The Shepherd’s Voice The Shepherd’s Voice 2016 Spring Issue

The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd Brentwood, TN

Easter Sunday March 27, 2016

“Joy comes in the morning!”

I have been especially aware these last few days and perhaps even weeks of the events of Holy Week, and what all of this had meant for those who had gathered into Jerusalem with Jesus.

The worst that they could ever imagine has happened to their beloved teacher, leader, and hoped for messiah – something that could only have been a blip in the back of their minds.

Who would have believed it?

I have the opportunities to walk with folks in those sorts of times in their lives – those hard, unexpected, unplanned for; shocking and terrifying events of life – those times are sometimes even spiritual dark nights of the soul. Those are the dark times in our lives. When you are in those spots, you never think the light will come again – you cannot wait for the morning – “please, please will it ever come” – is the cry of the heart and the soul.

“Take away that darkness O God,” becomes the cry and the fervent prayer.

That event in Jerusalem has left those followers of the cru-cified Jesus cowering in the darkness of a closed windowed house, doors barricaded, windows locked – darkened as if no one was home.

They, too, are at the darkest night of the soul anyone of them could ever imagine.

THEN Mary goes to the tomb on that first Easter morning; she does so with a heavy heart. She is only one courageous enough to crawl out of the darkness to come, to anoint and to care for her beloved Jesus.

Her Master, her teacher, her friend has died a terrible death. All of her life was now in doubt, her dreams & her hopes are gone. She stands at the entrance to that tomb weeping. And then she meets the gardener, and then the gardener calls her by name. “Mary,” he says.

Can you imagine the look in her eyes as she turns and looks into his. Do you remember what she says? The joy of that first Easter can be found in her one word response, “Rabboni!” She yells. “Teacher!” And from what John tells us, she tries to leap into his arms.

JOY HAS COME IN THE MORNING!

She has made it to the morning – when all looks better and all hope can return.

In the Gospel last Sunday and again this week on Good Friday, those standing at the crucifixion taunted Jesus as he was hanging on the cross. The jeered at Him and shouted – “save yourself – rescue yourself – come down from the cross – save yourself!”

Little did they know that what Jesus was doing was actually saving the world – saving them and us from the pangs of eter-nal death.

Little did even His closest followers know what was coming on the Third Day – on the 1st Easter Day! THE TOMB WAS EMPTY -- and the tomb shall always be empty! For He is risen and so shall we be raised also.

JOY HAS COME IN THE MORNING!

I have been asked before if “I really believe the resurrection part of the story?” “Believe it? I am counting on it,” to quote Adam Hamilton, whose book we read in our Lenten Study.

Of course I do believe it – because the resurrection defies human understanding – it defies human description -- it de-fies all my capacities to reason it away.

And this empty tomb encouraged and empowered a small group of pretty near-do-well men and women to change the world forever.

I believe the resurrection -- for the angel did not tell Mary Magdalene and Mary and the others to go and meet the risen Jesus at Pilate’s headquarters or at the house of the Chief

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“Joy comes in the morning!”

Our Mission Statement In response to Christ’s love for us, our

mission as a church is to know Christ, to serve Christ in others, and to make

Christ known to others.

Visit our website www.goodshepherdbrentwood.org

Like us on Facebook and get updates on coming events.

Visit our online church photo directory on the church webpage

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Priest – that would be a very human way (read that ‘our way’) to exact re-venge and retribution and to show all of them up.” Remember vengeance is a human thing – not a God thing.

“Instead he told them to meet him where His ministry had taken place – among the people He loved – in Galilee! – I believe in the resurrection for only God (who created the world from its beginning) would do it that way!”

This is the picture of what God is like – it is an empty tomb.

He revealed himself to those He loved and those who loved Him.

Of course I believe it. I believe it because the homesickness of my heart that God created me with – is made bearable and endurable because of that empty tomb!

Of course I believe this resurrection, because men and women for two millen-nia have had the homesickness of their hearts for God made strong and beara-ble because of that empty tomb!

Of course I believe Christ being raised from the dead. Because when I read the story I get a lump in my throat time and time again – and I have read it more times than any of us can count!

I believe because I have come to know God, and I have come to Christ – not know about them – not just know the stories about them – but to know them as the real people as they are as presented in the Bible.

And I have come to experience God’s love in my life!

I have seen the lives of people on the brink of despair and hopelessness be transformed and resurrected by this empty tomb because I have seen parts of my own life resurrected by this empty tomb, and because I know people who are alive today after coming to know that an empty tomb promised them that God cared enough for them as people to endure the shame and agony of a wooden cross.

“I also believe the resurrection of Christ, for without that event in Jerusalem – nothing else in this world makes sense – we would be only biding our time till death, we would be left at the mercy of our desires and our foibles and our own imaginations – the same imaginations that dreamed up such a thing as a crucifixion in the first place.”

And I believe most of all because this is the picture of what God is like. It is an empty tomb – made empty so that we can also be raised with him and eternal death no longer has dominion over us.

Most of our problems with the resurrection are not that we do not believe Christ’s resurrection but that we take it almost for granted without being affected by its wonder and splendor.

We are not surprised by the Easter miracle. It has become a routine in our lives to speak of the resurrection without being awed, without being bewil-dered and without being changed by it.

Of course we believe the resurrection and by it we have received grace upon grace to be alive now and forever.

JOY HAS COME THIS MORNING and joy will continue to come in the morning!

Gods Blessings be with you, Randy Dunnavant

Church of the Good Shepherd

Vestry Officers

Senior Warden Bill Gollihue

Junior Warden John Morss

Clerk Jim Kreth

Vestry Members: David Barker, Sean Coakley,

Craig Dean, Kim Frank, Amy Hull,

Laurel Kagan, Jim Kreth, Karen

Marinov, Stephen Page,

Eric Perez, Jim Weatherly

Staff & Ministry Team Leaders

Rector Rev. Randy Dunnavant

Deacon Rev. Bonnie Lloyd-Downs

Music & Choir Director Lannette Dunnavant

Youth Minister Jill Altom

Youth Assistant Hannah Terry

Children’s Worship Patty Britt

Office Administrator Lauren Wells

Treasurer John Shedron

Assisting Treas. Joanne Fenner,

Craig Dean

Clerk of the Works Richard Berg

Verger Cathy Kennedy

Communications Judy Hollandsworth

Godly Play Program Monica Coakley

Flower Ministry Bobbie Noreen

Altar Guild Patti Dietrick

Calendar Manager Bonnie Lloyd-Downs

Buildings & Facilities John Morss

Sunshine Committee Joanne Fenner

Legacy Planned Giving Bill Bailey

Cookie Ministry Chrissie Coombs

Continued from previous page

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Your Vestry Report

Vestry Meeting and Retreat- Jan 30-31, 2016- DuBose Conference Center

Bill Gollihue- Senior Warden

The twelve member vestry (Bill Gollihue, Da-vid Barker, Jim Kreth, Stephen Page, Eric Pe-rez, Laurel Kagan, Craig Dean, Amy Hull, plus newly elected members John Morss, Kim Frank, Karen Marinov, and Jim Weatherly) met in Monteagle at the end of January. Also

in attendance were Father Randy, Deacon Bonnie, Treasurer John Shedron, and our moderator for the weekend, Chris Olson.

We kicked off the weekend with dinner and fellowship at Papa Ron’s, a local eatery. We then met that evening and decided that desired outcomes of the meeting were to get to know each other better, find a way to help, understand where we will be in 3-5 years, design strategies for 3 year goals, know and agree on where we are now, better understand the vestry’s responsibilities and duties, understand each individuals gifts and strengths, and to have fun!

Vestry officers were elected, with Bill Gollihue elected as Sen-ior Warden, and John Morss elected as Junior Warden. Jim Kreth becomes Clerk. We also identified the need for a JW assistant, as the demands of our aging facilities have become greater over time.

The Vestry Mission Statement was reviewed. We changed one standard slightly, and added a fifth:

We will continue to end each year in a good financial position Everything we do for COGS should not be decided by financ-

es. The mission statement will guide all decisions. We will always have in mind that we, as the vestry, are

charged with good stewardship of the resources that we have available. Those resources are not only the money of the church, but also the people, time and talents of the church.

The vestry will pray for everyone in the parish over the course of a year.

(New Standard) We will take active steps to be welcoming to all people.

We did an exercise where all of our current ministries were mapped to a SWEEPS model and placed in categories of Ser-

vice, Worship, Education, Evangelism, Pastoral Care and Parish Life, and Stewardship. We were amazed to realize that COGS currently supports 92 ministries. Two vestry members were assigned to each category, with the focus being to reach out to ministry heads to help them support and grow their ministries.

Overall, it was a great weekend, where we all got to know each other better, and focused on goals of in-creasing attendance, continuing support and growth of ministries (and adding a Greeters ministry), where ministries are less clergy and vestry dependent . We also made commitments to the continued financial health of COGS. A special thanks to all for their time. Also, thanks to Chris Olson, who provided much val-ued guidance and expertise.

The Rams Group welcomes all men of Good Shepherd to join us. Rams are a men’s service ministry of Church of the Good Shepherd. All men of the Church of the Good Shepherd are members of the Rams. Among the many works coordinated by the Rams are the Room in the Inn program, the annual Laymen's Conference and support of annual church events including the Spring Fling and the Italian Feast. The Rams also help maintain the church property and come to the assistance of congregation members in need. The motto of the Rams is food, fun and fellowship. The mission of the Rams is to support and empower the Church of the Good Shepherd. The Rams meet the first Saturday of every month at 8 a.m. for breakfast in Herlong Hall. Please join us!

Easter Reflection

by Evelyn Weems

Alleluia! Christ is risen. The Lord is

risen indeed. Alleluia!

That’s what is most special to me about

Easter today. Not so when I was a girl. I had

not heard of Lent or any other season that

didn’t follow the monthly calendar in our

kitchen. Easter of course we knew, and we had heard that some

children got baskets of candy, but that was not typical for us.

What was typical was the excitement of having a new dress made

or bought, new shoes (patent leather, kept shiny by rubbing with a

biscuit), sometimes a new hat and gloves, and if the timing were

right, a hyacinth to pin on my coat. That was the smell of Easter to

me. When I turned 17, my birthday fell on Easter, and my father

(who never was the gift buyer except for our mother) surprised

me with a stuffed bunny.

When I went off to college I was

introduced to the Episcopal

Church and liturgical seasons

and Lent with its self-denial

preceding Easter with its glori-

ous resurrection service, which

I later learned could be even

more glorious with the addition

of bells and smells and descants. But hyacinths remain the smell of

Easter and that greeting remains the anthem of Easter to me.

Alleluia!

”Every Person can make a difference, and every person should try.” —John F. Kennedy

How YOU can make a Difference

Every week the Church of the Good Shepherd family comes together and celebrates Holy Communion as part of our worship service. The Altar Guild members are the behind the scenes folks who do the work necessary to make worship happen. The Altar Guild mem-bers set up for each of the three services and we need additional members. This oppor-tunity is for both men and women

No experience is needed, training is provided and you will be paired with another Altar Guild member. We also have printed and photo instructions. There are 3 services to choose from and with the new COGs schedul-ing program, you decide what days work for you to serve.

And, if that wasn’t enough, we only have one meeting a year. No shopping, cooking or last minute runs to the grocery. Refreshments are provided.

Please give us a try. It will be one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have.

-Patti Dietrick pdietrick1@gmail.com

Second Annual Father Son Football Event.

The Good Shepherd Labyrinth Late last summer, the final bricks were laid on our new lab-yrinth here at Good Shepherd. It was built as an Eagle pro-ject by Spencer Kennedy; Troop 8 Scout and son of David and Cathy Kennedy. It’s in the style of a Roman labyrinth (square) and it has 13 turns to arrive at the center and 13

to exit. It has special mosaic tiles in the corners and the center. The corner tiles represent Faith (anchor), Hope (dove) and Love (heart). The fourth is a Boy Scout fleur-di-lis. The center tiles are the Good Shepherd cross featured on the front cover of this publication. The tiles were hand-made by Spencer and Cathy over several weeks last sum-mer in advance of the build.

If you ask Spencer why he decided on this project, his an-swer will be about serving the ladies of Good Shepherd who wanted a labyrinth and because Good Shepherd sup-ports Troop 8. If you ask him further about it, he will tell

you it is a Christian walking path, but his engineer’s brain will tell you all the facts. It was a huge undertaking in terms of raw materials and tools. The labyrinth consisted of: 150 bricks, 16 concrete pavers, 1.5 tons of sand and a diesel digger. It took 135 man/boy hours to complete the project not including watering the grass for most of the rest of the summer and fall.

Labyrinths in History Labyrinths have on various occasions been used in Chris-tian tradition as a part of worship. The earliest known ex-ample is from a fourth-century pavement at the Basilica of St Reparatus, at Orleansville, Algeria, with the words "Sancta Eclesia" at the center, though it is unclear how it might have been used in worship.

Labyrinths began to appear on church walls and floors around 1000AD. The most famous medieval labyrinth, with great influence on later practice, was created in Chartres Cathedral. Some books suggest that mazes on cathedral floors originated in the medieval period as alter-

natives to pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but the earliest confirmed use of the phrase dates to the late 18th century when it was used to describe mazes at Reims and Saint-Omer. The accompanying ritual, depicted in Romantic il-

“Quiet the mind and the Soul will speak.” “Quiet the mind and the Soul will speak.”

The Labyrinth under construction in the summer of 2015.

The handmade tile corner stones have been put in place.

lustrations as involving pilgrims fol-lowing the maze on their knees while praying, may have been practiced at Chartres during the 17th century.

The use of labyrinths has recently been revived in some contexts of Christian worship including the rental of a cloth floor labyrinth laid in the Chapel at DuBose for our Women’s retreat in 2014. (picture) This was an exciting opportunity to share this an-cient practice with the women of Good Shepherd and what inspired them to look to have a labyrinth on the church property.

Guidelines for Walking a Labyrinth Basically, the labyrinth is a path. It is a path of prayer and conversation with God. It has a single circuitous path that winds its way into the center. The person walking it uses the same path to return from the center and the entrance then becomes the exit. The path is in full view, which allows a person to be quiet and focus internal-ly.

Generally there are three stages to the walk: releasing on the way in, re-ceiving in the center and returning when you follow the return path back out of the labyrinth. Symbolically you are taking back out into the world that which you have received or you are leaving something in the center for God to carry for you.

There is no right way or wrong way to walk a labyrinth. Use the labyrinth in any way that meets what you need while being respectful of others walk-ing. To prepare, you may want to sit quietly in the outdoor chapel to re-flect before walking the labyrinth. Some people come with questions, others just to slow down and take time out from a busy life. Some come to find strength to take the next step. Many come during times of grief and loss. Some walk the Stations of the Cross using each turn as a stopping point for each station. Others use bible readings or the Lord’s Prayer. Some carry a stone to leave at the center.

If you want further instructions or to discuss the labyrinth, please see Cathy Kennedy.

Above: Three of the four corner stones in our

labyrinth. The corner tiles represent Faith

(anchor), Hope (dove) and Love (heart). The

fourth is a Boy Scout fleur-di-lis (not pictured).

Right: A cloth labyrinth used for the 2014

Women’s Retreat at Du Bose Confererence

Center.

Labyrinth continued

Our Children’s Ministry is hoppin’!

5th & 6th grade We talked about how much God loves us and all the quotes in the bi-ble about love. It tied into all the lessons Chris-sie taught us about East-er and Lent and how they are examples of God's love. Each person chose a verse about love that spoke to them and put it on their canvas.

Deacon Bonnie leads the First Communion Classes

The Sunday School students have been active learners during this Lenten sea-son! Our curriculum has helped us focus on the meaning of Lent in an active way as we focus on allowing scripture to guide us more fully in our daily living. Each class has taken on the learning in a unique way.

Our second graders, while working through Lent, are also preparing to make their First Holy Communion. Deacon Bonnie reports that she has an enthusi-astic bunch of participants and that she is learning from them valuable lessons even while she imparts knowledge. Some of those lessons are humorous, as children do tell all! Good news for all: what happens in Sunday School... Well, at least it provides giggles.

Our fourth graders have been exploring service in Lent. They took time to serve church by baking cookies to share at the end of a service, and made "I love you because..." pictures for parents on the same day. They also made notes to en-close in a care package for our overseas Sunday School teacher, Chris Murphy. On another Sunday, the students made goody bags to share with people living on the streets. We practiced service to each other; the lesson in which we dis-cussed Jesus washing the disciples' feet was brought home by the teacher wash-ing the students' feet. Easter Sunday will be a celebratory occasion!

Finally, our fifth and sixth graders have been exploring the symbols of Lent. They have made Lent and Easter collages and made careful note of where those sym-bols appear in scripture. The students have also explored the number 40 and its significance in stories in the Bible. Easter Sunday will be a time for the stu-dents to show what they know in a Jeop-ardy game; this writer's resident fifth grader is stoked for the contest!

Our children have all walked a bit with Christ during this beautiful season of Lent. As the weather turns warmer, we look forward to continuing to walking with your children on this journey, lead-ing us all closer to God.

Helping our Children Understand Lent

Our fourth grade Sunday School class recently completed a wonderful Unit on Lent. Here are some highlights.

Jesus Washes Feet

Bible Verse: I’ve seen the Lord. (John 20:18)

Did You Know? Foot-washing in the ancient Mediterranean world had a function of personal hygiene and hospitality. Since footwear consisted of sandals, a person’s feet would become dusty from walking outside.

During our March 6th lesson the kids shared this true story of Jesus washing his

friend’s feet before dinner! We washed each others feet with a lot of giggles and splashes!

Jesus Celebrates Passover

Bible Verse: I’ve seen the Lord. (John 20:18)

Did You Know? Many of the stories we know about Jesus’ ministry involve a meal. The act of eating together fostered fellow-ship between Jesus and his disciples, the crowds, and the outcasts. Perhaps the most well-known meal Jesus and his disci-ples shared is the one we refer to as the Last Supper or the Lord’s Supper.

During our March 13th lesson the kids learned about, Jesus and his friends ate

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Team Surf Shack Announces:

Vacation Bible School 2016!

Friday, June 10th 5:30-8:00pm Saturday, June 11th 3:00pm-5:30pm Sunday June 12th 3:00pm -5:30pm

Online registration open April 1st

Kids ages Pre-K through 5th grade are welcome to join the fun! Invite friends, fellow classmates and extended family!!

Volunteers Needed!! Sign up and come to help with deco-rations, teaching, administration and all other areas. Please e-mail Patty Britt at Pattykbritt@comcast.net to get yourself signed up!

unleavened bread. Unleavened bread means the bread had no yeast to make it light and fluffy. Instead, the bread was flat!

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

Bible Verse: I’ve seen the Lord. (John 20:18)

Did You Know? Today’s Bible story is a familiar one—the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem that we celebrate each year on Palm Sunday. Each year many of us celebrate the Sunday before Easter by waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna!”

During our Palm Sunday Service, March 20th the kids learned about Luke’s account of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a Donkey… not a War Horse of an aggressive warrior.

Helping our Children Understand Lent Continued from previous page

5th & 6th grade Sunday

School Class Jeopardy Game

Teachers Chrissie Coombs and

Sharon Hake make every Sunday

fun for their students.

Coming this Summer:

9:00am Sunday Children’s Chapel

June 5th – August 28th

Based on the award-winning Deep Blue Kids Bible, this awe-inspiring resource for children includes adventure, ex-citing stories, science experiments, arts and crafts, animat-ed video storytelling, and active games—all combined into a faith experience that helps children discover what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ today!

Children Ages 3 – 12 ** Teachers are needed, Please contact Patty Britt at

Pattykbritt@comcast.net to sign up for an exciting summer

Sunday!

Photos courtesy of Sharon Hake

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Good Shepherd will host its Second Choral Clinic ON SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2016

I am pleased to announce Good Shepherd’s Second Annual Choral Clinic to be held on Saturday, June 25, at Church of the Good Shepherd.

This year we will have a morning session from 10:00-12:00, a lunch break from 12:00-1:00 and an afternoon session from 1:00-3:00.

We are asking $25.00 this year to cover lunch and Clinic expens-es. More information including Choral Clinic details and a regis-tration form will be available soon.

The clinic is not only for our current choir members, but also for anyone high school age and above who is interested in a deep-ening of their singing abilities and musical understanding. It is not necessary to be a member of Good Shepherd to participate.

Please save the date and invite all who might be interested to participate. Contact Lannette Dunnavant at 615-668-5951 orlannettedunnavant@gmail.com for more information.

ABOUT THE CLINICIAN

Our clinician in 2016 will be The Rever-end Jason Shelton.

Jason Shelton is a composer, arranger, conductor, singer, multi-instrumentalist, workshop and retreat leader and Associate Minister for Mu-sic at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has served since 1998. His composi-

tions have been performed in churches and concert halls through-out North America.

He holds a BA in Classics from Saint Meinrad College – a Catholic seminary in Indiana – where he studied theory and composition with Fr. Columba Kelly, OSB (St. Meinrad College, IN), and Drs. Wes-ley Vos & Jeffrey Kowalkowski (DePaul University, Chicago), and conducting with Robin Fountain and Dr. David Childs (Vanderbilt) and Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe (USC).

From there Jason went on to spend three years as a Franciscan brother in Chicago. He received a Masters of Divinity from Vander-bilt Divinity School in 2003 and was ordained to the Unitarian Uni-versalist ministry in 2004.

In his ministry, Jason starts with the premise that “what we sing is who we are.” As a composer, conductor and song leader he is flu-ent in a wide variety of styles, a quality he feels is important as a musical and spiritual discipline. He believes that we live in a world where our diversity can be celebrated, where the musics of many peoples intertwine and offer new possibilities for the sonic expres-sion of our deepest values and commitments.

SJO SILENT AUCTION Sunday, April 24th

Please donate your talents or treasures:

Tickets to sporting events or other live events

Handicrafts and artwork

Vacation rentals

Spa treatments

Restaurant/store gift certificates

Services

Autographed memorabilia

Other good stuff!

_________________________________

ALL Proceeds Benefit our

San Jose Obrero Mission _________________________________

Questions? Please contact:

Paul Wholley 615.828.1800 or wholleyp@gmail.com

Jim Weatherly 615.969.4671 or jweathe106@aol.com

Anne Ridens 615.426.0248 or awridens@comcast.net

You will meet the nicest people during our Coffee Hour.

tel:615-668-5951tel:615-668-5951mailto:lannettedunnavant@gmail.commailto:wholleyp@gmail.com?subject=SJO%20Silent%20Auctionmailto:jweathe106@aol.com?subject=SJO%20Silent%20Auctionmailto:awridens@comcast.net?subject=SJO%20Silent%20Auction

By Hannah Terry

The Good Shepherd youth community has already seen a great start to Spring 2016 and we are excited for what the

rest of the semester has in store for us. In early March we were blessed to welcome a future COGS youth group member into our community in baby Seth Altom!

We will miss Jill while she is on mater-nity leave, but we are happy for her to have this time with her family to get to know their newest member.

The beginning of March also brought us the opportunity to join with the youth group at St. Paul's in Murfreesboro for our Spring retreat. Our journey took us to New Frontiers in Dowelltown, TN where we zip lined, partici-pated in a high ropes course, and made new friends. This trip brought on many chal-lenges not only physically, but spiritually as we focused on the theme of lent and what it means to humble ourselves and truly put all of our faith in God.

Looking ahead, we are excit-ed about our biggest event of the year. Our annual Ital-ian Feast is just around the corner! On April 24th, Her-long Hall will once again be transformed into a beautiful Italian eatery. All proceeds for this event go directly to the Good Shepherd youth program. The cost will be $18 for adults, $8 for children under

12, and $40 for a family. Please look for advance tickets to be on sale be-tween services on Sunday mornings in Herlong Hall!

Our Youth Group is active, prepares for the best Annual Italian Feast ever!

The youth group will also be hosting a car wash on May 7th during Spring Fling. All donations earned through our car wash go towards youth mis-sion trips.

From Ecuador to Mountain TOP, these donations give our teens the

opportunity to participate in summer mission trips.

If you have questions about any upcoming events or would just like to say hello, please feel free to reach out to Hannah Terry at

hterry@goodshepherdbrentwood.org

the preschool teacher and furnishing the various sup-plies needed for the school. It was with great pride that in year two we saw the opening of “Buen Pas-tor” as the school was named by SJO. The school serves to provide a preschool program for the development of the children served by the school and also provides early child care enabling the parents to better support themselves through employment. Our school break-fast program also provides nutritious breakfasts for the children.

In the following years we have con-tinued to support “Buen Pastor” but have expanded our ministry to med-ical clinics that serve three different churches in Manta, all under the supervision of the Diocese of Litto-ral. The medical clinics provide phy-sician care and access primarily for women and children, eye exams, dental exams and treatment by lo-

By Jim Weatherly

Greetings from the San Jose Obrero Mis-sion team. We are very excited as we approach our 11th mission trip to Man-

ta, Ecuador where we further the mis-sion of Church of the Good Shepherd by making Christ known to others through this important ministry.

In the late 1990's the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee entered into a companion relationship with the Ecuadorian Dio-cese of Littoral for the purpose of cre-ating companion ministries between churches in our Diocese and Episcopal churches in the Diocese of Littoral. Paul Wholley, during his term as Senior War-den of the vestry at COGS, started Good Shepherd's companion relationship with San Jose Obrero in Manta, Ecua-dor. Each of the past ten years, COGS has sent a mission team to San Jose

Obrero to help support the develop-ment of their ministry to the people served by their church. The mission team is in the final planning stages for this year's trip in June.

Our companion relationship with San Jose Obrero began with the establish-ment and support of a preschool pro-gram by financing the construction of classrooms at SJO, the employment of

cal university dental students and their professors, and medications to address a variety of medical conditions diag-nosed by the physicians. We average seeing over 400 people at our three church locations each year. These are fellow Episcopalians who would other-wise have little opportunity for medical care without these clinics. How do we finance these ministries? Through your generosity and support. The members of the mission team who travel to Ecuador and provide the minis-try services all pay their own travel, lodging and food expenses. The finan-cial support of the school program and our medical clinics comes from our fundraising activities at COGS. We have

traditionally held two fun"d"raisers a year: a wine and cheese event in the winter and our silent auction as part of the Youth Ministry's Italian Feast in the Spring. The wine and cheese event will be in the fall this year and we will use it as an opportunity to share with everyone the ac-

11th Mission trip planned to SJO

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complishments of our mission trip in June. This year we added a new fun"d"raising event, the Mission of Love songwriter's night on February 13. It was a great night of entertainment and raised about $2500 for the mission. But, the silent auction remains our main fun"d"raising event. The success of the silent auction depends on your generosity on two fronts: 1) your generous donation of items for the auction; and 2) your attendance, participation, and generosi-ty in being the highest bidder for the many great items offered at the auction. So, join with us to continue this great mission that has become such a tradi-

tion at Good Shepherd. Donate to the auction. Services like use of a pick-up truck for a day, car detailing, financial planning, baby sitting, and specialty

meals have been very popular in the past. Gift cer-tificates to res-taurants, golf outings, salons, fitness gyms, and personal trainers are hot commodi-ties. Memorabil-ia, art work such as paintings, and cross stitching are all big sellers. Tickets to events such as college and professional football, baseball

and hockey all go quickly and usually for top dollar. The auction is Sunday, April 24 and do-nations will be accepted through Sun-day, April 17th. See Paul, Jim Weatherly or Anne Ridens at the SJO table between Sunday ser-vices in Herlong Hall to let them know what you can contribute. See you in church and at the Silent Auc-tion.

Continued from previous page

Medical team help us with the clinics.

Supporting the preschool

and medical clinics are two

of our main focuses of our

yearly trip to Ecuador.

Eastertide is here! Eastertide is the official name of the Great Fifty Days of Easter that reach from Easter Sunday through the Feast day of Pen-tecost. That is where we are right now in our church year, and it is also an exciting time here at Good Shepherd.

Not only are we celebrating the event of the Resurrection in Jerusalem but we have a busy, busy schedule of events.

On Sunday, April 3, we mark a time of first communion for some of our young people. The students will along with their families mark this important time after working in their Sun-day school classes toward this event. The Rev. Deacon Bonnie has led them in this endeavor.

On the Fourth Sunday in East-er each year (April 17 this year), we are blessed once again to have our Bishop John Bauerschmidt come and visit Good Shepherd. It is only fitting for Fourth Easter is known as “Good Shepherd” Sunday.

When bishops or overseers in the earliest days of the church in the Acts of the Apostles could not be in every church each Sunday, they appointed presbyters (or clergy) to celebrate and lead the congregations to join the deacons who were al-ready serving in those churches.

That is the same even today. Bishop John is the rightful cele-brant every Sunday at Good Shepherd, but since he cannot be here every week, I sit here in his absence. We mark that by naming the chair I use during the Holy Eucharist as the “bishop’s chair.” Notice that Sunday that I move down a place, Deacon Bonnie moves down a chair as does our Verger Cathy Kennedy or Mark Downs whomever is serving that day.

Part of our bishop’s annual visit includes administering the Rite of Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation of Baptism Vows to all those who seek such in the Holy Eucharist. Confir-mation is the liturgy whereby those who were baptized as young children or baptized in other church traditions are ad-mitted to full adult membership in the Episcopal Church. Re-ception or being received is the act whereby the bishop wel-comes those who were confirmed in the Roman Catholic are welcomed into the adult membership in the Episcopal Church. Reaffirmation of baptismal vows is an act whereby adults who see the need wish to restate affirm their faith which was given them in baptism.

There is a class of adults as well as a class of teens who will be presented for confirmation that Sunday.

We will mark our celebration with Bishop John and these oth-ers in a special coffee hour time following the 900 and 1100 am Eucharists.

Children of the Day A Beth Moore-

Women’s Bible Study for the Summer

Tuesday nights from 7:00-9:30

Starts Thursday- May 31, 2016-Tuesday- July 26, 2016

At Church of the Good Shepherd ~ 1420 Wilson Pike

Questions: by phone, text or email? Sandra Glewwe 615-400-8289 or sglewwe@comcast.net

10:30 Adult Sunday School New Bible Study

Begins on April 10th Books are provided- Please join us!

The book of Daniel holds the distinc-tion of being one of the most im-portant prophetic books in the Bible--and one of the most challenging to understand. Now you can unearth its inspiring lessons and enduring truths. You'll be amazed to see how prophecies from the sixth century BC are unfolding today.

See Patty Britt for more info or pattykbritt@comcast.net

Announcing three new Bible Studies!

Wednesday Noon Bible Study Begins April 6th

Meets weekly from noon—1:00 pm

The Gospel of Mark Bring a bible and join us!

See Lynda Gibson for more information.

tel:615-400-8289mailto:sglewwe@comcast.net

By Deacon Bonnie Lloyd-Downs

For Roman Catholics, Anglicans and some other Liturgical Protestant denomina-tions throughout the world, the Stations of the Cross are synony-mous with Lent,

Holy Week and, especially, Good Friday. This devotion is also known as the "Way of the Cross", the "Via Crucis", and the "Via Dolorosa." Today, we have 14 stations com-memorating 14 key events on day of Christ's crucifixion. It marks Je-sus’ final walk through the streets of Jerusalem, carrying the cross.

The Stations originated in medie-val Europe when wars prevented Christian pilgrims from visiting the Holy Land. European artists creat-ed works depicting scenes of Christ's journey to Calvary. The faithful installed these sculptures or paintings at intervals along a procession route, inside the parish church or outdoors. Performing the devotion meant walking the entire route, stopping to pray at each "station."

Today, images of the Stations (or sim-ple crosses representing them) are on display in almost all Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. They serve mainly as a focus for Lenten worship services. But the Stations can also be performed privately, at any time of the year, even at home.

The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make in spirit, as it were, a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death, and this has become one of the most pop-ular of Lenten Good Friday devotions. It is carried out by passing from Sta-tion to Station, with certain prayers at

each and devout meditation on the various incidents in turn.

In conclusion it may be safely assert-ed that there is no devotion more richly endowed with images and pas-sion than the Way of the Cross, and none which enables us more literally to obey Christ's injunction to take up

our cross and follow Him. A perusal of the prayers usually given for this de-votion in any manual will show what abundant spiritual graces, apart from the indulgences, may be obtained through a right use of them, and the fact that the Stations may be made either publicly or privately in any church renders the devotion especial-ly suitable for all. One of the most popularly attended Ways of the Cross at the present day is that in the Colos-seum at Rome, where every Friday the devotion of the Stations is con-ducted publicly by a Franciscan Fa-ther.

It can be a painful journey—this Way of the Cross. I can say from personal

experience—it is very easy to be caught up in the visceral and emotion-al Passion of the Christ. As one reads the prayers, hears the stories and studies each beautiful and artistic sta-tion ---it is very easy to begin to FEEL the horror of the events that occurred that day. It is easy for tears to well in the eyes. I remember in my Deacon

Seminary days being told that “clergy must not succumb to emotional weeping or crying when preaching or teaching….” And I remember respectfully sug-gesting that “if we cannot feel—or get emotional about the pas-sion and crucifixion of Jesus Christ— then perhaps we were in the wrong line of work.”

Our 14 stations at Church of the Good Shepherd are each magnifi-cent, small works of art. There is an interesting story and some-what of a mystery regarding their background. A good friend of mine---a Verger from Staten Is-land, NY had them in his base-ment for several years. They were given to him by a friend who got them from a large

church in New Jersey that was closing. My friend indicated that they had been sent—or brought-- to that church from a monastery in Europe. This would have been in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. There is no history known beyond that. My friend gave them to me—knowing that I would find an appropriate place for their next home. I did. I gave them to Church of the Good Shepherd.

Whatever their history or background, they are individually, glorious. Stop by any of them and take a close look. Look at the faces and the eyes. Allow yourself to enter the scene. Then, al-low yourself to feel.

What are the Stations of the Cross?

The 2016 Women’s Retreat

The Daughters of the King Service Project for the Women of SJO

By Judy Hollandsworth

At our April meeting the Daughters plan to make beautiful Anglican Ro-sary bracelets for the women of San Jose Obrero. Each bracelet will be unique and will be accompanied with rosary prayers translated to Spanish. Our COGS Mission team will deliver these gifts in June.

Photos courtesy of Carla Babb