Wendell Berry writes in The Art of the Commonplace, “…what fidelity is meant to protect is the possibility of moments when what we have chosen and what we desire are the same”. At Good Shepherd, fidelity means walking humbly with our eyes and hearts set upon Jesus and his in-breaking Kingdom. Rooted in the Scriptures and Sacraments, we are shaped by the ancient Tradition and practices of our faith. Yet, even when we falter, God’s faithfulness never wavers—his covenant remains steadfast in and through Christ Jesus.

In Reaching Out, Henri Nouwen describes hospitality as the “creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not changing people, but to offer them space where change can take place...It is not a method of making our God and our way into the criteria of happiness, but the opening of an opportunity to others to find their God and their way”. We believe true hospitality is not about changing others but making room for transformation. At Good Shepherd, we seek to be a warm and safe parish where people encounter not only welcome but the divine hospitality of God. It is here—where our defenses fall and our hearts open—that communion with God and one another deepens.

Archbishop Oscar Romero reminds us in The Violence of Love, “When we struggle for human rights, for freedom, for dignity, when we feel that it is a ministry of the church to concern itself for those who are hungry, for those who have no schools, for those who are deprived, we are not departing from God’s promise. He comes to free us from sin, and the church knows that sin’s consequences are all such injustices and abuses. The church knows itis saving the world when it undertakes to speak also of such things.” To stand for justice and with the oppressed and vulnerable is not a departure from the Gospel—it is its fulfillment. At Good Shepherd, we affirm that every person is created in the image of God. This calls us to:

1. Engage graciously with differing perspectives.

2. Walk alongside the marginalized.

3. Pursue reconciliation, even when it requires us to acknowledge past wrongs.

Solidarity demands patience, mercy, and grace. We listen. We repent. We stand.

C.S. Lewis observes in Mere Christianity, “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give…If our giving does not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say it is too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot because our commitment to giving excludes them.” Generosity in Scripture is likened to sowing seed—farmers scatter abundantly, trusting in the harvest to come (2 Corinthians 9:6-15). At Good Shepherd, we seek to give in ways that challenge us, feeling the “pinch” of sacrificial generosity so that we, too, might reflect the abundant love of God’s Kingdom.

We often pray “Give us this day our daily bread” when we have weeks of provisions in our pantries. Richard Foster wisely notes, “Simplicity enables us to live lives of integrity in the face of the terrible realities of our global village.” In a culture that so often equates success with excess, Good Shepherd seeks to embody simplicity—living intentionally so that our abundance might serve the needs of the world.

Our rich Christian tradition holds that the beauty we see, hear, smell, feel, and even taste is a glimpse of God’s goodness and the divine beauty that pours forth from his Kingdom. N.T. Wright touches a bit on this reality in his book Simply Christian, “The arts are not the pretty but irrelevant bits around the border of reality. They are the highways into the center of a reality which cannot be glimpsed, let alone grasped, any other way. The present world is good, but broken and in any case incomplete; art of all kinds enables us to understand that paradox in its many dimensions. But the present world is also designed for something which has not yet happened. It is like a violin waiting to be played: beautiful to look at, graceful to hold-and yet if you'd never heard one in the hands of a musician, you wouldn't believe the new dimensions of beauty yet to be revealed. Perhaps art can show something of that, can glimpse the future possibilities pregnant within the present time.” The beauty we encounter in creation, art, and worship is a foretaste of God’s Kingdom. At Good Shepherd, we cultivate a deep imagination for the divine and celebrate beauty as an expression of God’s truth.

James K. A. Smith, in his book Thinking in Tongues, speaks of regaining an “openness to God doing something differently or new”. We live in an age where mystery has been overshadowed by data. Yet, the Spirit moves in ways we cannot predict. Like the disciples at Pentecost, we long to be surprised by God, open to the unexpected in our lives, our worship, and our community. To be Spirit led and formed together.