“Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives … were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.”

Those words come from the Gospel lesson for June 24, 2007, the commemoration of John the Baptist. Luke 1:57-67 tells the story of John the Baptist’s birth.

Six or seven times a year, the praise team at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Easton, plans a thematic worship service focusing on a particular theme in the lessons appointed for that Sunday. Their goal is to come up with creative ideas to help worshippers experience the selected theme.

For June 23 and June 24, 2007, the praise team came up with the idea of having a baby shower for John the Baptist.

Members of the praise team went to Boscov’s, Bon-Ton, Kohls, and Babies-R-Us, where they registered for gifts. The baby shower was announced in the Sunday worship booklet and the June newsletter:

Special Invitation
Friends and family of Zechariah and Elizabeth invite you to a “Baby Shower” to be held Saturday, June 23, at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 24, at 8:15 and 11:00 a.m. It’s rumored that Zechariah and Elizabeth are having a boy – but all baby shower gifts will be welcomed. Don’t worry about duplicates; all gifts will be given to a worthy cause (Turning Point and Third Street Alliance). Zechariah and Elizabeth have registered at Boscov’s, Bon-Ton, Kohl’s, and Babies-R-Us under the name of Good Shepherd (“Good” is the first name and “Shepherd” is the last name). Please plan to join us for this special event. (P.S. In worship on June 23 and June 24, we will be celebrating the festival of John the Baptist.)

On June 23 and 24, the narthex was decorated for a baby shower and refreshments were served following worship. Napkins were in the shape of a diaper. Small packages of cookies, wrapped in blue paper with the words, “And his name shall be John,” were handed out.

During worship, people were invited to come forward during the offering and place their baby shower gifts in a Pack-n-Play set up next to the baptismal font.

“Baby John the Baptist” received approximately one hundred gifts. These included diapers, pacifiers, lotions, bath items, stuffed animals, bottles, clothing, blankets, educational toys, puppets, and more. All gifts were then given to Turning Point and Third Street Alliance.

The Good Shepherd praise team has been meeting and finding unusual ways for worshippers to experience worship themes since 2002, when Good Shepherd celebrated its 100th anniversary. During one “Good Shepherd” Sunday focusing on the passage, “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out,” people were called by name to come to the altar and receive Holy Communion.

Another time, bottles of water were given out to highlight Jesus telling a Samaritan woman, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”

For more information about the praise team ideas, contact Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at 610-258-0081.