Sunday, May 18, 2025
Fifth Sunday of Easter
8:30 AM or 10:00 AM

View 10:00 AM online: https://youtube.com/live/zffp0QQvAUc

Readings:   https://bcp2019.anglicanchurch.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/C32-Sixth-Sunday-of-Easter.pdf

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
(1 Corinthians 12:12-20, ESV)

Happy Thursday Good Shepherd! I pray that your day is filled with blessing as a member of Christ’s body: the Church. As you go throughout your day, I ask that you reflect on the tremendous honor we have been shown in these scriptures. Christ did not come to save you in isolation. He did not take away your sins in order to leave you stranded by the wayside. Christ came to offer you something greater. He offers you His covenant. When God does this, the covenant offer is attached to a covenant community. That’s what we are at Good Shepherd. Living like a covenant community gives us a bond and a relationship that goes far beyond what we normally think. This is especially a blessing when we consider how different we can all be!

It doesn’t matter what our individual talents, interests, or backgrounds are, we are part of His body. In a world that is full of fighting, turmoil, and loneliness, it is a great blessing from God to have the opportunity to gather as a covenant people and bear each other’s burdens. Each of us has a story, and God not only gave us those stories, but also brought them together for a reason. Bodies are made of many parts and pieces, and good books have different chapters and storylines that weave together into a whole. No matter what analogy we want to use, we need each other at Good Shepherd Church. As we journey through our Easter season, and God continues to work new blessings and opportunities into our church life, I ask you to pray for God to reveal how He wants to use you to further build His kingdom. Next Thursday, I’ll be bringing you another short reflection to offer some specific ideas for the types of service we need most in the church. Until then, I pray God’s blessing and favor be upon you. 
 
Your Brother in Christ, 
Ashton Hutchinson 

The Easter edition of our church newsletter The Shepherd's Voice News is available for download as a .pdf.

This Sunday is Mothers' Day! This past Sunday, we were blessed by our Women's Guild holding a reception in our of our ladies after our 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist. A great time was had by all!

Reminder: This Sunday is Palm Sunday. Please arrive a few minutes early to church for our 10:00 AM service (no 8:30 AM this week Easter Sunday). Upon arriving, if you wish to participate in the opening procession of our Liturgy of Palms, please gather in the parking lot of Torah Academy, next door to church. At 10:00 AM, we will blessing the palms in that location and then process by song to the church.

If you are unable to process with us, please greet the procession at the time of arrival in the sanctuary and have your palms ready to be lifted high and blessed!

Each Friday from 11AM til 1:00 PM

As in previous years, each Friday during Lent, Good Shepherd Church invites you to come enjoy some quiet time with the Lord between the hours of 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. We’ll only break the silence for a quarter hour beginning at 12:15 PM in order to pray The Great Litany.

This Friday, April 11, will be our final Lenten Quiet Chapel for the year. We hope you can join us!

On Saturday, April 5, we'll have a work day at church from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM. Priorities include cleaning up the prayer garden and taking down an old portable building on the back of the church grounds.

If you are able to help, please do so! For more information, see our Buildings and Grounds manager, Mel Aucion.

This Sunday, March 30, 2025, the Louisiana churches in our diocese will gather in Baton Rouge at Holy Cross Anglican Church for an Evening of Prayer and Praise. This is a new concept aimed to bring the four parishes of Louisiana together into what is called a Deanery (a geographical subdivision of a diocese).

The event will begin at 4:00 PM and will conclude with a meal being served. This Sunday's meal is jambalaya and is being provided by Holy Cross. Those from other parishes are encouraged to bring a side dish to share.

This Sunday morning at our services, anyone wishing to attend and carpool will be asked to make arrangements, with anyone leaving from our parking lot likely having to so around 2:30 PM to assure being at Holy Cross for the 4:00 PM start time.

This event is scheduled to be held each fifth Sunday of the month and will travel giving each parish a chance to serve as host.