4th Sunday in Easter

Today: is the fourth Sunday of Easter.
Meaning: It’s STILL Easter!!
And the fourth Sunday of Easter is always Good Shepherd Sunday.
This year, the images of sheep are everywhere:
We hear two of the most familiar and cherished pieces of scripture:
The 23 rd Psalm, which states “The Lord is my shepherd.”
And the section from John’s gospel where Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.”

Over the centuries:
The image of Jesus as the good shepherd:
And of his followers as sheep has been very appealing.
The amount of stained glass, painting, music, and poetry that it has inspired is
staggering.
And the number of sermons, articles, hymns, retreats and meditations are also
beyond measure.

People cherish the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd:
About as much as they cherish the 23 rd psalm.

Yet in all the words read and heard on the subject of the Good Shepherd and his
sheep:
There’s one thing that no one talks about:
And it has to do with one simple question:

Why do shepherds have sheep in the first place?
Shepherds keep sheep for pretty much the same reasons that ranchers keep
cows.
Being a shepherd and taking care of sheep:
And being a sheep and having a shepherd are:
Sooner or later:
About some kind of profit.
In terms of sheep and cattle, there’s stripping, selling,
And sometimes killing and eating.
There’s just no avoiding it.
And this little reality never shows up in the adorable stained glass windows or
greeting cards.

One of the problems with the shepherd—sheep image,
(besides the stripping, killing, selling, and eating part)
Is that sheep have a reputation of being passive, stupid, unimaginative, and dull.

And if we are the sheep of God’s pasture,
Does that mean we are supposed to be like sheep?
Cute, but lazy and dumb:
Only able to let the shepherd take care of us, because there’s no way we could
live on our own?
Is the whole point of the story that we aren’t worth very much:
Aren’t very capable?

Definitely not.
It’s actually the exact opposite.

First of all: shepherds keep sheep because the sheep are useful, important, and
necessary.
Because if the sheep don’t produce,
The shepherd is flat out of business.
Which brings us back to the part about stripping, Killing, selling and eating.

The sheep provide something to the shepherd.
The sheep have something important to give.

This is the part of the Good Shepherd business that is about us:
It’s about our part of what’s going on with this familiar talk of green pastures and
still waters:
We have something to give.
And not only that:
But God expects things of us.
And God also trusts us to carry it out.

Jesus isn’t going to leave us to the wolves, or only keep the most useful sheep.
Instead, God cares for us and has blessed us.
Laid down his life for us:
A freely given gift of love and continued care.

However, there ARE expectations:
We have to give back what we have.
(It might not be wool, or meat, or horns.)
But the point is that:
The care that God offers us is intended to lead to something:
Something real and substantial.

We are to produce,
To give back: from who we are:
The beloved sheep of God’s flock.

Of course, we don’t grow wool:
That’s not in our nature.
But it is in our nature to worship and to serve:
To reach out and to share:
To study and to pray:
To increase in holiness, and to tell the truth:
To seek justice.

It’s in our nature to choose to grow:
Even to the point of change, and transformation:
And to do this in community:
With the rest of the flock of sheep.

At the same time:
The image of being Christ’s sheep:
Also means that each and every one of us has purpose, and value, and worth:
That each is important.
Each and every one CAN contribute,
And is CALLED to contribute,
In one way or another, to the mission of the church.

You can’t be too young,
Or too old,
Too new,
Or too sick,
Too ordinary,
Or too extraordinary,
Too busy,
Or too anything:
To avoid the reality of belonging to God, and having something to give out of that
belonging.

We are needed.
And without us:
Without any single one of us:
The mission and work of the Good shepherd and His Church are impoverished.

As the sheep of God’s flock:

We matter:
And when you matter:
It means you have something to give.

So…. It also makes me think about my cats.
Many of you saw this picture of my sweety boy Jem.
Who wouldn’t let me write THIS VERY SERMON:
Because he needed to be on my back.
He needed some cuddles and care.

And people had a lot of great comments on social media about Jem helping me
with my sermon.
That he might be whispering something to me, and that I should cuddle up and
listen.

And that’s true.
I don’t mean to say that we are God’s “pets”
That’s weird.

But if you have a pet:
You know what it’s like:
You know what joy and comfort they bring.
You know that they ACTUALLY matter in your household.
(Even the ones that are super annoying… I have one cat that’s insanely annoying)
But I still LOVE her.

And she still has something to offer.
Something beautiful, and unique, and comforting.

But here’s the REAL truth.
When my sweet, insane cat jumped on my back and needed my attention:
I stopped writing this sermon,
And I cuddled him:
Giving him what he so desperately longed for:
And that little goon can tell when I DESPERATELY need a cuddle,
He offers MUCH to me.

God does that for us.
As the sheep of the good shepherd:
God will drop everything for just one of us that is lost:
For just ONE Of us who needs a cuddle.
And God does that because WE MATTER.
And we all have something to give.

We’re not God’s Pets,
But pets do give us a tiny glimpse into the shepherd and sheep image that can be
helpful.
We are valuable assets that matter:
Having Much to offer:
So much so that God will drop everything for just one of us.

And the proof:
Is that God Knows us:
Jesus, the Good shepherd says, “I know my own, and my own know me.”
He knows what we’re capable of:
He knows our gifts,
He knows our names:
And through our service in the world:
We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Amen.

Announcements: 
The Diocese meets May 4th to vote on the Triologue proposal. Share comments with Mike or Steve (call, text, letter)

St. John's was nominated for a Chamber award. We are very grateful for the recognition.

Happy Birthday this week to
Millie, Mary Ellen, Luanne and Sam

Our new hearing assistance devices are working very well. Head sets are on the pew near the entrance. Ask a greeter for assitance.