Good Shepherd Update Thursday June 17th, 2010

Dear Good Shepherd,

The biggest news for the Update today is the Picnic coming up this Sunday June 20th. The picnic starts at 11am at Pavillion #1 with an outdoor worship service, then comes lunch and everything else. People generally bring their own lunch, meat to grill, and/or a dish of something to share. If you can’t bring lunch, come anyway, there’s plenty of food. You might also want to bring a swimming suit if you plan to get wet, baseball gloves, clothes that can get dirty and an extra pair of shoes.

The picnic will be at Cole Park which is pretty easy to find. Here’s the Cole Park website and below are directions from Binghamton:

NATHANIEL COLE PARK
1674 Colesville Road
Harpursville, NY 13787
607.693.1389
Map

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

FROM THE SOUTH:
I-81North to Exit 2W (Court Street Exit). Follow around ramp to first light on Court Street (across from Frito Lay Plant). Turn right at light onto Colesville Road. Follow Colesville Road 6¾ miles. Entrance will be on your right.

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

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

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

You are invited and more than welcome to come whether Good Shepherd is your church or not. For members, this is great opportunity to invite people to church who may not come to a regular service so think and pray about who you’ll be asking.

If you need a ride: Please let us know by email (lambeth@flash.net) or by phone (723-8032). But if you forget to call or email just be at the church by 10:30am and people will be waiting to pick you up and take you out there.

No Sunday School: There will be no Sunday school this Sunday because of the picnic, but everything will be back to the regular schedule next Sunday

Free online access to an excellent Conference June 17th (today) thru June 19th: RC Sproul, Michael Horton, Alistair Begg, Al Mohler and others will be speaking at a conference in Orlando FL entitled “Tough Questions Christians Face”. I’m shocked and amazed that you can watch it all for free via a live webcast because if I had the money I would have bought tickets to be there. These guys are all heavy hitters. They’ll be discussing among other topics: The world of New Media, Why did Jesus have to die? Is the doctrine of Biblical Inerrancy defensible? Does the Doctrine of Predestination negate Free Will? and more. I will be trying to get other work done while watching. You can tune in and watch it all live here

Thursday Night Bible Study: There will be Thursday night bible study tonight after the Shepherd’s Bowl at 6:30pm. We are in John 9. All are invited.

Women’s Bible Study (from Carmen) Women’s Bible Study: We’re continuing our study of the book of Isaiah. The New Testament says that Isaiah “saw the glory of Christ, and spoke of Him” (John 12:41).  Indeed!!

Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study: The Men’s Bible Study meets at 6:30am every Friday morning for breakfast and discussion. We are presently working our way through 2nd Samuel. Tom and Brian are cooking…

Tuesday Morning Bible Study. This is Good Shepherd’s first bible study. I started it 8 years ago and all the other bible studies grew out of it. Presently this study is led by Chris Vail. It meets every Tuesday morning at 9:00am in the parish hall. A basic but comprehensive verse by verse study of the scriptures. Presently this group is working through Acts in an effort to piece together Paul’s missionary journeys before turning to his Letter to the Romans. Ultimately, this group will work through all of the New Testament epistles and letters.  All are welcome!

First Light Bible Study: Meets every Tuesday evening beginning at 6:30pm. The First Light bible study is designed for intermediate and advanced students of scripture. The group takes the time necessary to delve as deeply as possible into the text, learning the art and science of biblical exegeisis. Ife Ojetayo leads the group which is currently working its through Ephesians. All are welcome.

Prayer Shawls:The Good Shepherd Knitting group will meet on Saturday, June 26.

ACW Meets this Saturdy: The next ACW meeting will be Saturday, June 19.

Acolyte Practice: There will be acolyte practice on Sunday June 27th after the 10:30am service. This is the first practice in about two months and we’re getting rusty, so I am asking that all acolytes be present.

A Note about Giving: Thanks be to God that in May, through your generosity, we completely erased the $13,000.00 disparity between our budgeted and actual income. That means that at the mid-year point, we are exactly where we thought we would be. I am writing you to encourage you to continue giving with the same spirit of generosity. This is the first year for a number of years that the budget as passed includes a true tithe…money going to support the mission and ministry of the Church beyond our walls. I think, so far, we’ve discovered that it is impossible to out-give God. As we spend in accordance with his purposes and priorities, he provides. I am, again, so thankful to God for your generosity this year and look forward to the second half of the year confident that we will continue to grow in Christ and that God will add to our numbers.

Photos from the Summer Festival 2010: You can see them all here

New Bibles: I’m very happy to announce that last night the vestry approved an offer by one of our parishioners to match a donation of new English Standard Version pew bibles. Presently we have been using the New International Version which is a fine and good bible.  But the newer ESV is perhaps the best English translation of the bible available. In all we’ll be getting just under 100 bibles which should be enough for everyone who comes at both services…at least until we grow.

Report from the Synod: Bob, Cookie, John, Pauline, Lee, Jane Anne and I traveled to Amesbury MA last week for the seating of Bishop Murdoch and the formal reception of the Anglican Diocese in New England. There was a fantastic service filmed in its entirety by Anglican TV. You can watch it all, in two parts, below:

I am also pleased to report that there were no huge controversies at the Synod. The biggest news seems to be a decision to remove the filioque clause from the Creed when worshiping with Orthodox Christians. If you want to know more about the filioque clause you can read an article I wrote about it here. I disagree with that decision, but it is something we can debate vigorously and come away friends and brothers.

Last Week’s sermon: “Grace and the Sinful Woman part 1” based on Luke 7:36-50 may be read here and viewed below:

This week’s sermon: Because of the picnic, I’m going to preach part 2 of “Grace and the Sinful Woman” next Sunday on the 27th. At the picnic, I’ll be preaching on Peter’s confession of Christ in Luke9:18-27:

[18] Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” [19] And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” [20] Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
[21] And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, [22] saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
[23] And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. [24] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. [25] For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? [26] For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. [27] But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
(Luke 9:18-27 ESV)

Well, that seems to be it for this week. I’ll see you Sunday. Remember to bring your bibles and your friends to the picnic.

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