moving a parishioner into assisted living).

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 Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20B)

                                      Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey, Music Director

Prelude                           Invocation                                         Marco Enrico Bossi

Entrance Hymn 390         “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”           Lobe den Herren

Offertory Hymn               “God is love, let heaven adore him”             Abbot’s Leigh

Communion Motet          Lord for ever at thy side                          Orlando Gibbons Communion Hymn 482    “Lord of all hopefulness”                                        Slane

Closing Hymn 563           “Go forward, Christian soldier”                        Lancashire

Postlude                         Prelude & Fugue in F Minor                  Johann Troppmann

                                                              

Parish Notices:

§  Adult Formation: Broken Mirrors–Reflections on Sacramental Healing begins today: The Broken Mirrors series encourages us to reflect on those burdens that we carry and the pain that we bear. We gather as a humble and faithful community to prayerfully navigate into the depths of our pain and brokenness through definition, discovery, acknowledgement, and reflection.  We will pray, consult scripture, share stories, meditate, invite Jesus to walk with us, and release our burdens to power of His boundless love.  This series is based upon the book Be Healed–A Guide to Encountering the Powerful Love of Jesus in Your Life by Bob Schuchts. Our first session will take place on Sunday, September 16^th at 9:00am in St. Nicholas Hall. All future sessions will meet weekly on Sundays at 9am in St. Mark’s Room.

§  Deacon School is back in session: The diocesan Deacon School courses in Old Testament (taught by Fr. Glen Kanestrom of St. Paul’s, Marinette) and Church History (taught by Fr. Karl Schaffenburg of Grace, Sheboygan) have begun. Classes meet 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month, September – December. Auditors are welcome.

§  Choir rehearsals have begun: All voices are welcome, but we especially need tenors and basses. “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:19

§  Diocesan Ultreya at St Paul’s in Plymouth: Sunday, September 16 starting with snacks & fellowship at 2pm & concluding at 5pm. Even if you haven’t been to a Cursillo weekend, everyone is invited to join in this time of worship, prayers & fellowship.

§  Celebration of New Ministry: The Cathedral of St. Paul, Fond du Lac will host this celebration with its new Dean, the Very Rev. Patrick Perkins next Saturday, September 29 (re-scheduled from August 25). The Rev. Ezgi Saribay Perkins will be installed as Canon Precentor. All are welcome and invited to attend. The service marks the transition of ministry for the congregation and the priest as they live into a new relationship in serving the Gospel.

§  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 class will begin on Tuesday, October 2 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. (room location TBD) and will continue until May when Bishop Matthew Gunter makes his annual visitation. The study is led by Mother 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 email Mother Michele at mwhitford@gracesheboygan.com. There will be a sign-up sheet on the table in the Narthex.

§  SCIO is hiring in Bridgeway and Supervised Visitation Programs:

o   Are you looking for part-time employment?

o   Do you have a servant heart and believe that change is possible?

o   Are you willing to listen, love, show grace and assertively hold people  

         accountable?

Contact ashleigh@sheboygancountyinterfaith.org to find out more information.

§  Identity Theft-What You Need to Know: a free educational workshop created by Thrivent Financial to help you learn how identity theft can occur, steps you can take to prevent it and what to do if it happens to you. Join Timothy Saegar and Matthew Becker t St. John’s USS, 1248 Lincoln Avenue, Sheboygan, on Saturday, October 6^th at 10:00am. We will be offering FREE shredding services from 9-noon, so please bring any documents needed to be shredded and we will take care of that for you.  To Register, call Crystal Becker or Timothy Saegar at 920-453-0296.

§  Sheboygan Christian School is taking orders for Dutch apple pies: Orders will be taken until October 5.  10" pie for $12.00 and 6" pie for $7.00.
To place your order call (920) 744-PIES or online at applepies.sheboyganchristian.com. Pies will be available for pickup Saturday, October 20 from 11-6 or Monday, October 22 from 8-6 at Sheboygan Christian School, 418 Geele Ave. Sheboygan.

§  Coats For Kids: Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home, in conjunction with The Sheboygan Press, for the past 27 years, runs from September through November 1st. Area residents are asked to donate clean coats in good repair. Accepted are: coats of all sizes for people of all ages, with the need being greatest for children’s coats.

Location:	Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home 1535 S. 12th Street, Sheboygan, WI
Dates/Times:	Tuesday, September 4, 2018 to Thursday, November 1, 2018 8:30 am - 4:00 pm (Monday – Friday)

§  Walsingham Pilgrimage Music and Flowers: The Walsingham Pilgrimage is just around the corner and preparations are being made. We will have a quiet day with meditations at noon and 3:00 p.m., Rosary in the Shrine at 5:00 p.m. concluding with Solemn Evensong at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, October 12. The meditations will be offered by The Rev. Chris Arnold, Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Evensong will include the choir of Nashotah House Theological Seminary, under the direction of The Rev. Fr. Alexander Pryor, Director of Music at the seminary. On Saturday, October 13 the Rt. Rev. Matthew A. Gunter, eighth Bishop of Fond du Lac, will celebrate at the Procession and Solemn Pontifical Mass at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch in St. Nicholas Hall. Reservations are required; the cost is $20 per person. Please make reservations by October 10 by calling 920-452-9659 OR at office@gracesheboygan.com.

Music will once again include the Gaudete Brass. As you are able, prayerfully consider contributing so that we can once again offer beautiful music that has become so much a part of the pilgrimage and the flowers that add to the beauty of holiness. Please make your check out to Grace Church with “Walsingham music” or “flowers” or both in the memo.

§  Bulletin Prayer List and our Grace Church Prayer Team: The Episcopal Church believes in the power of prayer. Grace Church regularly prays for the needs of our own members, as well as the needs of the country, and our world.  We would be honored to pray for your needs, and the needs of your friends and relatives if they or you are in a state of trouble, sorrow, pain, or are experiencing any other adversity. Please call the Parish office at (920) 452-9659 or email office@gracesheboygan.com.