Healing in Capernaum by Rebekah Krevens

Based Mark 1:21-28, the Gospel reading for this Sunday.

PASTORS' MESSAGE

Dear partners in ministry,

    One of my favorite things to do as a pastor each year is burning the palms from the previous year to create the ashes for Ash Wednesday the next year.  For a number of years, I (Pastor Jeff) have done this with our confirmation students on a Wednesday night.  It is often dark and cold, yet there is something beautiful about taking the palms, symbols of celebration from when the crowd welcomed Jesus and shouted Hosannas, and watching them become ash, a symbol and reminder of death and the fragility of life. 

    This year, our confirmation class has been meeting online, but we still have palms to burn.  So, everyone is invited to join us for an intergenerational burning of the palms on Saturday February 6th at 9 AM!  Young and old are most welcome to participate.  In addition, that morning we will assemble our Lent kits to help guide and encourage our observance of Lent in our homes this year.  There will be Lent kits available for a household, as well as individual ones available for children.  Again, all are welcome to help.  And thankfully, it looks like the temperatures will be much warmer on Feb. 6th than they are this weekend!

   Whether you join us on that day, for online worship, for indoor worship, or in some other way, we continue to give thanks and pray for each and every one of you.  In this season of Epiphany, may God's love and care be continually revealed through us to the world.

In peace,

Pastor Jeff and Pastor Larson

For more detailed calendar, including events hosted by outside organizations 

IN OTHER NEWS

Formed by Promise, Called to Community: 2021 Lenten Devotions 

Although we celebrated Christmas just a few weeks ago, Lent is already on the horizon. As we prepare to walk with Jesus to the cross, we are comforted by God’s promise of new life. This year’s Lenten Devotions will focus on our response to God’s promises through the theme, “Formed by Promise, Called to Community.” In a year of disconnection and broken plans, we seek out where God’s promises still meet us, support us, and shape us into community.

You are invited to write a devotion, around 250 words, on the theme of promise and community. To help meditate on this theme, daily bible verses will guide our Lenten journey. Your devotion can be a short story or reflection sharing how you experience God’s promises, where you cultivate community, or what the daily bible verse has inspired within you - just be sure to close your devotion with a prayer. Please complete and email your devotion to office@goodshepherdcares.org by January 31.

If you would like to compose a devotion, please sign up at this link. 

We are planning to post the devotions on our Facebook page throughout Lent. If you are uncomfortable with your devotion being shared publicly, please let us know and we will be sure not to post your writing on social media. 

Adult Forum - Animate: Bible

1/31/21     Gospels: Unexpected Good News - Nadia Bolz-Weber

Join us as we explore how the Bible came to be the Bible as we know it today.  Animate: Bible is an adult faith formation series that explores seven big conversations about the Bible, including the canon, history, testaments, Gospels, genre, interpretation, and grace. Animate Bible uses dynamic videos from seven Christian thought leaders in addition to a creative Bible Journal to help Animate participants delve deeper and reflect on session content.  The Journal provides thought-provoking ideas, beautiful illustrations, and space to write, sketch, and reflect on how they think about the Bible.

Attend the Zoom session to participate in our Bible study.

Use the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89435659701?pwd=M2FXemMvanZmcFYyOUNVKzVPaFpjdz09

Or call         +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

Meeting ID: 894 3565 9701  Passcode: 565162

Jochen Salfeld will facilitate.

Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Reading Group

Are you interested in learning more about anti-racism? Want to find out what you can do about it? Or are you just trying to figure out why racism has become such a big topic?

We'll be reading and discussing the book: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo.

Order your book today to be a part of this discussion.

Join the RIC Committee via Zoom as we host a weekly book club starting Wednesdays, via Zoom, from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. Just send us an email ( RIC@goodshepherdcares.org ) and we'll send you the link. 

Intergenerational Gathering on Saturday, February 6th at 9 am

You’re invited to a special intergenerational gathering to kickoff the Lenten season! On Saturday, February 6, at 9 am we will gather in Good Shepherd’s parking lot to burn last year’s palm branches and make ashes for Ash Wednesday. This gathering will include a time for prayer and an activity for children and adults. We will then assemble household and children’s Lent kits. All are welcome to join the gathering and stay to help!  

Save the Date! - Congregation Meeting February 7th at 12 pm

Please join us for our Congregation Meeting on February 7, 2021.  This meeting will be held virtually over the Zoom application. Also, if you prefer, you may participate by phone audio only. You can find instructions to access this on the back of this invitation.

The following topics are planned for discussion:

2020 Annual Reports – Recaps from Pastors and Staff

Year-end Financial Update

Progress against 2020 Congregation Goals

2021 Congregation Goals

We look forward to seeing you at this annual meeting to review 2020 and share plans for 2021.  Your thoughts, feelings and needs are important to us and this is an ideal opportunity for us, as a congregation, to share these with each other.  See you there as we continue to “grow, nurture and make disciples in Christ.”

Randy Koopman

Congregation Council President

On behalf of your Church Council

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Once you open the .pdf you can click on any of the Headers in the Table of Contents to get to that page.

Meeting Access Information

Topic:                     Congregation Meeting
Date & Time:        February 7, 2021 at 12:00 PM

To access the meeting by computer or tablet:

• Go to the Zoom home screen (zoom.us)
• Click Join A Meeting in the upper right corner.
• Where prompted enter Meeting ID: 854 4686 5362
• Click Join.
• Dialog box will appear: click Open Zoom Meetings.
• Dialog box will appear: enter the Passcode: 968954
• Click Join Meeting

To access the meeting by phone:

• Dial 1-301-715-8592
• Enter the meeting ID and passcode when prompted:
• Meeting ID: 854 4686 5362#
• Enter # for participant id
  (there is none for this call which is why you will enter #)
• Passcode: 968954#

On the phone #6 mutes and #6 unmutes

PRAYING TOGETHER 

In Our Prayers 

This week. . . 

Carolyn Breecher, Arthur Matson, Wendy Ying, Susan Rovaldi, Phyllis Taxiera, Kathy Allen, Jen Cinelli, Stan Wilderoter, Janet Coe, Tarah Sproul, Vila Makkray, Brian Mulvihill, Cathy Dorey, Jimmy Pritchard, all those affected by addiction, all those affected by mental illness, all military personnel and first responders, for those who have contracted COVID-19.

If you or someone you know would like to be remembered in our prayers, call the church office or email prayercircle@goodshepherdcares.org. Names remain on this list for four weeks. Let us know if you’d like to renew, add, or remove a name.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Pastors Jeff Goodrich & Victoria Larson
183 W. Main St., Westborough, MA 01581 • (508) 366-7095
office@goodshepherdcares.org • www.goodshepherdcares.org

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