September 25

Beloved of Good Shepherd Church,

Grace to you and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!

There was a magnificent energy at Good Shepherd all weekend long. A tender and vibrant thread of love and kindness ran through the Silent Retreat and all three Sunday worship services, and I felt a buoyancy in my soul as the events of the weekend washed over me. It’s no mystery what was happening to cause such grace to flow among us - it’s you! The church is the community gathered around the Gospel. The Gospel calls us to connect to each other in love. That’s just what you did this weekend at Good Shepherd. The main attraction at our church is God’s love pouring through you to create community. That’s Christianity! I was thrilled by the opportunity I had to introduce several of you to each other at church on Sunday, and I loved watching your eyes light up as you looked for and found Christ in each other with such compassion and love.

I have been thinking about how wonderful it is to have so many new people at Good Shepherd. The really special, magical thing about welcoming new people is that when they get here they find so many members who have been at Good Shepherd for a long time. I think about Winn who is currently chairing our capital campaign. He and Nancy have been here for many, many years and have both served wonderfully in a variety of leadership roles. I think about Nancy Wilson who has led our Giving Tree Christmas Ministry for 15 years. I think about Jim Johnson who is our longest tenured member having been a faithful follower of Jesus in this place for something like 85 years. I think about George and Cherie and David and Hans and Erin and Betty and Diane and Martin and Kathy and Betsy and Steve and Jack and Sarah and Terry and Jim and Joyce and so many others including YOU who have been here for decades and thus serve as the living foundation of our church helping to make it the rich, love-soaked, oasis that it is. New members bring growth and new life, and members who have been here for years through thick and thin provide a structure and stability that only time can bring. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to all of you who have been here for so long. Thank you! (I sometimes offer a prayer of thanksgiving to you long-time members when I think of all the sermons you’ve endured over all the years. On behalf of all the priests and preachers who have served in this place - thank you for your grace and your patience!)

God’s plan for the salvation of the world is a community of his children drawn together by love. You are the enactment of that plan. You are the body of Christ. Thank you!

Remember this always - God loves you, and I love you too!

Love is all,

Hendree+