GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY INTRODUCTION                                      3 MAY 2009


Today is Good Shepherd Sunday -- it is also the third Sunday after Easter, OR the fourth Sunday of Easter -- the Season of Easter.  The church -- we locally and Christian churches world-wide -- recognize a church year calendar which begins with the season of Advent -- the four weeks leading up to Christmas.  Then the year progresses through Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Kingdomtide -- and right back to Advent again before you know it.

The three-year cycle of lectionary Scripture passages for this Fourth Sunday of Easter include various sheep and shepherd readings.   it’s not hard to find shepherd passages -- there are 443 mentions of shepherd, sheep, flocks, and lambs in the NRSV of the Bible -- but always, every year, this Sunday’s readings include the 23rd Psalm.

The 23rd Psalm is probably one of the best known pieces of religious literature in our culture.  People who have never attended a church service have heard it read at funerals or memorial services.  It has been set to music countless times, danced, painted -- expressed in many ways.  But what makes it so universally appealing?

The psalm presents a picture of an intimate and caring God -- one who holds us safe from harm and provides what we need.  There is a feeling of serenity, of a person enjoying perfect peace of mind that flows from complete trust in God.  It is not all sweetness and light -- there are enemies -- there is death -- but there is no reason to fear because God is with us -- and we will dwell in God’s presence forever. 

I suspect that many of you have learned the 23rd Psalm by heart.  I know it was one of the first things I was encouraged to memorize out of my third-grade King James Bible presented to me in 1948 by the Grace Evangelical and Reformed Church of St Louis, MO.  My Sunday School teacher, Miss Cordes, was kind but persistent and we all learned the psalm.

Now, as a call to worship I’d like us all to read the 23rd Psalm together.  It’s in your pew Bible, of course -- and in our United Methodist Hymnal in two places -- page 137 for you King James people and page 754 for the New Revised Standard Version.

I’m going to lead this slowly -- and I’m reading the King James Version -- the language of Shakespeare.  Speak it with me.  Follow along as best you can -- from memory or peeking at the book -- but let the spirit of this  wonderful comforting psalm seep into your being.  And if you get it word perfect come see me later and I’ll try to find a gold star or a smiley face sticker for you.

THE 23RD PSALM


1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he
leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths
of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with
me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence
of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the
days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the
Lord for ever.

Good job -- and AMEN!

The Band has chosen some wonderful music for today that emphasizes the feeling of a protective and comforting God.  I am going to do my best to talk as little as possible so that we can experience that loving God -- participate in the unifying experience of the Lord’s Supper -- and have time for a cup of coffee before today’s forum on restorative justice.



Reflection on John 10:11-18 

The Gospel lesson this morning is from John 10:11-18. 

I like to use the lectionary passages for the week as a guide for my personal devotions.  I’m always hungry for those holy moments that we can experience when there is a connection with God.  Those moments can come as we meditate over Scripture. 

I’d like you to listen to this passage -- but in the spirit and style of lectio divina.  Don’t necessarily try to take on the entire passage but just choose a word or phrase that jumps out as it is read it and see how that word or phrase takes you closer to God.  The Bible was written by people who were exploring their relationship to God.  It’s not a surprise then that God can leak through these words into our souls.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.  The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.  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.  I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.  For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

The phrase that spoke to me in that passage was:  “The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.”  What does that mean to me?  I suppose there are situations where it might be literally true that a person would be called upon to sacrifice his life for others.  We think of public safety personnel -- fire fighters, police officers, persons involved in military service.  But for most of us the “life” we are asked to lay down is not our living, breathing, existence -- but rather the things that are important to us in life -- things that define us -- our hobbies and interests, our profession, our work.  We can lay down that “life” to help others and live to do it again and again.

You may know that I have had two major surgeries since November and my wife Mary has taken such very good care of me.  She has had to lay down -- put aside -- her life of volunteer work and recreational activities to look after me.  Mary said one morning after my shower as she helped me dry the places I couldn’t reach, “You know, we’re at our best when we’re looking after each other.”  She was speaking of us . . . us, I think -- she and I -- but I wondered how much closer all humanity would be to experiencing the Kingdom of God -- the Reign of God on Earth, if as individuals and families -- as a nation -- we lay down our personal interests -- for a little while -- and instead put our energy into looking after each other.  What a world we could make of it.  God would be pleased, I think.