Plene Esse

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

10 January 2019

Today is the feast of Bl. William Laud (d. 1645), a controversial figure whose theological stand during the Reformation in England served, in part, to preserve a catholic stream within Anglicanism.  This history of Grace Episcopal Church springs, in part as well, from the stream kept alive by Laud, who served as Archbishop of Canterbury under Charles I, from 1633 until Laud was executed in 1645.  (Charles I consented to Laud’s execution, in part as a delaying tactic to try to preserve his own position.  Charles was executed in 1649.)  Laud was at best a difficult man.  His personal flaws were, no doubt, exacerbated by the trying circumstances of his rule, but these flaws included a level of anger that allowed him to order that an opponent’s ears be cut off because the opponent would not “listen”!  (Just imagine how many earless people would be walking around today if this punishment could be inflicted by any leader.)

Laud is remembered for his defense of a “high” churchmanship.  His feast allows us to remember the distinction between what it means to High or Low as a church.  Being High is not about having bells and incense and chant, or about having a richness in visual imagery.  The highness of a church is reflected in the liturgy, but this is because what is “high” is the view of the Church.  In other words, the continuum of High to Low stretches along the spectrum of opinion about how important the Church is to salvation.  A low view is one in which the Church is seen as helpful, but with the primary driver being the individual’s personal response to God’s call. The Church is seen as a voluntary association.  In a Low Church environment, therefore, the liturgy may focus more on how personal response is cultivated  through a focus on the learning of scripture, personal prayer practices, and music intended to “warm the heart”.  A High Church view is one in which the Church is deemed essential to individual salvation; the Church is deemed to be God’s chosen vehicle/vessel to mediate His sacraments, with sacramental participation being necessary to salvation.  Liturgy in a High Church environment tends to focus, therefore, on things like the “beauty of holiness” as a means to focus the worshipper on the reality of the Church as herself a holy mystery.

In a High Church view things like the historic episcopate and apostolic succession are deemed to be plene esse (that is, necessary for salvation, as affecting the validity of sacraments).  In a Low Church view these are matters deemed bene esse (that is, supporting the well-being of the Church but not in themselves necessary).  Our prayer book includes, as an historical document, “The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral” of 1886 (found on pp. 876—7), which defines the historic episcopate to be an “inherent part[] of this sacred deposit” (the Church).  This is the view from which Grace Episcopal Church has found her roots, but you can be as “snake belly low” (mild pejorative used by some Anglo-Catholics) as you may wish or be called and still both follow Our Lord and follow Him together here!

 

Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Wayne and Pat Sather, and Bobbie May for the Sunday coffee hours.

§  Mary Gallimore, Nancy Imig, and Jasmine and Sandie Palmer for pastoral care.

§  Bobbie May for church decoration.

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 First Sunday after the Epiphany (Baptism of Our Lord)

                              Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey, Music Director

                                     

Prelude                           Chorale Fantasia on How brightly shines the Morning Star  

                                                                                               Dietrich Buxtehude

Entrance Hymn 124         “What star is this, with beams so bright”          Puer nobis  

Offertory Hymn 497        “How bright appears the morning star” Wie schön leuchtet          

Communion Motet           The sinless one to Jordan came                      Andro Hart

Communion Hymn 121    “Christ when for us you were baptized”             Caithness

Closing Hymn 119           “As with gladness men of old”                                    Dix

Postlude                          Chorale Prelude on How brightly shines the Morning Star                                                                                                                J.S. Bach

Parish Notices:

§  The Language of Faith: Adult Formation begins: Today at 9:00 a.m. in St. Nicholas Hall, we begin a six-part series in which we will explore 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?

§  Annual Meeting Reports: If you are in leadership of any Ministry, please write a short report to be included in the Annual Report and send to

nbeeck @gracesheboygan.com by Friday, January 18. 

§  The Annual Meeting: Next Sunday January 20, there will be one Mass at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Annual Meeting and Brunch at 10:15 a.m. in St. Nicholas Hall. The agenda of the meeting will include committee reports, new Vestry Elections, 2018 financial review and 2019 budget, review of Vestry actions and an overall review of the 2018 calendar. You are encouraged to make every effort to attend, as your participation is valued.

§  Call for Vestry Nominations: Vestry members are called to committed leadership for a three-year term, and are expected to attend twelve meetings throughout the year (once per month); as well as participate in parish activities, as able. Names of nominees must be provided to the parish office by January 20. You may nominate another person or yourself; call 452-9659 or email office@gracesheboygan.com.

Vestry elections will be held on Sunday, January 20 at the Annual Meeting.

To run for Vestry, you must be a qualified elector of the parish, which means:

Nominee is regular in your attendance on worship.

Nominee has received Holy Eucharist at least once in the prior year

Nominee is active in their support of the parish through a pledge or some other form of giving

Nominee is at least sixteen years of age.

Nominee must provide a brief biographical sketch which allows fellow parishioners to better understand nominee’s relationship with God and His Church.

§  Call for Diocesan Convention Delegates and Alternates: We are in need of 5 delegates and 4 alternates to attend and vote at Diocesan Convention. If you are willing to serve, please call or email the parish office. Delegates and alternates are determined by volunteer order. In the event that we have more than nine responses, we will vote on January 20 at the Annual Meeting. The 2019 Convention of the Diocese of Fond du Lac will take place on Friday, October 25 from 9am - 4pm at the Red Lion Hotel Paper Valley in Appleton, Wisconsin. The Convention will end with the Convention Eucharist at All Saints Episcopal Church beginning at 3:00pm.

More information can be found at: https://www.diofdl.org/convention.html

§  John’s Gospel: Insights in the Original, Thursday evenings (7—8:30 p.m.)  To participate in this course will not require any prior study of Greek.

Participants will explore:

The Gospel of John using an interlinear bible, in which both the English text and the original Greek appear.

§  how to better understand what is happening in the gospel, and the message of the gospel, by gaining insight into how the original language is different enough (e.g., in how verbs work, in how what a “case” system for nouns reveals about what is being described) to allow us to see an otherwise familiar message in new lights. 

For more information, contact the parish office.

§  Parish Directory: A draft can be found on the Narthex table. If your information is current, please initial; if incorrect, please update directly on the draft.

§  Boy Scout Sunday: The Boy Scouts of America designates the Sunday that falls before February 8 (Scouting Anniversary Day) as Scout Sunday, to recognize the contributions of young people and adults to Scouting. Therefore, Grace Church will welcome Troop 801 and their families to the 10:15 service on February 4.  Please greet our Boy Scouts and let them know how much we appreciate their service. If you are willing to bring extra coffee hour treats, please contact the office; there will be a larger than usual crowd.

§  Ushers Needed: Ushers are often the first people seen by newcomers, visitors, and even regular parishioners when coming to Grace Church. People enjoy being greeted by a smile.  Contact the office at office@gracesheboygan.com to become part of this ministry today.

§  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.

§  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.