The Good Shepherd!

Welcome to the 4th Sunday of Easter.  We continue to celebrate Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection – and the Good News of the Gospel.  Is that Easter Joy still in you?  Do you still feel God’s love that he expressed on the cross?   We hope that you will come and be renewed and refreshed with your All Souls Family this Sunday.

 

Please take the time to read the articles and information in this week’s “GOOD NEWS”.  May you be blessed!  And feel free to forward this newsletter on to a family member or friend, or share it on your facebook page!

This weeks readings and question of the week:

Take time to mediate on God’s word and prepare for worship this Sunday.  And as you meditate on them, consider the question of the week: In what concrete way this week and for whom can I imitate Jesus’ “laying down his life for his sheep?” Perhaps for someone who does not (yet) belong to the Good Shepherd’s fold.

 

 

Acts 4: 5-12

Psalm 23

1 John 3: 16-24

John 10: 11-18

 


1 John 3:16

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us– and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 

 

1 John 3:16 again recalls John’s Gospel and that great text where Jesus sets the command to love one another in the even greater context of his own revelatory love: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (John 13:34). Here the communal love for brother and sister is placed in the context of the redemptive love that Christ shows for all of humankind on the cross.

 

1 John makes the same connection between our love for each other and Christ’s love for us. “We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for one another” (1 John 3:16). Here we glimpse the depth of the gift and the gravity of the demand. Christ gives unconditional love for us, even to the point of death. And he demands our unconditional love for each other, even to the point of death.

 

Yet, as preachers so often do, the preacher who writes this epistle tries to show what love to the point of death might mean, not just at the extreme moments of sacrifice, but in the daily give and take of the loving life. Concretely, such love means charity. “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help?” (1 John 3:17).

-Excerpt from David Barlett’s commentary

As our reflection on the reading from Acts indicates and as has been part of the tradition of ALL SOULS, everyone is a minister of this church.   We celebrate Fr. Henry becoming our new pastor this Sunday – but we all can be part of the ministry.      HOW? YOU MIGHT ASK?
 
If you have a vehicle, we can use people to be part of our new “Transportation Ministry” (see article to the left), if you like to be part of the worship service look at all the blanks on the Rota (see link to the left) and talk to Ben about how you can become involved, or maybe you would like to set up or take down the chapel on Sundayafternoons or help count and document the offering or help with Hospitality, Children’s Ministry, serve on the Board of Directors or commit to praying for others. We have something for everyone!  And if everyone helps out, we can rotate duties so you don’t have to commit to do something every Sunday.  So pray how you might become involved and then talk to any of the board members for more information.

 

Pictures from Bishop Rick’s Visit – April 12, 2015

Bishop Rick installed
Fr. Henry as our new pastor!

Confirming and welcoming Rich W. and Danny. CONGRATULATIONS!

Welcoming Scott C. into the ECC.  WELCOME!

Joan become a Commissioned Lay Assistant!

Thank you Joan for your service to All Souls.

WANTED: New Board of Directors Member 

With Fr. Henry being our new pastor, we now have an opening on the Board of Directors.   If you would like to be more involved in the ministry of All Souls please prayerfully consider this possibility.  The board meets once per month, provides leadership to the events of the parish, and each member fill some role based on their gifts, talents, and time.     If you are interested, please speak to any current member of the Board of Directors.

Future Dates to Save!

  • May 16 – Potluck
  • June – Opportunity House Breakfast TBD
  • July 19 – Reading Pride – HELP NEEDED AT ALL SOULS BOOTH
  • August – Opportunity House Lunch TBD

 

How are you doing answering this  past week’s question 
of the week from the bulletin? 

 

The word “witness” appears in today’s first reading and in the Gospel. How are we witnesses to the Good News in our own lives?