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THE SHEPHERD'S STAFF The newsletter Of THE memorial church of the good shepherd PARKERSBURG, WV |
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JULY 25, 2007 THIS SUNDAY Art Bennett The apostles were aware that Jesus’ prayer life was central to his whole being. There are two things which scripture tells us Jesus habitually did – he went to worship and he went off by himself to pray. The apostles knew how to go to synagogue. That was just a part of the weekly life cycle of a Jewish believer – Sabbath was for worship. What they were not certain they knew how to do the way Jesus did it was pray. John the Baptizer had apparently taught his disciples what his personal prayer life was like, and the apostles asked Jesus to do the same. In this Sunday’s gospel lesson (Luke 11:1-13), his disciples came to Jesus and said, “Lord, teach us how to pray, as John taught his disciples.” His response to that request was to give his followers a model, a pattern for prayer. The Church has taken that pattern and treated it as a precious gem. That pattern for prayer has become a part of just about every public worship service we do. We call those few verses the “Lord’s Prayer”, but I am convinced that Jesus never actually prayed those words. The folks making the request didn’t say to Jesus, “Lord, teach us a prayer.” What Jesus gave them was a pattern, not a prayer. (If you want an example of Jesus praying, look to the “high priestly prayer” contained in John 17.) Whole books – whole series of books – have been written on understanding the pattern that Jesus gave us here. There is so very much to learn about how we are to use this “outline” for prayer that it seems almost impossible to tackle. There’s so much that I want to concentrate here on just the very beginning of this amazing gift that Jesus gave us. Jesus taught them, “When you pray, say: Father…” No orthodox Jew would ever think of addressing the Creator of the whole universe in such a familiar way. They might address God as “The God of our Fathers – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”, but not simply as “Father”. To do so would be unthinkable! It would be unthinkable in the other great world religions, too. For to most of the world, God is transcendent, apart from things of the flesh. To us as Christians, God took the bold move of taking flesh, becoming like one of us. The Creator of the universe becomes our Father by “adoption and grace”, two of the words St. Paul uses to describe Baptism. That’s what happens at a Baptism – the Church is allowed to be “God’s Adoption Agency”. God literally adopts a person as God’s own child. We Episcopalians believe there is an ontological difference that happens at Baptism – a difference in the very being of the person being baptized. After Baptism, they are not the same person they were before. They are a “new creature in Christ”. They have become a Christian, a child of God, and are now privileged to address God as “Father”, for that is what God has become. The newly baptized person is a brother or a sister of Christ! Lots of folks believe Jesus is talking about heaven when he says, “No one comes to the Father except by me.” I don’t believe it! Jesus is talking about that privilege offered to those who accept his offer of becoming a brother or sister to him by way of Baptism, thus entering into a new relationship with God.
U.T.O. FALL INGATHERING September 16 Those little blue boxes that sit on the shelf under the “Faces of Jesus Cross” outside the office are yours for the taking. They are intended to be placed in spots in your home as reminders to give God thanks for the blessings in your life. When we receive a special blessing, large or small, we are encouraged to put a little money in the blue box as a way of giving thanks. Those blue boxes are gathered periodically at our worship times and then given by one of our delegates to Diocesan Convention at the ingathering. The next parish ingathering will be on September 16. Those blue box offerings from every diocese are collected at General Convention every three years and the women of the church make grants from the accumulated offerings to various requests that come from all over the world. We at Good Shepherd have been a recipient of such a grant! Works done using those grants are special – for they reflect the thanks of people all over the nation. The United Thank Offering (that’s what U.T.O. means) is a very special outreach ministry of the women of the Episcopal Church. Please take and use one of the blue boxes. It is a great spiritual reminder.
DAUGHTERS OF THE KING Two Reminders Good Shepherd and Trinity Chapters of the Daughters of the King are co-hosting the Diocesan Assembly for West Virginia. The Assembly will be held at the home of Kim Couch (1000 51st Street in Vienna) beginning at 10:00 AM this Saturday, July 28. There is an informal gathering half an hour prior to the beginning of the Assembly. New member initiation at Good Shepherd will be at the 10:00 Eucharist on Sunday, August 5. New members who will be inducted into the order that day are Darlene Slusher and Lynn VanFossen. All members are asked to be present.
GOAL THREE UPDATE: EXPLORING OUR FAITH Page added to Web Site By Bob Crocker The recent Activities Survey identified interest for increasing our knowledge base about the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion, our Theology, etc. Thanks to Nancee Cahill Barney and Yvonne Corra, we have added a new page to the Good Shepherd web site, entitled “Exploring your Faith”. There are links to several other websites for young and old alike to discover answers for yourselves, in the comfort of your own home. Check it out by typing www.goodshepherdwv.org into your browser and clicking on “Exploring Our Faith”. Happy hunting. What other ideas do you have for enhancing our web site? Please contact Yvonne at 422-2126 or e-mail her at ycorra@gmail.com and she’ll be glad to help implement them.
ONE STEP FURTHER Art Bennett I remember my time in the Holy Land very fondly. I was so excited to be in the land that meant so very much to the leaders of the Old Testament and to Jesus and his followers. There is no place on the Earth that has so much history that interests me as does that little piece of ground. I loved to walk where Jesus walked, to spend time where he spent time, to see with my own eyes the things that his eyes saw. I was in awe most of the time I was there. Lunch and dinner times were the exceptions. Breakfasts were great! I love fresh fish and eggs, which, along with abundant fruit, were the main ingredients of breakfast. But I was not nearly so fond of lunch and dinner. It was at these meals that the enforcement of the kosher rules got in the way. I wanted a rare steak! I got to the point that I literally craved a rare cheeseburger! That became almost an obsession for me. Of course, nothing was rare, for meat with blood still in it is forbidden. And, according to kosher rules, there can be no meal serving both a milk product (cheese) and meat (burger). I only remind us of this rule to illustrate that the event recorded in our first lesson from last Sunday (Genesis 18:1-14) took place before anyone ever heard of keeping kosher rules. According to the lesson, Abraham prepared quite a meal for the three men who showed up at his tent. He ordered Sarah to prepare cakes using “three measures of choice flour” – that’s a full bushel! He had a young calf slaughtered and prepared for them. And he served that with curds (cottage cheese?) and milk. See, Abraham didn’t know about kosher yet. There was no revealed law – or was there? True, Moses had not come down from the mountain with the tablets yet. There was no “Holiness Code” as it is recorded in Leviticus yet. But there was a law or two. One had to do with obedience to what the Lord instructed. Abraham had obeyed the Lord, and he and his extended family were spared the destruction that befell his homeland. But obedience wasn’t the only law Abraham had. There was the law about the generous and self-sacrificing treatment of any strangers who happened to come to you. They were to be treated as honored guests, made to feel important. The generous and self-sacrificing treatment of strangers at your door becomes a part of every list of commandments that God gives the people. Check it out! It’s there! Because Abraham observed this law (even though it wasn’t recorded anywhere), he and Sarah were to be blessed with a son. Because he kept this unwritten law, Lot and his family were spared the destruction that took place at Sodom and Gomorrah. Apparently this law was written on the heart long before any law was carved in stone. In Hebrews we are reminded that by treating strangers with deep respect, “many have entertained angels unaware.” In our Baptismal Covenant we promise that we will seek God’s help in seeking Christ and serving him in everyone we meet. When asked what is the first law, it would be a correct answer to say that, way before any commandments were given, God placed within the hearts of all folks the necessity of treating strangers with absolute respect.
RUMMAGE SALE Our next rummage sale for our Adopted Families Christmas Program is September 6th & 7th. It’s now time to clean your closets, basements, attics and garages. We will be happy to take your clean used things and turn them into treasures for someone else. The basement crew has begun the task of sorting and pricing items. We take most anything; household items, jewelry, furniture, appliances that work, toys, clothing, bedding, curtains, etc. Just bring them to church with you on Sunday or stop in Monday thru Thursday 9 AM – 3 PM. Thank you for all your help.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The official name of
our church is The Episcopal Church. It is also known as The
Foreign and Domestic Missionary Society, but that designation is
very seldom used. Until the General Convention in Denver held in
2000, the official name was The Protestant Episcopal Church of
the United States of America, usually just abbreviated as PECUSA.
It seems strange that it took the General Convention so many
years to remember that we were not part of the Protestant
Reformation. Although the Church in England became the Church of
England at about the same time the Protestant Reformation was
taking place, the changes in the Church in England were very
different from those in Europe. There were great theological
differences which were the basis of the changes on the continent
while in England the basis of the change was the authority of
the Pope. The official action of Parliament which separated the
English Church from the Roman Catholic Church was stated
something like this: “The Bishop in Rome has as much authority
here as any other foreign bishop.” It does seem strange that we
as a denomination accepted the designation “Protestant” for so
many years when we never really were. We are a “catholic”
church, for “catholic” means universal, world-wide. It is
unfortunate that in common speech we so often use the word
“Catholic” when we really mean “Roman Catholic”. The Episcopal
Church is a catholic church which still affirms that the “bishop
in Rome has as much authority here as any other foreign bishop”.
Are your kids signed up??? Our exciting VBS adventure for our children, their friends, relatives and neighborhood children begins this Monday. This fun-filled vacation Bible school is for kids age 3 through grade 6. The adventure begins Monday July 30 and continues through Friday August 3. Sessions run from 9 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. each day and include lunch. If you forgot to sign up it’s not too late. Sign up now or just show up on Monday before 9. For further information contact the VBS co-directors, Bob and Linda Crocker (863-5647) or LLBC100@msn.com How can you help?
For decorating: Blue, green, and/or tropical print sheets or fabric, shower curtains or panels Plastic or stuffed fish, sea creatures Large shells Fishing nets, snorkels, flippers, etc
It’s sometimes very interesting how things come together. As I have been preparing for the Great Bible Reef VBS – reading the material, listening to the music, practicing for the skits – a recurring theme is “Dive deep into God’s word”. That also happens to be what EfM is all about. Together we explore the Bible, the history and development of the church and various theologies. We read and study individually and come together to share, reflect and ‘go deeper’. We deepen our knowledge and we also deepen our relationships with each other and with God, becoming more intentional about our ministry. If you would like to have a deeper knowledge, a deeper sense of vocation, a deeper sense of community, please consider joining us. EfM will resume in September. Brochures are available on the bulletin board in the hall leading to the education wing; please take one. Further information and registration forms are available from me: Linda Crocker 304-863-5647 (home) or 304-210-5591 (cell). I need to know if you are interested by early August so supplies can be ordered. Partial scholarships are available if necessary. All those who participated at Good Shepherd this year plan to continue. Over the summer they have been sharing some of their thoughts about the program in the hope that you will consider whether EfM might be the next stage in your faith journey. Here is Wendy Tuck’s contribution: I like EfM - it makes the Bible richer and fuller. I'm more full of awe at the way God has been working through the centuries. It strengthens my faith – if God was there in the midst of all that Old Testament struggle and turmoil, He must be with us today. Some things become clearer – God wants us to love him and each other – other things that I took for granted have taken on mystery, surprise, and wonder. The best thing, though, is coming to know fellow Christians. We are all very different, and are likely to keep our differences, but I appreciate getting this time to hear about their lives, thoughts, understandings. We share a time of worship, prayer, study, reflection, all of which are meant to help us see God more clearly in our lives, in our church, family, and community. I like being fascinated. People are fascinating, God is fascinating. I could never have learned as much studying on my own. It’s wonderful to be in a group of men and women who are faithful Christians. I’m not where I want to be, but boy, I’m not where I used to be, and that is grace! EfM is a study program, a personal faith journey, and a community of pilgrims. All of that is helping equip (me)(us) for ministry. I’d encourage anyone to contact me or others in the group, or Linda Crocker, the facilitator, for more information, and to prayerfully consider this journey.
SPECIAL MUSIC IN AUGUST During the summer the choir actually gets a break, if they so choose. Therefore, we try to plan special music for the anthem and sometimes communion. During the month of August those sharing their talents with us are Mary Gevas and Gary Norum as our guest soloist; as well as Paul Miller on the recorder and Jennifer Jones on the cello. I hope you will be here to share in their gifts to God.
THIS SUNDAY Art Bennett The gospel for this Sunday (Luke 10:25-37) contains one of Jesus’ two best known parables, the Good Samaritan (the other is the Prodigal Son). As we read these familiar words, it is difficult not to imagine that Jesus is asking us to be like the Samaritan. He is an amazing man! The story is well known. There was a man going down the road leading from Jerusalem. We believe he was Jewish, although the lesson doesn’t state that fact clearly. He is viciously attacked by robbers who leave him naked lying in the ditch at the side of the road. Our lesson says they left him “half dead”, but the Greek can be understood as “for dead”. At any rate, he is in very bad shape. That road is well-traveled, so folks would see the man. Apparently the first folks who spot the body of the man are professional religious people – a priest and a Levite. They see the man lying in the ditch and cross over to the other side of the road and pass him by. It is more shocking to us than to a first century listener that these two folks would ignore the man who appeared to be dead. Priests and Levites got their professional standing by way of inheritance – they were a priest and Levite because their fathers were before them. Professional standing in the community was passed on from generation to generation. This was a birth right – unless one became disqualified. To become ineligible to function as a priest or Levite, one had only to become unclean. One was to become unclean was to have physical contact with a dead person. To the priest and the Levite, the man in the ditch appeared to be dead. As you and I know, the man was not dead, but was possibly dying. The calloused behavior of these two religious leaders was entirely selfish. By ignoring the man, they may have contributed to his eventual death! I am not excusing the behavior of these two men – just telling you that there was at least some reason why they might have ignored what appeared to be a dead body. As leaders, I would have expected them to at least see if the man was still alive. One person did stop. That person was a Samaritan. Samaritans were not popular folks. There were folks living in the Samaritan region throughout history, but they were not originally the enemies of orthodox Jews. Something happened when the Holy Land was conquered and the Babylonians carried away all the leaders they could find, replacing them with their own people. The Samaritans so hated in the New Testament came either from those transplanted folks or the “leaderless” folks left behind and taught by transplanted Babylonian leaders. Their version of worship of Yahweh is very “watered down” and combined with some other eastern religions – and the Jews hated them for compromising Judaism. The hatred was a “two way street” – Samaritans hated the Jews, too.
Instead of trying to
see yourself fulfilling the role of the Samaritan – an attempt
that has all the frustration and guilt associated with it we
would ever need – try seeing yourself as the character left in
the ditch. We are just about incapable of being the Samaritan –
that is Jesus himself. Jesus’ entire existence centered on
bringing this kind of selfless, self-expending love into our
lives. Jesus is our “Good Samaritan” who picks us up, heals our
wounds, provides for our needs. We have known Him as Savior,
Lord, Brother, Companion, and Friend – but here He claims a new
title, “Neighbor”.
STORYTELLING
ON THE RIVER “A Summer Evening on the River” will be held Thursday, July 26 on the Ruble’s Sternwheeler. Henry Burke, Underground Railroad expert, will be the featured storyteller on the ride upriver. We will begin loading at 5:30 PM at Point Park, leave at 6 sharp, and return at 8. Please bring an appetizer. There is a sign up sheet outside the church office. Families and friends are welcome! Tickets are $10 and may be purchased ahead of time from Wendy Tuck, Darlene Slusher, or in the Church office. Call Wendy Tuck for more information at 422-3625 or 488-3810, or Darlene Slusher at 295-5390.
CALLING ALL ARTISTS!
ONE STEP FURTHER Art Bennett Last Sunday’s gospel passage (Luke 10:1-12, 16-20) describes the second wave of evangelists that Jesus sent out to the highways and byways. The first commissioning had been given to the Inner Circle, described by Luke at the beginning of chapter nine: “Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority…to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” But then, in an extension included only by Luke, we read that Jesus expanded the call through a second commissioning. The seventy are never mentioned by name, and there is no hint that they were especially gifted, trained, educated, noble, pious, or exceedingly moral examples to the people. There was apparently no indication that they were great preachers or communicators. They are referred to not as the “seventy best” but simply the “seventy others”. Jesus gave these seventy, as he did the disciples before them, very little to go on. They were told simply to disperse themselves out over the territory, armed with only two “tools”; the authority that Jesus gave them, and the support of a partner – traveling in “pairs”. There is great wisdom in this minimalist approach. The confidence and sense of being “sent” goes a long way to provide courage and perseverance for facing such a lonely grass-roots campaign. And the presence of another laborer provides the human balance and companionship in service that still works in modern models of ministry. God will do the rest – “painting” on human canvasses the necessary gifts. But looking at the size of the task and the immensity of the world to be harvested for God – we marvel that the seventy succeeded as well as they did! Since the life-expectancy of unprotected sheep among wolves is about as long as it takes to cook a lamb chop – in retrospect they were remarkably bold! Maybe the key is to look more closely at their message: The inbreaking power of the Kingdom of God is about to be unleashed on the world. Now that is news! The seventy, a seemingly unequipped, unsophisticated bunch of willing workers, actually have an unusual commonality with later Christian evangelists. They weren’t a bunch of eloquent toastmasters. Their physical resources were surely limited: they carried no kit of essentials basic to a frequent-flier daytripping from coast to coast. Apparently not even a change of clothes! And they weren’t allowed to worm their way into hearts and minds through flattery or outrageous offers of benefit if they followed the way of Jesus. In fact, some consequences of their message sounded downright scary: “Whoever rejects you rejects me and the One who sent me.” The effectiveness of the “sent seventy” lies in the fact that they applied the compassionate power of God to those afflicted by evil in the world. Healing was essential to their proclamation, and proclamation was a consequence of healing. To do one was, in effect, to do both. By going among the needy humanity of their day, the seventy embraced a way of life, an emptiness, an urgency. It is in the places of acute pain in our world today that the power of Jesus for healing and renewal is most needed. And often the least realized. (This article is copied from an old “Synthesis”, a sermon resource then prepared at the University of the South.)
Great BIBLE REEF
Here is an updated list of the supplies we’ll need. Please bring your donations to church and put them in the Great Bible Reef box outside the office. If you want anything returned please clearly identify it. Keep an eye on the Sunday bulletin for more needs.
Thank you!
EfM EfM (Education for Ministry) will resume in September. All those who participated at Good Shepherd this year plan to continue and we are looking for a few more folks to join us. Over the summer the participants will be sharing some of their thoughts about the program in the hope that you will consider whether EfM might be the next stage in your faith journey. Brochures are available on the bulletin board in the hall leading to the education wing; please take one. Further information and registration forms are available from the mentor, Linda Crocker 304-863-5647 (home) or 304-210-5591 (cell). I need to know if you are interested so supplies can be ordered. Partial scholarships are available if necessary. Now, some remarks from Nancee Cahill Barney: Most of you folks know me - I seem to be at the Church a lot, running around, trying to catch up. I try to be involved in Outreach projects at our Church and have tried to raise my daughters to know Outreach as a part of their daily lives. I want them to follow the principles taught at Good Shepherd, and the most important Commandment---to love others as Christ loved us. My life revolves around my church and my family...The fact is that all baptized Christians are called to be active participants in the Church's many ministries. This is nothing less than the church's dedication to continue the ministry of Jesus. The EfM website states: "The EfM program is preparation for the ministry to which we all are called. It is that vocation for which we pray at the end of the Eucharist: "And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord." Lay persons face the difficult and often subtle task of interpreting the richness of the church's faith in a complex and confusing world. They need a theological education which supports their faith and also teaches them to express that faith in day-to-day events. As the emphasis on lay ministry has grown, EfM has come to play an important role by providing a program that develops an informed and knowledgeable laity. "
I started EfM because I wanted something at the Church that I could do for ME! I looked at it as a very intense adult Bible Study--but it is so much more! I have been going to Art's Bible Study on Thursdays for 10 years. I have learned so much from him, and I truly honor his wisdom and his teaching. But EfM is so much more in depth and the "spiritual buzz" you leave class with carries on for days. EfM is an amazing gift that I hope you will consider sharing with us. I cannot recommend it enough! Nancee
ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE IS MAKING PLANS! Approximately thirty people enjoyed dinner at DaVinci's in June. During our dinner we brainstormed other things we'd like to do this summer. We decided we'd like to go to the Actor's Guild together to see the play, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change!" on Sunday, July 29th at 2:30PM. There is a sign up sheet by the office door at church. The tickets do not go on sale until July 12th, so we do not have the exact cost. When you sign up make sure you list your phone number so that we can call you with this information. Lunch at the Blennerhassett Hotel prior to the play is optional, and of course the cost is contingent on what the individual orders. You do not have to do the lunch if you don't want to! You can also sign up for this event by calling the Miller's at 375-6239! We will call everyone who signs up before the 12th with the ticket cost!
LAST WEEK OUTREACH SHIRTS AVAILABLE
BIG BOOK 2007 Thank you to everyone who has sent in their Big Book information. If we are still waiting for yours please get it to us today, preferably by email to Linda (LLBC100@msn.com). Watch for details on how to get your copy at the end of the summer. Questions? Call Linda Crocker or Wendy Tuck.
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