In-person services suspended until May 31

In accordance with the directives of the Diocese of Massachusetts and State and local authorities to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 (or coronavirus), Church of the Good Shepherd has suspended all in-person worship and events at the church until May 31, 2020.

Though we are not gathering in person at this time, it is important to remember that wherever we are, together or apart, we are the Body of Christ. We share in the love of God for us and for each other.

As changes are being made to the way we worship, let us find creative ways to stay connected and in communication with each other.

1. The Vestry and several members of the congregation along with Rev. Melissa, are calling all CGS members to check in and share how to join in our online worship. We encourage you to think about our parish and hold one another in prayer during this difficult time. Feel free to check in with one another by phone or email, and if you have any pastoral needs, please contact the office or email Rev. Melissa.

2. Pray one or more of the Daily Office Prayers: Morning Prayer, Noon Prayer, Evening Prayer or Compline. These short prayer services keep us grounded in the assurances of God’s love and redemption in this time of uncertainty and angst. These prayers are available in a number of formats providing options for you and your household. You can find them in the Book of Common Prayer beginning on page 75. You can listen to the daily office online in a variety of ways.

   • Download the daily podcast of Morning Prayer led by Chip Lee of the Episcopal Church in Garrett County, Maryland.

   • A number of local congregations hold Daily Office prayers via livestream.

   • At CGS, we gather via Zoom for weekly prayer:

     • Morning Prayer on Sundays at 9:00 am

     • Morning Prayer on Wednesdays at 7:30 am

     • Compline (Night Prayer) on Thursdays at 8:00 pm

3. Throughout this time of online worship, please remember to make your financial offering to Good Shepherd.

As we navigate this new reality, please do your part and remain at home in accordance with the state and local guidelines. Practice social distancing and visit stores only on an as-needed basis. Wash your hands frequently and wipe down surfaces on a regular basis.

These are indeed challenging times and it is natural to react with fear and anxiety. But remember that we belong to God in the one Body of Christ. Let us walk this journey lifting one another in prayer, caring for our neighbors, and staying "connected" as best we can.

Here are two prayers for you to pray and reflect on as we remember those most impacted by COVID-19.

Prayer for a Pandemic

by Dr. Cameron Wiggins Bellm of Seattle, Washington

May we who are merely inconvenienced,
Remember those whose lives are at stake.

May we who have no risk factors,
Remember those most vulnerable.

May we who have the luxury of working from home,
Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.

May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close,
Remember those who have no options.

May we who have had to cancel our trips,
Remember those that have no safe place to go.

May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market,
Remember those who have no margin at all.

May we who settle in for a quarantine at home,
Remember those who have no home.

As fear grips our country,
Let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors. Amen.

A Prayer Amid an Epidemic

By Kerry Weber

Jesus Christ, you traveled through towns and villages “curing every disease and illness.” At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love.

Heal those who are sick with the virus. May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care.

Heal us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together and neighbors from helping one another.

Heal us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability to a disease that knows no borders.

Jesus Christ, healer of all, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow. Be with those who have died from the virus. May they be at rest with you in your eternal peace.

Be with the families of those who are sick or have died. As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair. May they know your peace.

Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. May they know your protection and peace.

Be with the leaders of all nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve. Give them the wisdom to invest in long-term solutions that will help prepare for or prevent future outbreaks. May they know your peace, as they work together to achieve it on earth.

Whether we are home or abroad, surrounded by many people suffering from this illness or only a few, Jesus Christ, stay with us as we endure and mourn, persist and prepare. In place of our anxiety, give us your peace.

Jesus Christ, heal us.

Kerry Weber is an executive editor of America. www.americamagazine.org

The Rev. Melissa Buono

Sermon for the Easter Sunday 4.12.2020

Church of the Good Shepherd, Acton, Massachusetts

Rev. Melissa Buono, Interim Priest 

Readings: Acts 10:34-43; Colossians 3:1-4; Ps. 118:1-2, 14-24; Matthew 28:1-10

In the name of Our Risen Lord, Alleluia! Amen!

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Happy Easter my dear friends! and while this has been a most unusual and certainly unforgettable Holy Week and now Easter, I want to thank you for your prayers and your virtual presence throughout this difficult and challenging time.

I began my first sermon on zoom quoting the Grateful Dead and little did I know just “what a long and strange” Lenten and now Easter journey this would be.

The thing is, despite all the inconvenience of working remotely, and not being able to gather in person, there has been the joy of connecting with you by phone and email. And if we’ve not had a chance to connect as yet, do not fear, members of the Vestry and congregation and I are continuing our parish wide outreach to you all and will do so in the weeks ahead.

I’d like to encourage you to look at who’s on this call and think about who’s not here and maybe reach out to them by phone or with a card this week, so that they know they are missed.

But it’s good to hear your voices and see your faces on the zoom sessions! I think we realize in these calls how much we miss one another and how much we care about each other.

Being able to meet online though doesn’t take away from the unsettling fact that everything about this Holy Week and Easter is different this year! From the social distancing and stay-at-home orders, to the zoom gatherings and technical glitches, even the liturgy itself is different with weekly Morning Prayer and the unusual Triduum or 3 Days observance. My apologies to you if you got bounced out of the meeting last night. I had to close out the meeting and start it again and I fear some of you got lost in that transition.

How we long for what used to be - to gather in this space, to greet one another with the sign of peace, to hear the footsteps of the children as they run pell mell up the stairs and into the sanctuary after their lessons, to lift our voices in prayer and song, and of course to share in the Holy Eucharist, as well as our coffee hour gatherings and celebrations.

Let us sit with that longing for a moment. Let us take in this sabbath rest from our usual practice as we pause to reflect on the Easter story. For there are things about this story that we can perhaps relate to in ways that we likely couldn’t in years past. Our customs and patterns of being in Holy Week and Easter are so in-grained that perhaps we missed parts of the Easter Resurrection story because after all, we know how this story ends.

This year, we’ve not had to worry about the accoutrements of worship - no banners to hang, no ceremonial stripping of the altar, ... and not that these things are unimportant, but without them, it’s given us more time to reflect on the story without being swept up in the busyness of the season’s preparations. It’s allowed us space to think about what really matters in this season.

Although in other ways, we are more distracted on the home front from juggling working from home, and online learning for our children to worrying about whether you’ll have a job or a small business to return to. There are fears about lost income and getting needed medications, anxiety about vulnerable loved ones with activities and learning curtailed. There are fears around testing positive for COVID-19 and enduring the awful effects of the virus. Indeed it is a time fraught with worry and fear as we consider the bigger picture of what is happening to the world as we know it.

We all long for an end to this coronavirus and for things to get back to “normal.” But what is normal and what if this is an opportunity to create a new normal? What shall we keep? What needs to change? The text this morning from Matthew even feels strange; I’m so used to hearing the Easter proclamation from the Gospel of John. And reading the account of the women at the tomb has made me go back and read it again as the details are not so familiar.

For unlike the other gospel writers, Matthew does not mention the women’s task of bringing spices to anoint the body of Jesus as the burial happened so quickly in order to finish before the sabbath had begun. Instead Matthew has the women going back just to see the tomb. They had been there earlier; they had watched as Joseph of Arimathea laid Jesus’ body in the new tomb and then rolled a great stone to the door and went away. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb until the start of the sabbath when they returned to their home.

What was that Sabbath like for the women? Surely it was unlike any other. They must have been reeling from the events of Jesus’ death and the unfairness of it all - what wrong had he done? No wonder they went back to the tomb at the first opportunity when sabbath was ended and the light was just beginning to break in the day.

In his account, Matthew describes the scene with “dramatic effect” recalling a great earthquake and the descending of an angel of the Lord with a dazzling appearance who then rolled back the stone and sat on it. There were guards who fell over like corpses and the 2 women were filled with fear and awe.

I wonder if the earthquake was an aftershock or even set in motion by the shaking of the earth and splitting rocks that occurred when Jesus drew his last breath on the cross? it was during that shifting of earth that the understanding of the centurion shifted as did that of the others who were keeping watch over Jesus. With their new realization, they announced, “Truly this man was God’s Son.” Was it seeing the mighty hand of God rumble the earth that convinced them? What would they think of the greater act of God’s power that would come in the morning?

The appearance of the angel proved too much for the guards at the grave. They shook and became like dead men themselves, and as such they missed the messenger of the Lord. But the angel spoke to the women bringing a word of comfort: “Do not be afraid.” The angel went on to confirm what had taken place saying to the women, “I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said would happen.” And then he invited them to come and see the place where Jesus’ body had been laid.

Again, Matthew’s gospel leaves out some of the details of the other accounts; there is no sharing of what was seen inside the tomb, no talk of the burial clothes left behind. The sense is that we need not linger at the tomb, and the time for grieving is done. Instead we must go and share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection, for he who was dead, is now alive.

Having heard that Jesus would meet them in Galilee, the women immediately left the tomb to go and find the others and tell them what they had seen and were told. They were filled with both fear and great joy. Would the others believe them? They were women after all, living in a culture that did not count women among those to be trusted or believed. But things had happened just as Jesus said they would when he told them that he would die and on the 3 day be raised again.

You can almost feel their excitement and curiosity, the mix of emotion running through them as they try to make sense of the messengers’ news. And if all was not feeling surreal enough for the women, suddenly they were joined on the road by a figure who said to them “Greetings!”

Who was this? Could it be Jesus? Surely they recognized him as they came to him. They took hold of his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus echoed the words of the angel saying “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The joy of Easter is that though the tomb is empty, Jesus is with us still. And though he died, he lives again in glory. Like the message to the Mary’s, Jesus calls to each of us, Be not afraid! for despite the dangers of this world, we are forever in God’s care.

Things are changing all around us, some more rapidly than others, and it’s hard to take it all in, and it’s easy to be filled with fear and dread, but know that because Jesus lived and died and rose again, God is with us. Listen to Jesus and do not be afraid. May we sing with the psalmist who said, “On this day the Lord has acted, we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

In whatever you are facing this day, may you know the comforting presence of the Risen Christ!

A blessed Easter to you my sisters and brothers!

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

The Rev. Melissa Buono

Sermon for the Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday 4.5.2020

Church of the Good Shepherd, Acton, Massachusetts

Rev. Melissa Buono, Interim Priest 

Readings: Matthew 21:1-11; Psalm 31: 9-16; Isaiah 50;4-9a; Philippians 2:5-11; The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (26:14-27:66)

This week I’ve been wrestling with the question: What is the significance of Palm Sunday? 

Yes, it’s our remembering of Jesus’ Triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem. 

You will recall, the population of Jerusalem had swelled as 1000s of pilgrims journeyed to the Holy City to celebrate the High Holy day of Passover. Many of the people gathered there in Jerusalem, were from the villages of Galilee and had witnessed Jesus’ healings, and heard his teaching. And having seen Jesus enter the city, they gave him a hero’s welcome, as he too came to observe the Passover. 

The picture though is not one of military strength, but of a humble king riding not on a well decorated steed, but on a donkey - and not even a donkey, but the calf of a donkey. He wasn’t dressed in the finest royal capes with rings on his fingers - he wore his usual garb - a tunic and sandals. There were no trumpets blaring “Hail to the Chief” - just the cheers of the crowd as they gathered and reached out to touch Jesus and moved with him through the crowded narrow streets. And instead of the Hollywood red carpet, the peasants laid down their cloaks (probably the only one they owned) and laid them on the ground for Jesus and the donkey to walk on. Others cut branches from palm trees to lay before his path. Dating back to ancient Egypt, the palm branch is a sign of victory, triumph, peace and eternal life. Even in ancient Greece, winning athletes were awarded a palm branch. 

The peasants loved Jesus. They saw in him someone who was on their side for a change. He gave them hope in God’s vision for a new kingdom, a world without pain and suffering and hardship. And they were excited for Jesus to enter the city because they expected that he had to finally clash with the powers that be, and free them from the occupation they were living under with the Roman Empire. 

But of course, that’s not what Jesus rode into Jerusalem to do. He knew it would be his last visit to that city. He knew the end of his life was near. And he braced himself for the betrayal and arrest and false charges and mockery that was to come. 

The thing is, Jesus wasn’t the only parade in town that day. Because the city would be overflowing with visitors and pilgrims to celebrate the Passover, the Romans wanted to make sure there were no uprisings among the people, no one causing any trouble. So, on the opposite side of the city, at the western gate, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor entered the city with the Imperial procession of calvary and soldiers and all the fanfare you would expect from a mighty leader. This royal parade was meant to show off the power and authority of the Roman Empire, lest the pilgrims forget who was in charge. Yes, they could have their festival, but it would not get out of hand. You see, the Romans were particularly vigilant about Passover because it was the celebration of the liberation of Israel from the violence of another empire that once ruled - Egypt and Pharaoh. And they didn’t want the Jews to be getting any ideas about another possible escape. 

Ultimately, Jesus’ crucifixion was the result of the clash between these two claims: Jesus and the Kingdom of God versus Pilate and the Roman Empire of which Caesar considered himself to be god. 

The significance of Jesus’ life and death for us today is located in the fact that Jesus did not succumb to the temptation, to the taunts and jeers of his captors. Just as Satan had done to Jesus in his 40 days in the wilderness after his baptism in the 3 temptations: turning stones into bread to eat; jumping off the peak of the Temple and asking God’s angels to rescue him; and bowing down to Satan in exchange for immediate power and authority over all without dying on the cross. The tempter had returned - as the voices say: Rescue yourself from the cross; come down here and prove to us that you’re the Son of God; He saved others, but he can’t save himself. 

The thing is, if Jesus had called on God to rescue him, we would have missed the greatest sign of God’s power over all, the Resurrection. In this one act, God shows ultimate power, taking on death and the grave, and showing that death does not have the final say, but that there is life in Christ after death. Why is this significant? 

Because today as we are living through this coronavirus outbreak, we know and can trust that God is with us - in our homes, in the hospital wards, the ICU, in hospice, in the ER and in the morgue. God is in the prisons, and in all the places where hope is diminished, God brings light and life. WHY? 

Because God is ALL IN. God doesn’t leave the scene when the going gets tough. God is ALL IN with us throughout the horrors of this pandemic - and God’s promise to be with us (Emmanuel) means God is with us to face whatever life throws our way - the loss of a spouse, of a parent, of a child, of a job, a home, a limb, one’s memory, whatever befalls us, God is with us in it. And when we think we can’t take another step or face another day, God is with us to be our companion, our strength, our whatever is needed in that moment to get us through. Think about Jesus, when he could barely carry himself to Golgotha let alone the heavy cross beam of his execution, Simon of Cyrene was pushed into service to help carry Jesus’ cross. 

God is ALL IN and doesn’t bail when the going gets tough. Jesus knew the difficult road before him, the brutality of the soldiers and the mocking of the people, and instead of rescuing himself from that moment, Jesus trusted in God to see him through to the other side - to the resurrection and life in God’s glory. 

Jesus is not afraid of the hard times; Jesus is not afraid of the pain of life; And that’s not to say that we’re supposed to behave in the same way as Jesus. Not at all. The point is, we don’t have to be the strong independent brave one facing every difficulty alone. Jesus is there for us to lean on, and Jesus has been through it before. And until Jesus returns to earth, he comes to us in the Body of Christ which is the church. and it is in that imperfect body that God works to provide what is needed at the right time. 

The last point I’ll make is that God is ALL IN for each and every one of you. And the beauty is that, it is true whether we believe it or not - because, our belief doesn’t change who God is. 

God is our creator and God loves who and what God has made. and while God may not like the choices and decisions we make in the way we treat one another (immigrants, poor people, prisoners, enemies), God is still ALL IN for us ALL.

AMEN

COVID-19 epidemic prayer requests

Church of the Good Shepherd has a long history of prayer and action for those in need. During this time of the COVID-19 outbreak, our Prayer Chain members invite you to submit the name(s) of anyone in need of prayer, whether they’ve been exposed to the virus, or they have symptoms or have tested positive, or have a job that puts them in danger of being exposed, and if they are struggling emotionally.

If you would like to add someone to our Prayer List, submit your prayer request online. Our Prayer Chain will keep all prayer requests strictly confidential. If their situation changes, or they no longer need prayer, please use the same link to update us on their status.

Please find below A Prayer Amid an Epidemic for your own use during these difficult times. You are invited to pray it anytime on your own. If you would like to pray it with others, please pause daily at noon wherever you are to pray the words on behalf of all the world.

Let us recall the words of the Apostle Paul to the believers at Philippi: Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

A Prayer Amid an Epidemic

By Kerry Weber

Jesus Christ, you traveled through towns and villages “curing every disease and illness.” At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love.

Heal those who are sick with the virus. May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care.

Heal us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together and neighbors from helping one another.

Heal us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability to a disease that knows no borders.

Jesus Christ, healer of all, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow. Be with those who have died from the virus. May they be at rest with you in your eternal peace.

Be with the families of those who are sick or have died. As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair. May they know your peace.

Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. May they know your protection and peace.

Be with the leaders of all nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve. Give them the wisdom to invest in long-term solutions that will help prepare for or prevent future outbreaks. May they know your peace, as they work together to achieve it on earth.

Whether we are home or abroad, surrounded by many people suffering from this illness or only a few, Jesus Christ, stay with us as we endure and mourn, persist and prepare. In place of our anxiety, give us your peace.

Jesus Christ, heal us.

The Rev. Melissa Buono

Sermon for March 22, 2020

World Day of Prayer 2020

World Day of Prayer is a worldwide, ecumenical movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year, and who, in many countries, have a continuing relationship in prayer and service.

It is initiated and carried out by women in more than 170 countries and regions.

It is symbolized by an annual day of celebration observed on the first Friday in March to which all people are welcome.

It brings women of different races, cultures and traditions together in fellowship, understanding and action throughout the year.

Through World Day of Prayer, women affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and have immeasurable influence in the world.

The motto of World Day of Prayer is “Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action.”

This year’s ecumenical service is written by the Women of Zimbabwe and features songs and art of Zimbabwe as well as the words of Zimbabwean artist Nonhlanhla Mathe. There will be a luncheon in the Parish Hall following the service at Trinity Concord. In the meantime, please check out the video above for a look at the country and culture of Zimbabwe. 

The Lent/Easter 2020 issue of the Shepherd's Staff!

A Word from the Fold

Lent and Easter 2020 edition of the Seasonal Shepherd's Staff

Observing a Holy Lent

The season of Lent lasts 40 days (not including the 6 Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday. From the earliest days of the Church, Lent was the time in which catechumens were prepared through a course of religious instruction that culminated in baptism and one’s welcome into the Body of Christ, the Church as part of the Great Vigil of Easter. In the first three centuries of the Church as word spread about this new community of believers, converts to the faith were mostly adults.

However, according to bible.org, infant baptism also arose as a universal practice early on in the life of the Church. The reasons for this include understanding baptism as initiation into the community of faith and the washing away of original sin. Moreover, it was thought that there was a real spiritual impact on the person being baptized as they received the grace and forgiveness of God in the rite of baptism. The article went on to note that references to the universal practice of infant baptism was spoken of by Augustine as early as 400 AD in light of the understanding that infants are born with original sin.

Today the period of Lent is less about preparing for baptism but is nonetheless a penitential time marked by prayer, fasting and repentance. Christians are invited in the liturgy of Ash Wednesday to “observe a holy Lent” by setting apart time for self-reflection. To this end, practices of self-denial and going without something significant are thought to help in this journey of Lenten preparation for the joyous celebration of Easter.

The last 10 years or so have seen a rise in alternative ways to observe Lent so as to offer practices that encourage faith and growth in the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). In 2015, Time magazine featured Pope Francis’ writing on what he calls “the globalization of indifference” that threatens all Christian believers. The Pontiff wrote “whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades.” He continues that, “We end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own.”

There are lots of ways to observe a holy Lent. At the website YourModernFamily.com, author Becky Mansfield offers a list of 10 unique things to give up for Lent. These include ideas like: Not buying anything you don’t need; Throw/Give away 40 things for 40 days; Say 3 encouraging things to your spouse and kids daily; and Replace 30 minutes of TV or screen time with 30 minutes of prayer or bible reading.

However you choose to observe this Lenten season, I hope that you will find a way to connect with God and with others to grow in appreciation of God’s love for you.

Melissa

Breakfast and Discussion on Immigration

The focus will be on Temporary Protected Status. TPS recipients will attend to answer questions. Also, the event will include a short film and discussion about the play that some American children of Salvadoran descent created and took to Congress last year. 

St. Matthew's UMC

435 Central Street, Acton

Saturday March 7 8:30 am

Life Transformed - The Way of Love in Lent

Sunday Morning Lenten Program February 23 through April 5

Our Lenten Program will begin on Sunday February 23 and continue weekly at 11:45 am. It will be a look at Episcopal Church program, Life Transformed: The Way of Love in Lent. Together we will walk with Jesus in his Way of Love and into the experience of transformed life as we journey through Lent into Easter. We will reflect anew on the loving actions of God as recounted in the Easter Vigil readings which will lead us through the depths of salvation history into the Easter Resurrection. This class will be especially helpful as we prepare to celebrate the Great Easter Vigil on Saturday April 11. I hope you will plan to join us as we walk the journey of Lent together.   

Ash Wednesday, February 26

Ash Wednesday services  will held at 7:30 am and 7:30 pm on Wednesday, February 26.

We  will once again be having Ashes To Go at the South Acton and Littleton Train Stations from 4:00 to- 6:00 pm. We hope you will spread the word and hope to see you  on that day.