Update June 2nd, 2006

Dear Good Shepherd,


Good Morning. I’ve changed my schedule lately. I am trying to write my sermons on Thursday and write the Update on Friday which means the Update is published later in the day than usual, but they will get out on Friday.

In any case, since last week’s Update was never sent out electronically, I have repeated a most of the same information here just in case you missed it. Please be sure to read carefully.

Weekly Article:

This week’s article started out as a report for the Update and turned into a brief reflection. Enjoy.

As some of you know, Don, Jake, and Darrell Dean and I took part in the General Clinton Canoe Regatta, a Memorial Day race that begins in Cooperstown and ends in Bainbridge New York. It is a 70 mile race in all. It took us about 12 hours. Jake and Don were in one canoe. Darrell and I in the other.

Last week I bragged that Darrell and I would win by one hour.

Well, it looks like I need to eat my words.

We did come in first, but only by 5 minutes and it was a very, very close race.

After the first 20 or so miles, we were told that Don and Jake were 20 minutes back.

So, thinking we had plenty of distance on them, I started to get comfortable and relax. "Afterall," I thought to myself, "they’d never catch up."

Darrell wasn't so confident and kept chiding me, politely, to get it in gear. And I did speed up a little and then slow down again. Why hurry when we're so far ahead?

Well, guess what.

While I was sitting there rowing half-heatedly thinking about what a nice day it was, Don and Jake were pushing themselves all out. They skipped their pit-stops and took no breaks.

By mile 50, I was thinking we had increased our lead, when in fact, they were directly behind us. Darrell and I heard some shouting and we turned around and sure enough, there they were and they were about to pass.

The final twenty miles are seared painfully into my memory. They were grueling. Darrell and I managed to pull it together and cross the finish line first, but it was very hard and very close.

Darrell was right. I should have kept pushing myself

Jake especially should be congratulated. To decide to push for the lead when you are twenty minutes behind and fifty miles to go and already exhausted takes a lot of heart and a lot of fire.

There is definitely a lesson to be learned here.

The Christian life is not a sprint. It's a an endurance race and not against your brothers and sisters, but against yourself, your old nature, the temptation to slack off on your daily prayer time with God and daily time in the word; to slack off when it comes to group bible study and Sunday worship, to slack off when it comes to the way you live your life and to stop earnestly seeking Christ.

When that happens, old habits, old ways of thinking and living sneak up on you.

The Holy Spirit gives you the strength to run the race without slacking, but you and I have to make the decision to push hard to reach the goal.

God gives us polite and not so polite nudges along the way. But we have to make the decision to commit or not to commit. To dedicate our lives wholly to Christ or to take it easy and let the current of our old, fallen, desires take us where it will.

Tom Landry once said that a coach’s job is to push people to do what they don’t want to do so that they can be what they’ve always wanted to be.

AS believers we want to have joy, peace, love, and security. We want a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. To achieve that takes work. It means pushing ourselves to do what we don’t always want to do.

But in the end, discipline always pays off.

God always works in and through your work and crowns your efforts with his blessings. So commit your way to the Lord and seek him diligently. Wisdom, fruitfulness, peace, joy, and increasing strength will be your reward.

In any case, it was a great Memorial Day. I’m still recovering, but I really thank God for the lessons learned.



UPDATE CONTENTS
SOLEMN COMMUNION SUNDAY
PARISH PICNIC
THANKS TO THE CHOIR
SUMMER SCHEDULE and EDUCATION

NEW BIBLE STUDY
MARRIAGE PRAYERS AND CONGRATS
SERMON SERIES
SMALL GROUP LEADER TRAINING
GENERAL CONVENTION NEWS AND INFORMATION
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

"THE HARD QUESTIONS"

CAMPING TRIP DATE

News:

SOLEMN COMMUNION SUNDAY: This Sunday, June 4th, is Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit first filled the disciples and filled them with the power to preach the gospel. It is also Solemn Communion Sunday, the Sunday the first communion/solemn communion class graduates. Some of them will be taking communion for the first time. The entire group has spent the last couple of months thinking about the Lord’s presence in their lives and his presence in the church through Holy Communion. Please come and celebrate Pentecost and Solemn Communion together with the kids and praise God for sending his Holy Spirit to live in the hearts of all who believe.

PARISH PICNIC: The parish picnic is on Sunday June 11th, that’s two Sundays from now. Since we had baptisms with bishop Bena last week, it doesn’t look like we’ll have any at the lake this year. But there will be two services, one at 8:00am at the church and one at Cole Park during the picnic. The picnic service will start at 11:00pm. Lunch will start after the service. Then, after lunch, comes the war. I will wreak devastating water-balloon havoc on all who dare to attack, so beware. There is only ONE RULE this year when it comes to water-balloons: No water-balloons under the shelter or around the area where people are eating lunch. Last year some non-combatants got really wet. We will avoid that this year by keeping hostilities limited to certain free fire zones to be identified by me. J

THANKS TO THE CHOIR: Last year at this time, we had about 5 choir members, no live music and a music program reeling from the loss of the majority of the old choir (due to our biblical stand on the Anglican crisis). Since then, we’ve made a firm commitment to live music, the choir has grown to 11 members, and the quality of sound and worship leadership has increased exponentially. This has been a banner year for the choir and even better things lie in the future. We have a significant budget to search for and find a music director/organist/musician who will lead the music program to the next level. All of this progress is due first to the Lord and secondly to the perseverance, patience, and devotion of the choir members themselves. They are an amazingly talented and dedicated group and we are extremely fortunate that God has blessed us with their ministry. Thank you choir for a fantastic years worth of work and worship. Enjoy your well-earned Sabbath this summer and we’ll look forward to hearing you again in the fall.

SUMMER SCHEDULE AND EDUCATION: Many of you have asked about the summer service, bible study and education schedule. The summer schedule will look remarkably like the fall/spring schedule. The service times will remain the same throughout the summer, both the 8:00am and the 10:30am service will continue. The bible studies are mostly running throughout as well. Some of them may take a brief sabbath, but most are continuing as usual. The only real difference will be the Sunday morning schedule for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Catechesis will end for the summer and resume again in the fall. But there will be Sunday education for all ages as usual throughout the summer. Anne will lead one class and Chris Vail the other. They have some exciting plans for the summer, so stay tuned and keep coming. The adult education program will continue as well. I am putting together a summer education series on Anglican Christianity to follow up on our current one entitled “The Hard Questions”

Ministry and fun and fellowship continues at Good Shepherd all year round.

NEW BIBLE STUDY: Bill Lane’s bible study will start Monday June 5th. It will meet in the parish hall at 7:00pm. All are invited and welcome to join.

MARRIAGE CONGRATULATIONS: Katie and Justin were married last Friday in Rhinebeck New York. It was a beautiful service. They chose the music and the readings themselves and their choices not only bore witness to their love for each other, they also glorified God, exactly what a Christian wedding is designed to do. It was really wonderful to see. Congratulations and God bless you both.

NEW SERMON SERIES: After Pentecost I’ll begin a new sermon series on Christian living. I’ll be announcing the title soon, so stay tuned.

SMALL GROUP LEADER TRAINING: Will begin in late June after I return from General Convention. There will be three training sessions in all. I will be sending out the dates in next week’s Update.

GENERAL CONVENTION NEWS AND INFORMATION: I’ve been given press credentials (because of the column I write on Stand Firm). This means I’ll have access to everything going on and be able to get news to you as soon as possible. I will be reporting for Stand Firm nightly and live-blogging throughout the day during important votes or discussions. I will send you my reports as well. I will also be volunteering for the Network deputies and bishops so please keep me in your prayers. But more than that pray for the whole Church, that the Lord will lead the Episcopal Church to repent and turn to biblical fidelity.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: The St. Andrew’s (Vestal) Vacation Bible Study begins this June (the one for the SSEC begins in August). It will run from June 26th to June 29th 6:00-8:30pm. More information about this will be coming soon.

” 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 time we asked “What is heaven like? we talked about what happens to believers after they die and what will happen to our bodies on the day Jesus returns. We found that one day heaven and earth will come together and we will live resurrected body and soul for all eternity with the Lord.

This week we take up the question: "If Christianity is all about peace, why can't Christians get along? Why are there so many denominations?"

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

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. (Philippians 1:27-30)

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

Daily Schedule for the week of Sunday June 4th, 2006

Monday:
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer

7:00 p.m. Bill's Bible Study in the parish hall.

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

7:00 p.m. First Light Bible Study: Discussion

Wednesday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer

Matt's writing/study day

Thursday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
5:30 p.m. Shepherd's Bowl
6:30 p.m. New Beginners Bible Study

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 June 11th, 2006 Pentecost I TRINITY SUNDAY
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,