Mystery

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

28 February 2019

Mysterium tremendum et fascinans. This Latin phrase was coined by the Lutheran theologian, Rudolph Otto (d. 1937) to describe the religious experience of the sacred, and arose, recently, in a discussion in diocesan Deacon School.  The phrase translates into “mystery that inspires awe and fascination”, and is Otto’s attempt to classify what it is that happens when we encounter the sacred.

Mystery names that which is totally different from what is found in ordinary life and evokes a reaction of silence.  When we are in the presence of something (really, Someone!) so far beyond ourselves, the last thing we are tempted to do is open our mouths.  If we do talk, we don’t make any sense at all.  Witness Peter at the Transfiguration (e.g., Mk. 9.2—8).

Tremendum (awesome) connotes the experience of overwhelming power, which results in us trembling in awe.

Fascination results because in the face of overwhelming power we experience a sense of mercy and grace.  The power is that of Love.

We grope for words to classify for ourselves “what just happened” when we encounter the sacred.  In my own case, when I have had a “God moment” it has involved a sudden experience of tears, but tears of the joy of entering into a state far beyond the normal.  The problem, of course, lies in how we can ever share experiences of the sacred.  They are too intensely personal, and if we do seek to share these moments those to whom we speak shall be tempted to dismiss our testimony as just too particular to relate to.

But what about when we describe moments of grace which we have witnessed in others?  What about when witness unexpected kindness or forgiveness?  I suggest that we can well describe such “God sightings”, such testimonies of grace, and when we pay attention we will notice these glimmerings of the kingdom of heaven more and more in the world around us.

As we prepare for Lent let’s focus on how to cultivate the practice of God sightings and the practice of sharing them.  An excellent way to start is to begin with the Adult Education class which begins this coming Sunday, on a Rule of Life.  When we are intentional about how we pay attention to God we will notice His presence in all things.  Join with Nicci for this class at 9 a.m. on Sundays.

Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Doug Hamilton for the Sunday coffee hour.

§  Bobbie May and Julie Davidson for janitorial help.

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 envelopes are available in the pews. If you are moved to give something extra, please use an envelope to ensure that you are credited.

Music This Week: The Last Sunday after Epiphany

Music Director: R. Benjamin Dobey

Prelude                          Prelude on Coelestis Gloriae          Geoffrey Vinter                                                                                                            

Entrance Hymn 7            “Christ whose glory fills the skies”                 Ratisbon

Offertory Anthem           “Christ whose glory fills the skies”         Charles Wesley                             

Communion Motet           O Light of Light                                  R. Benjamin Dobey

Communion Hymn 137    “O wondrous type! O vision fair”                      Wareham                         

Closing Hymn 123           “Alleluia, song of gladness”                         Dulce Carmen                       

Postlude                          Paean on ‘ Of the Father’s Love Begotten         John Cook

Parish Notices:

§  Adult Formation: Growing a Rule of Life: Beginning today, Adult Formation participants will spend six weeks using a tool from monastic spirituality and the Society of Saint John the Evangelist to develop their own personal Rule of Life. Participants will discover a highly personal, guided way to gently live into who God invites us to be. 

§  Sacrament of Reconciliation: Lent is a time of self-examination preparing for the death and resurrection of our Lord. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered by appointment. Please contact Fr. Schaffenburg to set up an appointment to make your confession.

§  Shrove Tuesday Feast before the Fast: March 5 is Shrove Tuesday. A New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration in St. Nicholas Hall will follow the 5:30p.m. Mass.

§  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 Program: Friday nights in Lent beginning March 15^th, we will have Stations of the Cross at 5:30pm, followed by a simple Lenten supper at 6:00pm. At 6:30 the program will be Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week, author, professor, and biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine explores the biblical texts surrounding the Passion story. The six-session DVD features Dr. Amy-Jill Levine offering a fresh, timely reinterpretation of the Passion of Jesus. The video segments are approximately 10-12 minutes each. The program will be facilitated by Fr. Karl and Mother Michele.

§  Scout Appreciation Pancake Breakfast, March 17: Mark your calendars and stay a few minutes, after each service, to savor a down home Pancake Breakfast. Scouts will supply all the know-how for the event. As an added bonus, Maple Syrup will be supplied by the Drewry Farms of Plymouth. This award-winning Maple Syrup is served at all the major restaurants in the area and beyond.

§  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.

When the Church Hurts

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

21 February 2019

A recent op-ed piece in The New York Times is entitled “Raising Children Without the Concept of Sin” (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/25/well/family/raising-children-without-the-concept-of-sin.html).  The author recounts her own upbringing in a repressive environment “… where children were beaten in the name of God,” and goes on to recount her efforts to raise her own children to care about others without any reference to any concept of God or sin.

As followers of Jesus Christ one thing we cannot do is dismiss such testimonies.  Too often people have been hurt by the Church; they have been hurt by those invoking God’s Name.  Even if we recognize that what has happened is a perversion of real faith, the dismissal of a personal testimony does nothing to address how a worldview becomes fixed.  And even if such a worldview is one rife with problems (usually including unexamined assumptions, such as—in the referenced article—the idea that a child, or any person, can have a “moral sense” without reference to a standard outside of himself or herself), to dismiss the holder of such a worldview as simply misguided or (worse) evil, is to miss the point.  When anyone is victimized in the Name of God they become a casualty.

In military conflict a casualties include those killed, those wounded by enemy action, and those who contract diseases or suffer accidental injury by reason of their service in a theatre of battle.  Casualties from disease have traditionally outnumbered all others, and casualties from wounding in general far exceed those killed.  In other words the “sickness unto death” produced by a perversion of the Good News more commonly manifests itself as a sort of spiritual Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  And what are we called to do when we encounter the wounded, the sick, the traumatized?  We are first called to care about them, to lift them up in prayer.  We are called to walk alongside them, so that the life of real faith can be modeled, and the life of real faith can be experienced as one manifested in love.  We are called not to question their beliefs but rather to proclaim our own in action.  To the extent healing comes about it will be by the ministrations of the great Physician of Souls, Our Lord.  We can but walk alongside.  We can but listen.

Don’t argue with those who have been wounded by the Church or in the Name of God.  Listen.  Pray.  Be loving.  A soldier lying wounded on a battlefield will accept aid from a medical orderly wearing a red cross, regardless of the faith of the one wounded.  The walking wounded can accept love from those who embody the Cross, even when the cruciform origin and shape of this love is not evident to them.  In ministering to the wounded around us, we participate in Jesus’ redemption of the world.

Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Wayne and Pat Sather, and Jessica Ambelang for the Sunday coffee hours.

§  Bobbie May and Julie Davidson for janitorial help.

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 Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany (Baptism of Our Lord)

                              Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey, Music Director

Prelude                           Psalm-Prelude (Ps. 34 v. 12)                   Herbert Howells

Entrance Hymn 657         “Love divine all loves excelling”                          Hyfrydol

Offertory Hymn 414        ”God, my King thy might confessing”                  Stuttgart                            

Communion Motet 649    O Jesus, joy of loving hearts                 Dickinson College

Communion Hymn 576    “God is love”                                                  Mandatum                         

Closing Hymn 613           “Thy kingdom come, O God”                            St. Cecelia                     

Postlude                             Allegro maestoso (Sonata V)             Felix Mendelssohn

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.

§  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.

• Lenten Program:  Friday nights in Lent beginning March 15^th, we will have Stations of the Cross at 5:30pm, followed by a simple Lenten supper at 6:00pm. At 6:30 the program will be Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week, author, professor, and biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine explores the biblical texts surrounding the Passion story.  Jesus’ final days were full of risk. Every move he made was filled with anticipation, danger, and the potential for great loss or great reward. Jesus risked his reputation when he entered Jerusalem in a victory parade. He risked his life when he dared to teach in the Temple. His followers risked everything when they left behind their homes, or anointed him with costly perfume. We take risks as we read and re-read these stories, finding new meanings and new challenges.  She shows us how the text raises ethical and spiritual questions for the reader, and how we all face risk in our Christian experience. The six-session DVD features Dr. Amy-Jill Levine offering a fresh, timely reinterpretation of the Passion of Jesus. The video segments are approximately 10-12 minutes each.  The six sessions include:
• Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
• The Temple Incident
• The Anointing of Jesus and the Role of Women
• Jesus’ Teachings in the Temple
• The Last Supper Traditions
• Gethsemane

The program will be facilitated by Fr. Karl and Mother Michele

§  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. A New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration in St. Nicholas Hall will follow the 5:30p.m. Mass.

§  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.

§  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.

Wahahoogrek!

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

14 February 2019

Oh, my God!  How often do you hear this expression in public, in the media, as a sort of catch-all expression of surprise—surprise which might range from pleasure to despair.  Very often the person using this expression has no discernable relationship with God, but even people who are regular in the practice of the faith can too often be heard to use the expression.

In my brief service in the U.S. Marine Corps I became used to that all-purpose short Anglo-Saxon word otherwise known as the “F bomb”, as what I came to refer to as the “universal modifier”—as an adverb/particle/intensifier/noun/etc. that could be included in any sentence or phrase, and generally was.  I got so used to the F bomb that it became like water off a duck’s back.  I didn’t really react to the use of the word; it became background noise, and to this day I don’t really react too much when I hear it in public.  My lack of reaction is in marked contrast to that of one dear to me who when hearing the word is shocked, and reacts in shock.

So let us ask ourselves the question:  When we hear “Oh, my God!” are we just treating this as background noise?  Would we have the same reaction (absent sufficient boot camp experience) if someone next to us in a line said, loudly, what might be semi-politely abbreviated as “WTF?”

Scripture commands (not suggests) “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain …” (Exod. 20.7).  The intention here includes that we not invoke God’s Name to curse another (as in “G_d d__n you!”), but also to recognize that the Name is itself holy and we are not to abuse this holiness, for example by swearing falsely.  Elsewhere in Scripture we are warned not to swear (Jas. 5.12) and to put away “foul talk” (Col. 3.8).  But ask yourself this question:  If you do react to WTF and don’t react to OMG, why the difference?  Why do you react to foul talk but not to the taking of God’s Name in vain?  Is it because OMG has become background noise?  If so, how do we change this, or how do we, at least, witness to the holiness that an invocation of God is supposed to require?

I would like to suggest a simple practice:  If someone you know blurts out OMG (or, more directly, “Jesus!” as an oath), say something like, “Excuse me, if you are going to swear, can you at least use your own name?”  This will often result in an awkward interaction, but it will at least plant the seed that God’s Name is not to be abused, and your own witness to the holiness of God’s Name will, over time, allow you to better live into the holiness to which we are all called.  Then, if you have to utter an expression of surprise it can be your own coined, eccentric, meaningless word.  The next time you stub your toe, if you have to yell, yell out something like WAHAHOOGREK!  And see who notices.

Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Bill and Debbie Gagin, and Bob and Barb MacEwen for the Sunday coffee hours, with cleanup by Julie Davidson, Joanne and Zack Sorensen.

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 Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany (Baptism of Our Lord)

                              Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey, Music Director

Prelude                           Chorale Prelude on Deck thyself, my soul with gladness

                                                                                                            J.S.Bach                                                               

Entrance Hymn 477         “All praise to thee, for thou, O King divine”       Engelberg

Offertory Hymn 665        “All my hope on God is founded”                           Michael                             

Communion Motet          God be in my head                                        John Rutter

Communion Hymn 339    “Deck thyself, my soul with gladness”              Schműcke dich                         

Closing Hymn 411           “O bless the Lord, my soul”           St.  Thomas (Williams)                    

Postlude                          Toccata and Fugue in D major               Johann Pachelbel

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.

§  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. A New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration in St. Nicholas Hall will follow the 5:30p.m. Mass.

§  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.

Dog Whistles

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

7 February 2019

What is ASMR?  The acronym stands for “autonomous sensory meridian response”, a meditation technique that uses repetitive sounds.  What makes this practice a topic of conversation is that one of the Superbowl 2019 advertisements (for Michelob beer) involved the practice.  But (and get this), the fact that the ad referred to ASMR became a news story because most people didn’t know what ASMR is, or even that it existed.  In other words, the ad spoke particularly to people who already understood the message coded in it.

It has become common in what passes for dialogue in our society to use “dog whistles”, words and visual imagery that only those “in the know” (your “base”) will get.  The Michelob ad (which cost upward of $5 million) was a dog whistle to devotees of ASMR, while also trying to leverage some overall message of harmony to people who might want to drink beer while somehow feeling virtuous about this consumption.  Another form of coded message appeared in another $5MM+ ad, one from Hulu for the tele series “The Handmaid’s Tale”.  In this teaser a sinister depiction of oppression (itself made as a series of references intended to twist the “It’s Morning in America” commercial campaign used in one of Ronald Reagan’s election campaigns), ended with the image of the massed ranks of women in bondage standing on the Mall in Washington, D.C., with the Washington Monument transformed into a giant Christian cross.  The Cross is used—without comment—as a symbol of oppression, a message which is both a direct assault upon faith and a dog whistle to those who view faith as opposed to their own worldview.

Here's the real challenge:  In communicating about the faith—about the promise and power of salvation by and through Jesus Christ—outside of the Church, when we use “Church language” are we just using dog whistles, and only reaching those who already get the idea (if not the practice) of faith?  In using symbols, how do we continue to use symbols which testify to God’s ultimate self-giving in ways that do not become hijacked by those who would equate the Cross with a swastika or a Confederate battle flag? 

When “communication” is a series of dog whistles it becomes no more than a series of coded signals for groups which become tribes.  But the message of salvation is universal!  The Good News requires that we ignore distinctions between “Jew and Greek, male and female, slave and free” (Gal. 3.28), but the message of the world is to divide.  Our message—the Message—is to unite, and to do this we must first build community with others, that when we testify to the faith our testimony is understood because it is lived.  Our testimony must begin in how we focus on the other, on what we may learn from him or her, on how we may share, and only then on what we may teach.

Grace abounds:  Please thank: 

§  Bob and Anne Hanlon, and Jack Britton for the Sunday coffee hours, with cleanup by Julie Davidson.

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 Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (Baptism of Our Lord)

                              Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey, Music Director

Prelude                           Diptyque for Candlemas on Lumen ad revelationem

                                      gentium                                             Charles Tournemire

Entrance Hymn 535          “Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim”      Paderborn

Offertory Hymn 655        “O Jesus, I have promised”                                  Nyland                              

Communion Motet          O Salutaris Hostia                                      Donald Frazee

Communion Hymn 549    “Jesus calls us; o’er the tumult”                      St. Andrew                           

Closing Hymn 537           “Christ for the world we sing!”                             Moscow                      

Postlude                          Toccatina; Sortie dans le style ancien             Tournemire

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.

§  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.