Fourth Sunday of Easter – Pastor Ellen Mills

I am offering you two ways to receive this. In print, you will need to read the scriptures for yourself, and then the prayer and reflection that follow in this post. If you click on the audio link below (below), you can hear all of it, including the scriptures.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray,

O God our shepherd, you know your sheep by name and lead us to safety through the valleys of death. Guide us by your voice, that we may walk in certainty and security to the joyous feast prepared in your house, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Acts 2:42-47

Psalm 23

1 Peter 2:19-25

John 10:1-10

This morning, there is a lot about sheep and shepherds. And as I wrote this, I was enjoying the bright green of early spring in the midwest. This goes with my experience of sheep where I grew up in Virginia, but this was not the reality for the sheep in Psalms and John. The shepherd was not only needed for protection from thieves and predators, the shepherd was needed to lead the sheep to grass and other plants which were not abundant in that dry and rocky area. Psalm 23 is a vision of abundance that might have been beyond the experience of any sheep then. And it includes a couple of phrases that I find very important. God “makes us” lie down in green pastures. We are in a society of busyness and overwork. Sometimes we need to be encouraged, or even made, to rest. The other well known phrase is that “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Only that is not the sense of the Hebrew verb. It is not just “follow.” It is to pursue or chase down. Does it strike you differently if our God makes us lie down in rest and abundance and chases us with goodness and mercy”?

The other reality in this psalm is that it is both/and. The harsh reality of the daily life of a sheep does not go away. There are still dark valleys, and enemies. But as Jesus makes clear, the shepherd is out ahead of the sheep, leading them by voice, and walking with them. There is the danger of daily life outside of the sheepfold, but food and water are found there. The shepherd protects and remains with the sheep, and each day calls and leads them out of and then back into the sheepfold.

Jesus states that he has come so that the sheep would have life, and have it abundantly. And it requires a close relationship between shepherd and sheep. Each sheep is known by the shepherd. Each sheep has learned to hear and respond to the shepherd’s voice. Each day there will be the possibility of danger. There will be many unknowns. The shepherd does not take away the unknowns. The shepherd invites the trust to follow his voice in the midst of rough territory. We are in a time of uncertainty and change that is unlikely to immediately get better. Jesus says he came to bring us not just existence, but abundant life. What is abundant life? We have a time of pause to ponder that. Is it possessions? Is it busyness? Is it relationships? And if it is relationships, is it many relationships, with few of them deep? Or is abundant life deep relationships with the shepherd and our fellow sheep? Relationships must be tended and cherished. Growth takes time and persistence and trust. God wants good for us, even if we need to be chased down by goodness and mercy. What might abundant life look like today? And does it look any different from what we might have thought two months ago?

The sheepfold example also reminds me of a new practice that will be with us for some time to come. Do not come close together like the sheep crowding together in the sheepfold! I suspect “social distancing” will be the new expression for 2020. It was clear when I listened to the governor’s press conference yesterday, that although we can hope for some easing in our shutdown in the weeks to come, it will happen only if cases of the virus diminish, and only while we continue to cover our faces in public and keep our six feet of distance. This is new behavior. Expect it to take a while to feel comfortable. Realize that we will be doing it not just for ourselves, but to keep others safe. Many of us in this congregation are vulnerable. In fact, anyone who has not already had this virus is vulnerable, and some are vulnerable for a worse case than others. Please be patient and keep yourself and others safe. God is with you, before you and beside you on this journey. Amen.

Savior, like a shepherd lead us; much we need your tender care.

In your pleasant pastures feed us, for our use your fold prepare.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, you have bought us; we are yours.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord’s face shine upon you in grace and mercy.

The Lord look upon you with favor, and give you peace.

Amen.