What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
Easter Schedule Easter is on it’s way, which means that Holy Week Services are almost upon us. Here are the scheduled times for this year, with a brief description of what each service is about.
Service Times:
Tennebrae (Wednesday, April 12th): 7:30PM Tenebrae means “shadows” in Latin. It is a service of word, light and sound. When you arrive for worship you will see two groups of candles lit on the altar table. As readings are read the candles on the altar will be gradually extinguished until the very end of the service when the last candle left lit is removed from the worship space and the whole sanctuary is left in darkness. At that point a loud crash will (should) shatter the silence of the sanctuary. Then, after a moment, the last candle is returned to the sanctuary and the worshippers depart in silence. The gradual darkening of the sanctuary and the crashing noise symbolizes the apparent victory of death, darkness, and chaos over Jesus Christ on the cross. The final candle being removed and returned, symbolizes the truth that through Jesus’ death, God gained victory over all the powers of evil. The Light was not overcome.
Maundy Thursday (Thursday, April 13th): 6:30PM Maundy Thursday communion celebrates the humility of Jesus with a ceremonial foot washing. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s and yet on the night before he died, during the Last Supper, he knelt down and one by one washed his disciples’ feet. He did this to show his disciples and to show you and me how to serve one another with humility and love, being willing even to stoop to the most menial tasks. Maundy Thursday is the last chance for communion until the Great Vigil.
Good Friday: (Friday, April 14th)noon At about 3pm on Friday of Holy Week he lifted his eyes up to heaven from the cross and breathed out his last. “It is finished” he said. He was not only referring to his life, but he was also referring to his mission to deal with and defeat once and for all sin, death, and Satan.
Stations (Friday, April 14th): 7:30PM This is a solemn service. The participants walk through the stations of the cross by candlelight, hearing a brief reading at each, and exit the sanctuary in silence.
The Great Vigil of Easter (Saturday, April 15th): 8:00PM Along with Tenebrae, the Easter Vigil is one of the most ancient services of the Church. It is the most important service of the entire year and it is the first service of Easter. The service begins in total darkness—the lights of the sanctuary are out and not a candle is burning. Then a fire is lit in a firepot the center of the nave and from that flame all the candles in the sanctuary are lit and the hand-candles in the congregation. Then come readings and psalms, said and sung, by singers and by the whole congregation. The sermon follows and then the first Communion of Easter. The Great Vigil begins at 8:00pm in the sanctuary.
Easter Day (Sunday, April 16th) This is the day Christians celebrate and proclaim the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. There will be music, preaching, smells and bells. Service times are 8:00am and 10:30am Easter Morning.
A Request Last Saturday was our first work day. Much effort was put into cleaning and clearing out the closets in the parish hall in order to make them ready for synod. I have been asked to pass on a gentle request that we please not place anything into the closets that won’t be picked up when leaving that day. These closets are not for long term storage.
CANA East Synod Our diocese, CANA East has asked Good Shepherd to host the annual Synod meeting this year. It’s an honor that Good Shepherd has been chosen to host this event. This year is even more special, as it’s the 500th year anniversary of the Reformation. On May 4th-6th, close to 300 clergy and lay people from around the country will come together to decide church business, and to worship and fellowship together. This year, the keynote speakers will be Archbishop Foley Beach (Archbishop of the ACNA), and Dr. Rev. Lee Gatiss.
Many things will need to be done to prepare for this event, and many hands will be needed. In the coming weeks, you’ll be hearing about opportunities to serve by painting, cleaning, reorganizing, decorating, and even helping with some construction work! Please consider coming in to help beautify Good Shepherd as we prepare to host this exciting event.
There will also be a great need for volunteers during the event. If you are able to come and volunteer for part of the event, please let Stephanie in the office know by email or a phone call. We’ll be looking for volunteers to help with serving meals, cleaning, keeping refreshment areas well stocked, running small errands, child care, parking co-ordination, and ushers. If you’d like to attend the event, you can register at the CANA East website. The cost is $120 for the full event. If you’d like to attend for free, then please contact Stephanie to sign up as a volunteer at gs.binghamton@gmail.com or by calling the office.
Hymn Sing, Acolyte Practice, and Potluck Did your mom have a Best Dish? Something that she was known for? That you might have had to beg and plead to get the recipe for? Our next potluck will be on Sunday April 2nd. The event will feature a hymn sing (with guest Jennifer Woolfolk at the keyboard) and the theme will be Mom’s Best Dish. Please stay and help celebrate our mom’s cooking and sing some of the old favorite hymns! Bring a dish to pass, if you can, but stay and enjoy the afternoon even if you don’t.
Ongoing Ministries
Children’s bulletins are available to help your children follow all parts of the service today. Please pick one up from an usher.
Bread and Wine If you are interested in joining a group of moms for a monthly supper and discussion of women in the bible, please contact Liz Hull.
Health and Wellness Our bodies are “the tents” that the Lord has given us to house our souls. Begin to take care of the body which God Has given you. Check your blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight every Sunday in the Parish Hall 9-10AM. Please see Dolly Shaller or Carmen Swoffer-Penna for more details.
Member Food Pantry In Genesis 14, the Bible tells us the story of what Abram did to rescue Lot and his household and bring them safely back to their own lands. It was essential back then to help one’s kinsmen, and the only way that he could do so was to get involved. He put together an army and went after Lot. Today, we help our family a little bit differently, and our food pantry and how we care for it is a prime example.
We know that some of our congregation don’t have the proper funding to pay all of their bills, and food is sometimes lacking, even though it’s a necessity. Donating food to our pantry for those who don’t have enough is our way of helping. Therefore, when shopping for yourselves, be sure to pick up something healthy for our pantry. Every little bit helps, so no one is turned away hungry.
Needs: Canned meats and tuna fish, rice in 1lb bags (white or brown), peanut butter, jam/jelly, cooking oils (olive canola, vegetable or sprays), soups/stews and one box meals, canned fruit (except cranberry sauce and applesauce), canned vegetables (except green beans), pasta and sauce, juice/tea mix or bags, coffee and powdered milk.
Note: Please don’t bring flour or sugar, or leave any open packages of pasta or rice in the pantry, as it attracts mice.
Last Week
Last Week in Christian Ed This was the first class in a series on Evangelism. In this session, ‘Divine Sovereignty and Evangelism part 4’. This is the fourth class in a series on Evangelism. We discuss the topic first from a theological perspective, using JI Packer’s, “The Sovereignty of God and Evangelism“. In several weeks we will turn to more practical “how to” questions…
Audible has a deal on the audiobook for $6.95, and can be found here.
Last Week’s Sermon was called ‘The Anchor of the Soul’, and was based on Hebrews 6:19-20. It can be listened to or downloaded here.
Tuesday Morning Bible Study ‘O Lord, Why Have You Done Evil to this People?‘ was based on Exodus 5 and 6.
Moses’ first confrontation with Pharaoh ends badly. His people are burdened with the impossible task of finding their own straw while maintaining their quota of bricks. The elders, turn on Moses and Aaron and accuse them of leading the people into destruction. Everything seems to have come undone. But Moses had done precisely what God had commanded him to do. Something must have gone wrong Moses assumes and then turns to God himself and asks: “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people…?” And yet from the beginning God told Moses that he would be opposed, that Pharaoh would not listen, that his words would be rejected. From the reader’s perspective it is odd that Moses should be surprised at suffering and rejection since these were promised from the beginning. But then again, when we consider Jesus’ promise “In this world you will have trouble…” and our frequent disbelief and dismay when trouble comes, perhaps Moses’ isn’t so strange after all.
You can catch up on the last month’s recordings here.
Preventing Grace Podcast Did you know that Matt and Anne have a podcast? They talk about everything from church polity to rustic breads. In this week’s episode, ‘Interfaith Worship, the Pope, and the Reformation’, Matt and Anne discuss the folly of interfaith worship and the anniversary of the Reformation.
You can catch up on all of the older podcast episodes here.
This Week
This week in Christian Ed This Sunday we will continue our study of JI Packer’s “Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God”. It is only 122 pages but an excellent read. This next series will begin with a series of discussions based on his book. You can buy it here, and I highly encourage you to do so! If you cannot afford it, don’t worry (we’ve been there) there will be free copies available at the church (please see Carrie Moorhead for more info).
Audible has a deal on the audiobook for $6.95, and can be found here.
If you were to hear a talk in a church or a discussion between a Christian and a skeptic, how would you know whether “evangelism” has taken place? What is the “message” that we are called to pass on? If the cross is an offense…how do we keep from adding to that offense?
After we discuss evangelism from a theological perspective we will discuss it on a more practical, every day, level…but it is important to start with theology so that we know why (and to what end) we are doing what we are doing.
This Week’s Sermon is based on Hebrews 7:1-7.
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.
See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
Team Galations is working on the altar this Sunday with Ife Ojetayo.
Shepherd’s Bowl Team 3 will be working this week with Steph Warner (4/6).
Altar Guild Karen Berman is serving this Sunday.
The readings for this week are: Ezekiel 37:1-14 and Hebrews 7:1-7.
The PDF Bulletin for this Sunday’s 10:30 service can be downloaded here.
Have an item for the Update or an Announcement?
Email the secretary at:
gs.binghamton@gmail.com
by Monday night.