October 3
Beloved of Good Shepherd Church
Grace to you and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!
I have been in touch with Brian Cole and Andrew Hege, two of our dearest friends and former clergy of Good Shepherd Church, about the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on east Tennessee and western North Carolina where they currently serve. They are both okay, but they give sorrowful testimony of the destruction Helene left in her path. All of us, of course, want to know how we can help right now. We cannot go to the affected areas, but we can give money to the relief efforts. The Diocese of East Tennessee has helpful links and message from Bishop Brian HERE.
It is stunning to realize that a hurricane that made landfall in Florida has left a great many of our neighbors in the mountains of North Carolina without power, water, and food. The path of suffering from Florida through Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas is heartbreaking. What makes it all more difficult is that in these early days there is not much we can do to physically help. We have been urged not to physically go to the affected areas in order to give local agencies, the federal government, and large relief organizations all the room they need to operate. So what can we do beyond giving money? We can let this disaster open our eyes and our hearts ever further to the suffering and vulnerable people in our own community. Etty Hillesum, a young Jewish woman held captive in Nazi Germany, wrote this illuminating line about suffering shortly before her death: “There are no frontiers between suffering people, and we must pray for [and help] them all.” All suffering is, in the deepest theological sense, one suffering. So, since we can’t race off to lend our help on the scene of the disasters waged by the hurricane just yet, perhaps we can turn our attention all the more to the vulnerable and suffering people in our midst in our own community. Check our Outreach Page to find out how you can help people in our community who are struggling, and reach out to GSEC Outreach Minister, Julie Broderson, to learn more about how you can make outreach a part of your own spiritual practice.
And stay tuned…as we discover more ways (and we will) to be helpful in response to the hurricane, we will let you know.
Finally, I want to offer a few notes about life at Good Shepherd right now. One, join us this Sunday for the Blessing of the Animals at 1pm. Two, also note that our annual Stewardship Season begins this Sunday. Beloved Good Shepherd member, Bob Owen, is our lead-off stewardship speaker and will offer a brief reflection at all three worship services. Three, make plans to attend the Meditation Retreat at Good Shepherd on Saturday, November 9th with contemplative teacher, The Reverend Tom Ward.
Remember this always - God loves you, and I love you too!
Love is all,
Hendree+
Click HERE to read Hendree’s Blog