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notes November 2014
Grace
OUR TEAM
OFFICE OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Bay GreenHill COMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATOR
Hope Johnstone FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR
Anne Jones INTERN
Mark Harris
CHILDREN 9 A.M. CHILDREN’S CHAPEL COORDINATOR
Ben Bergstrom GODLY PLAY DIRECTOR Meredith Bergstrom
KITCHEN AND NURSERY COORDINATOR Angie Chaney
11 A.M. CHILDREN’S CHAPEL COORDINATOR Travis Chaney
MUSIC ASSISTANT CHOIRMASTER
Liesl Dromi DIRECTOR OF MUSIC & ORGANIST
Dr. Jan Wubbena CHILDREN’S CHOIR SCHOOL DIRECTOR
Terri Wubbena
MINISTRIES Altar Guild Outreach
Episcopal Peace Fellowship / G.A.P.P. Meals on Wheels
Prayer Chain
VESTRY Meredith Bergstrom
Andy Bossler Ben Hill
Rob Lambert Amanda Orcutt
Debi Selby Curtis Smith Robert Smith Traci Letellier
Mike Moss, Treasurer Hope Johnstone, Clerk
COMMITTEES Building & Grounds Christian Formation
Community Life Finance
Hospitality Outreach
Stewardship Strategic Planning
Welcoming / Incorporation Worship
Stan McKinnon RECTOR
Lora Walsh CURATE
Larry R. Benfield BISHOP
WORSHIP SCHEDULE SUN Holy Eucharist, 9:00 A.M. Christian Formation (all ages), 10:00 A.M. Holy Eucharist, 11:15 A.M. WED Holy Eucharist & Healing, 12:10 P.M. MON-FRI Yoga Morning Prayer at Studio, 7:00 A.M.
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
THIN PLACES Our Celtic Christian forebears in Scotland and Ireland identified certain geographical
locations that they called "thin places." Thin places are not so named because the altitude is
any higher or the air any thinner there. Rather, they are called "thin" because it is believed
that in these places the distance between heaven and earth shrinks, and the veil between
the two worlds is so "thin" you can actually perceive something of heaven itself. The
presence of God is somehow more perceptible, more palatable in these places
The ancient Celts--sensing the deep spirituality of these sites--built many of their worship
places on them, some still marked today by circles of stone. Later Christians also built
churches and monasteries and cemeteries there. And people who visit these sites today
sometimes say they lose all track of time and space while there, and they know--deep down
inside--they are on holy ground. For in thin places, boundaries of time and space fade away.
There is no yesterday, today or tomorrow--only eternity stretching forth in a timeless
continuum.
For me, Grace Church is one of those thin places. It’s not so much any one thing or even
one particular place in our buildings or on our grounds, even though both are beautiful in
their simplicity. It’s also not just the liturgy or the music as moving and meaningful as they
are in spite of the fact that I often find myself “caught up to heaven” in the midst of our
worship. And I wouldn’t say it’s even a particular person or group of people at Grace where I
experience God’s love and acceptance more than anywhere else. What about Cottage
groups or coffee hour or picnics and cook-outs? Or maybe the parish retreat on Petit Jean
mountain at Camp Mitchell this past Spring? Or in the hospital room with someone before
and after surgery, or the hospice room praying the prayers of passing from this life to the
next?
No, I think that in all these places and with all of these people and in all these ways Grace
Church is a thin place where I experience God’s loving and abiding presence and where we
are being formed more and more into the followers of Jesus that God desires.
Peace,
NOTES FROM THE MUSIC STAFF by Jan Wubbena Last month the topic of this column was once again the interchangeability of hymn tunes. You might recall from the columns for September and October that I had been considering the possibility of an alternative tune for No. 399. The tune assigned by the Hymnal Committee, Camano, was a tune unfamiliar to us when we first sang it in August, and I was thinking that we might use another 66. 66. 44. 44. tune. According to the Metrical Index of Tunes, there are three other 66. 66. 44. 44. tunes in the hymnal, and all three have requisite number of notes in the melody for the number of syllables in each line of text: Croft’s 136th (No. 284), Darwall’s 148th (No. 625), and Love Unknown (No. 458). Any could fit. The question becomes: should they fit? Does the tune’s character match that of the text? Of these three, I had decided against Croft’s 136th because it too was unfamiliar – why substitute one unknown tune for another? We do know Love Unknown, but it’s quiet and lyrical, an inappropriate tune for an outgoing, spirited hymn of praise. That leaves Darwall’s 148th as a possibility – and it is indeed a good match. We don’t sing No. 625, “Ye holy angels bright,” often – but we will sing it on November 2, All Saint’s Sunday. Darwall’s 148th would fit both the poetry of the text of No. 399 and the sense of that text. As it turns out, we’ll also be singing No. 399 this month, on November 23, as we close the current liturgical year on the Last Sunday after Pentecost, also known as “Christ-the-King Sunday.” It will be the sequence hymn, sung as the gospel procession makes its way to the center of the nave. After singing of Christ “…enthroned on heaven’s height,” we will hear Matthew’s account of Christ “sit[ting] on the throne of glory,” with “all the nations…gathered before him” on the Last Day. And, because we successfully navigated the singing of Camano in August, we will again sing this text to this tune. This month we enter what I think of as the “full circle” season. The end of the liturgical year looks to the end times – Christ’s second coming – as does the season of Advent which begins the next church year (November 30 this calendar year). The gospel lessons appointed for the last three Sundays (November 9, 16, and 23) all come from Matthew 25, culminating in the Final Judgment. You may be puzzled on November 9, when we sing two hymns in the Advent section of the hymnal. In particular, No. 68, “Rejoice, rejoice, believers, and let your lights appear!” is based on that day’s gospel, the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins who had lamps to be lit when the Bridegroom came in the middle of the night – some were ready, with lamps filled with oil, and others had empty lamps, and they did not make it into the wedding feast. The end is the beginning, and the beginning is the end. May your Advent be a blessed season as you prepare to celebrate once again Christ’s first coming as you anticipate his second coming.
Litany of Remembrance…
Our choir will sing a litany of our loved ones on All Saints’ Day,
Sunday, November 2nd. This day stems from Ancient
Mediterranean communities who did not record birthdays. This
made death dates, especially of notable persons, more likely to be
remembered. On the anniversary of the death, loved ones would
gather at the tomb and give thanks for the person’s life. The early
church adopted this custom of remembrance celebrating a feast
day known as All Saints’ Day.
Fall Back, November 2nd
at 2:00 a.m.
Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November
2nd. "Fall back" and adjust your clocks backward one hour before
you go to sleep on November 1st.
SMOG gathering November 7th
at 7:30 p.m.
All Men of Grace are invited to SMOG on Friday, November 7, from
7:30-9:00 p.m. at the home of Stan McKinnon (2291 Villa View Dr).
Please bring a beverage and/or snack of your choice to share, and a
suggested donation of $10 for the "guest of honor" and join the
"Spirited" Men of Grace for a time of fellowship and conversation!
All Saints’ November 2nd
Stewardship Brunch &
Ingathering of Pledges…
Our annual stewardship potluck
brunch is Sunday, November 16th
at
10:00 a.m. Please bring an entree,
side dish, or salad and join us, all are
welcome!
We look forward to fellowship as
well as learning more about
"Walking the Way."
Stewardship packets will be mailed
at the beginning of the month and
are also available in the church
office.
This is also a great time to update or
take a photo for the directory board.
Please see Mark if you would like to
be included on the photo directory
wall.
Stewardship 2015
Therefore, as you
received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk in him.
Colossians 2:6
To lead worship on November 9th
at 9:00 a.m.
The Grace Children's Choir School (GCCS) will lead worship
this Sunday, November 9th
, at the early service under the direction
of Terri Wubbena. There will be a small reception after the program,
all are welcome to attend! Choristers please arrive by 8:15 a.m. to
warm-up and prepare. GCCS takes a very educationally-focused
approach, giving its young choristers musical skills and an
understanding of worship that will last a lifetime. Through its
participation in the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM), the GCCS
provides a structured and leveled learning environment
individualized to each chorister's heart and voice.
Gathering November 13th
at 7:00 p.m.
The Vineyard will meet Thursday, November 13th, at 7:00 p.m. at
the home of Kathy Moss.
This is an opportunity for the women of Grace to meet once a
month and share drinks, eats, and laughter! Please bring a beverage
and/or snack to share. If you would like to host a Vineyard
gathering, please contact Morgan Scholz at 918-766-2985.
Sunday evenings at 5:00 p.m. starting November 30th
Advent begins Sunday, November 30th
! We will have evening prayer
services at 5:00 p.m. each Sunday in Advent, Nov. 30th
– Dec. 21st.
Evening prayers are a great way to steady our hearts and minds in
the face of the holiday bustle. Childcare will be provided.
Reflect. Connect. Pray.
Did you know? You can join a Cottage Group anytime! Follow along
in your book or review our online resources and join us once a
month as we cover Brian McLaren's book We Make the Road by
Walking: A Year-Long Quest for Spiritual Formation, Reorientation,
and Activation. Please see the Monday Miscellany (weekly email),
bulletin board in the Parish Hall, or monthly calendar for the
Cottage Group schedule.
Books are available in the church office and the first cottage group
meetings for $25 (cash, check, or charge).
Saturday, November 8th
…
Siloam Music Festival presents their Fall Community Concert on
Saturday, November 8th at 7:00 p.m. at Community Christian
Fellowship Church. Over 50 of some of the top area musicians will
be participating, representing over 20 churches in our area.
Everyone is invited, donations requested. For more information, go
to www.siloammusicfestival.com.
Visitation Requested…
As you might know, our friend Cliff Brooks is in rehab at the Siloam
Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (room 107). As he is
recovering, he has expressed that anyone who is willing is very
welcome to come visit with him, he would greatly appreciate it!
Time & Talent Training, November 9th
…
If you have signed up to learn to be a Eucharistic Minister or would
like a refresher course, please join us this Sunday, November 9th
, at
12:30 p.m. for training for both the early and late services.
Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Track 2
Micah 3:5-12 Psalm 43
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 23:1-12
Track 2 Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16
or Amos 5:18-24 Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20
or Psalm 70 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Matthew 25:1-13
Nov. 16 Nov. 23 Track 2
Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 Psalm 90:1-8, (9-11), 12 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Matthew 25:14-30
Track 2 Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Psalm 95:1-7a Ephesians 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46
Nov. 30 Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37
PO BOX 767 (mailing) | 617 N. Mt. Olive St (physical)
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
479-524-8782 (main) | 479-524-6452 (fax)
www.gracesiloam.org
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