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.