| Update
May 19th, 2006
Dear
Good Shepherd,
Good Morning. The Weekly Article this week is yesterday's
email/letter I sentm regarding our visit with the bishop.
Be sure to read the rest of the Update below the article.
There is alot of news this week.
WEEKLY
ARTICLE
There
are two things I want to share with you this morning. The
first is a reminder/encouragement regarding the family and
friends Sunday. The second has to do with a meeting your vestry
and I had with bishop Adams yesterday.
1.
Just a reminder that this Sunday is Family
and Friends Sunday . I
hope everyone
has made the effort
to invite someone to church with them this Sunday and I hope
everyone is planning to attend (even if you didn't invite
anybody).
There
are so many great things going on at Good Shepherd right now
it would be a shame to keep them, or rather Him
, to ourselves.
Also, be sure to bring something to the covered
dish lunch afterwards. Last Family and Friends Sunday we
had 8 guests. That was great, but this time let's see if we
can't double it.
2.
As many of you know, the vestry met with bishop Adams
yesterday. We had a very productive discussion about a number
of issues. Our differences are real. They pertain to primary
or "essential" matters of faith. In this case, as
has been said many times before, the essential matter
is the authority of the Word of God. Fidelity and
compromise simply cannot coexist when it comes to essential
matters. To compromise an essential principle of faith is
to compromise Christian integrity.
The
good news is that both your leaders on vestry and
bishop Adams understand and respect this. Good
Shepherd cannot compromise the clear teaching of the
scriptures or participate in a body that we believe is leading
people caught up in sexual sin further into the darkness and
away from Christ and bishop Adams a feels just as
firmly determined that monogamous homosexual behavior should
be blessed by the church.
We
both recognized yesterday that maintaining our Christian
integrity, sadly, may very well mean that we walk
apart from each other after General Convention.
In
all likelihood, to be as realistic with you as possible, it
is looking that way. That came through fairly clearly
yesterday.
But one
of the very productive and beneficial aspects of the
meeting was that no matter what takes place, there is a strong
mutual commitment to seek an amicable, peaceful, and loving
resolution. If we walk apart, there is a commitment
on our part and on the part of bishop Adams to do
so in Christian love and respect.
This
is a wonderful blessing enjoyed by very few churches
and dioceses in our position. It speaks well of the bishop
and of your vestry.
You
should be very proud of your vestry by the way.
They handled themselves with great respect and love toward
the bishop and yet they did so with a calm and firm commitment
to remain faithful to the gospel. It was a truly moving
thing to watch these Christian men and women firmly bear
witness to their faith with gentle humility.
Nobody
knows what will happen in June. But I do know that God is
most definitely guiding our steps and that so long as we remain
faithful what lies before us is far greater and far better
than what lies behind.
Finally,
the other productive aspect of this meeting is that Confirmations
with bishop Bena of Albany
are now a sure thing. I have already spoken personally
to those being confirmed, setting up times to meet with all
of you before the actual Confirmation takes place. As
you know there is no real "confirmation class" at
Good
Shepherd.
If you have been baptized, invited Christ into your heart,
and are committed to one bible study a week or the Sunday
morning Christian Education (as well as weeekly
worship of course) then you are eligible for confirmation
as all the major doctrines are discussed on a regular basis
in each of the studies. If you have committed to these
things then you are being discipled year round. I do
want to meet with you personally to discuss the meaning of
Confirmation itself, but your Christian formation is accomplished
in the bible studies and Christian ed classes. See last week's
Update for a summary of the requirements for Confirmation
at Good Shepherd.
Well,
that is about all for this letter.
May
God bless and keep you all
In
Christ,
Matt+
UPDATE
CONTENTS
FAMILY AND FRIENDS SUNDAY THIS SUNDAY
CONFIRMATION/BAPTISM/RECEPTION
IF
YOU ARE BEING CONFIRMED, BAPTISED, RECEIVED, OR SERVING AS
AN ACOLYTE…
THE
DA VINCE CODE
HAVE
YOU…
A
NEW BIBLE STUDY
ADULT
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: “THE HARD QUESTIONS”
DATE
FOR THE CAMPING TRIP
NEWS:
FAMILY
AND FRIENDS SUNDAY: is
THIS SUNDAY...
If
you haven't invited someone to church already, pray that God
will have mercy on your soul
because your pastor won't (just a little joke...sort of)
Time
is running short. Pray that God will give you the necessary
courage and fortitude to invite a friend, co-worker, or family-member
who doesn't already attend a church, who is looking for a
church, or who is a non-believer.
There
will be a covered dish luncheon after the 10:30am service
so please bring food.
Last
time there were lots of people and plenty of food for all.
We'll hopefully have even more this time.
AS
I KEEP SAYING :
If you don't bring food or a guest,
please come to church anyway. Remember,
if a guest or a visitor comes to church and sees a lot of
empty pews it sends a powerfully negative signal. If, on the
other hand, the church is full, kids are everywhere, there
are lots smiles and handshakes and open warm greetings it
sends a powerfully positive signal: “This church is alive.
Something is going on here.”
This
won't be hard to do because this place is bustling, friendly,
and alive every Sunday morning. Moreover, we've had fantastic
attendance all year. So keep on keeping on. You're doing great.
Remember, even if you don't bring food or a guest, it is really
important to be there on Family and Friends Sunday (and, of
course, on every Sunday) to support the further growth of
the church and, most importantly, to offer praise and thanksgiving
to the Lord.
Last
time we had 8 guests. Let's double it this time and bring
at least 16. We've added 12 new members since January. People
are hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ at Good Shepherd and
being welcomed into the Body. You are being great missionaries
and evangelists and God is blessing us. I know summer is coming
on fast, but God wants to reach people with the saving message
of Jesus Christ even when its nice outside.
CONFIRMATIONS/BAPTISMS/RECEPTIONS:
The negotiations are complete. Bishop Bena of Albany
will be here at 7:00pm on Wednesday night (the 24 th of May).
We will be joined by the people of St. Andrew's Syracuse.
Richard
Moat, Michelle White, Carolyn and Darrell Dean, Tina Smith,
Joanne Moat, Elizabeth Finch, Bill Lane, and Lee Bronson
will be received or confirmed
Morgan
and Madison Sullivan
(Tina Smith's daughters) will be baptized
Requirements
for Confirmation, (adult) Baptism, and Reception:
1.
If you are committed to a weekly bible study or come to Christian
Education on a weekly basis then you are prepared for Confirmation.
If not then you will be asked to commit to a bible study or
Sunday morning group.
2.
There two mandatory meetings for everyone hoping to be confirmed/received/baptized.
The first meeting will be to discuss what it means to be confirmed
into the Anglican _expression of Christianity and the second
will be to discuss the service itself. I will publish these
dates as soon as I get a better idea of who will be attending.
IF
YOU ARE BEING CONFIRMED, BAPTISED, RECEIVED, OR ARE SERVING
AS AN ACOLYTE: Please
be at the church by 6:00pm
to meet the bishop (confirmands) and prepare for the service
(acolytes)
THE
DA VINCE CODE
opens this week. As you know the book purports to be a “historical”
novel. In other words the dialogue and action is fictional,
but the author (Dan Brown) claims that the historical setting
and background is accurate. In the book he claims that the
Church has hidden the truth about Jesus for 1600 years; that
Jesus is not really divine; that he was married to and had
children with Mary Magdalene and that the Church has “covered
up” the true story by editing the bible and cutting out those
books that told the truth.
Of
course anyone who knows anything about New Testament history
and the way the bible was written and received by the Church,
knows that these claims would be comedic were they not so
readily believed by an innocent and uninformed public.
There
are a number of resources that can equip you with the truth
about the Da Vince Code so that you will be able to discuss
it with non-believing friends who might be swayed by the book
or movie. One of the best is the Christianity Today
website that has a great wealth of information and links
to other resources that provide solid answers to Dan Brown's
claims. Another resource is the Christian
Research Institute website that also tackles the Da Vince
Code head on.
We
at Good Shepherd also have a small handout that exposes some
of Ron Brown's more egregious claims available in the parish
hall. You are free to take one and read it or give it to someone
you know.
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. You
are, judging by our recent growth, obviously doing a great
job and at that! If we continue at the same rate God will
have added 33 new believers/members to our fellowship by the
end of the year . We're beginning a new
month. Have you shared your faith?
A
NEW BIBLE STUDY: Camille
Lane's husband, Bill Lane, is a new member of Good Shepherd.
He has been attending the Men's Bible Study and Breakfast
for a few months now. He also has led a bible study of his
own for several years and is an experienced teacher. He will
be starting up a new bible study here at Good Shepherd this
summer which will meet every Monday evening at 7:00pm. The
study will likely start meeting in June and all are invited
to attend. More information will be coming so stay tuned.
” THE HARD QUESTIONS”: Our
current Adult Education series is based on the book, “Reason
to Believe” by Dr. RC Sproul . You can find this book
in most bookstores. And I'm almost positive you can find it
at Arrowhead.
Last
week we asked “Is Jesus really the only way to the Father?”
We answered by showing that this is precisely what Jesus claims
about himself and what is claimed throughout the New Testament.
It can be a difficult truth, but that difficultly is softened
a bit by Jesus promise that if anyone seeks the truth, he
will find it. In other words, no matter where a person lives,
if he or she really seeks God, then God will find a way to
introduce that person to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This
week we take up the question, “Is there really
a heaven?” We'll talk about what it is like
and what sort of things you can expect if you go there.
Third
notice FINAL
DATE FOR THE CAMPING TRIP: The vestry is planning
for the second annual Good Shepherd Camping Trip. The Final
Date has been set for July 7-9. The cost will be 22$ per night
for Campers, and 16$ per night for tents. For more details
please speak to Fred Moat
Good
News for the Week
Thomas
said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going,
so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I
am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would
know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have
seen him." (John 14:5-7)
Don't
forget to....BRING A FRIEND TO CHURCH!
Daily Schedule for the week of Sunday May 2 st , 2006
Monday:
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
Tuesday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
9:00 a.m. Tuesday Morning Bible Study
6:30 p.m. First Light Bible Study: Q and A
6:30
p.m. SOLEMN/FIRST COMMUNION
7:00
p.m. First Light Bible Study: Discussion (Matthew 15)
Wednesday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
Matt's
writing/study day
6:00pm
Acolytes and Confirmation candidates meet at the church
7:00pm
CONFIRMATION?RECEPTION/Baptism celebrated by Bishop Bena
Thursday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
5:30 p.m. Shepherd's Bowl
6:30 p.m. New Beginners Bible Study
7:30 p.m. Choir Practice
Friday
6:30 a.m. Men's Breakfast/Bible Study
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
sermon
prep day
Saturday:
10:00 a.m. Women's Bible Study
SUNDAY
MAY 28th, 2006 EASTER 7
8:00am Holy Communion II and Sermon
9:15-10:15 a.m. Christian Education for all Ages
10:30 am Holy Communion II, Music and Sermon
God bless you all
In
Christ,
Matt+
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