Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
31 January 2019
Tomorrow is the feast day of St. Brigid of
Ireland (or Kildare, often also known as St. Bride). The early biographies of Brigid place her
birth in 451 and death in 523. In the
last half century it has been common for many historians to dismiss Brigid as
legendary, but this ignores that these early biographies refer to at least
eleven other persons whose historical reality is attested to by multiple
sources. The principal problem doubters
of Brigid’s reality seem to have is that her name derives from that of a
legendary Celtic goddess associated with Kildare.
The association of a Christian saint with a
preëxisting legend or figure would be problematical if, and only if, the
saint’s life and miracles pointed to any reality in a spiritual presence in
opposition to the faith. But the fact
that a particular pagan observance has been “baptized” into the Christian faith
(for example, that a feast has been taken over and rededicated to the worship
of God) should neither surprise us or trouble us, because faith in Jesus
supersedes any prior groping for meaning that our human yearnings may lead us into. Some elements of truth (very often
remote) can be found in all religious systems, but this does not mean
that truth is in any way relative. Some
elements of truth may be found because in looking outside of ourselves we
exercise God-given faculties to observe that there is some order—some rhyme or
reason—to creation, and these hints point to the existence of a Creator.
In theology the existence of hints at the
truth is classified as general revelation or Reason (sometimes referred to as
Natural Law), as opposed to special revelation (found most particularly in
Scripture—in the record of how God has chosen to reveal Himself and His
will). Because we are created in God’s
image and likeness we have the capacity to observe and classify, but absent the
special revelation of Scripture we won’t get very far.
God has given us brains. The reality is that when the Word became
flesh a new age was inaugurated, and pinning things down to specifics demonstrates nothing so much as a
desire to remain in charge, to “figure things out”. But this desire ignores the reality that God
can and does use all times and places to be among us, and that the “baptism” of
a date (or even of a legend)—when received in faith—hallows that day as a day
we may turn in special devotion to God.
If the evangelists, as inspired by the Holy
Spirit, considered information to be material we would have been supplied this. Consider, for example, that at Mk. 1.29—31 we
encounter a story that refers to Peter’s mother in law, and yet nowhere in any
gospel account is Peter’s wife ever named.
The details of the personal lives of the disciples are spare, at best,
and only shared to the extent needed to advance the narrative. The same goes for when St. Brigid of Ireland
lived. What matters is not how we can
document a particular event but how we receive the testimony of believers who
have gone before.
We are given the powers of observation and
reason, to be sure, but the real gift we receive is that of faith: to encounter and respond to the many ways in
which God chooses to reveal Himself and His will. May we in all things pay the closest
attention to this revelation!
Grace abounds: Please thank:
§ Bill and Deb Gagin, and Paul and Andrea Aparicio for the
Sunday coffee hours.
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.
Emergency Coast Guard appeal: Update: An additional $300 was received since last week. A thank you letter from the Coast Guard
commander has been posted to the parish email list serve.
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 after the Epiphany
(Baptism of Our Lord)
Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey, Music Director
Prelude Psalm-Prelude (Psalm 139 v.11)
Herbert Howells
Entrance Hymn 598 “Lord Christ when first thou
cams’t” Mit Freuden zart
Offertory Hymn 444 “Blessed be the God of
Israel ” Thornberry
Communion Motet O Everlasting light
John E. West
Communion Hymn 302 “Father, we thank thee who hast
planted” Rendez à Dieu
Closing Hymn 438 “Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord”
Birmingham
Postlude
Trumpet Voluntary in D William Boyce
Parish Notices:
§ Adult Formation: The Language of Faith: Class continues at 9:00 a.m. in St. Nicholas
Hall, exploring the language of faith. What words do we use to describe faith?
How do the words we use shape our own understanding? How do words we use present
barriers to those who have no experience of faith, or whose experience is
different? All are welcome.
§ Boy Scouts Sunday: Today, Grace Church
welcomes Troop 801, Pack 3801 and their families.
§ Signing of the Tripartite Covenant: Today, we also welcome
the members of St. Dominic and St. Peter Lutheran Church in attendance for the
annual signing of our Tripartite Covenant.
§ The
Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple: On February 6 a
Solemn Mass will be celebrated at 6:00 p.m. This holy day is also known
as Candlemas; all the candles used for the year are blessed. You are welcome to
bring in your own candles to be blessed during this service.
§ Candlemas
Lasagna Supper: After the Solemn Mass on February 6, there will be a
shared supper in St. Nicholas Hall. Lasagna will be served; please bring a dish
to pass and share in fellowship. A sign-up sheet is on the Narthex table.
§ Lenten Meditations: Our book of meditations, written by parishioners,
has become a treasured tradition to enter into the Lenten season.
To participate:
Choose from the
scripture readings on the Narthex table; you are welcome to choose more than
one.
Read and reflect on
the scripture for the scripture(s) chosen.
Write a meditation
based on what resonated with you, or you feel called to share based upon the
readings.
The meditation can be
10 words or 300 words (maximum, please); there are no rules and no right or
wrong ways.
Submit your
meditation to office@gracesheboygan.com by
February 20 to allow production time. These meditations will be published in
print and online before Lent begins. In addition, meditations can be read
aloud on Grace Abounds, as part of our podcast series.
§ Diocesan Clergy Retreat, February
25-28:
There will be no Masses or Bible Study on these days.
§ Shrove
Tuesday Feast before the Fast: March 5 is Shrove Tuesday. We
will be having a Parish Potluck Supper following the 5:30pm Mass. More
information will be shared in the upcoming weeks.
§ Ash
Wednesday:
March 6 is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent and a day of fasting and
penitence. We will observe this day with Mass and Imposition of Ashes at 12:10
p.m. and Solemn Mass with Imposition of Ashes at 6:00 p.m. This is a holy day
and a wonderful way to begin your Lenten observance.
§ Lenten
Formation:
Beginning on Friday, March 15, our Lenten formation will consist of a 5-part
program involving:
Stations of the Cross in the church from
5:30 to 6 p.m.
Simple Supper: 6—6:30
p.m. Please sign up to host a simple supper (e.g., soup and
salad), or to share a dish.
The Public Face of
Faith:
6:45—8 p.m. Fr. Karl will lead a series of discussions about faith which
is lively because it is not private. In a militantly secular
culture, problems like the dangers of growing up in a family which is not
intact, or the psychological damage attendant on the “hookup” culture, or the
damages to psychological health caused by the consumption of pornography are
finally showing up in the popular media as problems to be named and
addressed. But the media have, in general, treated the existence of these
problems as “news”, as if we should be surprised. We’ll discuss real
examples of how:
What the Church has
always taught now must be “rediscovered”, because a culture hostile to faith
has never engaged in wisdom which has been handed down; and
“Rediscovery” is
necessary because people of faith have not shared it. Too many people of
faith have bought into the model of faith being only private.
How we share our
faith,
how we speak to contemporary issues by addressing the cultural amnesia around
us will be discussed using examples and interactive small group
exercises. Join us!
§ Flower
Schedule for 2019:
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.
§ 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.
