The Shepherd’s Voice The Shepherd’s Voice 2018 Lenten Issue

The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd Brentwood, TN 37027

REPORT OF THE 2018 VESTRY RETREAT

By Jim Weatherly, Senior Warden

The 2018 Vestry for Church of the Good Shepherd met at the Dubose Conference Center in Monteagle, TN the weekend of January 26, 2018 for its annual retreat. Your 2018 vestry is comprised of first year members Cathy Kennedy, Kim Terry, Peter Sheridan and John Schaffer; second year members Susan Hailey, Frank Weightman, Paul Wholley, and Chris

Olson, and third year members John Morss, Kim Frank, Bill Gollihue and Jim Weatherly.

Also in attendance were our Rector Randy Dunnavant, Treasurer John Shedron, Deacon Bonnie Lloyd Downs, and staff members Lannette Dunnavant, Jill Altom, Chris-sie Coombs, and Judy Hollandsworth. Because of the changes coming this year with Randy and Lannette’s re-tirement the vestry invited the staff to join the retreat on Saturday morning for our discussions surrounding the transition. Officers elected for the 2018 year are: John Shedron, Treasurer, Kim Frank, Clerk, John Morss, Junior Warden and Jim Weatherly, Sr. Warden. Personnel and Finance Committees were also created with vestry mem-bers and volunteers from the congregation participating on them.

In addition to the opportunity to get to know each other better and familiarize the new vestry members with the work of the vestry, a significant amount of time was de-

voted to under-standing the chal-lenges we face in the upcoming year and discussing how to best meet them. Canon Andrew Petiprin, Canon to the Ordinary for the Diocese of Tennes-see, attended the Saturday morning session and famil-iarized the vestry as

well as the staff members with the process used by the Diocese in helping churches in the Diocese find new Rec-tors best suited to the church as the new Rector.

Canon Petiprin was very helpful in the vestry and staff un-derstanding the process and answering questions from the group. He assured us that transition is to be expected and how unique Good Shepherd is to have not gone through a transition in its liturgical leadership prior to this year. He shared with the vestry and staff the biblical examples of transition in ministries and the opportunities created in those transitions.

The vestry agreed that the first order of business is to im-mediately move forward with locating a new music direc-tor. Music lead-ers Brian Wilcox and Paul Babb will head the music director search committee along others that will be asked to serve. They will be tak-ing recommenda-tions from the congregation should you wish to submit names of persons you think would be right for that position and also con-ducting a regional search. The goal is to have our new mu-sic director in place by June 3. The vestry will ultimately make the hiring decision upon the recommendation of the search committee.

Under the Canons of the Diocese no formal action can be taken to locate Randy’s replacement until his retirement has occurred. But we can and will begin the process of putting ourselves in the best position to move quickly once May 20 passes.

Our Vestry plans for our Future

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In that regard it is important for us to know who we are as a church and congregation. Knowing who we are will be instrumental in locating the candidates we think are best for us to consider and will help the potential candidates know who we are in determining their interest in us. This is best done by the creation of a church profile.

We are very fortunate to have taken major steps in know-ing who we are through our Holy Cow survey last year that helped identify who we are as a congregation in terms of our interests and goals. We will utilize those results along with other demographic information about our church and our community to create that profile. We are confident that the profile will make us a very attractive ministry desti-nation for our next Rector. We can and will begin putting that profile together now so that it will be ready and in place to move forward with our search after May 20.

A Search Committee will be formed and members appointed by May, 2018. The vestry will appoint the search com-mittee members and will look to populate the committee so

that it is representative of the church as a whole. We will announce in March that we will begin taking names of those interested in serving on the committee. The com-mittee will be approximately ten members and include at least two-three vestry members. So there will not be a lot of openings to fill.

Canon Petiprin and the Diocese will be very instrumental in assisting us in locating candidates for our new Rector.

Again, under our Canons, the Bishop of our Diocese must approve the hiring of our new Rector. All priests in our Dio-cese serve under the approval and ad-mission of the Bishop Diocesan. The Dio-cese will use our parish profile to help us locate the best candidates. The candi-

dates will be vetted by the Diocese office of transition min-istry and then presented to our search committee for fur-ther consideration and vetting. Candidates can also be identified by the search committee or referred to the search committee directly.

The search committee will make its recommendation to the vestry which shall make the hiring decision. The timeline for the process is anticipated to be six months to a year from Randy’s retirement depending on numerous factors. Our goal is to find the right fit for the position, not the fastest fit.

In the meantime we will have supply priests that will fill in through June and then look to bring in an interim priest or a stated supply priest that will have some administra-tive responsibilities as well as liturgical and pastoral re-sponsibilities pending our new Rector’s arrival.

The vestry will continue this year with its SWEEPS pro-gram where the various ministries of the church have been identified and divided into categories of Service, Worship, Education, Evangelism, Pastoral and Steward-ship. Two vestry members have been assigned to each of the sections and will be working with both the staff and volunteer leaders of the ministries to support and assist those ministries as may be needed.

The retreat ended Sunday morning with a celebration of the Eucharist and a return to our homes. Thanks to those attending both on the vestry and staff and your sacrifice of time and talent for Good Shepherd.

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Important Dates in Lent & Holy Week

February 13— Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper 5:30–7pm

February 14—Ash Wednesday Services noon and 7pm

February 20— Tues. Lenten Dinner & Study Series begins

March 25— Palm Sunday Services

March 29— Maundy Thursday Service 7pm

March 30— Good Friday Services noon and 7pm

April 1— EASTER services 7:45, 9:00 and 11:00 am

Submitted by Jim Weatherly, Senior Warden The 186th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennes-see was held January 19-20, 2018 at St. Paul’s Murfreesboro. Church of the Good Shepherd was represented at the conference by Father Randy, Deacon Bonnie, four lay delegates—Jim Kreth, Lau-rel Shaffer, Heather Sexton and Jim Weatherly and two alternates John Morss and Sean Root. The Rev. Mark Stevenson of the Epis-copal Migration Ministries was the keynote speaker at the Conven-tion whose theme was “I was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me.” The Episcopal Migration Ministries is a refugee program sponsored by the Episcopal Church that assists in the relocation of refugees who have been granted asylum in the United States and those seek-ing asylum. With the timeliness of immigration issues in the head-lines, Rev. Stevenson’s message was enlightening and brought focus to those both in the United States and outside who face ethnic and political persecution resulting in their being forced to flee their homelands. He quoted a refugee mother who said that putting her child in a small boat was a choice made when the danger from the water was less than the danger on the land. We will endeavor to make more information about this ministry available in the coming weeks.

As many of you may be aware in 2015 the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church adopted the Trial Use Liturgy for Same Sex Marriage for use in the 101 Dioceses of the Church throughout the United States. Because of the controversy surrounding the adoption of the Trial Use Liturgy, the General Convention also gave discretion and authority to the Bishop of each diocese to decide whether the liturgy could be used by priests in their individual diocese. Our Bish-op, the Rt. Rev. John Bauerschmidt, was one of a handful of Bish-ops who declined to allow the Trial Use Liturgy be used and declined to allow same sex marriages be performed in the Diocese of Ten-nessee or by any priest who is a canonical resident of the Diocese of Tennessee. Shortly after the general convention and in partial re-sponse to Bishop Bauerschmidt’s position on this issue, the 184th Annual Convention created an LGBTQ task force to engage the various churches and parishes in the diocese in conversation about LGBTQ issues within the church and within this diocese. In late 2017, the vestries of St. Ann’s, St. David’s, St. Paul’s Franklin, Christ Cathedral, Otey Memorial Parish-Sewanee, and the Advisory Board of St. Augustine’s Chapel proposed for consideration by the 186th Annual Convention a resolution that would request the 79th Annual Convention, meeting in Austin, Texas in July of this year, to rescind the authority of the Bishops to prohibit the Trial Use Liturgy in the dioceses, which would result in taking away from our Bishop, the authority to decide whether or not to allow the Trial Use Liturgy in our diocese. In his address to the 186th Convention, Bishop Bau-erschmidt restated his position and beliefs regarding the perfor-mance of same sex marriages in the diocese and reminded the Con-vention that it was a position stated by him at the time he was select-ed Bishop of this Diocese and a position that he has consistently maintained. After open forums on Friday the 19th and Saturday the 20th and several hours of consideration by the General Resolutions Committee, a substitute resolution was proposed which in substance deleted the call for the 79th General Convention to rescind the Bish-

op’s authority to prohibit the Trial Use Liturgy. However, the substi-tute resolution urged the 79th General Convention when considering the reauthorization of the Trial Use Liturgy to give consideration to the problems caused in this Diocese by the terms under which the previous authorization was allowed. The Resolution as passed by a near unanimous voice vote of the Convention states:

Resolved that the 186th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee sends the following Memorial to the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church:

To the Deputies and Bishops of the Episcopal Church as-sembled at the 79th General Convention:

Recognizing the continuing theological diversity of this Church, and in the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee, in regard to same sex marriage and the blessing of same sex unions, and out of respect for the deeply held beliefs across the range of opinion, we, members of the 186th Annual Con-vention of the Diocese of Tennessee, respectfully request that as you, the Bishops and Deputies of the 79th General Convention, prayerfully consider the reauthorization of “Liturgical Resources I” for the next Triennium, you take into account the exclusion, competing convictions, and loss of community experienced by members of this Diocese under the current terms of authorization for the texts.

Two other resolutions were adopted by the 186th Annual Convention which may also touch Church of the Good Shepherd in the upcoming year. The diocese’s task force on racism, now known as the Beloved Community, Commission on Racial Reconciliation proposed a resolu-tion calling upon the churches and parishes in the diocese to be more mindful of the racism that continues to exist in our society by offering books, articles, videos, liturgies and bible studies to educate our-selves about racism and its many forms. The resolution was adopted unanimously by the Annual Convention and we can expect resources to be made available to us by the Beloved Community, Commission on Racial Reconciliation that will further the goals of the resolution.

Finally, a resolution was unanimously adopted that lowered the age from eighteen (18) to sixteen (16) for serving on a Vestry and for serving as a delegate to the Annual Convention. The Rev. Carolyn Coleman and the vestry of St. David’s Church proposed the resolu-tion as the result of the interest of sixteen year olds at St. David’s in serving on its vestry. The resolution was predicated on the current Canon 1.17(b) which considers those sixteen year of age and older to be adult members of the Church. The resolution was crafted in such a way as to prevent any issues resulting from actions of the vestries being legally suspect if those under the legal age for adults are participating in decisions legally binding for vestries. Any vestry member under eighteen (18) will not be allowed to hold officer posi-tions of Warden, Treasurer or Secretary. Vestry candidates or mem-bers under eighteen years of age will be subject to the same require-ments for election and service on a vestry as any other candidate or member, including a requirement of being a pledger of record.

Or more info visit http://edtn.org/annual-convention/

REPORT FROM THE 186TH ANNUAL CONVENTION

“Remember that you are dust … and to dust you shall return.”

By Rev. Randall Dunnavant

“Remember that you are dust …

and to dust you shall return.”

With those words our liturgy will change from Epiphany to the season of Lent. The meaning of the word Lent is from Middle English and means simply “spring” or “springtime.” Lent always occurs in the springtime so this derivation of

the word for this church season makes sense.

But for the church, Lent is also a season of forty days pre-ceding Easter or the Sunday of the Resurrection. It is a time of preparation; it is a time of preparing for Holy Week as it leads into the joy of the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from his cave tomb. It is a time for us to pre-pare ourselves.

A genuine question to ask is “preparation for what?”

In the history of the church, it has meant a time of prepar-ing for Baptism at the Easter Eve service and preparing for the joy of the coming Resurrection celebration.

Beginning with Ash Wednesday when we hear those haunting words, “Remember that you are dust … and to dust you shall return,” Lent is begum. Think about it. As you kneel before the altar to have your forehead smudged with the ashes of burned palm fronds, you hear those words as the clergy comes closer to you “Remember that you are dust … and to dust you shall return.”

Then that person gets closer and the words somehow get

bigger, not just louder but bigger “Remember that you are dust … and to dust you shall return.”

And then as the ashes are put on and the clergy goes to the next, those words are still there, “Remember that you are dust … and to dust you shall return.” As you return to your seat, you can still hear the words, “Remember that you are dust … and to dust you shall return” echoing in the church and in your heart

For me those words, “remember that you are dust … and to dust you shall return” encapture the whole of the Len-ten season. For me those words “Remember that you are dust … and to dust you shall return,” are the greatest re-

minder of my own mortality that there could be. They re-mind me that there is a God and I am not that person. They remind me that all that I am, I owe to God.

Lent does not allow any “self-made” peo-ple, though self de-pendent or independ-ent may be a better way to state it. Lent reminds us that we are, no matter what we think, a part of God’s creation with a finite end. And this season allows us a chance to become better at living into this knowledge.

Now for many folks, Lent is always about “giving something up for Lent.” Some folks try to give up drinking at all or may-be give up drinking wine, or eating unhealthy, or restraining from a favorite food like chocolate, or …. more things than I could ever list.

I know this seems to work spiritually for them. It never works for me, not because I am not good at giving things up, but I cannot imagine how much I would have to divest from myself before it would even get my attention physically or spiritually.

But what if we envisioned this differently?

For me, Lent works best when I take on another discipline or more of a discipline that allows me to, in the midst of my mortality check, make me notice that I need more discipline in my life. I do need something to remind me that I am dust and to dust I will return. For when I am aware of this fact, everything else takes on an importance that it lacked prior to that knowledge. That everything includes, for me, what is most importance and what is just trivial. I am pressed in my concern for the poor and oppressed, the ill and those whose needs go unmet every day in our world. And my discipline includes trying to change those circumstances.

Do I make a difference? I guess you will have to ask those I help and assist. I suspect they appreciate my Lenten disci-pline more than do I.

This Lent Season, try to give up or try to take on or try to do something that is new for you. And as you do, listen for the words of Ash Wednesday echoing in your hearts and ears: “Remember that you are dust … and to dust you shall re-turn.” Let those words be your guide this Lent.

Interview by Evelyn Weems hat do a priest’s wife and an aficionada of Creature from the Black Lagoon type movies have in common? Or a wannabe folk music star and a medical billing specialist? Or a farmer’s daughter and a lady with a keen sense of style, especially a flair for lovely scarves and jewelry? A competitive younger sister with a leader who always tries to bring out the best in others? An excellent baker with a woman whose home sports a sign: I only have a kitchen because it came with the house? If you guessed that this is one and the same person as is the gal who has spent 30 years working alongside Randy as his wife, his

music minister, his “straight man”, his traveling companion, the one who sometimes has to keep him in line, our beloved Lannette, then give yourself a pat on the back.

Twenty three of those years Lannette has given of her talents here at Good Shepherd. Before they landed in Williamson County, her story winds through several counties and towns. Her life began on a farm in Alto, TN at the foot of Monteagle Mountain in Franklin County. Here at age four she pestered her parents until they gave in, allowing her to do as her big sister Rena was doing: Take piano lessons. She carried on with these even as she developed a taste for folk music, saving her money to buy a guitar, sluffing off classical piano, where her gifts lay, for folk music, where they did not, ever hoping to be-come a folk music star.

Worshipping in the small Methodist church in Alto felt a bit constraining and when she was a teenager she asked to be

allowed to attend Christ Church Episcopal in Alto, where she put her keyboard skills to use as needed. Her brother Lance attended University of the South and she fell in love with the Chapel there. So by the time she met Randy, (that is, the time she met him that she remembers: He avers their paths had crossed several other times!) who had been in-troduced to the Episcopal Church by a friend on a Christmas Eve, Lannette was already feeling the call to change denom-inations.

As newly weds they lived near and worked at Dunnavant Grocery, his family’s business in Pigeon Roost near Pulaski

in Giles County. They worshiped at Messiah Episcopal Church, serving God on vestry and as organist. When the local bakery came up for sale a second time, they worked out buying it and committed themselves to early hours baking sweets, serving break-fasts and lunches, and for Lannette, baking and decorating cakes, as she was taught by her mother-in-law, and preparing salads to order.

God has a way of intervening in our lives and directing us in His path. For Randy it was a call to finish his under-graduate schooling so he could go to seminary. In due time he was or-dained and he, Lannette, and Jessie, went to serve at St. Mary Magdalene in Fayetteville, TN, in Lincoln County. There was an organist in place, so Lannette just practiced on the organ

until the day the organist came in, heard how accomplished she was, and quit. From that day to this, Lannette has offered her gifts to God by way of playing organ or key-board and directing choirs.

Do we really realize how for-tunate we have been to have her at our keyboard and heading up our music minis-try? Hearing her playing prel-udes at 11:00 from her classi-cal repertoire or rocking out with the band for the praise music at 9:00 gives our mem-bers a choice of how to worship that most Episcopal Churches don’t have. How does she do it so well? Practice!

W

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Practice! Practice!. She says that is as important at 62 as it was at 5.

She has spent much time listening to music, researching pieces for our choir’s voices, patiently working with us to learn new sometimes quite challenging pieces, showing us how to take a song apart, learn section by section, put

it back together then tease out those parts that still need work as we too are led to practice, practice, practice. Can’t make it to choir practice? She sends us links to mu-sic so we can listen to it on line. Think your skills are lack-ing? She can give you advice that helps. For me it was that to learn to “hear” harmonies, listening to country music was a good tool. Even though it has been years since I took piano lessons officially, Lannette joined a long list of people who have given me pointers to help expand my understanding of theory.

Her assessment of her abilities: She admits she’s a pretty good musician but the thing she’s brought to music minis-try is a commitment to worship. The songs and hymns selected for each Sunday aren’t just for the sopranos to show off their descants or the band to show off their en-ergetic riffs – well not just for that – but to bring our hearts and minds in line with God’s Word through music.

Those of us who remember practicing in the room next to the office on Sunday mornings, remember how we want-ed to capture the prayers she offered at the end just be-fore we went into worship in what is now called Herlong Hall. Cathy Kennedy and I tried to write them down and to record them on a small device, but we weren’t success-ful – I believe those prayers were for a certain time, a certain place, a certain group, for nothing ever quite cap-tured the meaning as well as hearing them in person. They were encouraging, challenging, blessing, even hu-morous, and to this day she continues to end our practic-es on that same spiritual note.

Thinking about them led me to inquire about her favorite Bible verse and hymn. Here are her responses:

“More than once in the last twenty-three years I have driven to

church on Sunday morning wondering why I ever thought I was

right for this job. There are musicians much better than me,

Christians more knowledgeable and committed than me. So dur-

ing that eight mile drive I would pray that I would not cause any

harm to those coming to worship that day. I prayed that I would

be empty and that God would fill me with what was needed and

joyful and good. I believe with Jesus as my guide I have been what

I needed to be.”

All the way my Savior leads me What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercies Who through life has been my guide? Heavenly peace, divinest comfort Here by faith in Him to dwell For I know whate'er befall me Jesus doeth all things well

All the way my Savior leads me Oh, the fullness of His love Perfect rest for me is promised In my Father's house above When my spirit clothed immortal Wings its flight to realms of day This my song through endless ages Jesus led me all the way

“My favorite Bible verses would have to be The Lord’s Prayer.

When I say it with the congregation on Sunday or at a wedding

or a funeral I feel enfolded into the heart of God. The cadence of all

these voices coming together as one voice moves me. A body of

believers saying the Lord’s Prayer together sounds to me like the

soul’s music.”

With words like those inspiring her, is it any wonder she has been more than just a piano player, a sound engineer, a band member here, but truly a minister of music? We have been blessed and we will carry that blessing with us even as she goes toward and into retirement. Thank you, Lannette, for your love, your leadership, your patience, and your direction.

Lannette’s daughter, Jessie, in looking back over their life, says: “Some of my earliest memories are of playing beside the organ bench at Church of the Messiah in Pulaski while Mom practiced the organ. Church music has been a huge part of our lives as a family, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Listening to my mother and singing in her choirs and playing with her has been a huge influence on me as a professional musi-cian. I owe her more than I can ever repay!”

Long time director of the 11:00 and Special Services choirs, Brian Wilcox offers these thoughts: “Lannette is not only a talented church musician but also a gifted music ministry leader. She has

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...a rare jewel

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Sign up for Easter Memorials

The Flower guild will provide a service this Easter season. The beautification of the sanctuary is another way of offering glory, praise and Thanksgiving. If you would like to list a loved one in memorial or a special intention or prayer of thanks for Easter, please sign the sheet on the bulletin board in the Narthex and turn your $40 donation into the church office. The names will be published and hon-ored during our Easter celebration.

created and provided an opportunity for anyone to enjoy the privilege of enhancing our corporate worship at Good Shepherd through sacred music. Using her special gifts of humor, pa-tience and grace, she has welcomed all comers, regardless of experience and training, and forged choirs and a band to make music for the glory of God. I will miss her leadership and friend-ship but am grateful for the firm foundation in music ministry she has laid at Good Shepherd, and I wish her well in this next chapter of her life.”

Choir member Sarah Loar says “Lannette’s ability to corral members for a funeral choir have been a balm to numerous families. We love her quiet, unwavering and steadfast partici-pation. I’m sure I speak for others when I say we will certainly miss her leadership. Blessings to Lannette - and Randy - as they retire from the constant and unrelenting deadlines needed to fulfill their positions. What a wonderful start they have given to Good Shepherd! We have been blessed to work with them!”

Paul Babb who has played guitar for the Praise Choir band and often takes over keyboard for Lannette has this to say: "Throughout the years, Lannette's ministry at Good Shepherd has been invaluable and inspiring to the throngs of worshipers and the cadre of choristers and musicians who have been a part of the music program. She has seamlessly blended traditional and contemporary music styles throughout the liturgical life of Good Shepherd with amazing results as every Sunday and fes-tive occasion has been marked by beautiful and moving music. As a member of both the choir and the Praise Band, I have had the good fortune of witnessing first hand the great things Lan-nette has accomplished as our choir/music director. She has a unique ability to select pieces of music that not only comple-ment the liturgy but also fit the voices and experience level of each individual choir member.

What most of the congregation doesn't know is that Lannette goes out of her way to make sure that everyone feels included in the music ministry. It's not uncommon for her to give some-one a call or send an e-mail when a particular member has gone missing for a few weeks. Lannette truly loves what she does and you can feel it every week you spend with her in this ministry.

While I'm dreading the day that Lannette leaves us, I am very grateful for all of the musical adventures we have had together. Lannette is not only a great musician, but she is a true friend.”

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...a Rare Jewel

DOK is offering the Order of Compline during season of Lent

Lent is a time of prayer and penance. In observation, the Daughters of the King are offering the Order of Compline on Monday evenings. The word compline comes from the same root as the word complete. It is the last service of the day and the completion of worship until the next morning. This is a contemplative office that emphasizes spiritual peace, and who doesn’t need that!

All are welcome: Church members, friends, and of course, Daughters of the King.

Where: The Dunnavant Chapel

When: 6:00pm Mondays of Lent

The first service will be on February 19th. We hope to see you all there.

sweep out a full circle with Jerusalem at the center---you would find no ancient town called Emmaus. And we have two disciples that we don’t know much about, either. Cleopas was not one of the 12—and the other guy wasn’t even named. So-----where is this place called Emmaus? Did it really happen?? Who were these guys? What was this story really about?

So, here I am. In the middle of the Holy Land and I’m going to give it a shot—and try to find the town of Emmaus. From Qumran—site of the Dead Sea Scroll discovery to Jericho. From Jeru-salem and the Old City to Bethlehem and the birthplace of Christ. Up and down the Mount of Beatitudes. Across the Sea of Galilee, Trying to EXPERI-ENCE the Jesus of this Gospel. We were going to travel all over this land Jesus called home. Surely I would find something.

The traditional birthplace of Jesus is at the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square in Bethlehem—which is in Pales-tinian territory. We entered the church squeezing through a short doorway made small during the crusades to pre-vent marauders from entering this holy place on horseback. We crossed the Nave which once housed crusaders’

horses to line up to go down to the cave where the fabled stable was. There is a grotto—a cave--deep in the ground—looking much like a fireplace hearth. On the floor is a silver star sur-rounding an 8 inch hole. Kneel and put your hand down the hole and feel the stones of the stable where Christ was born. Kneel and imag-ine that night—2000 years ago when Christ was born to Mary. Kneel and feel the presence of Christ coming into our lives and fulfilling the prophesies. Kneel and pray. Your breath catches in your throat and you are really here. Close your eyes and imagine that awe-some night. Jesus is here. But no Em-maus.

While shepherds watched their flocks by night, an angel appeared to them proclaiming the birth of the Savior—Christ the Lord. We visited that same Shepherd’s field near Bethle-hem. There are two beautiful church-es in this lovely, green and peaceful place. It’s hard to believe that this field is still here—in the middle of this bus-tling city. One church is a cave where the shepherds were supposed to have stayed while tending their flocks, and one is on top and has a beautiful glass dome. God sent an angel here—right here—in the field. And I am standing in the middle of this field.

Move forward 30 years. Jesus is trav-eling, gathering disciples and teach-ing. In the old city of Jerusalem is the

By Deacon Bonnie Lloyd-Downs

A few years ago, I had a glorious ad-venture—a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Two Episcopal Priests leading 35 pilgrims for ten adventure filled days. What a recipe! I did my research and studied about the places we would visit. I had my bucket list of things I wanted to do—which initially included riding a camel. I wanted to walk the paths Jesus walked. I wanted to touch the places he touched and I wanted to experience something of the promise and passion that was Christ. I wanted to FEEL the Holy Land and FEEL the presence of Christ. A big agenda to be sure.

I felt like one of the pilgrims of old and was reminded of the Gospel reading—The Road to Emmaus. A simple story, so old and familiar—just like a favor-ite shirt or an old pair of shoes. Biblical comfort food!! It just feels right. And isn’t it curious that we really know so little about the facts of the story. Emmaus was reportedly seven miles from Jerusalem—and if you were to take a string and anchor it in Jerusa-lem and then stretch it out seven miles, and then Continued on next page.

The Road to Emmaus LUKE 24: 13-35—

Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

– reported location of Jesus’ birth

The Road to Emmaus

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Temple and the Western Wall—or the Wailing Wall. Men and women were separated and each group assem-bled. Both men and women were re-quired to have their heads covered. We women approached our side of the

wall. One of the women was prepared enough to have pieces of paper for us to write our prayers on to place in the wall. We are at one of the holiest plac-es on earth and I am writing a prayer to stuff between the stones—to be added to the millions of prayers uttered since the time of Jesus. I can’t begin to tell you what that felt like. There are simply no words to en-compass that feeling. Reaching out—touching that wall—saying your pray-ers— and shoving that little piece of paper between the stones. Emotional. Overwhelming. A feeling of belonging to something so much bigger and greater than you are. Yes—I truly felt

the Holy Land at this place. But still--—no Emmaus.

I moved on to the outside wall where the “teaching steps” were located at the temple site. Where Jesus taught. I sat on the original steps where followers of Jesus would have sat or stood to hear him preach. I sat there on these steps and imagined what it would have been like for the faithful to have first bathed in the ritual pools, visited the temple

to give sacrifices and to hear Jesus preach. It’s a beautiful, sunny day. There are people milling around today just as they were 2000 years ago--and Jesus taught here. And I am sitting here. Soaking it in.

We are approaching the holiest week in the Christian calendar. It is Thurs-day. We are at the Garden of Geth-semane. Jesus is agonizing over what will---and must happen. The garden is filled with beautiful, curvy, magnifi-cently twisted olive trees—many da-ting back to the time of Christ. All still producing olives. We are where the apostles slept as Jesus prayed to his Father. We are where Jesus asked his

Father if this was what was supposed to happen. "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it." Then, a little while later, He said, "If

this cup cannot pass by, but I must drink it, your will be done!". He said this prayer three times, checking on the three apostles, between each prayer and finding them asleep. He comments: "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." An angel came from heaven to strengthen him. During his agony, as he prayed "His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground."

We are standing where Jesus asked his disciples if “they could not stay awake with him one hour” as he prayed. We see the rock inside the church of All Nations where Jesus sat and prayed. I am reminded of the movie, “The Pas-sion of the Christ.” Yes—I feel Jesus here in the peace and quiet. But this is not helping me find Emmaus.

Later that evening, Jesus was captured and taken to the house of Caiaphas—the high priest. We were there—at the house. We went down into the pit where Jesus was kept as a prisoner. It is a large hole in the ground—probably meant originally for water storage. At the time—there was only

a small hole at the top where Jesus was lowered by ropes into the dark-ness. We were all in the hole and the lights were turned off. It was dark and it was scary. We read scripture and we sang. We felt for the man Jesus—and felt his despair and his isola-tion. We felt Him. He was there. Sev-eral wept.

We also visited Antonia Fortress and down to --what was supposed to be

The Wailing Wall at Temple Mount

Crossing the Sea of Galilee

Garden of Gethsemane

Sacred Pit at the house of Caiaphas

Continued on next page.

the courtyard of Pontius Pilate where Jesus was condemned. These days—it is underground----but in Jesus’ day—it was outside—and it was smaller than I thought it would be. Here, Jesus was tried, convicted, mocked and beaten. A crown of thorns placed upon his head. Did I meet Jesus here? Was Jesus here? I just stood there and closed my eyes. I felt his pres-ence, his humiliation and his pas-sion and his pain. Yes—he was here.

We then walked the Via Dela-rosa—the old streets of the old city of Jerusalem. Walked the original Stations of the Cross. They were marked by large brass medallions on buildings as we passed. We walked along among the vendors, the shops, the blood flow-ing in the narrow streets from butch-ered animals waiting to be purchased by customers, the cloth merchants, the vegetable vendors, the milieu of stores and shops. It was cramped, tight and it smelled of unwashed people, animals and wet cloth. It was still as it was in Jesus’ time. Life didn’t stop when a crim-inal was being escorted to execution. Life didn’t stop when Jesus passed by on the way to Golgotha. Life went on as usual—just like today. Good Friday was a day like any other for these people.

We ended at the Church of the Holy Seplechure—what many Catholic Chris-tians believe to be the site of Jesus cru-cifixion, burial and resurrection. This site is administered by the Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Greek Orthodox and a few others. And

they don’t work and play well togeth-er! We lined up to visit the place where Jesus was supposed to have been pre-pared for burial, buried and resurrect-ed. It was another tight squeeze down into the cave where he was buried. At the entrance to the church was a large marble slab where Jesus was supposed to have been prepared for burial. Again—a powerful feeling to kneel at the tomb and then kneel at the stone and touch where Christ was prepared for burial. Can you feel it? Strange, the stone actually feels warm to the touch. And then we went to the Garden Tomb where protestant Christians believe Christ was crucified, buried and resur-rected. There is the rock formation that looks like a SKULL—the place of the skull—Golgotha. We had communion in a chapel there, a fitting place to find Je-sus. We felt the presence of Christ in the

place and through the liturgy of com-munion we shared. And then visited the garden tomb itself. The tomb was emp-ty. What more could be said? What more needed to be said?

Christ was alive and present in all the places we visited. From his birth to the Sermon on the Mount to the passion of Holy Week, I felt the joy and promise of his ministry, the pain of his disappoint-ments, the torment in the garden, the passion and agony of his trial, the prom-ise of redemption through his crucifixion. But nowhere—in any of our wanderings-- did I find any sign of a town called Em-maus. So—what does the scripture about the road to Emmaus mean?

Two guys—on a road to a town I can’t find. Meeting a stranger—who turns out

to be the resurrected Christ. Every where I went—I looked for evidence of Em-maus. I didn’t find any. What I found and came to believe was that the story wasn’t about 2 disciples two thousand years ago, nor was it about the town they were going to. The story is one into which every reader is invited. It’s YOU and ME. The where is wherever you and I are when we read it. The story in Luke simply invites us to walk down a road and allow ourselves to be joined by Je-sus. To allow ourselves to enter into a conversation with Jesus and to see what happens when we do. We may be facing pain, disappointments, disillusionment and distress and want to just get away from it all. Well, a nice walk on a sunny day with Jesus as a companion may be just what you and I need!

While a visit to the Holy Land is inspira-tional, life-changing and just plain AWE-SOME—I realized I didn’t need to go half way around the world to find Christ—to find the road to Emmaus. I can find Him right here—any time. I can feel the risen Christ in my life every day. Emmaus is nowhere because it is EVERYWHERE. Emmaus is an allegory for wherever your journey leads you to despair. It is a waiting period where you fear the worst and question God and question yourself. Emmaus is wherever you meet the risen Christ in ordinary moments. It’s not a geographic place—it’s a state of mind. It is anytime we feel lost, alone, disap-pointed and in despair. The disciples had left Jerusalem in despair. Jesus joined them and they poured their hearts out to Him about their pain and loss. In the conversation—Jesus taught and healed these 2 disciples, just as he can heal you and me.

Finding the road to Emmaus is simply inviting Jesus to join us and stay for din-ner. Yes, Jesus, we are ready to have you sit at the table with us—we are ready to break bread with you tonight. Yes, Je-sus—we are ready to leave the despair and fear behind and follow you. And, by the way--- thank you for walking on the road with us today.

Jesus tomb at the Garden (Protestant) Golgotha

The hole through which Jesus was lowered

The Road to Emmaus Continued from previous page

The CONNECT Experience Connect is the curriculum used in our 4th thru 6th grade Sun-day School classroom. It is a Bible-centered approach that explores the themes found throughout the Bible’s greatest stories and encourages preteens to see the narrative arc of the Bible—from Creation to New Creation.

This approach helps tweens build a foundation of faith; mak-ing sense of the Bible by encouraging questions, exploring connections and reflecting how biblical teachings apply to their daily life and experiences.

Each lesson begins with a warm-up activity and a short 5 minute video that blends witty with solid theology, in a way that’s accessible to preteens. Each student has his/her own Connect Bible (NRSV) filled with graphics that are incorpo-rated with the lesson, colorful maps, historical timelines, etc. You will see them eagerly getting their Bible tote out of the Children’s Ministry closet each Sunday. Not only are they looking forward to another fun lesson, there is likely a piece of candy in the tote bag. If a Sunday is missed, well, the tote is even more exciting upon their return.

The Connect lesson is structured into thirds:

See – introduces the theme, has a warm-up game or activity, and the dvd segment of the day.

Explore – focusing on the big picture of multiple places where the Bible reveals the lesson theme. Kids will high-light, sketch, underline, color, search through and draw in the pages of their Bible.

Make – brings it all together through hands-on activities that help preteens process the biblical theme and relate it to their own lives.

Scope & Sequence

Connect is a 2 year curriculum. Unit 1 – Beginnings naturally began with the Creation, explored the fall of man, the Flood, the Tower of Babel. Unit 2 – the Promise explored Cove-nants, Jacob/Israel, the Tribes of Israel and Joseph. Unit 3 – Freedom looked at Moses, the Exodus, Commandments and the Promised Land. Unit 4 – Kings & Prophets takes the class from Judges, David, Solomon, kingdoms and prophets. By the time of this edition of Shepherd’s Voice, the class will

have just started Unit 5 – Conquered, learning about Bab-ylon, the Diaspora, Israel’s return, occupation and Caesar. The school year will wrap up during Unit 6 – Jesus: Early Life. When summer break ends and a new school begin in August 2018, the Connect class will be in Unit 7 – Jesus: Ministry. A year from now, the class will have covered Unit 8 – Jesus: The Savior; Unit 9 – The Apostle, and be about to finish with Unit 10 – The Church. The Connect curriculum will have gone from Creation to New Creation.

The 4th-6th graders learned about on King David in January. They returned to class after Communion and posed for a picture – they are grinning because they pulled one over on the photographer - some had upside-down Bibles, an-other was writing with a candy cane, everyone was on a different page, in a great mood, having a great time. That’s the goal every Sunday!

Thank you to our Connect classroom leaders, Elizabeth & Ken Johnson, Larissa Rufener, Sharon Hake, and Kirsten Smolensky. They are all doing a wonderful job making Sunday school a fun experience while facilitating the dis-cussion and exploration of each week’s biblical theme.

Experience the Connect Classroom – read The Last & The Least Are Good Enough for God, on the following page.

Connect and Whirl Lectionary and Bible Story curricula are offered through Sparkhouse Publishing. To learn more, visit https://www.wearesparkhouse.org or ask Children’s Ministry Director, Chrissie Coombs – it’s one of her favorite topics!

© 2012 sparkhouse. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only provided each copy carries this notice.

C H I L D R E N ’ S M I N I S T R Y N E W S

The Last and the Least are Good Enough for God

In Unit 4 – Kings and Prophets, the Connect classroom is studying the history of the Israelites, God’s chosen people, who had been given a pretty specific set of rules to follow – the Ten Commandments.

The first commandment was a big one: You shall not have any other gods before me. But the Israelites kept worship-ping other gods. During times of disobedience, God al-lowed their enemies to plunder and overcome the Israelites. But, to help set them straight once again, God gave them judges who advised and protected the Israelites from their enemies. Over and over this cycle repeated itself, the Israelites would be in peril, and over and over God would have mercy on them and send a judge to deliver them.

The judges acted like shields – protecting God’s people and keeping their unique identity from being lost while they were living among foreign peoples. The judges shielded the Israelites from corruption and harm, preserving their relationship and covenant with God. They led the people to be faithful to God and to trust that just as God had delivered them in the past, so God would deliver them again. God sticks by our side too, even when we sin and disobey.

The story of David is set against the backdrop of King Saul’s awful leadership. The class watched the dvd segment where the main characters featured each week are running for Student Council. Campaign manager Todd got a little too involved with winning, and began a comedic series of mud-flinging…. Sound familiar?! It was funny on the video, not so much in real life, though right? It’s easy to get caught up with winning at all costs.

After the video, the kids brainstormed characteristics of leaders - both good and bad. This is their list:

Honesty Loyal Helpful Good Listener

Warrior Dramatic (can be both good or bad quality)

They considered which way they would have voted if they were voting in that Student Council. They also discussed what characteristics seemed most important in a leader and what leadership qualities God has given them.

In this lesson about Kings, the anchor text is 1 Samuel 16:4-13. The message is how God uses ordinary people to Continued on next page.

What the heck are

preteens thinking?!

As part of the Connect leaders

guide, teachers are given a quick

overview of the lesson and tips to

help understand where the kids are

coming from. In the Unit 4 - Kings

& Prophets we are reminded:

Preteens are at an age where they

push boundaries. Even when the

Israelites disobeyed God’s rules,

God remained faithful and merciful

and provided another judge. God is

faithful even when we step out of

line. Preteens are just beginning to

gain independence in things like

staying home alone and going out

with friends. This lesson reminds us

that no matter our age or inde-

pendence, we are always in need

of good leadership.

From the Judges and Kings, we are

reminded that the life of faith isn’t

lived alone. David wasn’t perfect,

neither are you, and neither are

kids this age. Help preteens see

that it doesn’t matter how many

times they mess up, as long as they

continue to try to do the right

thing, again and again.

The Last & The Least Are

Good Enough for God!

Continued from previous page.

accomplish extraordinary things – and that the Last and the Least ARE good enough for God!

God looks at the heart – what motivates you? Dedica-tion to God is more important than social standing, a ‘perfect’ score, fame or fortune. You could be the smallest

and become the greatest.

God often does unexpected things, and the story of Samu-el anointing David as the king God chose, rather than the one the people had chosen in Saul (which didn’t end well). David came to be known as the greatest king on earth, but he started as the smallest, youngest son. Why was God’s choice for king so surprising? What are some other places in the Bible that talk about the last or the least?

The class discussion revealed that good leaders embody qualities that are different from each other. There is no set list, everyone has different talents and strengths. And the least can become the greatest, for example, Jesus was a descendent of King David yet he was born in a stable. Jesus was born to be an even greater king than David – the Messiah and Savior of the world.

Next, the class turned to Matthew 1:1, 17 where they found out how many generations separated Jesus from David. How hard is waiting? How do you think the people of Israel feel about waiting so many years for a new king like David, or for their anticipated Messiah?

Our next Bible connection was 2 Kings 22:1-2. The class read about King Josiah and considered the concept of a spiritual father. Josiah led righteously by example, he “turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might… “ (2 Kings 23:25). Consider the name of the person you would write on the crown who taught you a tradi-

tion of following God before all else.

In Acts 2:29-31 Peter reminds the listening crowd at Pen-tecost about King David’s words about the resur-rection of the Messiah. Acts 2:36 Peter states, “Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Je-sus whom you crucified”. And on that day 3,000 persons wel-comed his mes-sage and were baptized.

Leaders come in many shapes and sizes, with unique char-acteristics, messages, and effects. David led in different ways in different situations, but the most important lead-ership quality David had was that he followed God.

Being faithful doesn’t happen by accident. Have you ever thought, “Oops! I was faithful again!” But, even if we for-get, God provides a reminder. When we work to develop a Christian life, we become strong in a more purposeful faith, and God continues to be rich in love and mercy, ev-er present in our lives.

2018 is off and running for our Youth! Thank you to the many who donated on Youth Sunday towards

our Souper Bowl of Caring Collection towards Graceworks. We

raised a record $811.57!!! Thank you all for your generosity. Our

youth have really enjoyed packing Fuel Bags, a program offered

through Graceworks that

provides nutritious meals to

children in our area. Serving

and giving together is one of

the greatest gifts of Chris-

tian community.

Our Confirmation class has begun to meet each Sunday and it has been a joy to teach a

wonderful overflowing class of 14 students! We have tackled many tough questions of

faith such as: Who wrote the bible, God or humans? Did Jesus know he was God? As with

lots of these questions we will be discussing, there isn’t always a clear cut answer, but it

can draw us closer to God as we wrestle and wonder and lean in to faith and trust our

God who is greater than our brains can fully comprehend. Facing hard questions about

our faith can be overwhelming and maybe even scary, but continuing to engage in these

challenges in our faith community is very important!

Please pray for our confirmands as they continue

this process leading up towards April 22nd when

they may offer a mature public affirmation of the

baptismal faith passed down to them and to re-

ceive the laying on of hands by the bishop. We

hope that this class is a significant milestone on

this lifelong journey of faith where we find a safe place to ask questions, explore the

stories of our faith tradition, and discover and share our own stories of faith in Christ.

Lent was often a season of preparation for baptism in the early church so it is fitting

that the confirmands are embarking on this preparation for confirmation during the season of Lent as well. One of the chal-

lenges as we enter into Lent is to not let the busy pace of school, work, extracurricular activities and more take control of our

lives. The season of reflection and fasting is easy to overlook when our schedules get out of control.

If we are not intentional about creating space, the busyness can take all the space that is left. Part of

the reason so many people fast from things is to create some space to be intentional about our rela-

tionship with Jesus. The legalism of withholding is only as fulfilling as the opportunity it creates and

opens up for restoration when we allow Christ to fill us up in the emptiness or longing for that which

we refrain from.

There are some wonderful guides for the season of Lent which are placed throughout the church for

individuals and families to take and use to create space, practices, and opportunity to connect more

with our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. The “Illustrated Lent” booklets have coloring pages, a

finger labyrinth, family activities, scripture readings, reflections and prayers to guide you during this special season.

One of the prayers listed on Ash Wednesday is particularly poignant to me.

Dear God,

As we journey through this season of Lent,

Teach us how to give,

So that we can joyfully respond when you call us to serve.

Teach us how to pray,

So that we can be closer to you in all that we do throughout the day.

Teach us how to let go,

So that nothing can stand in the way of our connection with you.

Teach us how to prepare,

So we can be ready to receive your love, wisdom, and blessing.

Help us to remember that in all ways we belong to you. AMEN.

I believe that much of the Christian journey involves letting go. We hold on to our desire to be in control and keep it all

together so tightly. So much of being loved by God and following Jesus is found in the example of a young child who has

no comprehension of expectations set upon them, but simply a pure joy of

receiving love from their caregivers and enjoying their company. How easily

our brokenness and pain changes us as we grow up to discover that we are

not the person the world tells us to be. Thomas Merton describes humility in

this way: ”humility is being precisely who you are at any given time before

God and at least one other person.” There is so much freedom when we ac-

cept our limitations, needs, weaknesses, and junk and allow ourselves to be

seen by God warts and all. It takes some trust to let go but that surrender

has the opportunity to become a beautiful gift. May your journey this Lent

be one of letting go so that you can run into the arms of the loving God who

delights in you.

— Jill Altom. Youth Minister

SUMMER 2018 A Youth Pilgrimage in Mission

Come take a pilgrimage with Good Shepherd and many other church communities to the Cumberland Plateau where you will

spend a week in service with the community- whether it is through painting, building or playing with kids, come learn what it

means to be servants of Christ living in community, and how that translates into the details of day to day living.

Continued on next page

Mountain Top Logistics

Dates: July 22-28th

Cost: $360 ----Scholarships are available

DEADLINES: Feb 28th- Form & non-refundable Deposit of $150 due

REGISTRATION FORMS are available throughout church on magazine racks

For one week we leave our world behind and take this holy journey, much like a re-

treat, and climb the “mountain” on this spiritual quest. Here we will become a part

of a larger community of adults and youth from around the country that are here to

help meet the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of the people in the

county. We gather at Camp Cumberland Pines or Baker Mountain where we play,

eat, worship, learn, prepare, and sleep (on bunk beds in cabins). Every day we work

in the county with small groups called “YRGs”

which are made up of youth and adults from

different churches. In the evening, we participate in community sharing, recrea-

tion and worship. Dairy Bars, new friends, old friends, worship under the stars,

daybreaks, scrape & consolidate, music, 9 square, cultural differences, fish hooks,

host & hostesses. Peace that passes all understanding and real joy, are some of

the words used to describe a week at Mountain TOP.

Our prayer is that while we are engaged in all of these activities we will

be listening to God to find our place in the great community of the King-

dom of God. Our prayer is that through this experience, we will be further

changed by God so that we might further change our own worlds beyond

the mountain.

Contact Jill Altom with questions or to learn

more. jillaltom@goodshepherdbrentwood.org

Mountain Top Continued from previous page

Welcome! The Episcopal Church’s most important litur-gical season is the one that starts on Shrove Tuesday and ends on Easter Sunday.

When we think about hospitality and wel-come in churches, we most often think of greeters, ushers and newcomers committees. But the fact is that the first work of hospitality comes in the ministry of the altar guild—long before anyone walks into the church for the celebration of the liturgy. Welcome and hos-pitality begin much earlier in the preparation for liturgy. It begins the week before when an altar guild member launders the purifica-tors, irons the corporals and makes certain of the liturgical color. It is created when silver is polished; wine is poured and sufficient bread is put in place. In each action, the altar guild person prayerfully says “welcome” to the people of God. Their actions say loudly, “we care that you are coming to worship with us and we want you, the guest, to know how much we care about our worship of the Trini-ty.”

This comfort and care in preparation says everything to the people of God about our understanding of our relationship to God—and each other. The holiness of this work is not found solely in the function of cleaning and putting things in proper place. It is un-derstood in the being of each person who dedicates prayer and time to welcome all who come seeking a connection to God and each other.

(from) The Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island

The Church of the Good Shepherd Altar Guild is seeking new members. As our parish con-tinues to grow, so do our Altar Guild needs. Please join us in our ministry. Training is pro-vided. Please contact Patti Dietrick at: pdie-trick1@gmail.com of 615-642-7627 if you have any questions. Thank you.

Perhaps you are considering how to enhance your spiritual walk by some added devotion during Lent. Consider joining the Morning Prayer congregation for half hour every Tuesday morning in Dunnavant Chapel at 7:00.

It is our hope that those who come will apply the prayers and readings found in the Book of Common Prayer to eve-ry morning, not just the one we share together. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Evelyn

Weems at sighbrrmum@gmail.com.

Join us for Morning Prayer every Tuesday at 7am

COGS 2018 Lenten Food Drive for GraceWorks Food Pantry

Let’s give a TON of LOVE (2,000 lbs.) If want to make an impact in the lives of others and do something spe-cial for Lent, commit to giving one item a day during Lent to Grace-Works for the food pantry. Let’s all give 40 items in 40 days so together we can give a TON OF LOVE to our neighbors in need.

Drop off any of the following items in the GraceWorks boxes in Her-long Hall by April 1, 2018.

Food Pantry Needs —Food

Canned Ham or Chicken Crackers Spaghetti Sauce (Plastic jars or cans) Canned Beef Stew Boxed Meals (Like Hamburger Helper) Jelly Boxed Mashed Potatoes Rice Canned Fruit Pasta Peanut butter Cereal

Other Needs – Personal Hygiene/Cleaning Supplies

Toilet Paper Deodorant Shampoo Conditioner Razors/Shaving cream Laundry detergent Toothpaste/Toothbrushes Dish detergent Comb and Hair brushes Bath soap

Contact Dayna Moseley at daynamose@comcast.net with any questions.

For more information or details about GraceWorks Ministries visit their web-

site at http://graceworksministries.net.

Thank you from our Girl Scouts The Girl Scouts of the Church of the Good Shep-herd would like to thank you for supporting our

cookie sale again this year. In addition to the many individual orders you placed, we also re-

ceived enough donations to purchase 75 boxes of cookies for our soldiers at Fort Campbell.

We greatly appreciate all your support and generosity.

CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

LEGACY SOCIETY

By Bill Bailey

What is the difference between the Church of the Good Shepherd Legacy Society (Endowment Fund) and Stew-ardship? Stewardship involves giving money to the church for current pro-jects and pledges for the coming year. The vestry uses that money to

operate the church and its progress.

The purpose of the Good Shepherd Legacy Society is to recognize those individuals and families who have remem-bered the Church of the Good Shepherd in their estate plans through a documented planned gift. More so, the Society serves to enable members and friends to witness to the value of Good Shepherd in their lives and serve its ministries for generations to come.

Gifts to the Legacy Society are acts of hope for the future of our parish. Through God’s grace and your generosity, Good Shepherd will be well equipped to serve our commu-nity in generations to come. We give out of our treasure today to bless others in the future.

You may become a member of the Legacy Society simply by notifying the Church and the Society of your estate plans for a gift to Church of the Good shepherd. This may include a bequest in your Will, a Life Income Gift, a Gift of Life insurance, cash, or another type of planned gift. Neither the size of the gift nor the type of the Gift matters for membership in the Society, only that you have made the provision in your Estate Plan.

4 EASY WAYS TO JOIN

1. CASH any amount. 2. Change beneficiary of IRA – can give all or even a small percentage. 3. Codicile to a Will – Average cost $100 to $200. 4. Holographic request – handwrite codicle with one, preferably two witnesses. Please contact me if you have any questions -

Bill Bailey Rwbailey421@gmail.com

615-481-6360

The Silence of Saturday

Jesus is silent on Saturday. The women have anointed his body and placed it in Joseph’s tomb. The cadaver of Christ is as mute as the stone which guards it. He spoke much on Fri-day. He will liberate the slaves of death on Sunday. But on Saturday, Jesus is silent.

So is God. He made himself heard on Friday. He tore the cur-tains of the temple, opened the graves of the dead, rocked the earth, blocked the sun of the sky, and sacrificed the Son of Heaven. Earth heard much of God on Friday.

Nothing on Saturday. Jesus is silent. God is silent. Saturday is silent.

Easter weekend discussions tend to skip Saturday. Friday and Sunday get the press. The crucifixion and resurrection com-mand our thoughts. But don’t ignore Saturday. You have them, too.

Silent Saturdays. The day between the struggle and the solu-tion; the question and the answer; the offered prayer and the answer thereof.

Saturday’s silence torments us. Is God angry? Did I disap-point him? God knows Jesus is in the tomb, why doesn’t He do something? Or, in your case God knows your career is in the tank, your finances are in the pit, your marriage is in a mess. Why doesn’t He act? What are you supposed to do until He does?

You do what Jesus did. Lie still. Stay silent. Trust God. Jesus died with this conviction: “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.”

Jesus knew God would not leave him alone in the grave. You need to know, God will not leave you alone with your strug-gles. His silence is not his absence, inactivity is never apa-thy. Saturdays have their purpose. They let us feel the full force of God’s strength. Had God raised Jesus fifteen minutes after the death of His son, would we have appreciated the act? Were He to solve your problems the second they appear, would you appreciate His strength?

For His reasons, God inserts a Saturday between our Fridays and Sundays. If today is one for you, be patient. As one who endured the silent Saturday wrote: “Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7 NKJV).

© Max Lucado, 2013