Gospel

John 10:1-10

Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

Sermon

Sermon
The Rev. Susan Norris

The sheep know the shepherd’s voice; the shepherd walks in front of them and they follow, because they recognize the shepherd’s voice.

They simply won’t follow strangers . . .

I am come that you might have life, and have it to the full. (abundantly)

"The good shepherd" is the earliest and longest running picture we have of Jesus.

Pictures of empty tombs, angels, and the kingly Christ

do not make their artistic appearance until the church and state join forces

in the 4th century, under the emperor Constantine.

At that point, Constantine needed a powerful king-in-combat icon,

to give heart to his soldiers in battle.

Until then the Good Shepherd held sway

in the hearts and minds of Christian folk

as the major description of who Jesus is and what Jesus does

Why so?

Lets look a bit at what this symbol tells us.

The shepherd in those early cultures was a tough and powerful person

The "shepherdess on the green" who lives in our children's hymns

and Sunday School pictures

(an oblique reference to St. Joan of Arc –

who led an army to victory - may I point out)

the clean, sweet and gentle Jesus holding the amazingly clean lamb in his arms,

the motherly Christ tucking his "sheep" into the fold at night

is not the being up on any 2nd century cross.

Nor is he the being in the early second century proclamation of the gospel --

indeed, not in ANY proclamation of the gospel.

Biblical shepherds are rough, tough, dirty protectors

who make it possible for their sheep to survive, even thrive,

by finding and controlling the conditions in their pasture,

and by prodding and dragging them out of the trouble

most sheep seem determined to get into.

The Good Shepherd image’s popularity lies in the fact that God,

and therefore Jesus the Christ,

are the great protectors of this flock called the church

“Good Shepherds,” we are told in the next section of today’s reading

“lays down their lives for the sheep.”

Literally, in the Greek, “he covers them with his life.”

This shepherd picture of is an older brother

keeping an eye on younger siblings at the mall;

or of the 8-year old daughter

of a now deceased mother in Darfur

staggering into a refugee camp dragging her smaller brother

and carrying the baby.

The shepherd, we hear today, can lead particular sheep, because

they know the shepherd’s voice.

Stand on the edge of a dog park, and call your dog’s name.

You’ll get much attention, but you’ll only leave with one dog.

How do sheep – or humans, know our shepherd’s voice?

By the way a shepherd acts, smells, sounds, - AND

by what happens when we follow along.

“You, God, are my shepherd” the psalmist wrote, “I shall lack nothing.

You let me lie down in green pastures,

You lead me beside still water,

You refresh my soul,

You lead me in paths of righteousness . . .

Even if I as walk through death, you are with me,

Your rod and your staff give me courage

You feed me in my enemies’ presence.

my cup overflows.”

Most humans wonder, "Is God really dependable?

Is God truly faithful?

Is God able to do what has been promised since creation?"

CAN WE TRUST GOD? ! ?

To this question, the Gospel preachers, artists, and story tellers answer, "YES."

They – and we - answer YES because in a multitude of ways.

They – and we - recognize God’s voice,

and follow Jesus’ leadership in their lives.

We believe that Jesus is our shepherd – even in the 21stcentury

and in places that look nothing at all like rural Palestine.

We trust that God the good shepherd is so faithful

that She will die - will give up appearing as God -

rather than allow one sheep to be lost.

This is the good news of the Gospel.

To the question, "Is God faithful? Can and does God keep promises?"

Our Resurrection answer is, "Yes, Christ is risen indeed, Alleluia!"

And - every time we say. "Alleluia" – (translation, “Praise God,")

we are saying, "Yes, God you are faithful.

Whether we can see or feel your faithfulness at this moment,

we trust that is how life is.

Thank you!"

“Shepherd” also translates “pastor,” a common name for virtually all

Christian clergy.

The assumption behind that translation is obvious,

it’s our job – or at least one of them,

to be pastoral – to be concerned, to care, to lead,

to speak in a familiar voice,

to set a table before you, (though I hope NOT surrounded by enemies!)

to lead people to the water of life,

to walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

It’s at this point that the question of a “familiar voice” seems

to speak directly to our present situation.

Certainly Jack and I are familiar voices –

(possibly TOO familiar on occasion!)

In this story, the sheep, not recognizing another shepherd’s voice,

run away, fearing the stranger.

That seems like pretty awful behavior for a parish that will be

blessed with first an interim and then new clergy

over the next couple of years.

In today’s gospel., Jesus, who calls the sheep by name

is the Model Shepherd

The word “model “ which is what “good shepherd” means here

makes clear what all this is about

Good Shepherd Sunday is about the ministry which Jesus left to us, his body, the Church.

Jesus, the Shepherd is our model, the person to copy.

All Christian ministers both lay and ordained are called to do as Jesus does.

“Shepherding” is often about connecting

Thirsty people to water, hungry people to food, lonesome people to a community, the hopeless to hope, the dead to new life,

the unwanted to great love, the Universe to God

In one sense even ordained ministry in our church is about

who connects to what.

Bishops connect universal Christian teaching to present day reality

Priests, a connect human beings to God.

Deacons, connect the church to the need of the society

And ALL of us, in our Baptismal ministry – do some of each of these things in our lives in the world.

Over the summer, and through next year,

As lot of the connecting going on here will come from the other familiar

pastors for whom we pray weekly.

Cynthia our music director, Gladys and Jim our wardens

Our vestry and parish leaders.

AND, my friends – most of it will need to come from ALL OF YOU

You are called in the coming time to be not only, or mainly sheep –

but shepherds.

Step forward and connect the new interim to this parish.

Don’t run away from a “strange” voice.

Instead, hear the familiar voice of God among us present in a new person.

Stay connected to each other.

Visit the sick and shut in, call up missing acquaintances.

Pray for those in great need or great joy.

Explain our community traditions to newcomers,

Teach and play with the children.

Welcome the youth into our committees and missions.

Be fierce in protecting all those folks who are somehow “different” from us.

Be sure that this sheepfold is always open to everyone who seeks God.

Take the Burgess outreach fund and run with it.

Connect those in great need with the resources we have been given in trust for them.

And keep us connected to the wider church: pledge and pay our full diocesan share, this year, next year, and in all the years to come.

If you do all of these things faithfully.

When you have time to look up and look around you,

you will find our very familiar sheepfold, and

Jesus, the Model Shepherd, supporting you in all you do.

You will also find that this parish continues to have life, and have it abundantly.

So as you hear yet another version of the 23rd Psalm this morning,

let it comfort you with the promise that God will be your constant companion throughout this big change,

as God will be with you throughout your life.

BUT let yourself also hear Jesus saying "I am the model shepherd"

and remember that what he is modeling

is a shepherding, connecting, loving, forgiving, ministry of abundant life,

so that I, we, you, ALL of Jesus’ disciples,

may continue to go out and do for others

what Jesus is doing for us.

In nomine