Below are four summary questions used to structure the Feasting on the Word Curriculum each week. I hope you can find some time this week to review and reflect on the passage.

WHAT is important to know?
From “Exegetical Perspective,” Paul W. Walaskay

Luke tells us a great deal about these two men. Philip is one of seven Greek-speaking Jewish Christians appointed to tend to the needs of others (Acts 6:1-6). The Ethiopian is in charge of the treasury of the Candace, the official title of the queen mother, head of the government in Ethiopia. That he travels by chariot attests tohis status. That he possesses a scroll of the prophet Isaiah attests to his wealth. Moreover, we are told that he isa eunuch, a not unusual situation for one whose life is devoted to serving in the queen’s court. As a castratedmale, he would not have been granted access to the temple (see Deuteronomy 23:1).

WHERE is God in these words?
From “Theological Perspective,” Karen Baker-Fletcher

Notice the text’s description of how the Spirit of God moves Philip to act and teach. When the messengerof God says to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza”(v. 26), Philip immediately gets up and goes. Upon seeing the Ethiopian eunuch, Philip runs to the chariot

where the eunuch, in charge of the queen’s treasury, is sitting. He immediately asks the eunuch if heunderstands the passage from Isaiah (53:7-8) that the eunuch is reading aloud.

SO WHAT does this mean for our lives?
From “Pastoral Perspective,” Thomas G. Long

As the gospel moves into the world, it gathers under the wings of God’s mercy more and more of those whohave been lost, pushed away, and forgotten. “What is to prevent me from being baptized?” asked the eunuch.”Absolutely nothing,” whispered the Spirit. So the eunuch commanded the chariot to stop, and he was baptizedright on the spot. Walls of prejudice and prohibition that had stood for generations came tumbling down bythe breath of God’s Holy Spirit, and another man who felt lost and humiliated was found and restored in thewideness of God’s grace in Jesus Christ.

NOW WHAT is God’s word calling us to do?
From “Homiletical Perspective,” Barbara Brown Taylor

It is Philip’s grounding in his tradition that enables him to recognize God’s leading-even when it leads himplaces no human authority has told him he may go-and to act in the power of the Spirit. If we were tosurrender control of our own travel plans for even an hour, where might the Spirit send us? How many of ouraccidental encounters with other people are really divine appointments? How can we learn to tell the differencebetween the two?

Elizabeth Hope
Director of Christian Education

June 25th through June 29th

The Sunday before Easter is known as Palm Sunday. It is the beginning of Holy week. It celebrates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. Once every year the people of God went to Jerusalem, the holy city of God, to celebrate the feast of Passover, to remember how God led them through the waters to freedom. This year as Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem people hoped he would be their King. Great crowds of people thronged the streets waving palm branches to welcome him. The people shouted

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

and laid their cloaks and palm branches from the nearby trees in His path.

• Why did people lay down their coats and palm branches? . Remember that they didn’t have paved roads back then – the roads were dirt. They were showing their respect to Jesus by covering the road so that He wouldn’t get dirty
• Jesus made quite an entrance! People were trying to figure out who He was.
• Remember, there was no television back then. People had heard about Him, but they had never seen Him before.
• It was difficult for some of the people of Jesus’ time to realize that He was God and that He was going to save them.

The Bishop is coming to visit on January 8th. Those who want to join in these classes as preparation for being presented to him to join the Episcopal Church, are encouraged to join us.

I am hoping to get enough teachers that you will only teach once every two months- that is a max four or five Sundays all year. Three to five hours for an entire year—I hope that’s not too much to ask! Teaching dates will be planned around your schedule. I certainly appreciate everyone that has already volunteered to teach- we are almost half way there. Recruit a friend, ask a fellow parishioner, teach with your spouse! Even if you taught twenty years ago you can still teach. Let me know where you would like to help:

• Godly Play: 3-5 year olds
• 1st–3rd grade
• 4th & 5th grade

If you’re flexible, I’ll fill you in where you can help the most. Call or e-mail Elizabeth Hope, 423-3230 , or Elizabeth.Hope@goodshepherdnorfolk.org

Want to help with older youth or adults? Give Ben or Robert a call, 423-3230.

Faithfully,
Elizabeth

EfM runs at Good Shepherd from September to May. This group meets from 9 to 11:15 on Friday mornings. Participants enroll for one year at a time. Although this is not a clergy dependent program, Robert Davenport has been mentoring this group. He hopes to add a co-mentor in the fall. There are presently 5 people who will be in a fourth year class, and there is room for 6 first year students. With sufficient interest, there is the possibility of forming a class in the afternoon with Sallie Avery as the mentor. Below is description of the EfM program. Other materials can be found online at http://www.sewanee.edu/EFM.

Through study, prayer, and reflection, EfM groups move toward a new understanding of the fullness of God’s kingdom. This process can be illustrated by a two-rail fence. One rail is the Christian tradition. The other is the collective experience of the group’s members. The rails are linked by fence posts which represent the seminar sessions where life and study meet. The fence is grounded in the soil of regular worship which is vital to the life of the group.

Participants are given weekly assignments to study with the help of resource guides. Students are responsible for setting their own learning goals. They spend between two and four hours in study and preparation each week. In the seminars members have an opportunity to share their insights and discoveries as well as to discuss questions which the study materials raise for them.

Through discussion and guided reflection, the seminars furnish an opportunity to deepen understanding of the reading materials.

More important is the development of skills in theological reflection. The goal is to learn to think theologically. By examining their own beliefs and their relationship to our culture and the tradition of our Christian faith, participants can learn what it means to be effective ministers in the world. In coming to terms with the notion that everything we do has potential for manifesting the love of Christ, we discover that our ministry is at hand wherever we turn.

The seminar is supported by a life of prayer and regular worship. EfM groups are encouraged to develop a pattern of worship appropriate to their situations. Liturgical materials are furnished with the course materials.