What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
Scheduling Reminder If you need to make an appointment with Pastor Matt, please be sure to contact Stephanie directly at 607-723-8032 or at gs.binghamton@gmail.com.
Often when people come to speak with Matt after the service on Sunday, he’s already been working for over ten hours, and doesn’t always remember to put it into the calendar. This can cause double bookings, or forgotten appointments. Please keep in mind that the office is closed on Mondays. Thank you so much for your understanding.
Update and Announcements If you have an item you’d like to have announced on Sunday morning, or included in the update, please be sure to forward the item to Stephanie by Wednesday afternoon, and specify if you’d like it announced or just listed in the updates. It will then be edited and forwarded to Anne to announce on Sunday and/or added to the paper and digital update.
Human Sexuality and How to Engage with People with Different Views Many people at Good Shepherd have expressed a need to discuss how to handle topics of human sexuality in their everyday lives. Good Shepherd has asked Garry Ingraham from the Love and Truth project to come and speak during Christian Education on May 29th, 9:15am. This promises to be an interesting and timely discussion.
Anglican Church Women Meeting The ACW will next meet on Saturday, July 9 at Cortese at 11:45. All are invited!
Ongoing Ministries
“And as for your little ones…”
Vacation Bible School is coming August 1-4 from 6-8 PM. It is an opportunity not only for children of Good Shepherd, but especially for children in our community to hear the gospel clearly presented. It is also an opportunity for you to lend your talents to those children. The range of skills that can be used in Vacation Bible School are broader than you may initially think. Vacation Bible School can be a beautiful quick snapshot of the body working together, all parts having the same goal but accomplishing that through a great variety of tasks and time commitments. Please talk with Anna Dreher and tell her what you enjoy doing and when (during the months of June-August) you are available. Your skills and interests are perfect.
Children’s bulletins are available to help your children follow all parts of the service today. Please pick one up from an usher.
Health Fair and Ice Cream Social 2016. The Ice Cream Social will be held on June 11 from 12-3pm. This year all participants in the event are required to agree with our statement of faith; a change which we pray will both protect us from the inclusion of groups which would oppose our beliefs, and also provide a venue for us and for other bible- believing Christians to proclaim our faith in words and deeds while promoting health of body, mind, and soul. This change also demands that we ALL take part in this effort. Please ask yourself what you can do to help and who you know who might be willing to participate. This event will include health screenings and information, holistic health professionals, Christian groups such as the Salvation Army, haircuts, skincare, facepainting, dance and athletic demonstrations, children’s crafts, music, food, and much more! There are recipes for food for this event downstairs by the sign-up sheet. Parishioners are encouraged to prepare these snacks/chili for June 11th. Please let me know how YOU would like to help!
Food Distribution The next food distribution will be Wednesday, May 25th from 10-11am. All are welcome, please bring containers to take away any goods that you receive.
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.
Good Shepherd Food Pantry Summer is just around the corner, and children who’s meals are provided at school may go without. Supporting groups like CHOW, Catholic Charities, and church food pantries, like ours, can take over and help to fill that need. Please think of God’s precious children and do your part. You’ll be glad you did.
Food Needs: powdered milk packets or powdered coffee creamer, canned meats, creamy and crunchy peanut butter, spices, canned fruit, juices other than cranberry, and anything else you’d like to bring.
Last Week
Last week’s sermon ‘The Wisdom From Above’ was based on James 3:15-18. It can be listened to or downloaded here.
Mission Group Discussion Questions
Main Idea(s):
- Wisdom is demonstrated by good conduct with an attitude of meekness, not with bitter jealousy or selfish ambition.
- Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are born out of the flesh and oppose the wisdom that is from God.
- Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition divide and destroy; acting in wisdom results in righteousness and peace.
1) In what ways do godly wisdom and worldly wisdom oppose each other?
- What does it mean that the wisdom notfrom above is “earthly”?
- Why is this “earthly” a negative description in verse 15?
- Why is this wisdom also described as “unspiritual” and “demonic”?
- Why are worldly wisdom and wisdom from God in such opposition to each other?
2) Who is the source of each type of wisdom?
- Who benefits from the application of godly wisdom compared to worldly wisdom?
- How does the source of wisdom affect how it is applied and who it benefits?
3) In verse 16, why do bitter jealousy and selfish ambition lead to disorder and vile practice?
- According to this verse, is there any sin that doesn’t result from these attitudes? How do you know?
- How do these attitudes relate to worldly wisdom? Are they the cause or the result?
- Why can’t these attitudes lead to order and righteousness?
4) What do the adjectives in verse 17 describe?
- Can the wisdom from above be achieved by doing your best to be the things listed in verse 17? Why or why not?
- Then how can wisdom from above be gained if not through your own efforts? [See James 1:5]
- How can verse 17 be used to check that a decision or action you must make is done with wisdom from above?
- What should be done if a past decision or action was made or done without wisdom from above? How can unity and righteousness be restored?
5) What is the meaning of verse 18?
- What else does verse 18 indicate about the wisdom from above?
- How can verse 18 be applied in practice in the church? How about in the world?
Tuesday Morning This Tuesday’s Bible Study was called ‘Before They Had Done Anything Good or Bad’. It was based on Romans 9. You can view it here. Missed a study? You can catch up on the last month of the Tuesday morning Bible studies you might have missed here.
Preventing Grace Podcast Did you know that Matt and Anne have a podcast? They talk about everything from church polity to rustic breads. This week’s podcast is called ‘Mandatory Transgender Showering, Knighthood, the Wall, and the Apocalypse’. You can listen in here.
This Week
This week’s sermon is based on James 4:1-6.
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:1-6 ESV)
Team Galations is working on the altar this Sunday with Jerry Shriver.
The readings for this Sunday are: Isaiah 6:1-7 and James 4:1-6.
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.