notes September 2014

Grace

OUR TEAM

OFFICE OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

Bay GreenHill COMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATOR

Hope Johnstone FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR

Anne Jones PASTORAL 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

Mike Moss, Treasurer Hope Johnstone, Clerk

COMMITTEES Building & Grounds Christian Formation

Community Life Finance

Outreach 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.

AN EXPERIMENT IN FOLLOWING JESUS TOGETHER This Fall I’d like to invite you to be part of an experiment of sorts.

Remember from your fifth grade science class that a science experiment involves coming up

with a hypothesis, an idea about how something might work, and then developing a plan to

test that hypothesis.

So, here’s the hypothesis:

Followers of Jesus at Grace Church become spiritually and emotionally healthier (more

whole) when they take time to read the scriptures, pray, and talk with each other about

what God would have them do with their lives.

And here’s the experiment:

1) Read a passage of scripture each week along with a short (3-4 pages) explanation of

what you’ve read and listen for what God might be saying to you. (By the way, this can

be done with your spouse and children as well as roommates or anyone with whom

you see on a weekly basis and they don’t even have to be members at Grace!)

2) Then, come together once a month with several of those who are reading the same

passages each week and talk about what this might mean for our life together.

It’s a rather simple experiment, but like most experiments it does require at least one

essential element or it won’t work: your participation – both 1) in doing the weekly reading

and reflection and 2) in attending the monthly meetings.

The following passage from the book of Acts describes the earliest followers of Jesus’ own

experiment:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread

and the prayers. Acts 2:42

Our experiment is simply patterned on those first followers of Jesus.

We will have an informational meeting and orientation on Sunday, September 14 at 10:00

a.m. in the Parish Hall.

I hope you will join me in this experiment of following Jesus together.

Peace,

NOTES FROM THE MUSIC STAFF by Jan Wubbena In the July and August Acciaccaturas columns I wrote about the music to which we sing our hymns, i.e., hymn

tunes. They have names apart from the texts with which they are commonly associated, and the origin of any

specific hymn tune name is often an interesting story. This month the topic is the interchangeability of hymn

tunes.

I am writing this on Saturday, August 23, and I’m thinking about the opening hymn at the services tomorrow,

No. 399, “To God with gladness sing,” a paraphrase of Psalm 95, “Come, let us sing to the Lord; let us shout for

joy to the Rock of our salvation.” I have been second-guessing my choice of this hymn, not because of the text,

but because of the tune, Camano. We’ve never sung it, and it’s a bit unpredictable: most measures have four

beats, but three measures have three beats, and these are positioned between measures of four. One line of

text encompasses a measure of four, and then a measure of three – that line of text is set to a tune seven beats

in length. It’s irregular.

The choir picked it up well enough on Wednesday night, but the choristers are used to reading new music and

whatever challenges are therein, metrical (as is the case with No. 399) or something else a bit problematic. I

don’t recall anyone saying after we went through it, “What a nice new tune – why haven’t we done this before?”

And I sit here pondering the wisdom of having made this choice, even though our parishioners always seem

game to try anything, and they don’t complain to me afterwards. Still, will it fly tomorrow? Or will it bomb?

Were there alternative tunes that would have fit this text?

If you will turn to that hymn…. In the lower right corner you will observe “66. 66. 44. 44” – that’s the “meter.”

Count on your fingers the syllables in the first phrase of text: “To God with glad-ness sing” – 6 syllables.

Continue on: “your Rock and Sa-vior bless” – 6 syllables. In a sense these two lines are paired together, and

there is a kind of closure at that point, thus the period after the first double-6 on the lower right. There follows

another double-6-period: “in-to his tem-ple bring” and “your songs of thank-ful-ness!” And the stanza is

concluded with two double-4s: “O God of might,” “to you we sing” (period after this

double-4), and “en-throned as King” and “on hea-ven’s height!” (the second

double-4).

A hymn tune for this text must accommodate six syllables, then another six,

yet another six, and still yet six, and then four, four, four, and four. In

consideration of the challenges presented by an unfamiliar tune, coupled with

the irregular number of beats, I am wondering if there might be another hymn

tune in the hymnal that would have also fit this text, i.e., a tune that also

is in the meter 66. 66. 44. 44 .

The hymnal committee chose not to share this privileged

information in the pew edition – “Why would someone in the

pew need to know that?!” – but the accompaniment edition

does indeed have a “Metrical Index of Tunes.” And now I

know.

Space limitations prevent me from continuing on – this

month! So I leave you with this cliff-hanger. And in the

October newsletter you will learn the answer – and more.

And now I wish you well in singing No. 399 tomorrow

morning .

Ted & Toni…

Congratulations to

Ted & Toni Barnett on their

marriage on August 30, 2014.

Eternal God, grant that their

wills may be so knit together

in your will, and their spirits in

your Spirit, that they may

grow in love and peace with

you and one another all the

days of their life. Amen.

~BCP 429

Enroll Now! Rehearsals begin September 8th

…

The GCCS, under the direction of Terri R. Wubbena, will start its

fifth season here in Siloam Springs. The choir is open for enrollment

and would love for YOUR child to be a part of it! This choir school

takes a very educationally-focused approach, giving its young

choristers musical skills and an understanding of worship that will

last a lifetime. The choir will rehearse on Monday afternoons 4:00-

5:00 p.m. starting, September 8th

. Through its participation in the

Royal School of Church Music (RSCM), it will provide a structured

and leveled learning environment individualized to each

chorister's heart and voice. Enrollment is for 2nd

-8th

graders. To enroll or for more information

contact admin@gracesiloam.org or call

479-524-8782.

Sundays at 4:00 p.m.…

Are you interested in

learning more about Grace

Church or maybe becoming

a member? Inquirer's Class

(IC) is the place for you! IC

will begin on Sunday,

August 31st, at 4:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend to learn more

about the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion, and our

Liturgical tradition. It is encouraged, but not required to attend

every week, join anytime! Childcare will be provided.

Starting Soon, Sign-Up Now!

The purpose of Grace Church’s Cottage Groups is to provide an

opportunity for our parishioners to gather in a more intimate

setting to get to know each other (connect), to reflect on what God

is doing in our lives individually and collectively (reflect), and to

worship together using the Book of Common Prayer form for

Compline (pray). This year we will be using Brian McLaren’s new

book, We Make the Road by Walking: A Year-Long Quest for

Spiritual Formation, Reorientation, and Activation. Cottage Groups

will meet monthly beginning in September and will be facilitated by

Stan and Lora. There will be an orientation to this study on

September 14th

during Christian Formation at 10:00 a.m. To sign up,

please copy and paste this link:

https://docs.google.com/a/gracesiloam.org/forms/d/1mugNJqus3l8bK

8_Gzow52RFN5b-SlKg2LhmYVLacGo8/viewform?usp=send_form

90th

Birthday Celebration!

The Moss Family would like to

invite the congregation of Grace

Church to help celebrate the 90th

birthday of Lorraine Moss during

the late coffee hour on Sunday,

September 7th

All are welcome!

September 18th

, Women of Grace

The Vineyard (formerly Fine Wine Women of Grace), will meet on

Thursday, September 18th

, at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Mary

Benjamin. 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.

Upcoming dates:

September 18th

, 7:00 p.m. | Mary Benjamin’s home

October 9th

, 7:00 p.m. | Traci Letellier’s home

November 13th

, 7:00 p.m. | Kathy Moss’ home

September 19-20th

…

Vestry members will travel to Eureka Springs on Friday and

Saturday, September 19-20th

for a Vestry retreat.

Sign Up Now…

Are you interested in participating in a ministry role? We will have a

volunteer on hand after both services on September 7th

to answer

questions or assist with sign-ups. There are a multitude of ministry

roles available. Trainings for these roles will occur later in

September.

September 21st...

Please join us on Sunday, September 21st at 10:00 a.m. (during

Christian Formation) for a Children's Ministry Open House. Our

Children's Ministry Director, Meredith Bergstrom, will give a brief

description and tour of the various programs we offer at Grace for

children ages 10 and under. We will then explore Children's Chapel

with our Children's Chapel Directors, Travis Chaney and Ben

Bergstrom. All are encouraged to come and experience the

programs that help guide the future generation on their spiritual

path!

Lora Walsh, Welcome Back!

We welcome our Curate Lora Walsh back from maternity leave. She

will return on Sunday, September 7th

.

Kaitlyn Russell

& Seth Long…

The 2014 choral scholars are

Kaitlyn Russell and Seth Long.

We are delighted to have

such talented individuals join

the Grace choir.

OCTOBER | MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

October 3-5th, Sign Up Now…

The Arkansas Youth Event (AYE) will be held at Camp Mitchell

October 3-5. This event is open to all youth 6th

-12th

grade. Enjoy a

weekend of fun and fellowship! Scholarships available. Please

contact Mark Harris (mark@gracesiloam.og) for information on

scholarships. To see images from last year's event, visit

http://eycarkansas.org/the-arkansas-youth-event-is-almost-here

Cheryl Kester, October 4th

…

On Saturday, October 4th

, we're going to have a work day to help

Cheryl with some organizing, repairs, and clean-up at her house. All

are welcome to help. Please RSVP to Bay in the office if you would

like to help!

October 5th

at 5:00 p.m…

There will be an instructed Eucharist on Sunday, October 5th

at 5:00

p.m. in the nave. This Eucharist takes an educational approach to

worship and gives real-time worship commentary to shed light on

the various elements of the service as they occur. This is an

opportunity to learn while participating in Eucharist. All are

welcome to attend!

October 12th

…

The Right Reverend Larry Benfield, Bishop of

the Diocese of Arkansas, will be visiting Grace

on October 12th at both the 9:00 and 11:15

a.m. services. This is the annual service at

Grace to join the Episcopal Church and be

confirmed or received by the Bishop of the

Diocese. Please talk to Stan or Lora if you

would like more information.

Sept 7 Sept 14 Track 2

Isaiah 55:1-5

Psalm 145: 8-9, 15-22

Romans 9:1-5

Matthew 14:13-21

Track 2

1 Kings 19:9-18

Psalm 85:8-13

Romans 10:5-15

Matthew 14:22-33

Sept 21 Sept 28 Track 2

Isaiah 56:1, 6-8

Psalm 67

Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28

Track 2

Isaiah 51:1-6

Psalm 138

Romans 12:1-8

Matthew 16:13-20

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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