The Broadway musical “Harold and Maude” is a somewhat dark but refreshingly touching and hysterical romantic comedy about the celebration of life. It is the story of an eccentric young man who has a morbid fascination with funerals and death who meets an equally eccentric old woman named Maude. Maude is as much in love with life as she is with death. They become great friends and Maude leads Harold on a series of adventures. She teaches him to dance, to play the game Spoons, and to transplant trees from the city to the forest. She always seems to lead him in the direction of self discovery. The story of Harold and Maude has again and again reared its head in my sometimes dark but refreshingly touching and hysterical romantic comedy of a life.

Joyously, Harold prepares for Maude’s 80th birthday only to be shocked when Maude tells him that she has been ill for some time. Harold protests that he wants to join her in the great beyond, but she says no – he is the tree that she has planted, she needs him to “grow.” As life comes to a close for Maude, she sings to him her feelings about “moving on”

We’re like a flock of birds moving endlessly
But listen to me
I want you to know
The most important thing
Before the time when we must fly away
We have the chance to SING!
Don’t miss the chance to SING!

Maude passes away and Harold is alone again. At first he feels lost but soon, in a final last coda of the song, Harold slowly begins coming back to life —He understands the lesson that Maude has taught him and the precious gift she has given him —the ability to recognize joy and celebrate life!

Over the past few weeks in Africa I experienced many of these feelings. I will forever remember Emma and the other children from the School for the Deaf in Embagweni. I will always feel great honor in being part of the 150th celebration of the Anglican Church in Malawi at St. Peter’s Cathedral. I was overwhelmed by the hospitality, the sense of community, the music, and the celebration of life I experienced at St. Peter’s.

Mothers Union Choir St. Peter's Cathedral, Likoma Island

As I left Likoma Island (home of St. Peter’s) on what I am sure was the oldest, smallest airplane still flying the friendly skies (it held three people and the pilot with no room for luggage) I couldn’t help but think, Will I ever see these people again? Will I ever experience the unafraid belting out of the hymn “All people that on earth do dwell”? The answer is yes! Yes I will! It will be the song and story that I will choose to search for and take part in—a story about life and celebration—beginning and ending and beginning over and over again.

Children playing instruments and singing at St. Peter's Primary School, Likoma Island Malawi

Each of us is always called to seek and rediscover who we are to be and what song and story we choose to be a part of. As we move forward in long range planning at Good Shepherd my hope is that we will move in a “Maude-Like” way. May we at Good Shepherd as well as those at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Africa be eccentrically in love with life. May we commit ourselves to being open in new ways: learn to dance, play Spoons, transplant trees from the city to the forest or maybe transplant trees from the forest to the city. This coming Sunday we will begin with the hymn “All people that on Earth do dwell.” I hope each of you will come to church at 9:00 and join me in belting this song out with zip and zing! I really love it when everyone really sings out but more importantly I really missed you all and want to see you!

Ben

This summer was the third year that I spent part of my summer in the Eastern Shore with friends from Norfolk, and friends that I met from Pennsylvania. During the week, we slept in the church, and each day we would continue to help out on the house. This year, we were working on Ms. Tucker’s house. On the first day, we started taking off the shingles of her house and on her shed, because she was having leak problems. This took almost a full day of work, but we were able to complete it in one day. This is one of the more fun things to do, because we knew this was the easiest part of the work compared to the next few days. On the next two days, we worked on shingling her house which made it look a lot better. Another project we did to her house along with the shingling was to re-paint the cracked wood around the windows and at the bottom of the roof.

On the fourth day, we finally had completed the house. We asked Ms. Tucker herself to get up on the roof and nail down the final shingle. When we were getting a final group picture in front of the finished house, tears of joy ran down Ms. Tucker’s face, and then we realized how important we really were to her. On the final day, we were rewarded by a day of camping on the beach in Assateague, where we got to see wild horses that were very interesting. Overall, the trip was a great experience for us. All the work was worth it, knowing that we helped someone else in need.

Lawson Driskill

Betty Tucker drives the final nail in her new roof.

Jonathan Simpson, Lawson Driskill, Megan Stracener, Virginia Sanford, Dalton Nesbitt, Eric Hope, Rolf Williams, Keith Hope, Gerry Smelt, Bob Starck and Beth Williams all contributed these words that represent memories and rewards of our trip to the Eastern Shore, a trip that was made possible by the generosity of this congregation.

Our words of reflection are: Community, Faith, Friends, Fun, Bug Bites, Hammering, Nails, Steep, Thankful, Helpful, Lost, Found, Togetherness.

Dear Friends and Members of the Church of the Good Shepherd,

We had a happy ground breaking at St.Matthew’s, Embangweni, Malawi on Saturday. Peter Stewart, head of our Links Committee that oversees our relationship with this parish, expertly took our first shovelful of dirt. Adrian Kajanei, their layreader, literally separated the sheep and the goat for us. All us sheep from both parishes as well as the local tribal chiefs shared the goat he provided in a grand celebration.

On Sunday, we went to the Presbyterian service with some of the deaf students and later walked to the Anglican services where I preached. The worship was in Checheyowa, their national language but the sermon was translated into English. Ben Blanchard and my niece Sophie have joined the choir. Later that same day, Hebron, hospital driver, drove us to N’kata Bay to swim and to tour with an eclectic international crowd. Arriving back here late last night, the others are working hard this morning at the deaf school. I am on the way to a local village to tour a newly constructed church building at the request of a faithful layman from Lynchburg, Virginia. He has been a driving force in this project.

We have been quite busy however, it remains a joy for me to work with such talented people here and to represent such faithful people there.

Faithfully,
Robert Davenport

On Monday, June 20, a group from Good Shepherd leaves to go to the Eastern Shore. They will return Friday, June 24. Please remember their travels and ministry in your prayers. Those going are: Beth Williams, Keith Hope, Gerry Smelt, David Driskill, Bob Starck, Grace & Burk Strid, Lawson Driskill, Megan Stracener, Eric Hope, Virginia Sanford and Dalton Nesbitt.

A Month Away!
February 2 through February 9

Nest is a coalition of 30 churches and synagogues whose mission is to provide a warm supper and overnight shelter for homeless men, women, and children for the winter months. The shelter is rotated weekly between Norfolk churches from November-April.

There are many ways you can become involved with this ministry. We especially are looking for OVERNIGHT STAFF and MONETARY DONATIONS.

It takes many volunteers to help run the shelter each night and each job is important. We believe NEST is an opportunity to welcome and serve Jesus by helping our homeless guests. We invite you to be a part of this ministry by signing up to help. Sign up here or on the sign-up board outside the parish hall. For more information please contact David Driskill.

Women with Spirit(s)!

Wouldn’t it be great to have a meal ready to take to someone under the weather? LPC thought so, too! On two Thursday evenings, Sept. 10th and Oct 15th, we’re going to be In The Kitchen 6-8 pm, preparing a yummy soup and some cookies, which will be stored in the church freezer in individual serving sizes, so they can be taken at a moment’s notice to someone in need. Please join us! There’ll be a light supper, with spirits, for these Women with Spirit(s) as we make the soup and bake the cookies.

What if a MAN likes to cook and wants to join in the fun? Well COME ON! We take all comers!

~Peggy Troyer

Our time here has been quite an adventure! Molly, Dana and the group arrived safely in Belize City this past Friday morning. George Bryan arrived on a separate plane early afternoon and I arrived from California about an hour after George. He was waiting for me at the airport when I arrived. I don’t think George nor I have ever been more happy to see each other! Phillip, from Belize (an amazing guide arranged by the school) shuttled us to meet the group at the Anglican Diocesan center in Belize where we were to spend the night.  

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