AS WE COME TO EASTER

Written by Good Shepherd’s Priest in Charge Reverend Deborah (“Dee”) M. Woodward

“Soon And Very Soon”

“Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! We're going to see the King.

No more crying there, we are going to see the King
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! We're going to see the King.

No more dying there, we are going to see the King
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! We're going to see the King.”

This gospel hymn, was written by Andrae Crouch, one of the most influential of contemporary gospel composers and musicians. It rings particularly true this year, when Easter occurs so soon.

Soon – Very Soon

Around the world, as the sun rises, and the light dawns...

The priest will proclaim, “Alleluia, Christ is Risen”
The people will respond, “The Lord is Risen Indeed, Alleluia”

Alleluia cannot come too soon, bringing our release from the tomb of death.
Alleluia cannot come too soon, heralding our sunrise from darkness into light.
Alleluia cannot come too soon, proclaiming our new birth from death to everlasting life.

“God hath brought his Israel, into joy from sadness.”

JOY JOY JOY

Joy cannot come too soon. Joy lay at the heart of Jesus’ birth.
Joy lies at the heart of our births.

Our birth within the mind of God, “Before you were formed in your mother’s womb I knew you.” JOY JOY JOY

Our birth, into our miraculous human birth. JOY JOY JOY

Our birth into the Holy Spirit at our baptism – “Give to this child, the gift of joy and wonder in all your works, O God.” JOY JOY JOY

Joy NOW defines our birth into eternal life. It is this last gift of joy and wonder that we receive at Easter. “No more dying there.”

Jesus’ command, “You must be born anew” is made wonderfully possible. With this new birth we receive all the spiritual gifts of the resurrection—courage and confidence, wisdom and compassion, discernment and perseverance—they shine at the dawn of our new life.

SOON HAS BECOME NOW

Because this is true, because we are granted eternal life, because we are blessed with this resurrection vision, because we now walk in the light, because we have been so changed… Because the resurrection showers upon us every quality of Christian character we might ever need to live the life God calls us to live, to be his redemption in this world, to change the world as we have been changed…

Let us come to Easter with hearts of pure, unclouded joy, let the music soar our souls, the words inspire our minds, the prayers transform our hears, the bread and wine empower our bodies. Because God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, BECAUSE this has happened, Now may we be so inspired to give ourselves to him.

NOW

PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS

As many of you know I had surgery in May 2005 for lung cancer, followed by chemo and medication. As of November 2007, I am off of all medications. I had a PET/CT scan done in December 2007. The results were wonderful—no cancer. I wanted to share my good news with all of you who have been so great to me with your prayers and nourishment. I feel very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family in my life.

May you all have a very healthy and happy 2008!

Life is Good.

Bernice Herrick

PASTORAL CARE MINISTRY
Submitted by Bill Webb

Welcome letters were sent to Spencer and Sue Dalby, Karen and Tom Fawcett and child Christina, Joseph and Jennifer Mazzie and children, Ava and Ellen, Lisa Wright and son Ian, and Roban Harutunian, recent visitors to Good Shepherd along with several other former parishioners during the past three months.

Good Shepherd shared cards, visits, flowers and services for the bereavement of some of our parish families. Doug Short’s mother, Norman and Emily Lander’s son, Ed Dolan’s mother, Corrine Castrini’s aunt, Bob and Marilyn Stasonis’ mother, Tony Lopes’ aunt, Judy Sands’ sister, Sharon Lopes’ mother, and our beloved Agnes Sullivan, Gertrude Dobbins, Natalie Maquire and Dorothy Broeg, who touched lives with our Good Shepherd family. We also received word of the death of Lyda Singley, a former parishioner, and Roseanne Anderson’s uncle and her closest friend.

Sunday School card projects for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentines were shared with over thirty nursing home, homebound, inactive, or former parishioners. Several of these people have responded with special monetary gifts for Good Shepherd needs in appreciation for being remembered throughout the year. Bill Webb, Nancy Fraser, Marie Field and Corrine Castrini delivered or mailed the cards.

Weekly birthday, ill or anniversary cards, calls, visits, communions and flower delivery co-coordinated by Dee, the pastoral care group, and flower deliverers continues.

Special achievements by our youth have been recognized with prayers at the altar and special cards sent to each of these youth. Ethan Hutchins for his Pop Warner title season and his sister Sophie for being on the Pop Warner B League National Championship cheerleading squad. Bob Toczlowski on our championship Reading Rockets ice hockey team and being accepted to Phillips Andover in the fall for Prep School studies. Colin Hetherington, our Pee Wee hockey championship Reading team, James Benjamin for outstanding scholastic record at Reading High and Katherine Bell Sweeney for her role as an acolyte at the church. Katherine is a fencer and her Dana Hall School foil team tied for first in the State. Individually, Katherine was ranked fifth in the State. And, Jessica Strack’s ice hockey team won their Waterville Valley Ice Hockey tournament (Girls Reading Hockey U 10 Team). Let us know, and we will share all our victories and successes.

We give much thanks for all of our youth who took part in the marvelous Christmas pageant and their participation as lectors at the family services and other occasions. We know each of our youth bear the love of Jesus Christ in the hearts.

We are pleased to see so many of our parish newcomers involved in numerous parish ministries at the church including the Sunday school program, acolytes, readers, ushering, children’s choir, and vestry administration gifts.

Bill Webb participated on his 56th Faith Alive team at St. Margaret’s, Miami Lakes, Florida, February 8–10, witnessing on his birthday to the recent joys of the Lord’s many blessings on his journey of faith with personal expressions of love shared at Good Shepherd the past thirty-eight years. He will share the witness at Good Shepherd’s morning prayer service on March 30.

The parish family responded well to our special Lenten preaching series, the Ecclesia Ministries Common Cathedral visit from the Rev. Kathy McAdams, Ben and Judy Sands’ Guatemala mission slide show presentation, and Marilyn Stasonis’ reflections on ministry with the elders at Marland Place. We all look forward to the Lenten season services and outreach.

CAPITAL REPAIR PLAN
Submitted by the Stewardship Committee

Most parishioners will soon be receiving a check from the Government from the Economic Stimulus package. A church member suggested that perhaps those who could afford to give would consider a donation of 10%. The funds would be applied to the Capital Repair Fund with emphasis on the Stained Glass Window refurbishment project.

This will not be an organized effort but it may be possible for many parishioners to support this program. Thanks to all for the help you have given our committee and our Church.

READING AND NORTH READING FOOD PANTRIES

Any Sunday please bring donations for the food basket at the back of the church. Monetary donations (checks payable to the Reading Food Pantry) are also needed for vouchers for perishable items.

A REFLECTION AS EPIPHANY BECOMES LENT

In both seasons we discern the face of Jesus. In Epiphany, We see Jesus in the light of God’s glory. In Lent, we meet him in the approach of God’s suffering. Always and everywhere, if we open the eyes of our hearts, the face of Jesus is there.

This poem was offered as part of a Sunday morning service broadcast from the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul. It was composed by Marie Howe.

The Star Market

The people Jesus loved were shopping at the Star Market yesterday.
An old lead-colored man standing next to me at the checkout
breathed so heavily I had to step back a few steps.

Even after his bags were packed he still stood, breathing hard and
hawking into his hand. The feeble, the lame, I could hardly look at them:
shuffling through the aisles, they smelled of decay, as if the Star Market

had declared a day off for the able-bodied, and I had wandered in
with the rest of them – sour milk, bad meat –
looking for cereal and spring water.

Jesus must have been a saint, I said to myself, looking for my lost car
in the parking lot later, stumbling among the people who would have
been lowered into rooms by ropes, who would have crept

out of caves or crawled from the corners of public baths on their hands and knees begging for mercy.

If I touch only the hem of his garment, one woman thought,
could I bear the look on his face when he wheels around?

BAND OF ANGELS

You have a chance to be an Easter Angel. If you could deliver two plants after Easter Sunday services, you will be an Angel. Plants are delivered to the sick, elderly, and shut-ins of the Good Shepherd family. If you could help, please call Mary Vincent at 781-944-6421.

LENTEN POT-LUCK SUPPER

Mark your calendars: the next Lenten Supper is scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. This fun evening is being coordinated by our newly formed Hospitality Committee which includes Ben Sands, Marty Wishart and Gina Torres. The sign-up sheet is located on the bulletin board in the hall. At 7:30 pm, there will be a showing of “Recycled Life,” a movie on the Guatemalan Dump Life. It will be shown in the upstairs lounge after the dinner.

ADULT EDUCATION
Two Plans for After Easter, Presented by Rev. Dee

A Book Study
The first is a book study. The book is called “Barefeet on Jacob’s Ladder” and was written by Rev. Dee. The memoir traces the remarkable life of a former parishioner named Millicent Rose and her courageous search for faith in the land of the abused—from her barefoot days in LA in the twenties to her present legendary survival in Massachusetts. It is based on the Beatitudes. This will probably be a week-night event, meeting on Tuesdays at 7 and will begin on April 1st and run for five weeks. We will not meet on April 15. I would be happy to offer a lunchtime meeting, too. Again, Tuesdays would probably be best for me. I would like at least 5 participants to run either group. So please contact the PIC or sign up at church. I’ll be speaking with our friends in Wakefield too. The book is a pretty quick read, and I have copies.

A Retreat
The second is a retreat based on the story of the Prodigal Son. It is a short, one day format in a storytelling mode and was written by Rev. Dee’s daughter-in-law’s father, Alex Durand, an experienced retreat leader. This could also be shared by Email, an “E-retreat” as it were. I’m suggesting April 19 or May 3. Let me know. I’ll post sign up sheets so you can let me know your preferences. The story tellers of this retreat are the younger son, the older son, the father, the mother, and then there is Aunt Consuela. Their tales are compelling and contemporary and just a bit colorful. Perhaps also with Emmanuel.

ANNUAL MEETING FOR 2007 (HELD ON JANUARY 27, 2008)

We have included in this Pipe, an updated Stewardship Report.

We have available in the office copies of the full report, and/or separate copies of the reports listed below.

Parish Audit
Minutes of the Annual Meeting of 2007

Vestry Reports
Priest-in-Charge
Senior Warden
Junior Warden – Building and Grounds
Stewardship Committee

Liturgy
Worship Committee
Altar Guild
Acolytes
Parish Musician

Pastoral Care and Pastoral Outreach

Christian Education –Youth

Outreach
Bargain Box
Bread of Life

Parish Life
Parish Auction
Annual Fall Fair Report
Hospitality Report

Finance
Investment Report
Treasurer’s Report for 2008 and Proposed Budget

Good Shepherd Stewardship Report

There are multiple goals for the Stewardship Committee this year. These goals include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Increasing the pledge base
2. Increasing the pledge income
3. Getting more people involved in church activities
4. Improving the volunteer participation for many support positions
5. Establishing a base for a long term active Stewardship Committee

This is an updated stewardship pledge report as of 2/13/08. It is not meant to replace the annual report previously submitted. All data is related to pledge statistics for 2007

Stewardship results as of 12/31/07 are outlined below:

total pledges -------- 92
pledge increases ---- 29
pledge decreases ---- 6
pledges the same ----36
new pledges ---------22
pledges lost ----------7

pledges per week
< 10 --------- 18
10 to 19 ----- 29
20 to 29 ----- 25
30 to 49 ----- 13
> 50 ---------- 7

Estimated 2007 figures are 80 pledges totaling $92,332 as compared to 2008 with 92 pledges totaling $106,923

Notes:
1. The average pledge is $22.34 per week or $1,163 per year (the mean pledge is about the same)
2. Lost pledges total $3,954
3. Pledges total $17,312 more this year than last year for the same group plus new pledges. New pledges make up $15,982 of that total.
4. We will continue the process of resolving some old pledges not committed for this year and contacting newcomer prospects.

Randy Dunnell, Ben Sands, Bob Stasonis

THE SERVICES OF HOLY WEEK

Palm Sunday – March 16

Holy Eucharist at 8 and 10. The Passion Narrative will be read at 8. The Stations of the Cross will be read at 10. The junior and senior choirs will sing at the 10.

Maundy Thursday – March 20

There will be two services at 12:30 and 7:30. Both will be Holy Eucharist with the liturgy of the Foot Washing. We will be using the traditional Prayer Book liturgy at 12:30. The Prayers of the People and the Eucharistic Prayer for the evening service are both contemporary and compelling. The choir will sing the 7:30 service. At the close of the 7:30 service we will strip the altar and prepare the sanctuary for Good Friday.

Good Friday – March 21

The Clergy Association will sponsor an Ecumenical Liturgy at 12:15 at Old South United Methodist Church.

The Prayer Book liturgy for Good Friday will be read at Good Shepherd at 7:30. The prayers of Good Friday are deep and powerful and good for the soul. There will be music at this liturgy and Nancy Lindgren will sing a solo for us.

Holy Saturday – March 22

The Great Vigil of Easter with the celebration of the first Eucharist of the Resurrection and renewal of Baptismal Vows at 7:30. The choir will sing at this service.

The Sunday of the Resurrection – March 23

Holy Eucharist at 8 and 10. There will be music at both services. The junior and senior choirs will sing at the 10. Along with the wonderful musicians of our parish, we will welcome at both services a trumpet player and our wonderful guest soprano, Laura Marshall.

We have ordered robes for our Junior Choir. They will look wonderful.

FEEDING MINISTRY

The Feeding Ministry is part of the Bread of Life organization in Massachusetts. Bread of Life raises money to buy food to distribute through food pantries as well as organizing groups to prepare suppers at different locations throughout the state.

Our Church participates on the First Friday of the month (10 months of the year) at the First Baptist Church in Malden Square (493 Main Street, 781.324.2745). Besides monetary contributions made by the Church of the Good Shepherd to the Bread of Life organization, a group of parishioners goes to the Church on the first Friday of the month to serve supper. We arrive between 3:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to begin preparations. We prepare cranberry-glazed, oven-roasted chicken. Along with the chicken, we serve rice or mashed potatoes, one or two vegetables, and green salad. Various home-baked desserts are donated by parishioners. We serve supper at 5:30 pm. After everyone has eaten, had seconds, and taken “suppers to go” to those who couldn't physically come to the supper, we clean up. The more help we have, the better! Generally, our work is completed by 7:30 pm.

All are welcome (families included) to help with preparation, serving, setting up before the meal, or cleaning up after the meal. Please see or call either Tony Lopes (781.438.4036) or Ben or Judy Sands (978.664.4848). If you want to be put on the dessert preparation list for those suppers, see or call the Lopes. We serve on April 4, May 2, and July 4.

ONLINE AUCTIONS FOR THE BARGAIN BOX
Submitted by Judy Sands

Sold on eBay recently to people across the country (and further!): a pair of Holly Yashi earrings to Hawaii, a David Andersen ladybug charm to England, a cici poodle pin to Wisconsin, a dachshund pin to California, a Rolf Harkaas enamel pin to Colorado, a tin-per bracelet to Washington state, a David Andersen pin to Missouri, a Japanese damascene bracelet to Hawaii.

When you donate to the Bargain Box, you never know where it will end up. If it has a value due to the maker, someone out there wants it and is happy to have it. We also sold a fraternity pin which would have languished in the shop, but which had lively bidding on eBay. I try to list all items I think might sell on eBay so that your donation gets the highest price. If you have any broken 14K jewelry that is not worth fixing, I take that to a jeweler in Wolfeboro, NH, who helps all the churches in the area price their jewelry. This jeweler recently gave me $110 for an “18K” single earring for the BB. And of course the people who come to the BB love the fifty cent case and the lower-priced jewelry. So thanks for all of the recent donations!

2008 FALLIDAY FAIR NEWS

The next Fair Committee meetings are March 19 and April 16. Please mark your calendars!

Not sure about getting involved in such a big project? Just come to a meeting and check us out! We have a lot of fun and it is a wonderful way to meet new friends and learn new faces here at church.

Many folks have contacted me about renewing their positions as table chairmen and also trying something new. THANK YOU to Alice Webb (jewelry), Mary Vincent (baked goods), Heather Wood (books), Julie Callahan (raffle), Elaine Grosso (toys), Sara Hank and Sharon Grosso (Kiddie corner), The Bargain Box (Norma Strack), and the craft committee (Caroline Chapell, Nancy Smethurst, Alice Webb, Heather Wood, Elaine and Sharon Grosso, Linda and Sara Hank and Mary Ines). Also, thanks for Elaine Grosso and Linda Hank for taking on the advertising and thanks to Elaine Grosso (again!) for agreeing to make arrangements for live music throughout the fair!

Other topics discussed: It was brought to my attention that vendors should be invited back to join us. It would provide us with definite income and increase "traffic." That being said, does anyone have someone in mind? Previous suggestions included Pampered Chef, Longaberger Baskets, Simply Tasteful, and Avon. Would someone like to coordinate the vendors? We are also in need of someone to run the kitchen (ALTHOUGH with the change in hours, this will be a reduced operation.)

One of the biggest problems the crafts room had was the ability to display the items well. If you have any racks or shelves that you think could be useful to us, please let us know. OR, if you are handy and may be willing to custom create something for us—we would love to hear from you! We also need volunteers for decorating, set up and clean up.

Do you have any ideas, suggestions or input? If you do… I want to hear from you!!!!! If you are interested in helping out in any way, please contact Mary Ines at 978-664-1643 or dm-ines@comcast.net.

The proposed dates for the 2008 Falliday Fair are Friday 11/7 from 6 pm to 9 pm and Saturday 11/8 from 9 am to 1 pm. What do you think?

EASTER FLOWERS 2008

Please fill out this form and return to the parish office by March 14th.

If you have questions ask

Mary Vincent
781-944-6421
Vincent, Peter
firetower_1@msn.com

Ellen Slack
781-944-2125

IN MEMORY OF

or

IN THANKSGIVING FOR

GIVEN BY

NAME

ENVELOPE NUMBER

AMOUNT

OFFICE DEADLINE IS MARCH 14.