eVOICE for December 1, 2022



GOOD SHEPHERD EPISCOPAL CHURCH



The Second Sunday of Advent

December 4, 2022

We will be celebrating with Transfiguration Church (via Zoom) at 9:00 am and Holy Eucharist Rite II in-person at 10:30 am at Good Shepherd. Masks are still required. 

From Reverend Anna Olson

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)

We don’t get to choose the hardest moments of our lives. They come to us, sometimes in the context of a long struggle and sometimes in a surprise blow that knocks us off our feet. What we do have some control over is how we show up for one another. We can choose to turn away from grief and loss, because it terrifies us and reminds us how little we can control. We can even choose to turn away from joy because we ourselves are sad or jealous or longing for something we don’t have in our lives. Paul calls us to the alternative: we show up; we willingly enter into others’ grief and others’ joy. Our lives become richer and we draw closer to God and one another. 

This month of December already has three funerals on the calendar. This coming Tuesday, the Buen Pastor community will bury Luis Correa, who passed away Sunday after developing complications from heart surgery. On December 17, we will join Marca and Jim Woodhams as they lay to rest their only son. On December 20, we will celebrate the life of Anna Gillespie, long-time member of Good Shepherd who lived a full measure of years, beloved to many. There will be both weeping and rejoicing, in varied measure, in each of these rites of passage. We are called together, to weep and to rejoice. Each life is worth mourning, and each is worth celebrating.

Come help clean up!

We’re doing a parish workday this Sunday, after church, both inside and out. Questions you may have: 

• Why should I participate?

Because it’s a form of fellowship, we need the help, and if we come with a good spirit, it will actually be fun. And there will be pizza.

• Why is cleaning up a part of the faithful life of the church? 

Jesus is kind of obsessed with readiness. A clean and uncluttered church property is an outward and visible sign of readiness for whatever the Holy Spirit brings our way. If all the storage space is already taken up and there are cobwebs and mouse droppings (sorry, but true) in the corners, the Holy Spirit may need to find other places for Her projects, and we wouldn’t want that!

• Why does (Mother/Reverend/just plain) Anna care so much about clutter, when in general she is not a stickler for aesthetic perfection? 

Clutter breeds clutter (and mice), and churches that are messy give off the whiff of a community that has given up on taking care of things, which leads everyone to be even less motivated to do small things like throw away their trash or come back for their lost sweaters. Those of us who have experienced depression know well that even if we are not quite sure where we’re going and we’re pretty tired with all the things we are already carrying, getting up, brushing our teeth, and taking a shower are almost always a step in the right direction. This is the church equivalent.

Food Drive this Saturday December 3rd at 11:00 am.

Fall Clean up - Sunday, December 4, after the 10.30 Service, lunch provided. We will be cleaning both inside and out! All ages and abilities will be able to

contribute.

We will share Advent worship with our siblings from Buen Pastor. Our services will be simple, with a contemplative spirit as we wait, watch, pray and hope together. We’ll try a new all-one-piece bulletin format. There will be an opportunity for community building after each service.



Christmas Eve in-person service on Saturday December 24 is scheduled for 5:30 pm.

Christmas Altar Flowers –If you would like to remember, honor or celebrate your loved ones, Good Shepherd is accepting donations for flowers for Christmas services. The suggested donation is $50.Send an email to assistant@gsecmd.org, call the office (301-593-3282), or fill out an envelope found on the ushers' desk in the Narthex. Names and payment must be received by Sunday December 18. 

Check out a new feature on the Good Shepherd web site. A Warden’s Blog has been added with past and present announcements from Anna Gilcher, Sr. Warden, and Rosemary Addy, Jr. Warden. Check here.

Coffee Hour is Back -If you are interested in helping fill in the sign-up sheet on the desk in the Narthex.

Telephone prayer meeting every Saturday at 9:15 am. The number to call to join the prayer meeting is 508-924-2778. If you have any questions contact Lynette Clark at 301-357-1726. 

Zoom Readers ( 9 am):

Dec 4 Florence Walters

Dec 11 Richard Nunn

Dec 18 Susan Womack

Dec 25 Deena Groshong

LEM & Lector

Dec 4 Linda Campo, Jillian Newby

Dec 11 Debbie Beebe, Arlene Mahon

Dec 18 Diane Russell, Florence Walters

Dec 24 Donna Clemons-Sacks 5:30 pm

Dec 25 Liz Cocke,

December 4 - December 10: Donna Clemons-Sacks, Andrew Freeman, Beatrice Drumwright



USHERS

Dec 4 Sal Campo, Eric Reiffenstein

Dec 11 Grace Jallah, Rosemond Cole

Dec 18 Patricia Dorn, Florence Walters

Dec 24 Diane Janesko, Shaun Hardy

Dec 25 Joan Lewis, Kirk Franklin

Vestry on Duty

Dec 4 Peter Beyer

Dec 11 Debbie Beebe

Dec 18 Florence Walters

Dec 25 JasCiel Stamp