Make a Joyful Sound! During Easter Vigils in the distant past, it was a tradition for the congregation to ring bells at certain points in the service. We would like to reintroduce that tradition of congregational bell ringing during parts of our Easter Vigil service this year. The bells are rung from the moment the resurrection is announced during the service, through the song that follows, and then any time the word ‘Alleluia’ is said or sung for the remainder of the service. Anyone attending the Easter Vigil service is welcome to bring small bells to ring at this time. Please consider bringing the type of bell that you wouldn’t mind another person ringing right beside or behind you, as the idea is to make a unique and joyous sound during specific parts of the service.
Easter Flowers Each year Good Shepherd decorates the altar for the Easter Vigil and Easter Day with many flowers.
This year, we continue the new tradition of inviting the congregation to join us. If you would like to donate toward the purchase of flowers, please make a separate contribution earmarked “Easter Flowers” on any Sunday between now and Palm Sunday. For each $10 that you give, please take a flower home after the 10:30 Easter Day service.
The Mary & Martha Guild is open to all ladies in the church. Our next meeting is Saturday April 12th from 11-1, as always there will be soup & bread for a light lunch. We will be helping with Palm Sunday preparations and making cinnamon rolls to freeze for Good Shepherd Sunday.
Lenten Discipline Men at Good Shepherd are invited to gather together every week during Lent to encourage and pray for each other. If you would like more information, please talk with Ken Donovan or Jon Groves.
Sunday Lunch Each Sunday after the 10:30 service, there will be lunch served in the parish hall. Everyone is welcome to go down after the service and enjoy a light lunch before heading home.
Laetare Sunday Today, March 30th, is set apart in the season of Lent as a Refreshment Sunday called Laetare Sunday. Refreshment Sundays are a pause during the seasons of Advent and Lent that shift the focus from one of somber penitence to expectant waiting with joy. The word Laetare means, ‘rejoice!’. This Sunday does not mark the end of our Lenten disciplines but reminds us that we are being led toward celebration at Easter Sunday. As we are more than halfway through Lent, we hold fast to the hope that at the end of these somber days we will rejoice. Laetare Sunday mirrors the dual truths all Christians hold: we are more sinful that we know, but we have been forgiven by Christ and stand redeemed. In Christ we can laugh while we weep and stand unshakably on hope while we mourn. Traditionally, roses replace the penitential Lenten purple. Rose represents rejoicing amidst repentance, a visual reminder of the hope of Christ’s Resurrection.
Acolyte Training There will be an acolyte training session after the 10:30 service next week. Please see Dcn. Roy for more information.
Potluck Next Sunday, April 6th will be the Soup and Stew Competition. If you’d like to participate, please bring a pot of your favorite soup or stew for our judges to try!
If you don’t want to compete, please bring a dish of something to share, but stay and have lunch even if you don’t!
2025 ADLW Synod and Missions Conference This year’s synod and missions conference will be held in McLean, Virginia on May 15-17. Anyone is welcome to attend the open sessions of synod. This year should be particularly interesting as Archbishop Steve Wood, and John Stonestreet will be the primary speakers. You can find more information here.
Potluck Schedule The first Sunday of most months is a potluck or cooking competition. Bring a dish to pass, or just come and have lunch after the 10:30! You’ll notice below that some of the months have a theme assigned to the meal. This doesn’t mean you can only bring a dish that includes those items or fits into those categories. It’s just an added element of fun if you’re up for it.
If you’re a person that enjoys competition, or judging other people (heh), please see Steph or Claudia to sign up as a judge for cooking competitions.
| April 6 | Soup Competition |
| May | TBD |
| July 6 | Fruit Pie Competition & Americana |
| August 3 | Appetizers |
| September | (TBD) Church Picnic |
| October 5 | Chili Cookoff |
| November 2 | (TBD) |
| November 30 | Thanksgiving Leftovers & Cookie Competition |
* No potlucks in June or December
**Please keep in mind that dates and themes are subject to change.
Coffee Hour Stay after the 10:30 service to catch up with old friends and make some new ones over a cup of coffee or some light lunch in the parish hall. If you like to bake, there’s a sign up by the coffee urns next to the kitchen.
Mary & Martha Guild Open to all women (and girls) of any age. Meetings are usually on the 3rd Saturday of the month from 11 to 1. Contact Jenn Fowler for more information.
2025 Meeting Schedule
| May 17 | Cinnamon Roll Baking |
| June 21 | Church Gardening & Landscaping |
| July 19 | TBD |
| August 16 | TBD |
| Sept 20 | Church Fall Cleaning |
| October 18 | TBD |
| November 15 | Advent/Christmas Wreath Making |
| December TBD | Christmas Tea in lieu of meeting |
Holy Week and Easter Schedule
Palm Sunday April 13th
Tenebrae April 16th 8:00pm
Maundy Thursday April 17th 6:30pm
Good Friday, hours April 18th 12:00pm (noon)
Stations of the Cross April 18th 8:00pm
Vigil Rehearsal April 18th 10:00am
Easter Vigil April 19th 8:00pm
Easter Sunday April 20th
Palm Sunday (Sunday, April 13th, 2025) 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.
This year, the 10:30 service begins with the Liturgy of the Palms at the street sign, and processes through the parking lot into the sanctuary doors on Saratoga Street.
Tenebrae (Wednesday, April 16th) 8:00PM 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, April 17th) 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 (Friday, April 18th) 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, April 18th) 8:00PM 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, April 19th) 8:00PM 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 at the center of the nave and from that flame all the candles in the sanctuary and the hand-candles in the congregation are lit. 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 8:00pm 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: Joshua 4:19-5:12, Psalm 34:1-8, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, and Luke 15:11-32.
Next Sunday’s lectionary readings will be: Isaiah 43:16-21, Psalm 126, Acts 28:23-31, and Luke 20:9-19.
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, Matt preached on Acts 28:11-22. You can listen to “I Had No Accusation to Bring Against My Nation” 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 Sunday at both the 8 and the 10:30, you may notice a person standing at the side altar rail as you come forward to receive Communion. 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 meets online by Zoom at 7am Monday through Friday. The liturgy and readings are available 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 9:05 am in the Parish Hall to walk through the bible, verse by verse. It meets in person and is available online by livestream. They are currently studying the book Judges.
Home Groups meet weekly around the Binghamton area. They study the readings for the Sunday coming up, pray, and build relationships. Check in with Jonathan or Joe Kovac to get connected.
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 delicious meal.
Thursday Evening Bible Study meets directly after Shepherd’s Bowl in the sacristy and will be studying Ezra. They meet at 6:15pm. Everyone is welcome. Please see Jon Groves or Warren Musselman for more information.
Friday Morning Men’s Bible Study meets at 6:30 am for breakfast, study, and prayer. If you are interested, please email or text Matt or Jonathan, or contact the church office. This class is currently in the Book of Psalms.
Women’s Bible Study meets at 4:30pm on Friday afternoons in the Parish Hall. They are currently studying the book of Luke. Text Anne for a zoom link if you can’t make it in person.
Good Shepherd Youth Group meets Sundays at 6pm in the choir loft. This is an engaging context for kids to grow in:
1) Knowledge of scripture and doctrine
2) Faithfulness to Christ
3) Service to others
Good Shepherd Food Pantry Having a bit of a hard time making ends meet? The Good Shepherd Food Pantry is for church members stocked by food provided by the congregation. If you could use some help, please feel free to pop into the food pantry (just off the kitchen). 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. If you are in need, please feel free to make use of the pantry. If you’d like more information, please see Jenn Fowler.
Food Pantry current needs are: Peanut Butter, Canned Chicken & Tuna, Spaghetti Sauce, Parmesan Cheese, Corn and Baked Beans.
| Daily Lectionary, Year I 60 Day Psalter Cycle | |
| Monday March 31 | Psalm 74 Exod 38 Mark 1:14-31 |
| Tuesday April 1 | Psalm 75, 76 Exod 39 Mark 1:32-end |
| Wednesday April 2 | Psalm 78:1-18 Exod 40 Mark 2:1-22 |
| Thursday April 3 | Psalm 78:41-73 Lev 1 Mark 2:23—3:12 |
| Friday April 4 | Psalm 81 Lev 8 Mark 3:13-end |
| Saturday April 5 | Psalm 84 Lev 10 Mark 4:1-34 |
| Sunday April 6 | Psalm 86, 87 Lev 16 Mark 4:35—5:20 |
| The Staff of Church of the Good Shepherd | The Vestry of the Good Shepherd |
| Rector: Matthew Kennedy Assistant Rector: Jonathan Groves Assisting: Anne Kennedy Director of Operations: Micah Lovell Director of Music: Michael Berman Admin. Assistant to Matt Kennedy: Stephanie Warner Director of Children’s Ministry: Anna Dreher Janitor: Mike Roseboom | Senior Warden: Tom Dinnel Junior Warden: Scott Pineau Treasurer: Greg Myer Mary Restino Kariah Manwaring Christopher Jones Bill Lane Sarah Dreher |
Have an item for the Update or Announcements?
send an email to gs.binghamton@gmail.com by Monday evening.
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