Dear friends of our Good Shepherd,

This month is a milestone for my family and me – we are celebrating five years of being members of Good Shepherd and the Rockford community. We are so thankful to walk with you through the good times and the hard times of our life together. Thank you for the generous Christmas gift – you do not know how much your prayer support and our shared community life means to us, especially during times of loss, as many of us have experienced recently. As we begin our sixth year of living and sharing Jesus together, I am committed to growing as a pastor and fellow traveler, as we reach out with the love of God and grow in faith, hope, and love as a grassroots, passionate Jesus community, a mission station in this community that lives and shares Jesus for the sake of our neighbors.

 

I am excited about our Lenten series, Gifts of the Dark Wood: Seven Blessings for Soulful Skeptics (and Other Wanderers). Here is what the series is about: “Though commonly understood as a place to be feared and avoided, the Dark Wood is the surest place to meet God. It is a place where you may feel uncertain, empty, lost, tempted, and alone. Yet these feelings—these gifts of the Dark Wood—can be your greatest assets on your journey because they invite you to probe, question, and discover. According to the ancients, you don’t need to be a saint or spiritual master to experience profound awakening. You don’t even have to be ‘above average’. All you really need to be is struggling. This series is for anyone who feels awkward in their search for God, who seeks to find holiness amid their holy mess.”

 

We want to communicate better. Our church website is being revamped, our Facebook group is getting more attention. If you have an email address or cell number that we do not have, please let us know – you can email me at lemonholm@gmail.com or call or text me on my cell at 815-708-5997, or drop a line to Susan at the church office.

 

Living and Sharing Jesus!

Pr. Eric