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

stan@gracesiloam.org

Lora Walsh CURATE

lora@gracesiloam.org

Larry R. Benfield BISHOP

bishopbenfield@mac.com

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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