Epiphany 2019 The Light of Christ - Where do you see it? How can you be it? - Church of the Good Shepherd
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Epiphany 2019 The Light of Christ Where do you see it? How can you be it?
Table of
Epiphany:
The Manifestation of the Divine
Robert Childers, Rector
Contents Last Sunday was the feast day of the
Epiphany. This feast day remembers the
Haiti to help build a school for his home town
of Petit Harpon. Following that invitation,
journey of the Magi who followed the star Good Shepherd folks began to come to Haiti
03 EPIPHANY
Fr. Robert reflects on the meaning of Epiphany
to Bethlehem where they visited Jesus,
recognizing him as the Messiah. The power
to help build this school. Through the years,
we have maintained a relationship with this
and the light of Christ all around us. and wonder of this celebration is not simply small community, building and maintaining a
that long ago, learned folks, who knew the school - kindergarten through the 9th grade -
05 THE LIGHT OF CHRIST stars, recognized a “new” star and followed which now has 221 students and 25 teachers.
it until they came to the place where Jesus In addition to providing a quality education,
Share your Epiphany sightings throughtout was born. The deeper truth of this celebration we have ensured that each day these
this season is that since these Magi recognized the students receive a hearty and healthy meal.
Messiah in the world; we now have that
06 SHARING THE LIGHT OF CHRIST
The Outreach Grants Committee reports on
same capacity to see Christ in our midst. I told the congregation that Good Shepherd
continues to partner with them, continues
their work throughout 2018, sharing Christ’s
While the people of Good Shepherd to be in relationship with them, continues to
light with the community. celebrated Epiphany on Lookout Mountain, travel to Petit Harpon because of the gifts
I was blessed to participate in a glorious they share with us. I was there on that feast
07 SHARING OUR SALT
Deacon Janice reflects on the importance
Epiphany celebration at St. John the
Evangelist in Petit Harpon, Haiti. The service
day of the Epiphany to tell them that they
shone with the brightness of Christ, that I
began with the procession, the altar party saw in their faces the manifestation of the
of sharing our salt in the world so as not to
become ike the Dead Sea. following the three choirs - the members of divine - they were an Epiphany to me. It
the Daughters of the King, the men’s group was all I could do to speak to them without
08 YOUTH PILGRIMAGE IS COMING
Did you know the youth are going on
accompanied by an accordion and the
youth choir - singing a Creole version of “We
crying tears of holy joy. At the peace, the
entire congregation began this wonderfully
are marching in the light of God.” The singing choreographed dance in which everyone
pilgrimage this summer?
in the church seemed like a heavenly chorus moved about effortlessly and with much
whether it came from one of the choirs or the grace greeting their neighbors and sharing
09 TOP 5 REASONS YOU DO NOT TAKE
YOUR KIDS TO SUNDAY SCHOOL
congregation. Christ’s peace with each other.
... and some possible answers to those reasons When it came time for me to preach - about When it came time to administer the
an hour into the service - I was in awe to Eucharist, Pere Bana, the rector, asked me to
10
stand before this holy assembly, fully aware give communion to the people, which I was
MEET YOUR NEW VESTRY MEMBERS that they had already shown me more of honored to do. Before I began, however, he
Margaret Anne Haley, John Pine, Michael Christ than I would ever be able to share with showed me how it was done in their tradition.
Slocumb, and Jeremy Van Brunt share why them through my spoken words. And so I told As each person came forward, I dipped the
they’ve chosen to serve. them the story of how I came to be in Petit bread into the wine and placed the bread
Harpon, how Good Shepherd came to be onto each person’s tongue as they opened
11 NEW BULLETIN & STAFF FORMATS
Changes to the 10:30 bulletin format and to
Pictured above: The Light of Christ bulletin
board in the narthex.
On the cover: School children from our sister
their partner in ministry. their lips.
The Staff offer more theologically reflective Our relationship goes back over 20 years In all my years of ministry, I don’t believe I
publications. parish, St. Jean l’Evangeliste, Petit Harpon, when Ann Aiken was asked by the Bishop of have ever experienced such an intimate,
Haiti
2 3
emotional and holy encounter. For the first
several people I didn’t dare open my own
mouth to say “the body of Christ” for fear I
The Light of Christ
would choke up and begin to cry. Gradually Where do you see it? How can you be it?
I begin to speak, quietly and haltingly, as
I looked into the eyes of each person. It
seemed as if time stood still as each person
Share your Epiphany sightings
approached and I did my best to honor and
of Jesus’ light on a golden star Be the light of Christ this
acknowledge the sacred nature of each of
them.
this season, and pin it to the Epiphany season ...
board in the narthex.
For the next three days, we met and worked
with various members of the community
- Pere Bana, lay leaders in the church, Save the Dates
the teachers, students and others - and
all that I had experienced and seen in January 27 Annual Parish
the worship I continued to see in each
Meeting,
of them. Collectively we are the body of
Christ and each of us is a child of God. I following the 10:30
know that. I preach and teach that all the service
time. Sometimes, however, it helps to be
reminded of these holy truths, to be nudged February 7 David Burman’s
by the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and pay ordination
attention. My time with the people of St.
John the Evangelist, Petit Harpon was such a
reminder and nudge. February 8-9 Diocesan
Convention
This year the season of Epiphany lasts until
March, nearly two months. It is a wonderful February 15-16 Vestry Retreat
time to open our eyes and hearts to Christ
in our midst, to be reminded and nudged
to pay attention. How will the divine be
manifested to you in this season? How might
we see, acknowledge and greet the divine
Thank you!
Barbara Helton, Flower Guild
beings who surround us? How might we be
Christ to and for each other?
The Flower Guild wishes to thank the membership of Good Shepherd for
their generosity in making donations to the greater Christmas Fund at Good
Blessings, grace and peace,
Shepherd. We were able to purchase all of our flowers and greenery to decorate
Robert
the church for Christmas Eve services and the entire Christmas season with the
money given for the memorials, honorariums and general donations.
Amid all the hurry and scurry and sheer exhaustion of the season, please know
that we love what we do and we are so grateful for your continued support.
What a wonderful tradition we have Good Shepherd; may it always be so -
Happy New Year!
4 5
Sharing Our Salt
Sharing the Light of Christ in Our Janice Robbins, Deacon
Community The Dead Sea lies on the border between Jordan and
Israel. It is one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water and
Our Dollars at Work: A Report from Good is nearly 10 times saltier than the ocean. It is fed only by
the Jordan River and has no outlets, meaning water
Shepherd’s Outreach Grants Committee flows in, but does not flow out. Since there is no free-
Formed as a response to the needs of the wider community beyond our parish, flowing water to bring in life-giving nutrients, there is no
the Outreach Grants Committee meets quarterly in March, June, September viable plant or animal life. The lake is essentially dead...
and December. Working with funds allocated from the Annual Budget and The sea is a great place for floating, but dramatically
Endowment, it evaluates requests that have been submitted and makes grants inhospitable for life.
with thoughtful consideration. The committee’s stated mission is: “To seek to
advance the mission of the Church of the Good Shepherd by funding ministry As the water sits, it loses its “waterness” and life cannot
to others outside the parish. Using monies available from the church’s annual be maintained.
budget and Outreach endowment, it will target projects and needs, both local
and global, which are creative and far-reaching and are consistent with the If we focus only on receiving, if we don’t have outlets
interests of our parishioners.” The committee encourages diversity of groups or to the world, healthy life ceases to exist. When we exist
programs requesting funds and generally prefers not to fund operation costs or unto ourselves, we all run the risk of being “dead seas.”
to fund the same organizations or programs on an on-going, multi-year basis.
Petitioners complete a formal application, which can be found on the church’s Allowing God’s Love to flow through us out to the world
website, and are also encouraged to present their request in person. Over the assists not only the receiver, but also us ,the giver. We all
years, Good Shepherd’s outreach generosity - dependent completely upon its live healthier lives when we live as a person for others.
parishioners’ generosity - has grown to meet countless needs and has been a
sustaining resource for many organizations and projects. Being aware of the needs of others does require some
personal effort. It may take several tries on our part to
In 2018, grants totaling $90,000 were made to these recipients: find the outlet for our gifts and talents. If, however, we
don’t look past the borders of our own lives, we have
• A Step Ahead Foundation missed a chance to contribute to the community and
• Baldshun Family: Good Shepherd School to our own lives.
• Center for Mindful Living
• Chambliss Center for Children If we focus on simply receiving, or floating superficially in
• Chattanooga Community Kitchen life, we miss healthy interactions with our church family,
• ChattEY our community and the world. Sometimes we must just
• Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti step out into a new experience; open a small outlet to
• Episcopal Relief & Development (designated for California fire victims’ the world; venture out; try on a new interaction. Love
relief) must flow through us – we must not just take, but also
• Family Promise give.
• Girls’ Inc.
• Homes & Havens In the new year, what are your healthy life-giving outlets
• Lookout Mountain Conservancy to the world?
• Metropolitan Ministries
• Partnership for Families, Children & Adults If you’re interested in giving your time to the church, go
• Seminarian Christmas gifts to “Getting Involved” or “Outreach” on the church’s
• Signal Centers, Inc. website at gslookout.com. If you want to contribute,
• Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church (basement renovation fund) but are yet undecided as to how, call Sandra Alagona,
• Westside Baptist Church Net Resource Foundation (Leadership for Life) our Parish Engagement Coordinator, [423-821-1583] or
email her at Sandra@gslookout.com, or email Deacon
Currently serving on Outreach are: Vickie Berghel (Chair), Mike Slocumb (Vice- Janice at Janice@gslookout.com.
chair), Harriet Chipley (Secretary) Martha Elder, Linda Harwell, Susie McGinniss,
Jim Moore, Jo Pine, Milly Rawlings (vestry), Marian Steffner, Martha Westbrook,
May Wood, Jo Ann Yates, and the Reverend Janice Robbins, Deacon (clergy).
They submit this report with much gratitude for the generosity of this parish and
would welcome any suggestions of specific needs that the Church of the Good
Shepherd should consider.
6 7
Top 5 Reasons You Do NOT Take Your Kids to Sunday School*
(*And some possible answers to those reasons)
Anne Bright, Godly Play teacher
1 We are all WAY TOO BUSY - Between school and athletics and other
activities, we are running around like crazy. We just need ONE DAY
OFF!
…Oh, wait, that’s exactly why we should take our kids to Sunday School
- the hectic lives we live, all the striving, the pressure to succeed. EVERY
human being needs time to slow down, to just BE in a still, quiet place
where we can pause and reflect.
The people who
make up the Godly 2 Yeah, but what are they saying to my kids in there? I mean, I’m
Play ministry have spiritual, I believe in a higher power and all that, BUT some of this
more than 100 years religion stuff can really confuse you, even mess you up.
of GP experience
combined. That’s …in Godly Play, we don’t teach doctrine, we simply share the sacred
a lot of going deep stories from our tradition with the children and give them the space
with the stories of to wonder, in a place where there are no right or wrong answers,
God and God’s only more and more questions, and a chance to discover their own
people. Every meaning within those stories. We don’t tell them what to think or feel,
Sunday, 9:15-10:15, we teach them how to think theologically.
we offer children the
opportunity to dwell 3 If you aren’t giving the kids any answers, what good will it do? What
in the stories, find purpose does it serve? My kid needs to do her math homework.
community, make
meaning and share … the stories of our Judeo-Christian tradition are the stories of people
a feast. We are struggling with the biggest questions life presents us, the hard parts and
starting a unit on the the glorious stuff, questions of life and death, joy and sorrow, bondage
Students and Parents! parables. I wonder and freedom, the need for community and the desire for autonomy.
what the kingdom of Our kids need to develop skills for material survival in the world, but
We are quickly approaching our 2019 Summer Pilgrimage for our confirmands. Please make heaven is like ... they also need a way to think about and engage with the existential
every effort to stay connected on Sundays and Wednesday nights throughout the upcoming questions. More toys only get us so far in life.
months as information is coming in fast. We will be announcing auction dates for the spring
within the next few days along with all of the details pertaining to the 2019 Pilgrimage. 4 My kids doesn’t think about the big questions. Childhood (especially
Currently, our window is June 9-23rd. Pilgrimage will last 7 days within the window. the early part) is carefree.
As a reminder, confirmation classes are on Sunday mornings from 9-10:15 am with breakfast ...children have had experiences of life and death - from the squirrel
provided. Parents, if you would like to help us with the provided breakfast, contact Matt flattened in the road, to pets, grandparents, and others. They’ve
Harbison at matt@gslookout.com. Wednesday nights we eat together from 6-8pm in Talbird experienced separation and fear, the cry in the night, as well as the
HAll as part of Shepherd’s Night Out. We also play games, share the prayers of the people, joy beyond words, they just need a language to help them think about
and a short bible study from the gospel. it. When we don’t have a way to think about something, we feel lost
to ourselves, life can come to seem senseless.
All Students Are Welcome!
Matt Harbison, Youth Director
8 9
5 But I have to fight with my kids every Sunday morning to get up and get going and out the Having worked in organizations both large help inside the walls of the church. I want to
house. “Do we have to?” they whine. It’s a hassle, and well, to be honest, we go out on Saturday and small, in business and the non-profit return some of the kindness and love
night, and well, you know… Church (and especially Sunday school) does seem optional. world, hopefully those experiences will be of Good Shepherd has shown to me and my
value in my tenure on the vestry. family.
..That’s just inertia, the difficulty of leaving one thing to do another. We all have to overcome
it, and believe it or not, once the kids are there, they have fun. They hear stories, they wonder Jeremy Van Brunt I am a technical engineer in my daily life.
together, relating the stories to their own lives, they let the stories and their thoughts about Church of the Good Shepherd has been the Creative solutions, planning and working
them sift through their consciousness while they make something with their hands in response most welcoming church, far beyond what together with multiple groups to ensure the
to what they’ve heard. We have a feast and talk about what has been bothering us, or what I anticipated. As we hear and heed our call harmonic success of a project is my passion.
we are worried about, or excited about. We are in community in a way that is not about the to be Christ’s hands and feet helping and I hope to bring an outside the box approach
clothes you wear, or the house you live in, or the bike you ride, or how well you do on some loving others outside the walls of the church, I to facing challenges and successes.
test. It’s about learning how to be together in community and reflect on the biggest, most also feel led to do as much as possible to
important things in life.
So what’s with the new bulletin and The Staff formats?
This is the first experience your children will have of religion, and hopefully it will leave an
impression on them of the church as a place they can return to when they are adults to be Our New Bulletin Format thematic development each week is a
in community, and celebrate, and wrestle with life and meaning, a place they can come to We hope you have found the new bulletin primary goal of our style of liturgical worship.
for spiritual sustenance, a place to live the questions, and as Rilke said, someday, perhaps, format for the 10:30 am service to be helpful. The more those connections are recognized
gradually, live along some distant day into the answers. Over the past years we have tried many and developed the more meaningful the
different solutions to make the Sunday experience becomes for each of us.
worship leaflet useful and user friendly. There
Meet Your New Vestry Members have been tri-folds, inserts, 8.5” X 14”, pew Change
cards, full text and no text. It has always One of the most profound effects of the
Fr. Robert asked our incoming Vestry members to share their reponses to two questions about
been the goal to try to maintain our traditions Book of Common Prayer revision in 1976
their new commitment to serve the Church of the Good Shepherd: Why do you feel called
and customs and to meet the people in was the increased flexibility of the text of the
or led to serve on the vestry? and What gifts do you bring to this group?
the pew where they are so that the focus Holy Eucharist. The layout of the BCP was
Margaret Anne Haley believe that new ways of serving others will of worship is not, “where are we?” Here complicated by offering, in a permanent
I have a deep affection for Good Shepherd be provided. are some of the ideas and answers to the way, multiple options that could change
and have become involved in various ways, questions surrounding our new format. We seasonally or weekly. Consequently, to read
but I’m looking forward to the opportunity I have had the opportunity to serve on the look forward to receiving your continued the full service from the BCP you have to do
to become informed about our mission and vestry of two very different parishes. St. James input. a fair amount of hopping around. The BCP
operations. in Baton Rouge is large in an urban setting also reflects the place and use of language
with a school and Holy Cross is small in a rural Understanding of its creation in the early 1970s and some
I hope my qualities include thoughtful setting. Both parishes offered many ways to An extremely important part of the new of these things are jarring to us today. A
listening, and valuing responsibility and engage in diverse ministries providing many format is the opportunity for the sidebar full text bulletin gives us the opportunity to
reliability. (My husband Jim might take issue lessons learned. During my time in Baton areas in the outside margins. These provide take advantage of the resources provided
with some of these.) I have served on several Rouge, I served as Senior Warden for three an opportunity to address both thematic by The Episcopal Church for worship,
community boards, including a role as terms and several diocesan assignments ideas and specific elements in the lessons, within the structure and theology of our
treasurer for two of them. I am excited about offering a broader view of serving. hymns and liturgy each week. The sidebars denomination, and provide them in an
helping the members of the vestry continue often draw parallels and connections easy to follow format. This is important to
to serve Good Shepherd. Michael Slocumb between the scripture lessons that otherwise our congregation which comes mostly from
Our family became a member of Good go unnoticed or are not addressed during different denominations. In the coming years
John Pine Shepherd when we moved to Lookout in the the sermon time. Commentary on the hymns when General Convention takes up prayer
I have loved the opportunities provided by early 80s and it has been a central part of and lessons can provide historical context book revision, Good Shepherd will be well
past vestry service and have found that one our life through good times and bad. I feel and understanding about how these items prepared and open to the changes such an
sees the parish in new ways, especially in honored and blessed to be able to return are connected to each other, the season event will offer.
knowing the parish family and its ministries. I some of that by serving on the vestry. and to our lives. The richness of scriptural
10 11
Hospitality environmentally responsible and encourage
The most important element of our new you to take your bulletin with you for use at
bulletin format is what it provides in terms home and then recycle it, or to place it in the
of hospitality. Our worship is participation recycling baskets by the door as you leave.
based, the congregation sings, reads, The church does use a recycling service for
responds, prays, listens, and gives all that is returned. If you have questions or
acclamation and assent to the action of the comments, and we welcome them, contact
liturgy. The new format allows not only Good John Wigal at jwigal@gslookout.com or
Shepherd regulars but also our guests and Sandra Alagona at sandra@gslookout.com
visitors to better and more easily understand or visit us at the church office.
our worship and to participate as fully as they
wish right away, and to take home lessons, The Staff
announcements and food for thought. This Along similar lines, The Staff is also seeing
doesn’t mean that we don’t each have an some changes. With the streamlined use
important role in hospitality – nothing will of the Thursday email, “The Good News,”
bring someone back to Good Shepherd like and the regular publication of news and
the personal greetings from those around service rotations there and on the church’s
them! website, this frees up The Staff to be a more
theologically refelctive publication, focusing
Expense on our liturgical seasons, and including more
Although you might think it was extremely stories from our parish’s life and ministries from
more expensive to provide this format, our parishioners. Do you have a story you’d
we have worked hard to secure supplies like to share about a ministry you’re involved
of paper that are within budget and to in? Contact Sandra Alagona at
adjust our printing regimen to cut costs. sandra@gslookout.com or stop by the office
We do recognize the importance of being to talk about including it in The Staff!
The Church of the Good Shepherd
211 Franklin Road
Lookout Mountain, Tennessee 37350
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