God's Promise of Restoration

March 19, 2023 John 9:1-41 Fourth Sunday of Lent – Good Shepherd Sunday Year A Prelude Welcome Introit Invocation (based on Psalm 23) Restorative Shepherd, You bring comfort to those experiencing disaster. You lead us beside still water. As we gather in the house of the Lord, Prepare the table for us. Anoint us to share your good news of mercy and goodness with all those we encounter. We gather with thanksgiving this UMCOR Sunday and all the days of our lives. Amen. Call to Worship (based on Psalm 23) One: The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. One: The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures All: God, remind us today to pause and see your mercy and goodness. One: The Lord leads me beside the still waters All: In the midst of storms, offer us moments of calm. One: The Lord prepares a table before me All: There is more than enough to share with our neighbors. One: The Lord anoints my head with oil All: God, restore our souls so that we can be agents of your mercy and goodness Song Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us UMH 381 Children’s Sermon Supplies: Marbles and a bucket filled with water Hand out marbles or stones. Say: Repeat after me: “We are ambassadors for Christ” An ambassador is someone who works to bring people together in agreement. They are peace builders. Paul wrote a letter to the early church and explained that “we are ambassadors for Christ.” When we act more like Jesus, we can help other people experience God’s love. We become ambassadors for Christ. One of the ways that we as United Methodists are ambassadors for Jesus is through UMCOR. When a neighborhood or community has been affected by a disaster, people serve through UMCOR to help share God’s love by fixing up houses, making sure there is clean water and by listening and responding to what the people need. But one person or one church can’t do as much as a lot of churches working together. See how the marble creates a ripple when I toss it into the water? (Throw a marble into the bucket.) Every time we do something kind for someone, we create a ripple of kindness. Our actions act as an ambassador for Christ. But what happens when we each put a marble in the water at the same time? Let’s do it together. Wow! That’s a lot of ripples. PRAYER OF TRANSFORMATION AND NEW LIFE God of surprises, we know that we do not often perceive the world as you do. We look to the flashy fame, the grand gestures, optimal achievements, and unreachable standards. Yet, in spite of our misguided reach towards perfection, you give us glimpses of your grandeur and grace. Surprise us yet again this day, O God, that in our complacency which allows us to drift towards the same old ways of faith that we may be transformed anew. Provide us with a new cup of oil that we may be anointed by your love so that we may set out into your world to bless and anoint others. In the name of the One whose love and peace make all things new we pray. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Chad Abbott) WORDS OF GRACE/ASSURANCE OF GOD’S LOVE Liturgist: Friends, receive the anointing of God’s tender love and forgiveness this day. For God’s care and compassion for you abides in your heart today and always. All: We rise and set out restored and renewed. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Chad Abbott) Responsive Reading Psalm 23 UM 754 Scripture John 9:1-41 Sermon – God’s Promise of Restoration Last week I saw this cute post of a young child, about 2 or three. The post caught my attention because you couldn’t really tell if it was a boy or a girl, and I couldn’t quite tell the ethnicity of the child- not that it mattered. The child was playing with a ball, when someone put a pair of glasses on the child. The child immediately looked up, and recognized the voice speaking as mother – the child lit up and pointed in recognition. Then you could tell that they were overwhelmed by the other people speaking to them. We may never know what the cause of the child’s blindness was. And I would imagine at the young of an age, that they had been born blind from birth. And yet we can be grateful that the doctors were able to find a cure – our sight is so much a part of how we experience life, and how we experience God. I would imagine that if you were blind, you would experience your faith differently. For instance, psalm 23 speaks of God leading you through valleys and still waters. I would imagine if you cannot see, then you would think of being led by God in a different way. When God prepares a table – you would have a different journey to come to that table. And yet – in the midst of our differences God still prepares a table intended for all of us to have a seat. Scriptures says that God prepares this table before our enemies. And yet even those who we may consider an enemy – are welcome to come to God’s table. When we come together in church – we are preparing to take a seat at God’s table for all. Not only are we called to come to the table, but we are also called to prepare the meal and to bring others to the table. We work together to share in God’s bounty for all. Our Job as the church is to keeping building that table- making it bigger in order to fit more people. We are called to make disciples of all nations. We are also called to feed, clothe and free others. Every church organizes itself for mission. In the Methodist Church, we give to support our church, but we also give to support the larger church and its missions. When we pay our apportionments it goes to support mission locally and internationally. Since helping others in need is a part of our mission – we are able to create missions like UMCOR. Our apportionments go to support the overhead cost, so that the money raised can go directly to mission. UMCOR is in places all over the world – but they are also still in the Ukraine. Since helping people is our mission, UMCOR stays in certain places long after the conflict has been resolved. They have been working since last year, to support the churches in that area help their neighbors. This mother and her daughter (left) who hid in their basement while Russian soldiers occupied the Ukrainian settlement of Glibivka, near Bucha, sit beside the food package they received from Hungarian Interchurch Aid, an UMCOR ACT Alliance partner. PHOTO: HIA Our denominational connection through UMCOR allows workers and volunteers to be among the earliest to arrive and the last to leave when people are in need. Our connection strengthens communities through both disaster preparedness and long-term recovery. Our connection is a ministry of presence that stills the waters of chaos and crisis, restoring hope and offering healing around the world. Through UMCOR, we set the table of our faith with nourishing food, the finest linens, the best parts of who we are and share it with one another through acts of mercy and goodness. Today we are invited into that partnership with God who is our strength. When we are helping whose in need we are making a bigger table to accommodate our different experiences across nations, problems and opinions. When we work together we see the presence of God in one another. We are able to see in ways that we never imagined. Are We Blind Also? What a question to ask ourselves. The answer might surprise us. How much of God do we see? He is all about us. A great scientist went home to lunch after spending the morning in his laboratory peering through a powerful microscope at the petals of a rose. When his wife asked him how he had been spending his time he replied, "I have spent the morning with God." It was Oliver St. John Gogarty who wrote: What can we say but, "Glory be," When God bursts out in an apple tree? Do we see God in nature, in humanity? Or are we blind also? Jon L. Joyce, His Hands When we work for a world to help others, we help ourselves. The light of Christ shines in us all to see. Amen. (Inspiration for this sermon came from Rev. Paul Winkelman and the General Board of Global Ministries) God prepares a table before us—often through the goodness and merciful acts of others. There is something sacred that happens when we gather around the table together. It is no coincidence that when Jesus instituted the sacrament of Communion it was around a dinner table. This unthinkable pain that was about to happen was given meaning in the breaking of bread, the outpouring of love. God “prepare[s] a table before me in the presence of my enemies,” is the full verse. Does the psalmist mean it’s a table for me to eat and enjoy while my enemies look on jealously? Or is it a table for us to eat together and find reconciliation? Remember, God doesn’t see other people as your enemy. God sees the person you are calling an enemy the same way that God sees you—with goodness and mercy! Too often, we feel rushed and we dilute our sources of nourishment. We turn to fast food instead of food prepared slowly and with care. Time with loved ones sitting face to face in conversation becomes harder and harder to manage. How many cell phones have crept onto the dinner table? How many dinner tables are set in front of a television screen? And for too many people, the table is empty. I wonder if we treat spiritual nourishment the same way we approach mealtimes. Signs of disconnection are everywhere. But it’s not stronger than God’s love for humanity. We are invited into building deeper relationships, entering into spiritual commitment and discipleship. And we each can take responsibility for the work of restoring community with acts of goodness and mercy. Today we have an opportunity to set places at the table for others through UMCOR. REMEMBER, GOD DOESN’T SEE OTHER PEOPLE AS YOUR ENEMY. GOD SEES THE PERSON YOU ARE CALLING AN ENEMY THE SAME WAY THAT GOD SEES YOU— WITH GOODNESS AND MERCY! UMCOR SUNDAY SERMON STARTER Song O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing UMH 57 PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (CAN BE DONE AS AN INSERT ON THE BACK OF ANNOUNCEMENTS) Gracious God, we pray for our neighbors down the street and around the world who need food, water, clothing, and shelter. Our Shepherd, you supply our need; most holy is your name. Gracious God, we pray for our neighbors who are in distress, whose bodies and minds need your peaceful and loving presence. Our Shepherd, you supply our need; most holy is your name. Gracious God, we pray for our neighbors whose lives have been upended by disaster and who are in desperate need of provision and care. Our Shepherd, you supply our need; most holy is your name. Gracious God, we pray for our siblings who make up the Christian family across the world, that we would be your witnesses and workers for the flourishing of all creation. Our Shepherd, you supply our need; most holy is your name. Gracious God, we pray that goodness and mercy would follow us all of our days that we might be sharers of goodness and mercy everywhere we go. Our Shepherd, you supply our need; most holy is your name. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Director of Worship Arts, August 2022; Litany response adapted from the opening line of “My Shepherd, You Supply My Need” by Isaac Watts as found in Chalice Hymnal, edited by Daniel B. Merrick and David P. Polk (Chalice Press, 1995), #80. Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment (just print the offering prayer) T he psalmist reminds us that goodness and mercy follow us. Today we have an opportunity to be agents of God’s goodness and mercy. On UMCOR Sunday, we join with other UMC congregations in a special offering to support The United Methodist Committee on Relief, an organization that acts on our behalf when there is a crisis. This allows for 100% of gifts given in response to disasters to assist with the disaster. UMCOR can do this because the funds we give today join with those of millions of other United Methodists to help cover the costs of doing business. From training volunteers to keeping the office lights on, the UMCOR Sunday special offering equips the organization to respond quickly when disaster strikes. Since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia, UMCOR has provided support to those who’ve remained in Ukraine and those who’ve fled to surrounding countries, working with United Methodist churches in the region as well as local and governmental partners. Because UMCOR Sunday covers the overhead costs, 100% of the gifts made to the International Disaster Response and Recovery Advance can support direct relief efforts, quickly and effectively. UMCOR works through Methodist churches in Ukraine’s neighboring nations—Poland, Hungary, UMCOR SUNDAY OFFERING TALK This offering talk is part of the UMCOR Sunday pastor and leader kit and connects with the theme “God’s Promise of Restoration.” It can be adapted for your context and integrated into your worship service with the other materials in the kit. Consider inviting someone who has served on a mission trip with UMCOR to share their testimony instead of using the example below. Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. It is awarding grants to trusted partners like ACT Alliance, International Orthodox Christian Charities and Human Rights League. Grants provide transportation assistance, humanitarian supplies such as food, water, clothing, shelter and medication and legal services and safe spaces for families, women, children and those with disabilities. In addition, UMCOR has funded the transport of more than $2 million in medical supplies to hospitals in Kyiv, with more supplies scheduled to be delivered in the coming months. UMCOR is in continual dialogue with our UMC bishops and other partners throughout Europe to identify needs as the war drags on. The situation in Eastern and Central Europe is constantly evolving and recovery efforts will take years. UMCOR will be there continuing to assist. Please give generously. Write a check addressed to this church and write, “UMCOR Sunday offering” in the memo line. To give online or set up monthly giving, go to UMC.org/SSGive. Offering Prayer OFFERING PRAYER Merciful God, thank you for UMCOR, which shepherds communities through storms and other disasters. Thank you for preparing a table to nourish the hungry. Thank you for offering green pastures with resting spaces to restore souls and lives. Our cup overflows with abundance. Receive our gifts and transform them into acts of goodness and mercy that alleviate suffering and offer hope and healing to your people. Amen Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook As you depart from this place, May your soul be restored To see God at work as lives are transformed. May your soul be restored To share your witness of Christ’s love in the midst of life’s storms. May your soul be restored To be moved by the Holy Spirit such that you serve as an agent of mercy and goodness. You are anointed. Go in peace. Joys and Concerns Benediction As you leave this time of worship, may God’s presence follow you, heal you, and empower you to witness and to witness to the goodness and love of God everywhere you go. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Director of Worship Arts, August 2022.

Goodness and Mercy are following us

May 12, 2019 Psalm 23 Mother’s Day Year C 4th Sunday of Easter Children’s sermon – doing what we want to do and listening to our mom. I once again had Children's Sermon., now this was kind of fun since it was Mother's Day. So I started by asking the kids that if they had any of the following living at their home to raise their hand and then I went through the following list: a transportation director a personal dietitian or nutritionist a fashion coordinator a landscaper an accounts manager a pediatric physician a domestic engineer an interior designer a family historian an arbitrator or a personal coach TO almost all of these I got "no" or "huh?" Then we went back through each one and explained what these jobs would be in simple language and who most likely in the homes of our kids performed these duties. I explained that Mom's tend to be the ones who arrange for rides to where we want to be. That Mom is the one who decides what we can or cannot have to eat. "Can I have 1 more oreo?" and that sometimes mom says no because it is good for us NOT to have 1 more cookie. Then the fashion coordinator is the person who buys, washes and let's us know if what we are wearing is appropriate for the occasion and if it matches.The landscaper is the one who might mow the lawn or plants the flowers or shrubs or adds decoration outside to make your home look nice. The accounts manager is someone who makes sure that the bills are paid that there is money for groceries and all the activities that kids would like to do. The Pediatric physician - this I had to explain was "a kid doctor" and who do we go to when we have a sore throat or a splinter? - MOM. A domestic engineer - is someone who makes sure the the home runs properly. The interior designer is the one who makes the inside of our houses look nice and helps keep it clean. The family historian - is the person who helps keep track of our lives, either in photos, or journals or scrapbooks. They are the ones that when asked "What was it like the day I was born?" will be the one that can remember that day and explain it in detail. The arbitrator is the one who breaks up fights or arguments with siblings or friends. And finally the personal coach - I hope that we all have personal coaches as those are the people who encourage us all the time, they are the ones who challenge us and teach us new skills that we need to get through life. But the amazing part of all of this is that all those big titles we sum up with 3 letters -MOM. But when we read Proverbs 31:29-31 we find that "...that a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her reward she has earned, and let her works be known at the city gates." Now you knew that mom did all these things for you, but I challenge you to learn 1 new thing about your mom today. Find out what your mom's favorite color is, what is her favorite flower, or her favorite food. Take time and talk to your mom because she is a lot more than you think. Posted by Schick fun ideas at 8:32 PM Labels: Children's sermon Psalm 23 Common English Bible (CEB) Psalm 23 A psalm of David. 23 The LORD is my shepherd. I lack nothing. 2 He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters; 3 he keeps me [a] alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of his good name. 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me. Your rod and your staff— they protect me. 5 You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! 6 Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live[b] in the LORD’s house as long as I live. Footnotes: a. Psalm 23:3 Or my soul b. Psalm 23:6 LXX; MT I will return Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible One of my earliest memories of visiting my grandmother, was her giving me the little golden book of the Lord is my Shepherd. I remember studying that scripture as a child trying to understand it. As I learned how to read, my grandmother gave me that book again and told me to read and study it. My mother gave me this book as I was learning to read, and I have held onto to it. My grandmother would also make sure that each night before I went to bed she would walk me through Now I lay me down to sleep and my evening prayer. So if you want to blame anyone for me becoming a pastor – it is all my grandmother’s fault. – she had a plan for my life, and expected me to follow it step by step. The psalms in general are important, they capture the gamut of human experience, there are happy psalms, sad psalms, psalms for when you are on a journey, when you are at peace. They were an important part of the jewish life. Jesus learned to recite them throughout his life, many times if you don’t know the psalms. You think Jesus is speaking from the heart, many times he is quoting an appropriate psalm. My God why have you forsaken me – a psalm. The spirit of the lord is upon me – a psalm. There are monks who have learned all 119 psalms by heart. I would love to get to that point one day – but unfortunately, I don’t get the chance to study the psalms very often. There is one every week in the lectionary of scripture – but the problem with preaching on them is that there is not a lot of commentary on their meaning, so don’t have the material to develop a sermon. I try to get us to read them during lent, but reciting the words is not the same as really thinking about the meaning of a psalm Today’s Psalm is the exception. Psalm 23 is read at every point in our lives. Children read it, adults read it. It is used at funerals, and at weddings and today it is the reading for Mother’s Day. I love this version, which uses the theme of a mother “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” — Abraham Lincoln “Is this the long way?” asked the young mother as she set her foot on the path of life. The Guide said, “Yes, and the way is hard, and you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning.” The young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, she fed them and bathed them, taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike, and reminded them to feed the dog and do their homework and brush their teeth. The sun shone on them and the young mother said, “Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.” Then the nights came, and the storms, and the path was sometimes dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her arms. The children said, “Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come.” The morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. At all times, she said to the children, “A little patience and we are there.” So the children climbed and as the climbed they learned to weather the storms. With this, she gave them strength to face the world. Year after year she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but most of all unconditional love. When they reached the top, they said, “Mother, we could not have done it without you.” The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years. The mother grew old and she became little and bent. Her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. The mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars and said, “This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned so much and are now passing these traits on to their children.” When the way became rough for her, they lifted her, and gave her strength, just as she had given them hers. One day, they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. Mother said, “I have reached the end of my journey, and now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk with dignity and pride, with their heads held high, and so can their children after them.” The children said, “You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.” They stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. They said, “We cannot see her, but she is with us still.” A mother is more than a memory. She is a living presence. Your mother is always with you. She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she’s the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick and perfume she wore, she’s the cool hand on your brow when you’re not feeling well, she’s your breath in the air on a cold winter’s day. She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of the rainbow, she is your birthday morning. Your mother lives inside your laughter. She’s crystallized in every teardrop. A mother shows through in every emotion – happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow – and all the while hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in life. She’s the place you came from, your first home, and she’s the map you follow with every step you take. She’s your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space – not even death. I love this beautiful story about mothers love written by Temple Bailey. It appeared in Good Housekeeping Magazine in 1933. On this Mother’s Day when you feel a little tug at your heart, remember your mother lives with you always. Happy Mother’s Day! This story first appeared in Good Housekeeping in 1933 written by Temple Bailey. On this Mother’s Day when you feel a special tenderness tugging at your heart, remember your mother lives within you always. My mom is my shepherd; I shall not want. She makes me lie down under cool, downy comforts. She watches me play beside still waters. She restores my soul. She leads me in paths of respect, responsibility, and goodness, for I am her namesake! Yea, even though I walk past monsters in the dark, I will not be ascared, because my mom is always near me. Her hands and her voice, they comfort me. Mama sets the table and cheerfully calls me to dinner even in front of big, mean bullies. She anoints my skinned knees and broken heart with kisses. She smiles and throws me a towel when my cup runneth over. Surely God's peace, power, and mercy shall uphold me all the days of my life, for my Mother taught me to dwell in the house of God forever. Psalm 22 Re-Interpeted The Lord is my Shepherd... That's Relationship! I shall not want... That's Supply! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures... That's Rest! He leadeth me beside the still waters... That's Refreshment! He restoreth my soul... That's Healing! He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness... That's Guidance! For His name sake... That's Purpose! Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... That's Testing! I will fear no evil... That's Protection! For Thou art with me... That's Faithfulness! Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me... That's Discipline! Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies... That's Hope! Thou annointest my head with oil... That's Consecration! My cup runneth over... That's Abundance! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... That's Blessing! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord... That's Security! Forever and ever... That's Eternity! The previous psalm ended by speaking of the joy of salvation, that is, of discovering what it means to have been put into a right relationship with God, brought back home into fellowship with him in the Covenant. This psalm, which almost surely stems from David himself, describes what it feels like thus to be back at home with God. It is expressed in language that really spoke home to the country folk of his day. David had been a shepherd. Now he was the shepherd of his people. In what way must he now care for them? This problem opened up for him a new awareness of what God, the true Shepherd, is himself like in his relationship with his people. As I have been studying this psalm this week, I find that the greatest lesson for us in the psalm is trust. It is important for us to have a relationship with God based on trust. If we have trust in God all that we need to live will be provided. I have to find my copy of the Tanakh. Tanakh is the Jewish version of the Hebrew bible. What is interesting is that there is a difference sometimes between the Jewish version of a scripture and the Christian version. For instance, for us the last words of this psalm is I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever, whereas the Jewish version says I shall dwell in the house of the Lord all of the days of my life. there is a little bit of a difference. Another difference is our image of goodness and mercy following us. For Christians we think of a little puppy quietly following, but the Hebrew word for follow is much more aggressive, it means I will stalk you and hunt you down until I catch you. In other words there is nothing that you can do to escape God’s love. God is determined that we have all that we need to have a wonderful life no matter what. A mother’s love can be like that. In many ways mothers are shepherds, they are our caretakers. Timmy was a little five year old boy that his Mom loved very much and, being a worrier, she was concerned about him walking to school all by himself when he started kindergarten. She walked him to school the first few days, but one day he came home and asked if he could walk by himself. He wanted to be like the "big boys." Not wanting to disappoint him, she decided to allow him to walk without her, via plan B (which consisted of recruiting a neighbor, Mrs. Goodnest, to repetitiously follow him to school, at a distance far enough behind him that he would not likely notice he was being followed, but close enough to keep a watch on him). Mrs. Goodnest was agreeable, since she was up early with her own toddler anyway, and it would be a good way for them to get some exercise. So, the very next school day Mrs. Goodnest and her little girl, Marcy, set out to follow behind Timmy as he walked to school. Timmy was accompanied by another neighbor boy he knew. As the boys walked to school each day, chatting, and kicking stones and twigs, the little friend of Timmy began to notice that a lady seemed to be following them every day. "Have you noticed that lady following us all week? Do you know her?" he asked Timmy. "Yea, I know who she is," Timmy replied "Well who is she?" "That's just Shirley Goodnest," Timmy said. "Shirley Goodnest? Who the is she? Why is she following us?" "Well," Timmy explained, "Every night Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm in my prayers 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in it the Psalm says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life,' so I guess I'll just have to get used to it." Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us. when you think about the psalm – What is most valuable, is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all of the days of our life no matter how old we get. What is most valuable, is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all of the days of our life no matter how old we get. How can we reply to the love that our mothers gave us. what is it that we can give them to say thank you. Studies say that no matter what we may give them that all they really want is for us to know that they love them. For us to be able to acknowledge all that they have done for us, and to realize that it is all about love. Amen. Other illustrations…….. How can we reply to the love that our mothers gave us. what is it that we can give them to say thank you. Studies say that no matter what we may give them that all they really want is for us to know that they love them. For us to be able to acknowledge all that they have done for us, and to realize that it is all about love. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us. when you think about the psalm – Psalm 22 Re-Interpeted The Lord is my Shepherd... That's Relationship! I shall not want... That's Supply! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures... That's Rest! He leadeth me beside the still waters... That's Refreshment! He restoreth my soul... That's Healing! He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness... That's Guidance! For His name sake... That's Purpose! Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... That's Testing! I will fear no evil... That's Protection! For Thou art with me... That's Faithfulness! Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me... That's Discipline! Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies... That's Hope! Thou annointest my head with oil... That's Consecration! My cup runneth over... That's Abundance! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... That's Blessing! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord... That's Security! Forever and ever... That's Eternity! No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star. — Edwin Hubbell Chapin

Words to Live By

April 26, 2015 Psalm 23 Fourth Sunday Easter – Good Shepherd Sunday Year B Words to Live By Children’s sermon……. Materials: A variety of stuffed animals. Message: Today I brought along a bunch of animals who live at our house. Not real animals this time, but stuffed animals that decorate our beds and sit in various places around the house. I'll bet some of you have stuffed animals as well. Now the easy thing about stuffed animals is that you don't have to do anything to take care of them. They just sit there and look nice. That is not the case with real animals, is it? They demand a lot of care if they are to be healthy and strong. Do any of you have pets at home? What kinds of pets do you have? What types of things do you have to do in order to care for them? You have to feed them. They need water every day. They need to have exercise. They need a bath every now and then. But most important of all, they need to know that we love them and to have us show them that love every day. Just as we take care of our pets and show them love, God tells us that He cares for us every day. The Psalms speak of God as a shepherd. A shepherd is someone whose job is to care for the sheep. He has to watch over them. It is his responsibility to lead them to the pastures where there is enough grass to eat. He also needs to protect them from wolves and lions and other animals who would try to kill the sheep. Just as a shepherd does all of that for his sheep, God is watching over you and me. He is the One who cares for us daily. He protects us from harm. He is watching over every part of our lives each day. When you go home today and care for your pets, I want you to remember that God is also watching over you. He meets the needs of our lives and loves us more than we will ever know. FROM A MUSTARD SEED, Mark A. Hultquist, CSS Publishing Company, 1996, 0-7880-0847-1 Adult sermon…… I know that you all are anxious for me to share about my trip to South Korea. And in time I look forward to doing that. Unlike Thailand, Christianity is huge in South Korea. They told us of how missionary came to South Korea 130 years ago today. And there was a great revival in the country, where everyone started flocking to churches. The movement actually started in North Korea, and eventually many of those people had to flee to South Korea in order to freely practice religion. After only 130 years- there are just as many Christians in South Korea as there are Buddhist. We stayed at Bupyeong Methodist Church in a suburb of Seoul. I have actually been to this church before, and I love it. There are about 3000 people or more who belong to this church. On Sunday’s not only do they have a full choir, they also have a full orchestra that plays with them. As you can imagine, worship is amazing. But the one practice that they say has really worked in growing their churches, is 5am prayer time. The church is open every day including Sunday for prayer at 5am. They come for an hour worship service, where they sing, listen to a sermon, and then spend 30 minutes crying out to God out loud. Now if I started a 5 am prayer service here, I would imagine that I would spend a lot of time all by myself. I might get one other person to show up a couple of times a month to pray with me. But guess what – every member of the church is expected to show up every morning at five am, and guess what – the sanctuary is filled to the brim every morning. South Korean Methodist truly believe that the Holy Spirit has blessed them, because of the commitment of their members to pray together every day. The Methodist are doing well, but the Presbyterians are doing even better. We visited a church in Seoul, which holds 10,000 people at one time. And that sanctuary is filled every Sunday. As our churches are dying, churches in other countries are dying. As a matter of fact,we don’t realize it, but America is no losing its place as the center of culture also. The rest of the world used to look at our teens to see what the latest trends are. That is not the case anymore. Today they are looking to South Korea. Just as they took the model of what was happening in American churches, and adapted it and made it their own. Their young people are taking what they see going on in American popular culture and making it their own. There is this new thing called Kpop. Korean pop. And it is all the rage in the rest of the world. These are boy bands and girl bands which are determining dress, dances and music for hip teens of the world. I tell you that because the world is changing. Just as the center of our churches is changing, so is the center of our churches. The Methodist church is paying much more attention to what is going on in South Korea, in Africa, in South America, because people are flocking to the church in droves. I don’t want to be discouraging. I only tell you that story because I know that you all want to know why would I have to travel all the way to South Korea to learn about church growth. Today’s sermon is actually about being the good shepherd. The 4th Sunday of Easter is always good shepherd Sunday. And today I think it is a good time for us to look at a very familiar scripture – psalm 23. I am actually going to challenge us to look at that familiar scripture line by line and think about it in a different way. But I gave that introduction, because if we are looking on a map, the new center of Christianity is some exotic place on a map. But the real center of Christianity, and what is happening in our lives – Where the holy spirit is working – is not in far away places with people do far away things. The real heart of Christianity – happens in the middle of nowhere, when nothing in particular is happening in our lives. The real heart of Christianity is in the midst of our ordinary lives with our ordinary thoughts. Every where we go and every thing that we do is a place on a map. For most of our lives, we know where to go and we know what to do when we get there. But have you ever noticed that there are some places on the map of your life, when you are not sure where you really are and what you should be doing. Have you ever been in that situation where you did not have all of the answers. You were in unfamiliar territory, and you were not sure of quite where to go and what to do. I am finding that that older I get, the less sure of where I am and what to do I am. Life used to make so much sense, and I had an answer for everything, and today I don’t know anythings. If I were to look at the map of my life, I have reached the point of no return. I may as well be in South Korea, because I don’t speak the language, and I don’t know the customs. It is times like that when I need to remember that the centerof my faith in in Christ. And as long as I am in Christ, I can still be lost, because Christ will come to leadme and guide me. In John 10 Jesus says that I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me. Jesus says I am the good shepherd, as opposed to the good shepherd. The center of our faith should be in Christ, and Christ is everywhere on the map. When we are lost, the words of Christ are what will find us. The center of our faith, is what we do in our everyday lives. We all know the words of Psalm 23. Its funny that the only time that I really preach on this psalm is at funerals. But if you look at the words, it is not a psalm of death – it is a psalm of life, everday life. Mayor Emmanuel is the mayor, Bruce Rauner is the governer. But the lord is my shepherd. The first words of this psalm is a political statement. That the Lord is the ultimatehead of my life. If the God is truly present in my life then I shall not want. The world spends so much time telling us what we want. We are bombarded with commercials and ads telling us what we want. We get messages everywhere tell us what wewant. But if theLordis my shepherd, then I shall not want- because I already know that he provides for all of my needs. The world constantly expects something from me, constantly expects me to move and do things. But what does the good shepherd do – he leads me beside still waters. He calms my soul and tells me when it is time to rest, take a retreat and to be still. I have a shepherd who thinks more about my life then I do. Because when I would love to stay in retreat and just way where I am, his rod and his staff guides me Most of the time, I preach this psalm at funerals. During the resurrection season we celebrate the fact that Christ overcame death, as if death is the worst thing that could possibly happen to us. When most of the time, death is a relief. Because the darkest times in our life our not death, but life. Everytime I think I have seen the absolute cruelest illness in the world, I hear another story. We have all experienced the dark night of the soul – where we felt that there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Yea thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil, they rod and they staff shall comfort me. In all of our lives, we all know that evil is real. That bad things happen to good people. That there are people in the world who appear not to have a heart, and can do some really cruel things to ourselves and to others. And yet God sets a table before our enemies. If we have to presence and love of God in our hearts, we can become keenly aware of the presence of our enemies. Trouble is never that far behind when love and peace is present. And yet God sets a table before you in the the presence of your enemies, and expects you to be calm enough to eat. And not be worried. If you sit long enough, have you ever noticed that your worst enemy in life, tends to be you. Most of the time, we are our own worst enemy. No one can sabotage our faith the way we do to ourselves. It takes being in the presence of the enemy, to face that enemy and have to courage to move forward. God anoints our head and our cup runneth over, in spite of the bad things going on. We still have plenty to be thankful for. God is a God who always values life, more than death. God is a God who will stick to us no matter what. The word for goodness and mercy is hesed. Hesed is a love that will stick to you through thick and thin. It is alove that will never let you go through life alone. Dwelling in the house of the Lord is not so much about going to heaven, as much as it is an understanding that God is always be with you. There is not a place that you can go, or a think that you can do in life that can separate you from the love of God. God’s hesed, God’s goodness and mercy follows us all of the days of our lives. But what if that was not a statement about what we receive, but about what we give. If God gives us hesed in all places, what it we left goodness and mercy in some way, wherever we went. It followed us all of the days of our lives. We hear the words of psalm23 so often, that we forget that it is a road map for getting through the tough times in life. It is not a psalm about death, it is a psalm about how to live our lives in the trust of Christ. And more importantly, we have to remember that the heart of Christianity is not some exotic place on a map. It is inside of the lives of the faithful people. It is not in the extraordinary things that we do it is in the ordinary way that we choose to live our lives. The key to living a spiritual life, a life in Christ is to be able to simply say – the Lord is my shepherd. And it goes on from there. Amen.

Mothers: Shepherd of the sheep

May 11, 2014 Psalm 23 John 10:1-10 Mother’s Day Fourth Sunday of Easter Year A Mothers: Shepherd of the Sheep Have you seen that video going around last week, where young people are interviewing for a job, and told that they have to stand 24 hours a day, that they cannot have breaks, that they have to attend to the needs of the associates at all time. And that there is no pay for doing the job. Each of the applicants complains and says they don’t want this job. And the interviewer tells them that someone already has this job – it is your mother. Job Description: Mother I found this job description circulating on the Internet this past week. Anyone interested? [You may want/need to shorten this.] WANTED: Mom JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term team players needed for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in faraway cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required. RESPONSIBILITIES: Must provide on-the-site training in basic life skills, such as nose blowing. Must have strong skills in negotiating, conflict resolution and crisis management. Ability to suture flesh wounds a plus. Must be able to think out of the box but not lose track of the box, because you most likely will need it for a school project. Must reconcile petty cash disbursements and be proficient in managing budgets and resources fairly, unless you want to hear, "He got more than me!" for the rest of your life. Also, must be able to drive motor vehicles safely under loud and adverse conditions while simultaneously practicing above-mentioned skills in conflict resolution. Must be able to choose your battles and stick to your guns. Must be able to withstand criticism, such as "You don't know anything." Must be willing to be hated at least temporarily, until someone needs $5 to go skating. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys and battery operated devices. Also, must have a highly energetic entrepreneurial spirit, because fund-raiser will be your middle name. Must have a diverse knowledge base, so as to answer questions such as "What makes the wind move?" on the fly. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility. ADVANCEMENT/PROMOTION POSSIBILITIES: Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: None required, unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis. WAGES AND COMPENSATION: You pay them, offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more. BENEFITS: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered, job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right. Every mother here this morning knows that mothering brings more joy and love and fulfillment than seem possible. Adapted by Leonard Sweet The Value of the Job Being a mother is a demanding job. As a matter of fact, according to a recent report from Salary.com, a website dedicated to researching average salaries for various jobs and industries, reports stay-at-home moms would earn an average of $138,095 annually, including overtime, if they received a paycheck. Women who works a full-time 40 hour a week job could expect an additional $85,939 for the work done at home. Among the jobs the stay-at-home moms reported to Salary.com were day-care center teacher, van driver, housekeeper, cook, chief executive officer, computer operator, nurse and general maintenance worker. These are all jobs that are fairly easy to appoint a dollar value but like those MasterCard advertisements there are many “priceless” aspects to the job: the hug that comes at just the right time, the crust cut off the sandwich in just the right way, the reassuring laugh that reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously, and the countless other little things that we celebrate on Mother’s Day. Staff,www.eSermons.com. Statistics from Reuters.com ‘Stay-at-home Mothers Work Worth $138,095 a Year’ May 3, 2007. Our experience of mother are all very different, but we have all had someone who mothered us in some way. Someone who cared for us. Our mothers have loved each of us in a different way, but our mother has indeed loved us. In spite of all of the difficult times in our lives, they have loved us. A mother) can be glorious or terrible, benevolent or filled with wrath, but she commands love either way. I am convinced that this is the greatest power in the universe. ― N.K. Jemisin God is love, and God has created our mothers to be that agent of love. I think I told this story before, but Erma Bombeck tells the story of when God created mothers. One of my favorite columns by Erma Bombeck tells of God in the act of creating mothers. She says that on the day God created mothers He had already worked long overtime. And an angel said to Him, "Lord, you sure are spending a lot of time on this one." The Lord turned & said, "Have you read the specs on this model? She is supposed to be completely washable, but not plastic. She is to have 180 moving parts, all of them replaceable. She is to have a kiss that will heal everything from a broken leg to a broken heart. She is to have a lap that will disappear whenever she stands up. She is to be able to function on black coffee & leftovers. And she is supposed to have six pairs of hands." "Six pairs of hands," said the angel, "that’s impossible." "It’s not the six pairs of hands that bother me." said the Lord, "It’s the three pairs of eyes. She is supposed to have one pair that sees through closed doors so that whenever she says, `What are you kids doing in there?’ she already knows what they’re doing in there." "She has another pair in the back of her head to see all the things she is not supposed to see but must see. And then she has one pair right in front that can look at a child that just goofed & communicate love & understanding without saying a word." "That’s too much." said the angel, "You can’t put that much in one model. Why don’t you rest for a while & resume your creating tomorrow?" "No, I can’t," said the Lord. "I’m close to creating someone very much like myself. I’ve already come up with a model who can heal herself when she is sick - who can feed a family of six with one pound of hamburger - & who can persuade a nine year old to take a shower." Then the angel looked at the model of motherhood a little more closely & said, "She’s too soft." "Oh, but she is tough," said the Lord. "You’d be surprised at how much this mother can do." "Can she think?" asked the angel. "Not only can she think," said the Lord, "but she can reason & compromise & persuade." Then the angel reached over & touched her cheek. "This one has a leak," he said. "I told you that you couldn’t put that much in one model." "That’s not a leak," said the Lord. "That’s a tear." "What’s a tear for?" asked the angel. "Well it’s for joy, for sadness, for sorrow, for disappointment, for pride." "You’re a genius," said the angel. And the Lord said, "Oh, but I didn’t put it there." Our scripture for today, the 4th Sunday of Easter are always about what it means to be a shepherd’s love for its sheep. Jesus is the shepherd. Jesus showed love by the sacrifice he made for us. But Jesus showed devotion by what he taught us. In Jerusalem, Jesus knew sheep in the same way a cowboy in the west would know cattle, or a mother would know her children. Jesus knew what made a sheep tick, he understand their fears, he knew what it took to get them to follow him, he had patience and understanding for them. In many ways mothers are shepherds, they are our caretakers. Timmy was a little five year old boy that his Mom loved very much and, being a worrier, she was concerned about him walking to school all by himself when he started kindergarten. She walked him to school the first few days, but one day he came home and asked if he could walk by himself. He wanted to be like the "big boys." Not wanting to disappoint him, she decided to allow him to walk without her, via plan B (which consisted of recruiting a neighbor, Mrs. Goodnest, to repetitiously follow him to school, at a distance far enough behind him that he would not likely notice he was being followed, but close enough to keep a watch on him). Mrs. Goodnest was agreeable, since she was up early with her own toddler anyway, and it would be a good way for them to get some exercise. So, the very next school day Mrs. Goodnest and her little girl, Marcy, set out to follow behind Timmy as he walked to school. Timmy was accompanied by another neighbor boy he knew. As the boys walked to school each day, chatting, and kicking stones and twigs, the little friend of Timmy began to notice that a lady seemed to be following them every day. "Have you noticed that lady following us all week? Do you know her?" he asked Timmy. "Yea, I know who she is," Timmy replied "Well who is she?" "That's just Shirley Goodnest," Timmy said. "Shirley Goodnest? Who the is she? Why is she following us?" "Well," Timmy explained, "Every night Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm in my prayers 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in it the Psalm says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life,' so I guess I'll just have to get used to it." Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us. when you think about the psalm – Psalm 22 Re-Interpeted The Lord is my Shepherd... That's Relationship! I shall not want... That's Supply! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures... That's Rest! He leadeth me beside the still waters... That's Refreshment! He restoreth my soul... That's Healing! He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness... That's Guidance! For His name sake... That's Purpose! Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... That's Testing! I will fear no evil... That's Protection! For Thou art with me... That's Faithfulness! Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me... That's Discipline! Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies... That's Hope! Thou annointest my head with oil... That's Consecration! My cup runneth over... That's Abundance! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... That's Blessing! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord... That's Security! Forever and ever... That's Eternity! What is most valuable, is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all of the days of our life no matter how old we get. How can we reply to the love that our mothers gave us. what is it that we can give them to say thank you. Studies say that no matter what we may give them that all they really want is for us to know that they love them. For us to be able to acknowledge all that they have done for us, and to realize that it is all about love. No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star. — Edwin Hubbell Chapin One pastor suggest that there are 7 ways to show our mothers that we love them. Love her verbally, physically, patiently, attentively, gratefully, generously, honorably I want to add one more to that list – to learn to love others. Am I Loved? I had a professor in Childhood Development who said, "All it would take to have a perfect world is just one generation of perfect parents." I believed that until mid-life, when I saw several nearly perfect parents who had terrible children. But the concept is generally true--we learn to love because we were loved first. We love, according to the Bible, because God loved us first. We all need to be loved. And we grow up testing whether we are indeed loved. One of the basic questions of our youth is, "Am I loved?" It is asked in the back seat of a car. It is asked at a party. It is asked with defiance at home. It is asked with incomplete homework at school. It is asked when drugs are offered around in friendship groups. It is asked when a gang leader suggests an initiation rite. "By this you know you are loved…." Everyone here today, mothers or not, needs to ask, "How am I demonstrating love?" Is it in a way that others can experience? Paul Sweet, This I Know Amen. Children’s Sermon….. Theme: Show your love by your actions (Mother's Day) Object: A Mother's Day card Scripture: This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:9-11, 21 (NIV) I am sure that all of you know that it is Mother's Day. Did you give your mother a card or a present for Mother's Day? This Mother's Day card says, "Mom, I love you!" Do you think your mother likes to hear you tell her that you love her? Of course she does! But do you know what your mother would like even more? She would like for you to show her that you love her. What are some ways you can show your mother that you love her? Well, you might help out around the house. You could clean your room or empty the trash. You could show her that you love her by obeying her when she tells you to do something. You can show her you love her by getting along with your brothers and sisters. It is easy to tell your mom that you love her, but if you really love her, your actions will show it! Do you think that God likes to hear us tell Him that we love Him? I know He does. But He likes it even better when our actions show Him that we love Him. How do we do that? The Bible tells us that, "God showed his love for us by sending His one and only Son so that we might live through him." It goes on to say that, "since God loved us so much, we ought to love one another." One of the best ways to show our love for God is to love one another. Yes, God likes to hear us say, "I love you," but He would rather see us say, "I love you." As we celebrate Mother's Day, let's tell Mom that we love her, but more important, let's remember to show her that we love her. And as we worship today, let's tell God we love him, but more important, let's remember to show him we love him by loving one another. Dear Lord, we have come to your house today to say, "I love you." Help us to go out of here today and show you that we love you by our actions. Amen. Other illustrations…… A LITTLE GIRL’S PRAYER One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do she died, leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator) and no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in tropical climates. "And it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. "All right," I said, "Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can; sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm." The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God," she prayed, "send us a water bottle. It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby’ll be dead, so please send it this afternoon." While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of corollary, "And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know You really love her?" As often with children’s prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, "Amen"? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything. The Bible says so. But there are limits, aren’t there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home; anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys; eyes sparkled as I pulled them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas --- that would make a nice batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the ..... could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out --- yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle! I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!" Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted. Looking up at me, she asked: "Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?" That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God’s prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child --- five months before --- in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year old to bring it "that afternoon." ~By Helen Roseveare~ Helen Roseveare is a medical missionary and author from England who served for years in the former Belgian Congo. THE BEST PREACHER IN THE FAMILY G. Campbell Morgan, a profound British preacher whose four sons all became pastors, influenced millions with his preaching, teaching and writing. One day, when his young son Howard finished preached, a reporter asked him, "Since you have five Pastors in your family who is the greatest preacher? Expecting the son to give the honor to his father, Howard surprised the reporter by saying, "My Mother!" Often people do not realize that a mother’s love, concern and teaching are often far more influential on people than anything else. Never underestimate the power of love. God treats you the way one mother treated her young son, Timmy. She didn’t like the idea of his walking to school alone. But he was too grown-up to be seen with his mother. She did her best to stay calm, quoting the 23rd Psalm to him every morning: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” One day she asked a neighbor who walked with her daughter to follow Timmy to school, but to stay at a distance. After several days Timmy’s little friend said, “Do you know that woman who follows us to school?” “Sure,” Timmy answered. “That’s Shirley Goodnest and her daughter, Marcy.” My mom reads about them every day in the 23rd Psalm She says they will follow me all the days of my life. So, I guess I better get used to them! You will too. God never sends you out alone! Taken from Fearless The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 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. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 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. -Psalm 23 A pastor was giving a lesson to a group of children on the 23rd Psalm. He noticed that one of the little boys seemed disquieted by the phrase “Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life…” “What’s wrong with that, Johnny? ” the pastor asked. “Well, ” answered Johnny, “I understand about having goodness and mercy, for God is good. But I’m not sure I’d like Shirley following me around all the time. ” A pastor was giving a lesson to a group of children on the 23rd Psalm. He noticed that one of the little boys seemed disquieted by the phrase “Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life…” “What’s wrong with that, Johnny? ” the pastor asked. “Well, ” answered Johnny, “I understand about having goodness and mercy, for God is good. But I’m not sure I’d like Shirley following me around all the time. ” source: http://www.jokebuddha.com/joke/Goodness_and_mercy#ixzz31My0VSbt Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away! A mother) can be glorious or terrible, benevolent or filled with wrath, but she commands love either way. I am convinced that this is the greatest power in the universe. ― N.K. Jemisin

Sheep and Shepherds

April 25, 2010
John 10:22-30
Psalm 23
Sheep and Shepherds
The Fourth Sunday Of Easter
Good Shepherd Sunday
Year C

It was winter-- the festival of Dedication is what we call Hanukkah.

"Hey Jesus! Come on now. We want a straight answer, not just
hearsay, not just 'signs.' We don't want to take therisk that your
actions may be our answer. We don't like ambiguity. We want a
notarized, authorized, sworn and signed statement that you are the
Messiah. Tell it to us straight, Jesus of Nazareth."

"I did tell you. I told you very clearly by changing water into wine,
by healing a blind man, by walking on water, and by saying 'I am' 6 or
8 times in all kinds of different ways. But y'all want it straight?
Okay, here it is. You're not called by me. Yeah, I AM the Messiah,
but obviously, if you don't get it by now, you're not going to. You
don't want my kind of Messiah. Because I'm the shepherd who will
actually feed the sheep, not just feed myself on the sheep. I'm the
real shepherd who is going to expose your hypocrisy and overrule your
injustices. See all these people following me? The ones you ignored,
ridiculed, and mistreated? They're following me, because they can
hear God through me. They are the sheep of shepherd. And just
wait til you see how I treat them. No more trampled down fields for
them to graze in, no more dirty water for them to drink. I know each
and every one of them, and they're listening to what I'm telling them.
And you can't take them away from me, no matter what you try. This
is what God is doing through me, because the Shepherd and the shepherd
do the same thing-- we are the same thing."
This is an important story because it speaks of an endearing question for all of us – who is Jesus Christ for us and exactly what kind of relationship should we have to this man who calls himself the son of God anyway?
This is an important story because it speaks of an endearing answer – Jesus Christ is the messiah – the one who comes to bring health, wholeness and happiness to us all. He is like a shepherd who cares for us and we are like sheep – in need of someone to look over us and to take care of us. He is the head of Christ and we are the body of Christ. He leads, we follow.
And yet that endearing questions remains – why a shepherd, and why are we sheep. The easy answer is that is the culture that the Hebrews would have understood. They were a nomadic people, traveling from place to place with their animals. It was so ingrained into their way of life was that was all that they understood – caring for sheep. That was how they understood any relationship – that was the language that they spook. The language of sheep.
The harder answer perhaps is that we are reminded that in the midst of all of our sophisticated thinking as people- our ability to think for ourselves, our ability to know right from wrong, our ability to take care of ourselves – that God is reminding us that we are still just as helpless and dependent on God as the sheep. That in spite of all of our knowledge and abilty to learn new things – that what we know is nothing compared to what God knows. That we are to remember that life is not about us and what we want, it is about god and what God wills.
The language of shepherd and sheep is the language of faith in God. It is a language that goes beyond our relationship with God and is present all throughout the church. Whenever the bishop is present and presiding- he or she brings in their shepherds crook and puts it in stand to remind us that He or she is the shepherd and we as the community of believers are the shepherd. In an individual congregation – the pastor is the shepherd and the congregation are the sheep. The pastors job is to lead and the congregations job is to trust, listen, and follow.
It is a relationship much like the one in our scripture, where the question is asked – how do we know that you are the one to lead us? When a pastor comes into a congregation how do you know that pastor is the one to lead? How do you know whether that pastor is knows what they are doing? In my interview with my new church – that was the first and most significant question that I was asked of me – how do we know that you are a leader who even believes in Jesus.
In my interview with my new church – that was the first and most significant question that I was asked of me – how do we know that you are a leader who even believes in Jesus.
I wont go into my answer – because in many ways those are questions that cannot be answered in words. Jesus himself says that it is not about knowledge, or data or proof – it is about belief. You have to believe within your spirit that this is the pastor called by God to lead in this particular place. It can be easy for us to get caught up into the humanness of the church, the personal flaws, the judgements and agendas of individuals. And to forget that underneath all of that is god’s saving acts in the world. Why should we follow a certain leader – because that is the person that God sent into the situation, to do a certain task. Whether we are in the role of shepherd or sheep – our role is not to know. Our role is to listen, trust and follow. Follow not man, but to follow god. And yet Jesus in his own words reminds us that God came to us in the flesh of a human being, to guide us, to take care of us and to save us from ourselves. Jesus himself says that his work and God’s work are one in the same for those who believe and follow his voice.
How do we know that we are doing the right thing? How do we know when we are trusting the right person, how do we know if a certain person is of God?
We have to be clear in our own faith, determined in our own spirits to follow God, and commited to following our own path. It is not always our job to judge another’s call or relationship with God – it is our job to know our job and our relationship with God.
Barbara Brown taylor writes – to be where God is - to follow Jesus – means going beyond the limits of our own comfort and safety. It means sharing the life we have been given.
Being a sheep means to be where God is – follow Jesus. To find God in all things. To be faithful in our own lives. To hear the voice of Jesus guiding us, and forsaking all other voices. We find that voice in song, in art, in beauty, and most importantly in other people. The good news is that when we listen for that voice – we hear it in some way.