WORSHIP AT HOME by John Hinton
SUNDAY, 21st April 2024
I am the dance and I still go on!
Opening Prayer:
As a shepherd gathers the flock, so the love of God has gathered us here today.
We celebrate the fullness of life Jesus has shown us, and place all that we are, and all that we long to be,
into his hands Amen
Hymn:
StF 306: Now the green blade rises
Prayer of Confession:
We are the ones whose mission it is to build and not destroy, yet we sometimes manage to sabotage ourselves and destroy the things we love; Lord, show us how to heal.
We are the ones who sometimes reject the cornerstone of our faith, by denying Christ in friend and neighbour; Lord, show us how to begin again.
We are the ones who crucify Christ again and again by the wrongs that we do Lord, show how us how to witness to your love. Lord, forgive us, heal us, teach us, and renew us. Amen
Lord’s Prayer:
Message:
Today’s appointed Gospel reading is one of the most familiar in John. A reading that offers us a great deal of comfort as we travel through our lives – lives that are inevitably touched with times of sorrow as well as times of joy, low points as well as high points, times of doubt as well as times of certainty, times of fear as well as times of courage. The comfort comes from the assured presence of Jesus throughout, our caring and protective shepherd.
Reading: John 10:11-18
This reading echoes even more ancient scripture written about 1000 years BC, Psalm 23. That psalm contains the much loved line “the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”. Moving back to today’s appointed Gospel reading we find Jesus using the same imagery of David to tell of his relationship with his followers – one like that of a good shepherd with his flock.
It has been argued that such an image is not a helpful one in a modern, urban society…but I’m not sure. I think most people, children included, have a good grasp of the concept of vulnerable sheep and lambs being protected from danger by a caring shepherd – perhaps nowadays and in our culture a caring shepherd wearing a flat cap accompanied by a couple of black and white border collies and even riding a Quad Bike!
And most people, children especially, have a concept of Wolves being used to represent danger. I feel a bit sorry for wolves – they seem to be given such a bad press, always labelled the baddy in nursery rhymes!!
A poor shepherd, Jesus tells us, runs away when danger threatens, leaving the defenceless sheep at the mercy of the wolves. A good shepherd, he explains, lays down his life for his sheep. Of course, his words took on an even greater significance after his crucifixion. For the love of us, his flock, he did indeed lay down his life. But we are “Easter people” and not “Good Friday” people and so while we remember the death of Jesus ….. we celebrate his resurrection.
The lectionary at this time of year takes us on a journey of crucifixion and resurrection stories as recorded by the four gospel writers. And if we read our scriptures honestly, we must acknowledge that the “journey of crucifixion and resurrection” as told in those gospels is not a simple, consistent and straightforward one.
Firstly, the Gospel writers have very different stories to tell and they tell them in very different ways. Matthew’s passion account is full imagery and symbolism – like Luke, he spoke of a darkness that fell over the place at time of the crucifixion, but he alone spoke of an earthquake that tore open graves out of which the dead saints were raised. John has none of these dramatic elements but rather he focuses on Jesus’s last intimate act of forming a family when, speaking of Mary his mother, he said to John – this is your mother, and to Mary speaking of John, he said this is your son. And moving to the resurrection stories Mark’s original account ends at the empty tomb.
The others speak of mysterious and perhaps contradictory Easter experiences: “Touch me Thomas, put your fingers in my wounds”, “Don’t touch me Mary, I have not yet ascended”. A risen Jesus who appeared spirit like through locked doors to hidden rooms. A hungry Jesus who made breakfast and ate it with his friends. A recognisable Jesus who Peter threw himself into the water to swim to, a “hidden” Jesus who Mary thought was a gardener and who the two friends on the road to Emmaus did not recognise though they walked with him for hours. A risen Jesus recognised sometimes by his face, other times by his voice and once by his action of breaking bread.
In those mysterious (and perhaps contradictory experiences of Easter) there is one central message. The cross was not the end. The Good Shepherd did lay down his life for us, but his cross was not the end. The risen shepherd guards and guides his flock even now. The cross was not the end. As expressed in our first hymn -Love lives again, like wheat that springs up green- the cross was not the end. As expressed in our next hymn-They buried my body and they thought I’d gone, but I am the dance and I still go on! The cross was not the end!!
Hymn: StF 247: I danced in the morning
Prayer of Intercession:
Lord, our shepherd, you lead us with tender, loving care. We pray for those who wander, trying to discern their way in difficult times: for the unemployed, those seeking work and new directions, those disturbed by unexpected events after years of comfort and stability. Lord our shepherd, guide us.
We pray for those who are passing though dark valleys: the sick, the dying, the depressed and anxious, and for those who care for them. Lord our shepherd, guide us.
We pray for those who are anointed with the task of leadership: for the leaders of nations, the leaders of local communities, the leaders of religious communities.
We pray for those who must negotiate to bring an end to enmity and violence in an increasingly fractious world,
Lord our shepherd, guide us.
Amen
StF 481: The Lord’s my shepherd
Blessing:
May the peace of God enfold us, the love of God uphold us and the wisdom of God direct us. Amen.
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