Good Shepherd Weekly Update, March 23, 2024

Easter Flowers Each year Good Shepherd decorates the altar for the Easter Vigil and Easter Day with many flowers. 

This year, we would love to invite the congregation to join us. If you would like to donate toward the purchase of flowers, please make a separate contribution earmarked “Easter Flowers” tomorrow morning.  If you would like to help fund the Easter flowers, but can’t do so this morning, please email Steph at the office, and we will count your email as a pledge.  For each $10 that you give, please take a flower home after the 10:30 Easter Day service.

The Maundy Thursday service will be held right after Shepherds Bowl. Feel free to grab dinner in the Parish Hall from 5:30-6:30. If you are also able to help in any capacity, we could use some extra hands cleaning up from Shepherds Bowl so that everyone on the team can get up to the service in time!

Streaming During Holy Week Because of the heavy workload for all the staff during Holy Week we’ve made the difficult decision not to livestream the services since it involves a great deal of time and labor. Please join us in person as we observe the Passion of Jesus–his crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection.

After Easter Schedule As is the custom, most of the Good Shepherd staff will be taking a much needed rest during the week after Easter. 

All bible studies and morning prayer meetings are cancelled, and the staff will be taking the week off.  If you have an emergency, please contact the office or Jon Groves.

New Members and Inquirers Class If you would like to become a member of Good Shepherd, or would just like more information about what we believe, a New Members class session (by Zoom)  will be starting on April 7^th.

Please email the church office for more information or to sign up.

Weekly Prayer List! If you would like to sign up to receive the weekly prayer list for the Church of the Good Shepherd, simply send an email to

prayer@goodshepherdbinghamton.org with “add” in the subject line, and you will be added. 

This email address is also where you can send any prayer requests you would like to have included in the list. 

Each week, we will send out an email with both new and ongoing prayer requests, along with any updates regarding previous requests.

A Pressing Need Chuck Corse, a long-time friend and neighbor of Good Shepherd has encountered some recent health issues.  He is need of an aide to help him throughout the day.  If you are interested in the position, please see Steph or contact the church office.

Good Shepherd Member Food Pantry Having a bit of a hard time making ends meet?  Could use a bit of help with the groceries?  The Good Shepherd Food Pantry is there to help.  This is an internal food pantry for church members-with food provided by the congregation.  If you could use some help, please feel free to pop into the food pantry (just off the kitchen) and grab a few items. We also have a small basket in the freezer that might have a few items as well.

Everyone’s generous donations are appreciated!  Even a can or two can help.  This week we can particularly use:

Holy Week Schedule and Description of Services

Palm Sunday             8:00 & 10:30am March 24, 2024

Tenebrae                     7:30pm, March 27, 2024

Maundy Thursday    6:30pm, March 28, 2024

Good Friday, Hours  12:00pm, March 29, 2024

Stations of the Cross 7:30pm, March 29, 2024

The Great Vigil         7:30pm, March 30, 2024

Easter Sunday          8:00 & 10:30am, March 31, 2024

Palm Sunday (Sunday, March 24, 2024)

Palm Sunday is the day that Christians observe the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem.  Crowds of people greeted him at the city gates with waving palms as the King of the Jews.  One short week later, he would be hung upon the cross at Golgotha. 

The service begins with the Liturgy of the Palms outside the main sanctuary doors on the Saratoga St. entrance.

Tenebrae (Wednesday, March 27) 7:30PM Tenebrae means “shadows” in Latin.  It is a service of word, light and sound.  When you arrive for worship you will see two groups of candles lit on the altar table. As readings are read the candles on the altar will be gradually extinguished until the very end of the service when the last candle left lit is removed from the worship space and the whole sanctuary is left in darkness. At that point a loud crash will (should) shatter the silence of the sanctuary. Then, after a moment, the last candle is returned to the sanctuary and the worshippers depart in silence. The gradual darkening of the sanctuary and the crashing noise symbolizes the apparent victory of death, darkness, and chaos over Jesus Christ on the cross. The final candle being removed and returned, symbolizes the truth that through Jesus’ death, God gained victory over all the powers of evil. The Light was not overcome.

Maundy Thursday (Thursday, March 28) 6:30PM Maundy Thursday communion celebrates the humility of Jesus with a ceremonial foot washing.  Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s and yet on the night before he died, during the Last Supper, he knelt down and one by one washed his disciples’ feet. He did this to show his disciples and to show you and me how to serve one another with humility and love, being willing even to stoop to the most menial tasks. Maundy Thursday is the last chance for communion until the Great Vigil.

Good Friday, Hours (Friday, March 29) noon At about 3pm on Friday of Holy Week he lifted his eyes up to heaven from the cross and breathed out his last. “It is finished” he said. He was not only referring to his life, but he was also referring to his mission to deal with and defeat once and for all sin, death, and Satan.

Stations of The Cross (Friday, March 29) 7:30PM This is a solemn service.  The participants walk through the stations of the cross by candlelight, hearing a brief reading at each, and exit the sanctuary in silence.

The Great Vigil of Easter (Saturday, March 30) 7:30PM Along with Tenebrae, the Easter Vigil is one of the most ancient services of the Church. It is the most important service of the entire year and it is the first service of Easter. The service begins in total darkness—the lights of the sanctuary are out and not a candle is burning. Then a fire is lit in a firepot the center of the nave and from that flame all the candles in the sanctuary are lit and the hand-candles in the congregation. Then come readings and psalms, said and sung, by singers and by the whole congregation. The sermon follows and then the first Communion of Easter. The Great Vigil begins at 7:30pm in the sanctuary.

Sunday Worship and Holy Eucharist

The 8am service This service includes readings from the Bible, a sermon, offering, confession, and communion. There is no music during this service. The 8am service is not currently being live-streamed.

The 10:30am service This is a full traditional Anglican Holy Eucharist service, including readings from the Bible, music, a sermon, confession, and communion.  This service is available for livestream on our Facebook page.  You can download a PDF copy of this week’s service bulletin here.

This Sunday’s lectionary readings are: Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Psalm 22:1-11, Philippians 2:5-11, and Mark 15:1-39.

You’ll also notice that there are links in the offertory section to take you out to two different means of giving electronically. You can give online through Breeze or you can text a donation through Breeze at 607-882-6551. Good Shepherd also has a PayPal account. As always, thank you for your great generosity and kind support.

Catching Up…

Last Sunday’s Sermon Last Sunday, Jon preached on Acts 16:25-40. You can listen to “The Philippian Jailer” here.

You can catch up on older sermons here.

Adult Christian Education Last week’s Christian Education class can be listened to or viewed here.

The Cranmer Fellows Podcast (CFP) explores pastoral ministry and theology from an Anglican perspective. CFP is a project that Jon and Matt have undertaken in order to 1) encapsulate the pastoral training Matt has given men over the years into an accessible resource and 2) serve as a door to, we pray, a future program to train more people for ministry. Though geared toward the pastor, ministry leader, and pastor-in-training, what Jon and Matt talk about is applicable to all Christians!

Here is a link where you can listen to previous episodes. https://anchor.fm/thecranmerfellowspodcast.

You can subscribe to CFP on all major platforms.

Ongoing Ministries 

Intercessor Ministry On any given Sunday, you may notice a person standing at the side altar rail as you come forward to receive the bread and wine.  That person is part of the Prayer Ministry, people trained to pray for any anxieties or troubles you may have.  If you would like prayer for any reason, please feel free to stop as you pass.

Audio-Video Team Are you a technologically capable person who would like to serve the church with your gifts?  Good Shepherd is adding a volunteer team to run sound and the livestream for the 10:30 Sunday service. If this is a ministry that interests you, please reach out to Micah.

Morning Prayer This group meets online by Zoom at 7am Monday through Friday.  The liturgy and readings are available each day at www.dailyoffice2019.com. Join the parish email list and look for a weekly email invitation in your inbox.

Tuesday Morning Bible Study meets at 9:05am to walk through different books of the bible, verse by verse.  Taught by a member of the pastoral staff in the main room of the parish hall.  This class is currently studying 1 Samuel, and can be viewed in person or online each week by livestream.

Home Groups Home Groups exist to glorify God and build up the church through weekly gatherings where members of Good Shepherd and non-members alike may come to grow in fellowship and discipleship around God’s word.

You can find information on times and locations in the paper update.  Please check with your home group host or leader for more info.

Shepherd’s Bowl Community Dinner Good Shepherd offers a free nutritious meal to the people of Good Shepherd and the wider community on Thursday evenings from 5:30-6:30. If you are able, this is a great time to get to know others and enjoy a free and delicious meal.

Thursday Evening Bible Study This is a great place to connect with others and learn more about what God has to say to us through his word.  The class is taught by The Rev. Jon Groves, and they are studying the gospel of Mark.

Friday Morning Men’s Bible Study Each week men gather at 6:30am to share bible study and prayer time together.  Men of any age are welcome to attend.  If you are interested in learning more about this study, please email Pastor Matt, Jonathan Groves, or contact the church office. This class is currently studying the book of Revelation.

Women’s Bible Study meets at 4:30pm on Friday afternoons in the Parish Hall.  Anne Kennedy teaches this study, and they are currently studying the book of Luke. If you’d like to join by zoom, please join the church email list and look for a link in the weekly update email.

Good Shepherd Youth Group The Good Shepherd Youth Group serves young adults by providing an engaging context for them to grow in:
1) Maturity in doctrine
2) Faithfulness to Christ
3) Service to others

Good Shepherd Food Pantry Did you know that Good Shepherd has a member food pantry?  The pantry is a small room off the kitchen and a small basket in the kitchen freezer.  Everyone is welcome to make use of the church pantry regardless of income.  No questions asked.

The food pantry is a great way to directly (and anonymously) help fellow members by donating shelf stable food and frozen items, farm fresh unwashed eggs, and personal hygiene items.

If you are in need, please feel free to make use of the pantry.  If you’d like more information, please see Jenn Fowler.

Have an item for the Update or Announcements?

send an email to gs.binghamton@gmail.com by Monday evening.

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