By definition a shepherd is a person who cares and protects.
In ancient cultures, shepherds were a prevalent group of workers,
seen by many people who would go to great lengths to protect
their flock, even to giving their life. It is no wonder that
our Lord Jesus used the image of a shepherd as he described
the manner by which he cares for and protects us. Through his
life and ministry Jesus cares for us by living a life that reflects
his commandment to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. And
Jesus protects us by giving his life for us, and raising us
up with him to new life with God for all time.
"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know
me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I
lay down my life for the sheep." - St. John 10:14-15 (NRSV)
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (LCGS) is a community
of believers who heard God's call and have been gathered together
to share Word and Sacrament. In his "Small Catechism," in the
explanation of the Third Article of the Apostle's Creed (which
begins "I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, . . .),
Martin Luther (left) wrote that the Holy Spirit "calls,
gathers, enlightens, sanctifies, and keeps" us as His people.
Around 1970 the members of two congregations in east Lancaster
were "called" and "enlightened" to join together to proclaim
Jesus Christ in a new location outside the city limits.
A rich
history, the congregation
was established in May 1971 from the merger of Advent Lutheran
Church, East Orange Street, and St. Mark's Lutheran Church,
South Ann Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Both parent congregations
were a result of Sunday School classes and were organized in
1899 and 1902, respectively. On May 21, 1972, the name changed
from Advent/St. Mark's to Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd.
Since the building's dedication in 1973, LCGS has had a
growing congregation. So much so, that in 1989 more space was
added for the following: classrooms, choirs, the library, office
and work aread, a larger kitchen and social hall facility and
a larger parking area.
LCGS is a congregation of the
Lower Susquehanna Synod
(LSS) of the
Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) with its headquarters in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania, the LSS covers a 9-county area and has 271 churches,
presided over by Bishop Pennrose Hoover. The LSS has links to
Lutheran camps, seminaries, and advocacy and social ministry
groups and to the ELCA, which has its headquarters in Chicago,
Illinois. Bishop The Reverend Mark S. Hanson presides over 65
synods of the ELCA, the fifth largest Protestant denomination
in the United States.
The wall sculpture of the Memorial Garden cross has become recognized
as a valued part of our daily spiritual life. Its fragmented
design reminds us of the many changes going on in our own lives
-- and within the congregation.
It and the companion
processional cross used during our services were created by
sculptor George Mummert, an Artist in Residence at Millersville
University.
Its unique design came about through his
visit to the Basilica De Guadalupe in Mexico in 1986. A geometric
patterned wall behind the basilica's altar was finished in gold
leaf. Mr. Mummert said it was the inspiration for the Memorial
Garden cross we see today and hopes it will provide a worthy
focus for all who come to the Memorial Garden at Good Shepherd
for meditation.
Whether one's concerns are of a medical,
professional, spiritual or financial nature, the Memorial Garden
cross has encouraged thoughtful reflection and prayer, and in
the process brought comfort to those in need. In short, it helps
us remember that only through God are all things made possible.
For these reasons this cross serves as an effective visual "guidepost"
as we set out to do God's work -- no matter where that may lead
us.
When Advent Lutheran and
St. Mark's Lutheran Churches both located in mid-city Lancaster
merged, a congregational meeting was called to find a name for
the merged church. Various names were submitted for vote; The
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd was the favorite and the
name we use today.
The architects, Bink & Bink from
Harrisburg who designed the new church building included a drawing
of a Good Shepherd Statue at the front entrance to the church
to enhance the building and to give our church identity. At
the time the church was built in 1973, the statue could not
be included due to lack of finances.
January 1973, Robert Dale Coble, treasurer of the congregation
and a very active member of Advent and Good Shepherd died an
untimely death and the family asked those who would ordinarily
give memorial gifts to do so with the hope that the statue could
come to be. The memorial fund eventually reached almost $10,000
and we were able to start planning for the Good Shepherd statue.
Mr. Coble's family continues to attend church at Good Shepherd.
A 12-foot, six-ton block of Indiana limestone arrived
on Good Friday, 1974 on a flat bed truck that took two full
days to reach the church and six husky men to unload the six-ton
block. The Good Shepherd sculpture was begun and took three
months to carve by Alois LiDauer Lidauer, a distinguished sculptor
with a fine reputation in his Austrian homeland. His home in
Salzburg was at the foot of the Austrian Alps and he was accustomed
to working in cooler weather than Lancaster in July. Busloads
of students would come daily from public schools, art schools
and day camps in the Lancaster area to watch the carving and
were totally in awe. Thirty-five years later many of those students
as adults are still talking about the project and especially
the carving of the lamb.
Mr. Lidauer finished the Good
Shepherd in August that year. On his last day in Lancaster he
had some final work to do on the feet of his creation as well
as carve his name on it's base. With that he completed his commission.
The work stands 15-feet tall including the base. The
statue is over twice life size and the sculptor was very pleased
with the finished work of art. He said it would have taken much
longer, but the weather was almost perfect the three months
he was in Lancaster. The local "Sunday News" rated a picture
of the Good Shepherd Statue (left) as the Photographer's Choice
in their June 23, 1974 issue.
