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In preparation for Good Shepherd Sunday, this week I am thinking about Psalm 23 and Lord of the Rings. It occurred to me that Psalm 23 would make a good hobbit walking song, for hobbits like to sing when they walk, and always mention home and table, especially close to the end of their singing (LOTR, Ch. 3, Book 1).

Psalm 23 is also about walking along pathways and eating at tables.

And that got me thinking about Gandalf, who the hobbits put so much trust in, and who often shows up as a Jesus-like figure in the books.

So, friends, I present to you, created by Chat GPT, Psalm 23 as a hobbit walking song. It’s no Tolkien, but fun none-the-less.

"In the green Shire, where hills do roll,
I walk in peace, with heart and soul.
Beneath the sky, so blue and wide,
With each step taken, no need to hide.

Through fields of green, and forests deep,
Where secrets lie, and shadows creep.
With sturdy feet, on paths well-known,
In hobbit lands, I'm not alone.

Though shadows loom, I fear no ill,
For Gandalf walks beside me still.
His staff and rod, they comfort me,
In lands where hobbits dance with glee.

A table set, with feast abound,
In Rivendell, where joy resounds.
With friends around, I raise my voice,
In songs of praise, my heart rejoice.

So let the winds of Middle-earth blow,
Through valleys deep, and mountains low.
For in this land, where hobbits roam,
I'll find my way, and call it home."

Did you know that at Good Shepherd we have two podcasts that you can subscribe and listen to wherever you find podcasts?

The first is a lectionary podcast in which Fr. Groff and I discuss the passages of Scripture assigned for the upcoming Sunday. The second has the homily from each of our services.

Find them below and subscribe to never miss an episode!

Hear These Words: Episode 144 – All Saints Sunday – Year A (11/1/2026) – Hear These Words

Readings for All Saints Sunday, Year A:Revelation 7:9-17Psalm 34:1-10, 221 John 3:1-3Matthew 5:1-12Hear These Words is a weekly podcast from Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Tequesta, FL hosted by The Rev. Dr. Sanford Groff. Each week Fr. Groff is joined by the Rev. Jim Cook, Assisting Priest, to discuss the passages of Scripture assigned for the upcoming Sunday according to the Revised Common Lectionary. Listen to (or watch) episodes each Tuesday at http://www.GoodShepOnline.org or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.Music: Facticity by Nihilore available at http://www.nihilore.com/hopeful

1. Hear These Words: Episode 144 – All Saints Sunday – Year A (11/1/2026) 28:02
2. Hear These Words: Episode 143 – 22nd Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 25A (10/25/2026) 21:12
3. Hear These Words: Episode 142 – 21st Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 24A (10/18/2026) 21:12
4. Hear These Words: Episode 141 – 20th Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 23A (10/11/2026) 27:03
5. Hear These Words: Episode 140 – 19th Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 22A (10/4/2026) 24:24

Understanding the Dress Code of Grace – Sermon for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23A (10/11/2026) – Homilies from Good Shepherd Episcopal Church- Tequesta

A homily preached on Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23A on October 11, 2026 by the Rev. Jim Cook at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Tequesta, FL.  

1. Understanding the Dress Code of Grace – Sermon for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23A (10/11/2026) 14:28
2. It Was Never Ours, and There Is Enough – Sermon for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 22A (10/4/2026) 15:06
3. A House Built by You – Sermon for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 21A (9/27/2026) 15:55
4. Why Comparison Kills Joy – Sermon for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 20A (9/20/2026) 11:00
5. When the Ground Gives Way – Sermon for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 18A (9/6/2026) 18:10

Find the full text here.

Understanding the Dress Code of Grace – Sermon for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23A (10/11/2026) – Homilies from Good Shepherd Episcopal Church- Tequesta

A homily preached on Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23A on October 11, 2026 by the Rev. Jim Cook at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Tequesta, FL.  

1. Understanding the Dress Code of Grace – Sermon for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23A (10/11/2026) 14:28
2. It Was Never Ours, and There Is Enough – Sermon for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 22A (10/4/2026) 15:06
3. A House Built by You – Sermon for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 21A (9/27/2026) 15:55
4. Why Comparison Kills Joy – Sermon for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 20A (9/20/2026) 11:00
5. When the Ground Gives Way – Sermon for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 18A (9/6/2026) 18:10

Find the full text here.

Happy Easter from the Larsons!

Tonight was the Great Vigil of Easter at Good Shepherd, and it was absolutely beautiful. While it’s not the most attended service of the year, it IS the climax of the church year. Beginning in the prayer labyrinth with a fire to light the paschal candle which leads us in procession into the darkness of the church where we hear passages of Scripture and songs that tell the history of salvation, before then renewing our baptismal vows and proclaiming the arrival of Easter, it’s a packed and rich service!

Check out this beautiful photo, Merike, our parish administrator caught while I was chanting the Exsultet.

Find the full text here.

Find the full text here.

Its the second Sunday of the month and that means Church on the Green at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church! This week we are celebrating St. Patrick early and the celtic voices of Christianity who often teach us about the God who meets us outside (outside buildings, outside boundaries, outside of ourselves!).

Church on the Green is our twice, monthly outdoor service that lives at the intersection of the seasons of nature and the seasons of the church. Every week has it’s own theme that brings together our liturgical traditions with the natural world.