good shepherd’s news volume 11, issue 12 december … the wild and painful cold of the starless...

Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and

flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” (Matthew 2:13)

In the midst of a politicized nation and world, where war-torn nations send refugees out into the dark world to seek shelter in other nations; and these nations reject the refugees out of a sense of fear, I am reminded that our First Family, Jesus Christ, Mary,

and Joseph, were themselves refugees from Bethlehem to Egypt. They were seek-ing to avoid persecution and death. They were trying to keep themselves save and the Light of God lit in this world. It reminds me of a poem by Ann Weems, “The Refugees”: Into the wild and painful cold of the starless winter night came the refugees, slowly making their way to the border. The man, stooped from age or anxiety, hurried his small family through the wind. Bearded and dark, his skin rough and cracked from the cold, his frame looming large in spite of the slumped shoulders: He looked like a man who could take care of whatever came at them from the dark. Unless, of course, there were too many of them. One man he could handle…two, even… but a border patrol… they wouldn’t have a chance. His eyes, black and alert, darted from side to side, then over his shoulder, then back again forward. Had they been seen? Had they been heard? Every rustle of wind, every sigh from the child, sent terror through his chest. Was this the way? Even the stars had been unkind— had hidden themselves in the ink of night so that the man could not read their way.

Continued on next page…

Pastor’s Message

Inside this issue:

Good Shepherd’s News 3800 Roland Avenue

Baltimore, Maryland 21211 410-243-1129

Rev. Bonnie McCubbin, Pastor Email: [email protected]

Website: www.goodshepherdhampden.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/GoodShepherdHampden

We are called to address the needs of God’s children within and beyond our walls.”

D ecember 20 16

Volume 11, Issue 1 2

Sunday School 10:00 am

Worship Service 10:00 am

Fellowship Hour First Sunday

Baptisms Second Sunday

New Member Reception

Fourth Sunday

Ramp for

Wheelchair or Walker accessibility

Pastor’s Message 1-2 Within Our Walls 3 F.Y.I. 4 Worship Column 5 Children and Youth Photos 10 Inserts: Calendar of Events

Only the wind…was it enough? Only the wind and his innate sense of direction… What kind of a cruel judgment would that be, to wander in circles through the night? Or to safely make their way to the border only to find the authorities waiting for them? He glanced at the young woman, his bride. No more than a child herself, she nuzzled their newborn, kissing his neck. She looked up, caught his eye, and smiled. Oh, how the homelessness had taken its toll on her! Her eyes were red, her young face lined, her lovely hair matted from inattention, her clothes stained from milk and baby, her hands chapped from the raw wind of winter. She’d hardly had time to recover from childbirth when word had come that they were hunted, and they fled with only a little bread, the remaining wine, and a very small portion of cheese. Suddenly, the child began to make small noises. The man drew his breath in sharply; the woman quietly put the child to breast. Fear…long dread-filled moments… Huddled, the family stood still in the long silence. At last the man breathed deeply again, reassured they had not been heard. And into the night continued Mary and Joseph and the Babe. This Advent and Christmas season, let us open our arms, hearts, minds, and spirits to the sojourners we meet. Let us open ourselves to Christ. We never know when the stranger we meet may be Christ.

On the Journey,

Pastor Bonnie

Good Shepherd’s News

Winter Weather Policy

We care about your safety. If at any time you do not feel it is safe to come to worship or an event held at Good Shepherd UMC, please use good judgment and stay home. We will make every attempt to clear our side-walks, entrances, and the parking lot as soon as possible after ice and snow develop. However, in the case that we are unable to do so before a scheduled event, we will publicize this information on our website, www.goodshepherdhampden.com; and on our Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/GoodShepherdHampden. If you do not have internet access and need a phone call, please notify the church office so that a list may be maintained.

http://www.goodshepherdhampden.com

http://www.facebook.com/GoodShepherdHampden

New Year’s Day (January 1): Join Mt. Vernon Place UMC for worship and brunch at 11am! (10 E. Mt. Vernon Pl.) January 21: Church Leadership Retreat, 10am-4pm, Lunch will be provided

Bible Study Our Advent Study will use a book, “Three Gifts, One Christ,” to look at the gifts the Magi gave to Jesus and what they reveal about his life and purpose. It is based on Scripture from Matthew and Hebrews. The book costs $10 each. The church has ordered the books, but you can still participate. If you are able to help con-tribute to the cost of the book, it would be welcome. However, anyone who wants to participate is welcome to join the study, and scholarships for the book are available. Please see Pastor Bonnie. November 29: “Unworthy” December 6: “Gold” December 13: “Frankincense” December 20: “Myrrh”

Decorating the Church We need your help! On Thursday, December 1, at 9am, we will be decorating the sanctuary for Advent and Christmas. The more hands we have helping, the faster we will get done. Donuts will be provided. Please contact Jeanne Harris with questions.

Mark Your Calendar

Note From the Editor: The views expressed in any newsletter articles are those of the authors, and do not nec-

essarily represent the views of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, its pastor, leaders, or members; the

Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference; or The United Methodist Church.

Children’s Choir Our Children’s Choir, under the di-rection of Ms. Pam Seibert, rehears-es after church each week. The choir sings the 4th Sunday of each month during the Offertory. All Children and youth interested in singing during worship are welcome to join the choir—no experience necessary!

V OL UM E 11, I SSU E 12 Decem ber 2016

F.Y.I.

Our Daily Bread, Datebooks

Our Daily Bread *Gift of Grace Booklet December, January, and February are available in small print. October, November, and December are available in large print.

If you are interested in 2017-2018 datebooks, please contact Nancy Cromwell at 410-366-6862.

Poinsettia Orders

Thank you to everyone who ordered Poinsettias for December 24th and 25th!

Room Reservations

To avoid space conflicts, please ensure that all events and activities, no matter how small, make it to the Church Calendar located outside of the Office. Thank you.

Lay Readers Needed Weekly lay readers are needed for upcoming months. Please contact Nancy Cromwell if you are interested in signing up.

Mission Opportunities

HWRMW FOOD PANTRY...Bernie McAllister

Please continue to support the HWRMW Food Pantry by donating non-perishable food items. There is always a

need for soups, pasta/pasta sauce, tuna, canned vegetables, cereal. Toiletries, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes,

shampoo, deodorant, shaving cream and soap are also needed. Please continue to bring these items in throughout

the year, and place them in the box in the Roland Avenue narthex.

BOARD OF CHILD CARE ...Bernie McAllister

The Board of Child Care and The Strawbridge School are still in need of Labels for Education.

The labels will continue to help The Strawbridge School to get things they need. Please re-

member them by bringing in labels to put in the box on the table in the 38th St. Narthex. The

participating products are: Bic, Dannon, Emerald, Pace, Pepperidge Farm, Pop Secret, Post,

Prego, SpagettiO’s, Swanson, V-8 Beverages, V-8 Splash, V-8 V-Fusion. If you have ques-

tions, please contact Bernie McAllister.


In My Opinion... by John Landers

Another national election has come and gone, and I guess we all made it through okay! Now that it’s over,

let’s establish a new federal holiday. It would only be one day every four years, and that day would be the one

following our presidential election. It would simply be called “National Hypocrites Day.”

On this day, all the politicians who ran for office, both winners and losers, could praise their opponents. They

would tell us what patriots they are, what a great campaign they ran, and how we must work with them in the

future. All of this after calling them crooks, thieves, racists, and any other derogatory term they could think of!

There would be on school on “National Hypocrites Day,” and all banks would be closed. There would be no

mail delivery either, and most businesses would be closed. Also, all of us could send cards to the politicians

simply saying “Happy Hypocrites Day.”

Of course, this is suggested “tongue in cheek.” But we can all learn a lesson from the hypocrisy we have

seen. Peer pressure outside our church can be great. A lot of lifestyles we see in the outside world are contrary

to our religious beliefs. It is so easy to submit to them. Constant prayer will help us stand up against peer pres-

sure and steer us away from hypocrisy. We all live seven days a week for God, not just Sunday.

Worship Column by Pastor Bonnie

Advent is the beginning of the Church year. It is a season of four weeks, including Sundays. Originally, the

season was 7 weeks, to parallel Lent, but over the centuries, it has been shortened to its current four week season.

The word, Advent comes from the Latin word, adventus, which means, “coming.” The season proclaims the

comings of the Christ—whose birth we prepare to celebrate once again. Each year, Advent calls the community

of faith to prepare for these comings; historically, the season was marked by fasts for preparation.

We mark time in Advent with an Advent Wreath—candles that we light one week at a time, surrounded by

greenery. The candles are purple (royalty) or blue (joy), the colors of the season. The pink candle that is some-

times included represents the joy in the midst of a penitent time.

Church Council Update

At our last meeting in October, Church Council received area ministry updates, and started plan-

ning for 2017. The November meeting was cancelled, because it coincided with Thanksgiving. The

next meeting will be on Thursday, December 15 at 3pm in the Parlor.

We thank all of our Church Council members who have served faithfully this year, especially

those who are stepping down or rotating out of an official leadership role. We will publish the 2017

Leadership List in the January newsletter.

All 2017 Church Council members, mark your calendars for a mandatory leadership training on Saturday,

January 21, 10am-4pm (lunch provided), at Good Shepherd UMC. Please contact Pastor Bonnie with any ques-

tions.


Good Shepherd Children and Youth Programs

As we move into the holiday season, the excitement continues to grow as we eagerly

await the arrival of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Planning is underway for our

Christmas pageant, which everyone is very excited about! Over 35 students and lead-

ers from our afterschool program enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner together this past

Tuesday. They were all very excited and appreciative to share a meal together. There

were many requests for certain dishes, and we worked hard to fulfill them. We had

sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, corn bread, “real” mashed potatoes, corn, tur-

key, cranberry sauce, and cupcakes for desert! It was a lot of work but it was worth it!

A special thank you to Nick and Lori for the cupcakes! We would also like to thank

all the other families that helped to supply items for the meal as well.

It is great to see some of our families coming out to participate in “The Table”. It has been a wonderful time of

food and fellowship for the entire family. This past Saturday our theme was “teams”. We played board games, en-

joyed tailgate themed food, and studied what scripture has to say about being part of a team. We look forward to our

upcoming meetings. Please plan to attend the next one if you haven’t been able to make it yet!

It is so great to see the impact that our after school program is having on our local community and at our local

schools. Our program still continues to grow. It is because of your generosity that we can make this possible.

Please continue to pray for all of the families that our program reaches, as well as for our staff and our volunteers.

God Bless,

Pastor Randy

Pastor Randy Keith and family

Snack Time at the After School Program


SUNDAY’S SERMONS BY MAIL OR EMAIL

If you want a copy of Pastor Bonnie’s sermons sent to you, please contact Rachel Yates, Administrative

Assistant, 410-243-1129 (the church office number). Leave your name and home or email address so she can send

you the sermon.

Those who are able to attend services may also request a copy to follow along during Sunday’s sermon. Please

leave your name with Pastor Bonnie after the worship service.

PLANNING MEETINGS, EVENTS, OR NEED PARKING PASSES?

Please inform the office or a member of the church staff, if you want to schedule an event at church. The parking

lot will be patrolled by Greenwood Garage from 8 am to 1 pm. Y ou must make sure your Parking Pass is visible or

your car will be towed. If you plan to have guests, please be sure to get passes from the office or church staff on or

before the day your guests are to arrive. If you notice a visitor in the congregation, feel free to ask if they parked on

the lot so that they can get a pass.

CARDS TO CHURCH MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

Please be aware that we continue to ask for your help in encouraging and lifting the spirits of many of our home-

bound members and friends. Please remember to share God’s love with others. Addresses are in your Church Direc-

tory.

FELLOWSHIP HOUR

Hosts are needed for the 1st Sunday of the month socials. Individuals or groups welcome. Consider signing up for

one or more months. Help is available. The church provides coffee, tea, hot chocolate, utensils, plates, and napkins.

Sign up in the narthex. If you have questions contact Shirley Huff or Bonnie Thompson.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER OF GOOD SHEPHERD? Please contact Pastor Bonnie to schedule a time to meet. If there are several interested persons, a class after wor-ship can be arranged.

BULLETIN DEADLINE

Every Monday all announcements, joy and concerns, fellowship opportunities, mission opportunities and other

information you want to share with the congregation should be in writing and left in the mailbox, on the wall, outside

the office of Rachel Yates, Administrative Assistant.


4 Ashley Keith 11 Gordon Wheat 18 Madelynn Wheat 24 Nicholas Seibert 25 Evelynn Keith

11 Bernie McAllister

13 Jeanne Mulligan

21 Susan Tager 24 Jean Lippy

Memorial and Honorarium Donations

Memorial gifts provide a meaningful way for people to witness their thanksgiving for the life of a loved one.

Honorarium gifts provide an opportunity to recognize those who have made a notable impact in the life of an indi-

vidual or group. Good Shepherd UMC is grateful for all gifts to the church.

If you are interested in making a donation, please contact Nancy Cromwell at 410.366.6862.

The congregation of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church would like to extend its sympathy to the family and

friends of Ernest “Ernie” Grill, who passed away on November 16, 2016.

Continuing Prayers

Tim P; Myrtle M; Edith’s Family; Pastor Bonnie’s grandfather, Al; Shirley S; Frances S; John & Doris C; Barbara (Linda T.); Norman S., Betty K; Jean L.


Birthdays

LECTIONARY READINGS

4 Second Sunday of Advent

Isa. 11:1-10

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

Rom. 15:4-13

Matt. 3:1-12

11 Third Sunday of Advent

Isa. 35:1-10

Luke 1:47-55

Jas. 5:7-10

Matt. 11:2-11

18 Fourth Sunday of Advent

Isa. 7:10-16

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

Rom. 1:1-7

Matt. 1:18-25

25 Christmas Day

Isa. 52:7-10

Psalm 98

Heb. 1:1-4(5-12)

John 1:1-14

Participants this month:

Liturgists

4 - Linda Thompson

11 - Susie Pearce

18 - Virginia Dailey

24 - Nancy Cromwell

25 - Ginny Richardson

Greeters

Elaine Grill

Roy Keys

Ushers

Bill Harris

Acolytes (see schedule on p. 8)

Nick Curry

Ashley Keith

Evelynn Keith Nicholas Seibert Gordon Wheat Madelynn Wheat Alternates: Pam Seibert Director of Music Jerry Guchemand


CHRISTMAS CARD MAILBOX

On Thursday, December 1st, the Christmas Card

Mailbox will be set up. Remember the mail

slots are in alphabetical order to make it

easier to file them.

Please be sure to pick up your mail

each Sunday and after the New Year. If

your neighbor is unable to attend, please

feel free to deliver cards to them!


Pumpkin Carving at The Table

Tuesday Night

Ballet Class

All

Saints’

Day

Northern District

Police Haunted House

1st Sunday of each month in the lounge, following

the Worship Service.

Come, enjoy light refreshments and

conversation.

If you are interested in hosting one Sunday, sign up in the 38th St.

Narthex, or contact Shirley Huff or Bonnie Thompson.

Adult Bible Studies Advent Study Tuesdays at 2 PM (December 6, 13, 20) Led by Rev. Bonnie McCubbin Meets in the Parlor Lounge

Second Tuesday thru Last Tuesday of each month 10:30 am Friendship Circle Meets in the Jr. Room Led by Nancy Cromwell Please bring bag lunch

All are Welcome to any group

Ways to Support Your Church

Remember your offering

Altar Flowers and Bulletins $26

Garden Windows $10

Donations -Memorials -Honorariums -Bulletin Insert -Easter Flowers -Mother’s Day -Father’s Day -Grandparent’s Day -Poinsettia

Remember Good Shepherd in your Will

Please contact Nancy Cromwell, 410.366.6862, to place your order for

flowers & to support your church by making donations.

Join one today


DEADLINE ALERT!

The deadline for the January 2017 issue

will be moved up one week to Sunday,

December 11th because of the Christ-

mas / New Year Holiday. It will be pub-

lished on or before Sunday, December

25th.

Please try to plan your articles ahead so

they will make the issue in time. As al-

ways make sure your articles are placed

in the church office mailbox or sent via

email to:

[email protected].

There will be no exceptions so that eve-

ryone involved in printing the newsletter

can enjoy their holiday.

We thank you in advance for your coop-

eration!


NOVEMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Thursday 1 9:00 AM Sanctuary Decorating

Saturday 3 9AM-5-PM Lay Servant Class

Sunday 4 Fellowship Hour

Tuesday 6 2:00 PM Bible Study

Sunday 11 Pick-Up Choir; Deadline for January Newsletter

Tuesday 13 10:30 AM Friendship Circle; 2:00 PM Bible Study

Thursday 15 3:00 PM Church Council Meeting

Tuesday 20 10:30 AM Friendship Circle; 2:00 PM Bible Study

Saturday 24 6:00 PM Dinner; 7:00 PM Family Worship

UPCOMING EVENTS:

New Year’s Day (January 1): Join Mt. Vernon Place UMC for worship and

brunch at 11am! (10 E. Mt. Vernon Pl.)

January 21: Church Leadership Retreat, 10-4, Lunch will be provided.

good shepherd’s news volume 11, issue 12 december … the wild and painful cold of the starless...

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