1 Easter 4 Year C 2013 Sunday, April 25, 2010 Easter 4Good Shepherd Sunday This congregations last Good

Shepherd Sunday The congregation closed in July 2010 Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Denver, Colorado Pastor Dena Williams Acts 9:36-43 The story of Tabitha, a woman who served her community in practical, loving ways. She was a devoted follower of Jesus who was called to help others. Psalm 23 Needs no introduction. Lets see if among us, we can say it from memory. I think we can! We wont need our Bibles today. Revelation 7:9-17 The Good Shepherd is the Lamb on the throne. The Holy Gospel according to the Community of St. John in the 10th Chapter Glory to you, O Lord Our Gospel is from John today. Remember it is the book of symbols and metaphor. Today Jesus tells us we are the sheep, that is our symbol, and he is the shepherd. At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the leaders of the temple gathered around him and said to him,

2 "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, O Christ Sheepish Sheep Lambs Shepherds Rods and Staffs Pastures Flocks and Folds What do we know of these things, these images we find in todays Psalm, in the lesson from Revelation, and in the Gospel? A few of you grew up on a farm and know a thing or two about sheep. I personally have not spent a lot of time with sheep. My only experience of a shepherd came a couple summers ago in the far Northwest corner of Colorado. John and I have been fishing and we are taking the back roads, the scenic route to the highway. As we round a corner of the quiet countryside,

3 There is an explosion of movement in front of us. A horse with a rider comes directly toward us at breakneck speed, a sheep runs up the embankment on one side of the road, another runs down the slope on the other side, and two dogs pant in hot pursuit. John brakes and the man on the horse pulls up just in time. He grins, shakes his head, and calls his dogs back to the road. We drive on down the road, and there, just around another bend, sitting on its haunches, is a big black bear. The bear scurries up the embankment, disappears quickly in the underbrush. That explains the commotion of frantic sheep, determined dogs, a galloping horse and rider. I do not know the end of this story. How will the shepherd recover the sheep who flee to the underbrush? Will he get to them before the bear? Will he use the dogs to track the sheep and then go in after them? Once he finds them how will he convince the sheep to follow him and the horse? I am guessing that things happen like this: the dogs find the sheep, the shepherd ties up his horse and goes after the dogs who are herding the sheep. Then what happens? Do the sheep really know his voice and follow him maybe with a little encouragement from his staff? Or does he have to put a rope around their necks and lead them out of the woods? Either way, it seems to me that the shepherd has to do some serious convincing to get the sheep back to the flock.

It looks like hard work to me, being a shepherd. Our shepherd on horseback looked like he had been out in the sun for days. He looked weathered, tattered, and lean, the kind of leanness that comes with long hard days of physical labor. People who work with sheep tell me that they, the sheep, are not high on the animal IQ list. As a matter of fact, sheep, it seems, are just plain dumb. Their lack of aptitude places them in desperate need of a shepherd, not just any kind of shepherd, but one who is watchful, careful, and very hardworking. There is one thing, however, a sheep does well. Apparently, sheep eat like its their job. They will munch for hours on end. Perhaps the most interesting fact about sheep I ever heard is this: a sheep, left to itself, will continue to eat until it drops down in a faint from exhaustion. The sheep is so dumb it doesnt know enough to lie down when its tired. It is the shepherds job to round up the sheep, lead them to a fold where there is nothing on the ground to eat and make them lie down before they drop in their tracks. He makes me lie down in green pastures. A rancher friend told me that sheep are afraid of moving water. Even a really thirsty sheep will not go near a river or stream. They would thirst to death on the bank

5 before they would venture to the edge of the creek for a drink. They will stand and bleat in desperation, but they will not get a drink from moving water. The shepherd has to provide the sheep with ponds or stock tanks in order for them to drink. He leads me beside still waters. Sheep eat with their heads down, not paying any attention to their surroundings. They will eat themselves into tight places. They get caught in thickets because they dont watch where theyre going. They fall down cliffs, eating themselves right over the edge. If not constantly shepherded sheep get themselves into dangerous predicaments from which they have to be rescued. Then the shepherds job is to untangle the sheep or haul it back up the cliff to a safe place, out of danger, away from death. He restores my soul. Although sheep are herding animals, they sometimes eat themselves away from the flock. They stray, not even noticing that they have left the safety of numbers. Before they get completely lost the shepherd must find the wandering sheep, find it and bring it back to the safety of the flock. He leads me in right paths. Even though I walk through the darkest valley. We are not sheep, we say. Our brains are larger. Our IQs are much higher.

6 We do not need a shepherd to make us lie down, lead us beside still waters, restore our souls, guide us in right paths. We are not sheep, we say. Ever gotten so busy and worked such long hours that you neglected your health or your family or your community? He makes me lie down. Ever been so afraid that you felt as though you were drowning in despair caused by depression or grief or illness or loneliness? He leads me beside still waters. Ever been pursued by dangerthe dangers of the world, the dangers of addiction? He restores my soul. Ever lost your way, been unsure of the future, felt you could not bear to face another day? He leads me in right paths, even though I walk through the darkest valley. We are not sheep, we say. We are . . . sheepish. But the Shepherd King, the Lamb on the throne, prepares a table before us, anoints our head with oil, fills our cup until it overflows. We find ourselves clean and clothed, dressed for a banquet. Clothed not in our own righteousness,

7 but clothed in the righteousness of the Son. Then the Shepherd King, comes to the head of the table. He speaks words of welcome to us Thanks for coming. Welcome to the table. Then the Shepherd King makes us a promise Surely my goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life, and you shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Amen