The Shepherd s Voice. Blessing for a Home at Epiphany. 4 months already? January February 2016

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1 The Shepherd s Voice January February 2016 Blessing for a Home at Epiphany Matthew writes that when the magi saw the shining star stop overhead, they were filled with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother (Matthew. 2:10-11). In the home, Christ is met in family and friends, in visitors and strangers. In the home, faith is shared, nurtured, and put into action. In the home, Christ is welcome. Twelfth Night (January 5) or another day during the twelve days of Christmas or the time after Epiphany offers an occasion for gathering with friends and family members for a blessing of the home, using the following as a model. A visual blessing may be inscribed with white chalk above the main door; for example, 20 + CMB The numbers change with each new year. The three letters stand for either the ancient Latin blessing Christe mansionem benedicat, which means, Christ, bless this house, or the legendary names of the magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar). Greeting May peace be to this house and to all who enter here. By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. (See Proverbs 24:3-4.) Reading As we prepare to ask God's blessing on this household, let us listen to the words of scripture. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (See John 1:1-4, 14, 16.) Inscription This inscription may be made with chalk above the entrance: 20 + C M B + 16 The magi of old, known as C Caspar, M Melchior, and B Balthasar followed the star of God's Son who came to dwell among us 20 two thousand 16 and sixteen years ago. + Christ, bless this house, + and remain with us throughout the new year. Prayer of Blessing O God, you revealed your Son to all people by the shining light of a star. We pray that you bless this home and all who live here with your gracious presence. May your love be our inspiration, your wisdom our guide, your truth our light and your peace our benediction; through Christ our Lord. Amen. Then everyone may walk from room to room, blessing the house with incense or by sprinkling with water, perhaps using a branch from the Christmas tree. From Sundays & Seasons, copyright 2009 Augsburg Fortress 4 months already? It s hard to imagine that 4 months have passed since the moving of Classic Worship to a new time and the launch of Worship 2.0. I wanted to say Thank You to the entire congregation for embracing these exciting changes with passion and energy! As we enter a new year, let s turn our energy outward towards a community who needs a welcoming worship home. Good Shepherd can be a home for all, no matter their church background and no matter what style of worship they prefer. Please share this message with your friends and neighbors, and please help us grow our faith community by continuing to invite people to join us. If anyone has ideas on how we might better inform the community about our Worship services, please feel free to contact me. Alan Halfen

2 Pastor s Page Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! As this newsletter arrives, it is still appropriate to say Merry Christmas, as we are still in the Christmas season. If you attended one of this year s Christmas Eve services, you heard in the sermon that if we are to worship the baby in the manger, the Christ-child, that means we will follow Him wherever He goes. We stated that, like any baby, He doesn t stay in the manger or crib, but instead, grows up. Our following Christ means following Him as He grows, following Him all the way to the cross. And it may surprise us how quickly this happens. This newsletter spans the months of January and February, and this year that means that in this time we will complete the Christmas season, go through Epiphany and the Season after Epiphany, celebrate the Transfiguration of Our Lord, arrive at Ash Wednesday and move into the season of Lent. This leads us to the beginning of Jesus intentional walk to the cross. It is always surprising how quickly this baby-in-a crib stage goes by. Other things will happen during this time, as well. Besides the beginning of voting in the presidential primary process and watching Super Bowl 50, there will be activities such as Justice Matters issues teams doing research and identifying solutions on topics of childhood trauma, affordable housing, and mental health care here in Lawrence. And here at Good Shepherd, our Annual Congregational Meeting (January 17 th ) and the dedication of our pledges (January 24 th ). In addition, many people, think about January 1 st as the beginning of a new year with new resolutions, new opportunities, and new hope for the future. Most of us understand that the turning of the page and a new calendar year marks a fresh start and a clean slate. Aside from the fact that for us as Christians, our new year started back on November 29 th with the beginning of Advent, what is clear is that we mark time differently than most of the world. The reason is because we follow the One who was, is, and is to come. Normal time doesn t capture Jesus; who He is or what He does. Soon we will be celebrating the Baptism of Our Lord (January 10 th ). The Gospel tells of Jesus being baptized and it is one revelation of the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. But it is also a revelation of a new way of keeping time. Our baptism, along with our continual remembering of our baptism, means that we, too, are to mark time differently. It means that we no longer have to wait for the beginning of a new year or the turning of a page in order to have a fresh start or a clean slate. When we remember our baptism and the gift of forgiveness that it holds, how we are washed clean in the waters of baptism, it means that we no longer have to say about new opportunities, about new hope for the future, that it will happen one of these days. No, it happens this day, today, and each and every day that we follow Jesus. Because of Jesus, because of our baptism, we are named and claimed as His and we can join the psalmist who states in Psalm 118:24, This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. If you feel like you need a New Year s resolution, a good one would be to greet God first thing every morning in prayer and then greet the day by proclaiming, This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. When we do this, when we live this way, when we follow Jesus, our days are full of new opportunities and new hope. Together may we rejoice and be glad in this. Grace and peace, Pastor Ted 2

3 GSLC News Fourth Friday Fellowship Fourth Friday Fellowship has the following events coming up over the next couple of months, so mark your calendars now! Friday, January 22 Movie night. We will meet at a local theater to see a movie (perhaps an Oscar contender?), and gather at a nearby restaurant for discussion, reviews, and a bite to eat. Watch for details. Friday, February 26 Game night! Come to the church at 6:30 with a snack to share, and if you have a favorite card or board game, bring it as well. We will decide what to play after we get there. Friday, March 25 March Madness will be in full swing, so we will plan to gather for an evening of basketball watching and game day snacking. Location will be announced later. Please bring your favorite game day food to share, and be sure to wear your team's colors! All members, visitors, and friends of Good Shepherd are invited to join us! If you have questions, or would like to add your address to our contact list for updates, please contact Susie Brooks at sbrksks@aol.com. Hello from Green Pastures! First I want to thank all of you who visited me at the Book Fair in November. I enjoyed getting to meet and talk with those of you who stopped by. Our book fair was a huge success due, in part, to the church participation. Thank you! See the ledge above the coat hooks downstairs to see how many books we were able to buy just from the All For Book donations! The preschool has had a wonderful time celebrating and learning about Thanksgiving and Christmas. I included pictures from the art and celebrations we have had over the last couple weeks. Social Action Ministry One of the most visible community outreach activities for Social Action Ministry at GSLC is Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen (LINK). LINK is a network of many different faith groups in our area who serve a hot meal to an average of 140 hungry Lawrencians four times a week. The dining site is at First Christian Church downtown, and is open to everyone. Our next serving date is Saturday, January 2, and many faithful volunteers and cooks have already signed up! Good Shepherd serves at LINK four times a year, and all involved would agree that it is a rewarding experience, and a fun fellowship time. Children of all ages are especially encouraged to volunteer; the guests love seeing their friendly faces! On-the-job training is always available, so please contact Susie Brooks at sbrksks@aol.com if you have questions. Many thanks to all of the faithful Good Shepherd volunteers who rang the bell on December 5 for the Salvation Army Red Kettle drive! A special thank you is in order for the Beta Sigma men who covered the last two hours of ringing for us. The folks at Salvation Army always go out of their way to make certain we are assigned to the location and date of our choice, and we are grateful to them for accommodating us. They do this because our volunteers invariably show up on time as promised, and we commit to an entire day of ringing at our assigned location. The beautiful Mitten Tree display to benefit Ballard Center families was a huge success again this year! The gifts will be greatly appreciated by these struggling families, and Social Action Ministry is grateful to all who contributed to this effort. Many thanks to Linda Strole who created the display and coordinated this project. These are just three examples of the Good Shepherd presence in the fabric of Lawrence life. The people of the community see us, and know that we have the passion to "care for all". Everyone at Good Shepherd is part of our ongoing identity as servants, through volunteering, cooking, food contributions, bell ringing, purchasing gifts for Ballard families, and most importantly, congregational prayers of support. Social Action Ministry meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm, and all are welcome to attend. Our meetings are short, to allow choir members to be at practice on time. Happy New Year! Jessica Welchhans 3

4 Music & Worship Thank You to everyone who helped with our Advent and Christmas worship: musicians, worship volunteers, Wednesday dinner cooks & setup/cleanup crews, the Altar Guild, and all who helped with greening. We also had a great group for caroling this year: 18 singers came and brightened the day of the residents of Vintage Park in Baldwin City. January & February Worship Dates Sun., Jan. 10 9:30 & 11 am Baptism of Our Lord Wed., Feb pm Ash Wednesday worship Wed., Feb pm/7 pm Lenten midweek supper & worship begins Sun., Feb. 28 TBA Habitat MusicFest GSLC Choir Rehearsals resume Sunday, January 10 at 10:30 am (no Thursday rehearsals 12/31 or 1/7). Thursday rehearsals resume January 14, 7:00-8:15 pm. New members are always welcome! Contact Lara for more information or to be added to the list. Instrumentalists/Vocalists/Cantors Solos and ensembles are welcome to provide prelude or offering music for our 11 am Classic Worship, and accompany anthems, hymns or liturgy. Contact Lara to volunteer. Epiphany (adapted from The church calendar recognizes the season of Epiphany from January 6 until the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday, which is the Transfiguration of our Lord (Feb. 7 this year). Themes for the Epiphany season include the revelation of Christ to all nations, Christ as the light of the world, the public ministry of Christ, and growth in a Christian s baptized identity. On the day of Epiphany, January 6 (the 12 th day of Christmas), the church celebrates the revelation of Christ to all nations as represented by the magi who come to worship Jesus. Since the star is a symbol of the festival of Epiphany, families might like to celebrate at home by making star decorations or cookies. We also encourage you to bless your home on this day. See the front page of this newsletter for a suggested order for house blessing. Baptism of Our Lord On Sunday, January 10 when we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, we will take the opportunity to prepare to remember our own baptisms. If possible, find out the date of your own baptism and have it with you when you come to worship on 1/10. Remember that you are dust. Our Ash Wednesday worship will take place on February 10 at 7:00 pm. This service marks the beginning of Lent, with imposition of ashes and Holy Communion. Lent 2016 Turn & Live: A Christ-Centered Journey The Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday (February 10 this year) and lasts for 40 days (not counting Sundays). These days recall the 40-day fast of Jesus in the wilderness after his baptism (Matthew 4:2, Luke 4:1-2) and Moses 40-day fast on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28). Our theme for Lent this year, will be Turn and Live: A Christ-Centered Journey. Lenten Midweek Schedule Please join us on Wednesdays, February 17-March 16: 6:00 pm Soup supper, Fellowship Hall 7:00 pm Lenten Mid-week Worship 4

5 Music & Worship Worship Volunteer Schedule Our Worship Volunteers include those faces you see helping out in worship each week as well as those serving in non-worship related tasks such mowing, shoveling, cleaning, visitor volunteers, and potluck coordinators. After the Time and Talent sheets are compiled following Commitment Sunday on January 24, 2016, a new schedule will be created with new and continuing volunteer names. As you consider your volunteer options for 2016, we encourage you to prayerfully consider the Time and Talent sheet lists of needs. You are invited to read through these Volunteer Schedule instructions as a reminder of how our system works: Please find your assigned date(s) on the schedule and note them on your personal calendar. If you have a conflict with a date when you are scheduled to serve: Trade with another volunteer. (Member contact info is available in church directory.) Contact the church office (gslc@sunflower.com or ) so the church bulletin and bulletin board postings will be accurate. Please report changes by 10 am on the Wednesday prior to the Sunday when you are scheduled. For any last minute changes that aren t included in the bulletin, contact that week s worship coordinator. If you find any errors in the schedule, please contact the office. Habitat MusicFest On Sunday, February 28, please join the Good Shepherd choir in supporting the mission of Habitat for Humanity. We will be participating in the annual MusicFest, along with other local choirs. We encourage you to support this venture with your prayers, your attendance at the event, and through a free-will offering that will be collected during the event. The event will take place at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 6001 Bob Billings Parkway. Watch your bulletins and Baa the Way for the time for this event. Lawrence Community Taizé Taizé is an ecumenical movement to promote peace in the world. All are welcome to this hour of simple song, prayer, reflective readings, meditation, and candlelight. A bookmark with all the dates and locations is available on the information table in the church narthex. If you would like more information or would like to be notified by about upcoming services, please contact the Taizé coordinator at judithcgalas@gmail.com. Lawrence Taizé services are co-hosted by several Lawrence churches, including Good Shepherd. This group normally holds Taizé services at 6 pm on the 4 th Friday of the month, with weekly services in Advent and Lent. January and February dates are as follows: Friday, 22 January, 6 pm: First United Methodist, 946 Vermont St., Lawrence Friday, 12 February, 6 pm: Immanuel Lutheran, 2104 Bob Billings Pkwy, Lawrence Friday, 19 February, 6 pm: St. Paul s United Church of Christ, 738 Church St., Eudora Sunday, 28 February, 6 pm: First Baptist Church, 1330 Kasold Drive, Lawrence For more information on the Taizé Community, its history and on-going work see Alan Halfen Worship Committee Chair, afhalfen@ku.edu, Lara West Music Minister, laralwest@gmail.com, Travis Rigby, Worship Leader Worship 2.0, trigby@ku.edu, GSLC serves LINK 5

6 Christian Education Sunday School Christmas Celebration Following rehearsal for the annual Sunday School Christmas program, children celebrated the season by making their own pizzas, making holiday crafts and playing games. Thanks to the Rethmans for organizing this fun event and to the older youth who helped. Sunday School Christmas Program The Sunday School children, preschool through 5 th grade, presented their celebration of the Christmas story through songs and readings on Sunday, December 13. Many thanks to director, Sonja Holmgren. Another big thanks to our Sunday School teachers: Steve Hillmer, Justus McCullough, Sariah Judy, Monica Rethman and Sonja Holmgren. 6 Dates to Remember 01/03/16: No Sunday School (Christmas break) 01/10/16: Sunday School Resumes 03/13/16: No Sunday School (Spring break) 03/20/16: No Sunday School (Spring break) 03/27/16: Easter egg hunt No Sunday School 05/15/16: Last Day of Sunday School Graduate recognition

7 Youth Fly High at Sky Zone Twelve junior and senior high youth enjoyed trampoline fun and great exercise at Sky Zone, an indoor trampoline park in Shawnee, KS. Trampoline basketball and dodgeball were hits with the group as was jumping and flipping into the foam pit. Cookies, cookies, cookies! The youth cookie fundraiser was a huge success. Glaser Williams, a nationwide freight transportation company in Eudora, provided $1000 to the youth group for providing homemade cookies and party mix that the company uses to send to their clients in holiday gift baskets. Thanks to all the youth families and to many in the congregation who helped provide the 26 batches of party mix and 78 dozen cookies! 7

8 Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 2211 Inverness Drive Lawrence, KS Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, ELCA 2211 Inverness Drive Lawrence, KS gslc-lawrence.org Pastor Ted Mosher Lara West Music Minister Classic Worship Travis Rigby Worship Leader Worship Deborah Lundmark Admin. Assistant Jessica Welchhans, Director in Training Green Pastures Preschool Congregational Council: Sue Kristiansen, President David Rasmussen, Vice President Scott McCullough, Treasurer; John Childers, Secretary Joanne Hickey, Brian Judy, Barbara Schaible, Kelley Witmer Prayer Chain For updates and scheduling changes, see the GSLC Calendar at Newsletter submissions due February 15, 2015 for the March/April 2016 issue. Weekly Bulletin Announcements are due Wednesdays, 10 am.