wu2.22.08

Good Morning. Below you will find both the weekly Update and the weekly article.

Below you'll find descriptions of all the special worship services at Good Shepherd during Holy Week: Palm Sunday (March 18th), Tenebrae (Wednesday March 19th), Maundy Thursday (March 20th), Good Friday (March 21st), The Great Vigil (March 22nd) and Easter Sunday March 23rd).

Aside from the services below, there will be Morning Prayer at 8:30am from Tuesday to Friday.

Palm Sunday (Sunday March 16th, 2008)
Palm Sunday is the first worship Service of Holy Week and it is one of the most important celebrations of the whole year. Holy Week is the week believers remember and celebrate the last week of Jesus' life. That week began with Jesus' triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem . By this time, Jesus was a celebrity. Everyone knew him and most people believed that he was the messiah, the coming savior of Israel . So when they heard he was coming they all rushed out waving palm branches and crying “Hosanna in Highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Waving Palm branches was the first century equivalent of those foam “#1” signs you see at football games. It meant, “This is the king.” Of course, after they really got to know Jesus and figured out that he was not the savior they thought he would be (i.e. that he wasn't going to get rid of the Romans) their enthusiasm died. In fact, five days later the very same people who greeted Jesus with shouts of “Hosanna” screamed for his death with cries of “Crucify Him!”

Palm Sunday Services at Good Shepherd will be held at 8:00am and 10:30am as usual. They will begin with the blessing of the Palms. Then the blessed palms will be passed out to everyone in the congregation and we'll process into the church like Jesus' processed into Jerusalem (except for the donkey). During the service The Passion will be read and narrated.

Tenebrae (Wednesday March 19th)
Tenebrae means “shadows” in Latin. The worship service called “Tenebrae” is an ancient rite of the Church. 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. 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 sudden piercing crash will shatter the silence of the sanctuary and echo through the chamber. Then, after a moment, the last candle is returned to the sanctuary and the worshippers depart. 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.

The service of Tenebrae will be held at 7:00pm on Wednesday of Holy Week .

Maundy Thursday (March 20th)
Maundy Thursday communion celebrates the humility of Jesus. 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 disciple's dirty, dusty, 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 and wash one another's feet.

This Maundy Thursday, we'll be hosting a shared meal and worship service with the people of St. Andrew's Anglican church in Vestal. Our meal will be a covered dish that is enjoyed in combination with the Shepherd's Bowl. All those who eat at the Shepherd's Bowl will be invited to eat with us and we with them. The supper will begin at 5:30pm

The service afterward will be informal and relaxed and it will include a time for us to wash some willing feet. The Rev. Tony Seel from St. Andrew's Anglican Church in vestal will be our guest preacher. Maundy Thursday is the last chance for communion until the Great Vigil.

The service will begin at 7:00pm

Good Friday: The Passion (March 21st)
Jesus died on a Friday. At about noon 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 the great battle between God and sin, death, and Satan. Sin, death and the power of Satan over the people of God all died with Jesus on that day. By and through Jesus' death on the cross, everyone who believes is forgiven their sins and granted an eternal relationship with God, the pure joy of Heaven. Good Friday Services will be held at noon and at 7:30pm.

Good Friday Noon : The Hours. A servince remembering and meditating on Christ's final hours on the cross.

The 7:00pm service will follow a viewing of Mel Gibson's film The Passion which we will start showing at 4:00pm .

The 7:30pm service will include the Stations of the Cross , when we walk through and participate spiritually in the Passion of Christ Jesus.

The Easter Vigil (Saturday March 22nd)
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 is definitely one of the most beautiful you will ever see. It begins in total darkness. The lights of the sanctuary are turned out, not a candle is burning. And then, in the darkness, you will hear a prayer. A fire is lit; a large flame in the center of the nave and from that flame all the candles in the sanctuary are lit. Then there will be readings and psalms, said and sung, by singers and by the whole congregation. The sermon follows and then the first Communion of Easter. Jesus is Risen! The light has overcome the darkness! Death is defeated, sin destroyed.

Easter Day! Jesus is Risen! (Sunday March 23rd)
This is the day Christians celebrate and proclaim the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. There will be flowers and smells and bells.

UPDATE CONTENTS
BIBLE STUDY AND GROWTH

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

LENT: READ THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 40 DAYS

WEDNESDAY NOON EUCHARIST

ACOLYTES WANTED FOR EASTER VIGIL

OPEN DOOR

WEDNESDAY OPEN DOOR

VESTRY RETREAT

FROM THE ECW

EASTER FLOWERS

SERMON & PODCASTING INFORMATION

SERMON STUDY INFO

PRAYERS NEEDED

THE REV. ALISTAIR BEGG ON MARRIAGE

HEALING (AGAIN)

FR. NIGEL MUMFORD
BIBLE STUDY
YOUTH INFORMATION FROM MICAH

HERESIES AND CULTS (ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL SERIES)

NEWS :

BIBLE STUDY AND GROWTH: Almost all of our bible studies have been booming. A great percentage, over 60%, of those who worship at Good Shepherd regularly also attend at least one bible study a week.

Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, that the Word of God is essential to spiritual life. He said "Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." This is true not only for individuals but also for parishes.

Good Shepherd has been blessed with abundant growth over the last year. God has brought many new faces and several new ministries. But to me the most encouraging sign has been the increased desire to know the Bible. That desire has been made manifest not only in increased energy and attendance at the bible studies and Sunday school, but also in the growing attendance at worship.

I remember the first time I asked people to open their bibles during the sermon time. The request was met with silence and blank stares. That is gone now, replaced by a genuine interest in knowing and reasoning through the scriptures.

I am so thankful to be your pastor and so very encouraged by the evident growth I see and experience personally at Good Shepherd.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: One of our Shepherd's Bowl teams has recently lost two volunteers, a man and a woman.. The team is now left with only one female server in the evening. We desperately need at least two volunteers to step in and at least one of them must be male. It is dangerous for a woman or women to serve the meals by themselves. The commitment would be for one Thursday evening a month. If you are interested please call the office or the rectory.

We are also now short of two cleaning teams. There used to be 4 teams of volunteers to help clean the church, one team on duty each week. We are now down to 2 teams. This is not good.

Please do step up to help if you are able.

LENT: READ THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 40 DAYS: This Lent, I've challenged Good Shepherd to commit to read the entire New Testament in 40 Days. You may find the reading schedule and daily devotions here:

http://www.binghamtongoodshepherd.com/40days.shtml

WEDNESDAY NOON EUCHARIST: Anne is celebrating Communion every Wednesday at noon in the sanctuary during lent. Everyone is welcome.

ACOLYTES WANTED FOR THE EASTER VIGIL: Anne is looking for current acolytes or any who have served at special services, like Christmas eve, to train specially for the Vigil on the Saturday evening before Easter Sunday. Please, lt us know if you can help.

OPEN DOOR: For those of you who would like to meet with Anne rather than me, she will generally have open office hours at the church on Wednesday from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Please feel free to come by the church from Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00am to 1:00pm to meet with me (Tues or Thurs) or Anne (Weds) without an appointment. Of course we will be there at other times, but during open door hours there is no need to call in advance or set up a time, you can just drop in.

WEDNESDAY OPEN DOOR: Since Anne is leading the noon-day Communion during Lent, she will also be sitting for the open door hours on that day in my place. This will make it possible for women of the parish who might feel more comfortable speaking to a woman to have a set space and time to do so without appointment.

VESTRY RETREAT: Saturday March 1st from 9:00am to 3:00pm...don't forget

FROM THE ECW:

The ECW Easter Bake Sale and Clam Crowder Sale is Saturday, March 8 from 10:00-2:00! Good Shepherd is well-known for our Clam Crowder and our wonderful bakers! We need YOU to make the Bake Sale a success. We need cookies, breads, muffins or anything you can think of to bake! We have great bakers in our church and we all love good food so jump right in and lend a helping hand to a very good cause. There will be a sign up sheet for your donations or you can contact Mary Lindsey. All items are greatly appreciated!

March 7th is a work day for making the Clam Crowder starting at 9. Come and help!!!

EASTER FLOWERS: Flyers are in the pews for Easter Flowers. Please use full names. Flowers can also be given in thanks for blessings received and for living as well as deceased loved ones. If anyone has any questions about where the money is going, please see me.

SERMON & PODCASTING INFORMATION: All recent sermons may be downloaded at the Good

Shepherd podcast site

SERMON INFORMATION: If you would like to study ahead for this Sunday's sermon, be sure to read the Gospel of John chapter 4:1-39.

PRAYERS NEEDED: Please pray for the leadership of the parish as negotiations with the Diocese of Central New York continue. Pray specifically that the diocese will be willing to accept an amicable resolution regarding our property.

THE REV. ALISTAIR BEGG ON MARRIAGE: Pastor Begg is perhaps the best preacher in the United States. He recently presented a sermon series on marriage that was fantastic. If you are married, ever want to get married, are having marriage troubles, or if your marriage has ended, I cannot encourage you enough to listen to this sermon series. You can find it here:

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Truth_for_Life/

HEALING: We forgot to offer healing last Sunday so we'll try it again. There will be healing prayers offered on the side altar this Sunday. If you need prayer for healing of any kind, physical, spiritual, mental or emotional, you are invited to come to the side altar after recieving communion. Anne will be there to pray with you and annoint your forehead with oil (James 5).

FR. NIGEL MUMFORD: Will be visiting Good Shepherd again this Spring (14th and 15th of March) to lead a seminar on healing prayer. Fr. Mumford is a former member of the British special forces and now serves as an Anglican minister in the Diocese of Albany. He is well known nationally and internationally for his healing ministry. Dolly Shaller is sponsoring this event. More information will be coming soon.

BIBLE STUDY: All the Bible Studies are up and running this week

YOUTH INFORMATION FROM MICAH : Two very important items to note for youth group this weekend!

First, the senior high ski trip has been moved to March 15. This is to accommodate several people who could not make the March 1st ski trip. Please reschedule accordingly. Also, there is an extended game night for youth group this Sunday, from 5-8.

The Junior High All-Nighter is this Friday. Kids, please bring a sleeping bag/pillow, and anything else you might need to spend the night. We will be meeting at 7 pm and going until 8 am the next morning. Parents, please be ready to pick your kids up right at 8 am.

ADULT EDUCATION SERIES: HERESIES AND CULTS : We've started our lesson on Scientology. Here are some important links to follow in order to prepare for this Sunday's lesson:

The Lisa McPherson story:
http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/Lisa_McPherson_Scientology_Deaths.html

Paulette Cooper's experience:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Freakout

Here is the infamous Tom Cruise promotion video..:
http://gawker.com/5002269/the-cruise-indoctrination-video-scientology-tried-to-suppress

Here is the general website for the church of scientology:
http://www.scientology.org/

Here is a basic and good overview of Scientology from a third party:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/80/story_8057_1.html

HAVE YOU…. shared your faith with a friend? The vestry has challenged all of us to share our faith in Jesus Christ with at least one non-believer each month.

Good News for the Week

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (1st Peter 4:12-19)

Don't forget to....BRING A FRIEND TO CHURCH

Daily Schedule for the week of Sunday February 24th, 2008

Monday:
pastor's day off

Tuesday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
9:00 a.m. Tuesday Morning Bible Study

10:00a.m.-1:00 p.m. Pastor's Open Door Hours
6:00 p.m. First Light Bible Study

Wednesday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer

10:00a.m.-1:00 p.m. Pastor's Open Door Hours

Noon: Communion

Thursday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer

10:00a.m.-1:00 p.m. Pastor's Open Door Hours
5:30 p.m. Shepherd's Bowl

6:30 Thursday Night Bible Study

Friday
6:30 a.m. Men's Breakfast/Bible Study
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
Pastor's sermon prep day

Saturday :
10:00 a.m. Women's Bible Study

Sunday March 2nd 2008 SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP (SEASON OF LENT)
8:00am Worship, Holy Communion and Sermon
9:15-10:15 a.m. Christian Education for all Ages
10:30am Worship, Holy Communion, Music, Sermon
2:00pm to 4:00pm Jr. High Meeting

6:00pm - 8:00pm Sr. High Meeting

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