April 22

Beloved families of Good Shepherd,

Peace be with you! This Sunday is “Good Shepherd Sunday” in the life of the church! Good Shepherd Sunday celebrates the risen Christ and his role as the Good Shepherd of all people. This Sunday’s Epistle reading from I Peter describes the Good Shepherd as the “guardian of our souls.” The risen Christ, our Good Shepherd, is always working to shield us from spiritual harm and to guide us home to our joyful Center in God.

The Rev. Dr. Jerome Berryman, creator of Godly Play, believes the Parable of the Good Shepherd is the most essential parable for children and their families. Sometimes family life can move at such as fast pace due to work and school responsibilities that families inadvertently become off-center.  In his book, Stories of God at Home, Dr. Berryman says,“there are times in the lives of families when there is a need to re-center.” He suggests that families pause and recenter by entering into the Parable of the Good Shepherd, which “gives us a little more room for living when life is almost squeezed out of us.”  

The Parable of the Good Shepherd invites us to return to the awareness of the beautiful presence of God in our lives and the lives of our children. This story reminds us that we have a Good Shepherd who knows us by name, loves us beyond our wildest imagination, and who works tirelessly to guide us home to our soul’s center in God. Author Thomas Kelly says, “Life is meant to be lived from a Center, a divine Center…Life from the Center is a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It is amazing. It is triumphant. It is radiant.”

This Sunday we are excited to bless the Douthat family who will soon welcome their second child! Following the 10 am service, families are invited to come to the playground for “Popsicles on the Playground” and “Planting of Tree Seedlings”! We have 50 dogwood tree seedlings that are in need of replanting into seedling container pots. These tree seedlings will be given to our VBS families on the last day of Vacation Bible School 2026:  ROOTED IN LOVE. Families are invited to dress casually this Sunday and bring a few hand shovels for this fun project!

We hope to see your family this Sunday!

Many Blessings,

Patty