Update June 9th, 2006

Dear Good Shepherd


Good Morning. Please be sure to read through the entire Update this week. It includes some vital information about schedules and times. Especially be sure to read the informatio about the Picnic posted just below.

Weekly Article

Questions and Answers: Did Jacob Have Two Names?

by the Rev. Matt Kennedy

Here's a question I recieved this week from Joey Osgood and his mom Chris.

“ Joey and I have been reading Genesis and found it a little confusing with Jacob and Israel names being used sometimes in the same sentence He is one and the same person, right? Why would it be written that way? 45:25-28    47:28,29   46:28,29   46:2”

Yes, you're absolutely correct. Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, is also called "Israel."

The name “Israel” means “he who struggles with God”. Jacob was given the name Israel by God himself. You can read the account in Genesis 32:22-32.

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and overcome.”

Jacob was given the name after wrestling with, or struggling, with a man all night long.

The man, it turns out, was God.

Now, God could easily have defeated Jacob. But he was wrestling with Jacob to make a point. Jacob might rebel and fight against God's will and purpose in his life, but in the end, God's will, will be done. Jacob would overcome, not by his own might or power, but by the grace (undeserved gift) of God alone.

Jacob, as you may know, was not the most faithful of men. In fact, he was something of a cheat and a scoundrel. He cheated and bribed his brother Esau out of his inheritance and his place of leadership in the family as the first-born son. Esau, of course, was no saint either and not very smart to have been cheated and bribed in the first place. But, nevertheless, Jacob was always scheming and plotting, trying to find ways to get ahead in the world on his own, apart from God. He struggled against God all his life.

And he bore the consequences. The story of Jacobs life is a tale of heartbreak and toil. The discord with his brother made it necessary for him to flea for his life to a foreign land where he fell in love with the daughter of a distant relative named Laban. Laban forced Jacob to work for 14 years as an indentured servant before marrying not only Rachel, the woman he loved, but by Laban's own trickery, Leah, Rachel's sister as well. Jacob had to flea from Laban back toward his homeland after, again, through guile and deceit, their relationship broke down. Toward the end of his life, Jacob's youngest son, Joseph was thrown into a well and sold by his own brothers to slave traders, who, in turn, sold him to some Egyptians. Jacob, deceived by his own sons, thought Joseph had been killed by wild beasts and pined away for him, living in a state of mourning for more than twenty years, until he found out the truth and was reunited with Joseph just before he died.

How much misery Jacob could have avoided had he only lived an obedient and faithful life!

Nevertheless, though he struggled with God and with men, by God's grace he "overcame". God gave mercy and grace to Jacob and blessed him.

Jacob was blessed and chosen by the Lord to be the father of 12 sons who became the fathers of the twelve Hebrew tribes subsequently called: the people of Israel.

This teaches us a very important lesson. Like Jacob, all of us are sinners and rebels against God. But nevertheless, God, in his infinite grace, has sent his Son Jesus Christ to die on our behalf. God has blessed us not because we deserve it but rather despite what we deserve. This is called grace.

It is up to us then, while we still have time because he will not hold back his hand forever, to quit our wrestling, to repent and surrender our lives to him, or, having already done so, to repent renew our commitment to our loving and gracious Savior.

As believers, we can choose to live lives characterized by disobedience and sin. But doing so will also mean a life of misery and turmoil. How much more peaceful and content we will be if we lean on the Lord and follow his ways. His path is the path of wisdom and peace.

"Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease without fear of harm." (Proverbs 1:30-33)

Here's the News

UPDATE CONTENTS
PARISH PICNIC
GENERAL CONVENTION AND ME

WHILE I'M AWAY

ANNE'S MOM

BIBLE STUDIES WHILE I'M AWAY

NEW BIBLE STUDY
SERMON SERIES
SMALL GROUP LEADER TRAINING
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

"THE HARD QUESTIONS"

CAMPING TRIP DATE

News:

PARISH PICNIC: The parish picnic is THIS SUNDAY June 11th. 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 at shelter number 1.

Here are directions to Cole Park from the church:

1674 Colesville Road
Harpursville, NY 13787
607.693.1389

FROM THE NORTH:
I-81South to Exit 3 (Industrial Park Exit). At bottom of ramp, turn left at the light onto Colesville Road. Follow Colesville Road 6 miles. Entrance will be on your right.

FROM THE SOUTH:
I-81North to Exit 2W (Court Street Exit). Follow around ramp to first light on Court Street (across from Frito Lay Plant). Turn right at light onto Colesville Road. Follow Colesville Road 6 ?miles. Entrance will be on your right.

FROM THE WEST:
Rt.17 East intersection in Binghamton with I-81 South to Exit 3 (Industrial Park Exit). At bottom of ramp, turn left at the light onto Colesville Road. Follow Colesville Road 6 miles. Entrance will be on your right.

FROM THE EAST:
Rt.17 West to Exit 77. Turn right off exit onto North Road. Follow North Road 4miles to four corner intersection with Colesville Road. Turn right onto Colesville Road. Follow Colesville Road 2 miles. Entrance to the park will be on your right.

Rt.88 to Exit 4 (Sanitaria Springs). Follow park signs.

Lunch will start after the service.

Then, after lunch, we're planning on a Softball game, so bring your baseball gloves and something you can get dirty in.

Oh, and there might be a little confrontation between some very small and foolish children and me. If I am provoked beware. Be ready for war. I will wreak devastating water-balloon havoc on all who dare to attack, so beware.

As I mentioned last week, 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.

GENERAL CONVENTION AND ME: As you know I will be heading off to General Convention next week. Actually, I will leave Sunday after the picnic and hope to arrive in Columbus OH before midnight. Convention starts on Tuesday. I will be publishing nightly updates for Stand Firm and on Good Shepherd's website. I will also send out email Updates with breaking news. Here are some other sites to follow during the convention:

Titusonenine

CaNN

GenCon2006

Please pray that the Church will repent and return to biblical faithfulness. Pray also for God's guidance and protection of Good Shepherd.

WHILE I'M AWAY: Anne will be leading services and preaching next Sunday using the regular schedule 8:00 and 10:30am. Between services she will lead a discussion and relay news about what has happened at General Convention. This discussion period between 9:15 and 10:15 am will replace all the regular Sunday morning classes.

ANNE'S MOM, Joyce Carlson, will be in town this Saturday and will play the organ for us while she is here. Welcome Joyce and thank you for coming and for taking care of Anne and the kids while I'm away.

BIBLE STUDIES WHILE I'M AWAY: Bill's Bible Study (see below), the Tuesday Morning Bible Study, The Men's Bible Study, and the Women's Bible Study will continue to meet while I'm away. The other two, First Light and New Beginners, will have a two week break and will return when I do.

NEW BIBLE STUDY: Bill Lane's bible study started meeting Monday June 5th. It meets in the parish hall at 7:00pm every Monday. All are invited and welcome to join. For those of you who do not know Bill, he is Camille Lane's husband. He's an experienced bible teacher who has led his own bible study for three years. He is also the author of one of a very good article on the origin of evil to be published on this website soon.

NEW SERMON SERIES: The next Sermon series, to begin the Sunday I return is called “The World; the Flesh and the Devil: How to Live Faithfully, and Joyfully in a Fallen World.” We'll be talking about the threats posed by the world and the flesh (our own sinful desires) and Satan himself to our walk with Christ. How can we live victorious and joyful Christian lives in the midst of suffering and temptation?

SMALL GROUP LEADER TRAINING: Will begin the second week after I return from General Convention. The week of July 2 nd . I'll get in touch with the small group leaders to arrange a day, time, and space. There will be three training sessions in all. I will be sending out the dates in next week's Update.

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 will resume the Sunday after I return. This coming Sunday, Anne will be discussing General Convention and the resulting fallout.

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

"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. (Matthew 18:12-14)

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

Daily Schedule for the week of Sunday June 11th, 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
First Light Bible Study will resume on Tuesday June 27th

Wednesday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer

Thursday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
5:30 p.m. Shepherd's Bowl
New Beginners Bible Study will resume meeting on Thursday June 30th

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 II
8:00am Holy Communion II and Sermon
9:15-10:15 a.m. Discussion of General Convention
10:30 am Holy Communion II, Music and Sermon

God bless you all

In Christ,