ST ANDREW’S  CHURCH
APRIL  30  2023
LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE

ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP
God, our Shepherd, offers us abundant life.
God, you are with us!
God, our Shepherd, leads us by still waters.
God, restore our souls!
God, our Shepherd, walks with us through every dark valley.
God, we will not be afraid!
God, our Shepherd, we praise for your goodness and mercy with us every day.
HYMN      814  Morning has broken

PRAYER OF INVOCATION
God of love, we come trusting that your love has the power to defeat evil in the world. Jesus shows us that your love defeats even the power of death. You are with us through the darkest valleys  so that we are not afraid. We worship you with glad hearts, praising you in the name of our Risen Lord, praying with the breath of your Spirit in us. Renew our strength and courage to face whatever each day holds,
so our lives will bring you honour and glory now and always. Amen.
UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of love,
we confess that too often we let the events around us
shatter our trust in your love.
When terror strikes and innocents fall,
we wonder if love can defeat violence.
When truth gets lost among misleading claims,
we wonder if love can prevail over lies.
Forgive us, God, when we lose our trust in the power of your love
so soon after it raised Jesus from death’s grip.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
The Apostle Paul asked: What will separate us from the love of Christ? Hardship? Distress? Peril or sword? No! he declared. Neither death nor life, nor things present nor things to come can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Let us rejoice that, no matter what is happening around us, God’s gracious and forgiving love will never let us go
THE PEACE
HYMN      357  How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Psalm 23;
John 10:1-10
SERMON          The Chief Shepherd
Have you  ever  seen  a sheep ?   Talked o a shepherd ?   Growing up in Rupert  my learning curve about sheep  was  kids books  – cute  fluffy  soft lambs  illustrated  on the pages . When I moved to Vancouver  at age 18 , my room mate Susan’s  parents  had a hobby farm on Vancouver  Island – complete with 2 ewes, a ram  and  three lambs  It was  delightful to  finally  see real live lambs – were so cute  –  but definitely  not soft and fluffy.

My husband Jim  grew up in Vancouver.  When  we  were visiting in Sheffield. England one  year, we were out  walking the moors one afternoon. Jim   said ‘“ What is that noise?”  Gerry our  friend just  laughed  “ See those  white things  over there “ he said , pointing , They are sheep talking to each other !!”  There were a hundred or so sheep  so it was  quite a noise

My very 1early understanding  left me with the impression  that sheep  represent the most stupid elements of society, the ‘mob’. They are generally referred to as an anonymous group – no named individual stands out.  Thus it annoyed me that congregations were called “the flock “ Church people I knew  were  pretty special.

As I pondered  what to address in the sermon today ,I hit on the subjects  sheep and shepherds   So I began to do a bit of research Maybe you all know lots about both –nevertheless I am about to share  a little of what I learned.
Sheep are best known for their strong herding and following instinct. They will run from what frightens them and band together in large groups for protection. This is the only protection they have from predators. – safety in numbers. It is harder for a predator to pick a sheep out of a group than to go after a few strays.. It is this strong flocking instinct that allows one person to look after so many sheep.
Even from birth, lambs learn to follow the older members of the flock. Mommies encourage their lambs to follow If there is a ram in the flock, he usually leads.

In fact, ensuring that sheep always have visual contact with other sheep will prevent excess stress when moving, handling, or housing them. A sheep will become highly-agitated if it is separated from the rest of the flock.

In addition to serving as protection against predators, this instinct enables humans to care for large numbers of sheep. Domestication and thousands of generations of human contact has further strengthened this trait in the sheep.

Domestication has favored the non-aggressive, docile nature of sheep, making it easier for people, especially women and children, to care for them. Sheep were one of the earliest animals to be domesticated,

Sheep share the same five basic senses that we do : sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. They depend heavily upon their vision and have  much wider field ranging from 191 to 306 degrees, On the other hand, sheep have poor depth perception This is why they will often stop to examine something more closely. They are reluctant to go where they can’t see. For many years, it was believed that sheep and other livestock could not perceive color. But, it has since been proven that livestock possess the cones necessary for color vision.

Sheep have excellent hearing and an excellent sense of smell. Sheep know what predators smell like. It helps ewes locate their lambs. Sheep use the sense of smell to locate water and detect differences in feed and pasture plants

The sense of touch is important in the interaction between animals. Lambs and. Ewes respond to this touching behavior in many ways particularly in feeding. Groups of animals that have body contact remain calmer.

Sheep spend about fifteen percent of their time sleeping, but may lie down and rest at other times Healthy lambs sleep 8 to 12 hours per day. At nap time, they seek out their mothers and will sleep as close to her as possible.

Lambs love to climb. They are naturally curious of their surroundings. In England  both Jim and I were amazed at the numbers of  young and older  sheep  we saw  standing in trees –  not very far from the ground  for sure – but definitely climbers

While sheep are generally docile, non-aggressive creatures, this is not necessarily the case with Rams. They can be very aggressive should never be trusted, even if it is friendly or was raised as a pet. The only time ewes may exhibit aggressive behavior is after lambing — to protect their young.

Sheep continue to be important for wool and meat today, and are also occasionally raised for pelts, as dairy animals, or as model organisms for science. Sheep husbandry is practiced throughout the majority of the inhabited world, and has been fundamental to many civilizations.

However  never have I actually spoken with a shepherd   I continued with a  bit more research.

While literal shepherds were not recipients of high esteem in Greco-Roman culture, high esteem was given to political figures as metaphorical shepherds.  Actual, literal shepherds were described as “laziest … stupid, gullible. people who lead an idle life,  getting their subsistence without trouble from  their flocks — wandering from place to place in search of pasture,  compelled to follow them, and cultivating a sort of living farm”

Scripture though  reminds  us of stories  like the shepherd boy David  who became  Israel’s  greatest beloved King.  Not to mention that the Lord on high sent his choir of angels to announce the  birth of his son –Jesus -to  unknown , unnamed  shepherds out in the field.—the very first witnesses

The relationship between a shepherd and sheep is one that is built of trust. He or she has a personal stake in the well-being of each one and develops a close, intimate relationship with them so that they know their voice and trust them. They understands the needs of the sheep better than the sheep do. A shepherd works tirelessly to provide protection and security.

Sheep are known to be one of the most anxious animals, and the only thing that can calm them is their shepherd. Every shepherd has the responsibility to lead his flock to ensure their welfare and safety, making sure that they are well protected in all aspects  Often a hired hand will abandon them when the going gets tough or dangerous—for him, it’s only a job.

Psalm 23 reminds readers that God sustains, provides, and cares for his flock. not just once, but time and time again—Moreover, in this Easter season, Psalm 23 serves a reminder to live—in the face of danger and misfortune, even in the shadows of darkness that might surround us, and to know that in living we will be sustained., Psalm 23 is a “song of trust,”  It is quiet on the crisis that led to its composition. Rather it functions to remind us of the relationship between God and God’s people-,  reminds us about the beauties of living  life in the here and now, even amid the  darkness that  may accompany day-to-day life. The psalm begins with the faithful and hopeful claim, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

The benefits of the relationship are clear: – have faith in the God who shepherds you through the wilderness, for history tells you that this God will not let you lack what you need. The psalm emphasizes the ways in which life in the here-and-now can be joyous and banquet-filled, especially if one trusts in guidance and protection of the shepherd and the benevolent provider of the banquet.

Jesus does not specifically call himself the “good shepherd” in our particular text   However  he does use this language immediately following in John 10:11 and 10:14.

When he said this, his audience probably knew well the role of a shepherd, In the Bible, sheep and shepherds are referred to with great frequency.  Sometimes, the Bible talks about real sheep and real shepherds.  Other times, it compares God’s people to sheep and the leaders of God’s people as shepherds.   Only Jesus is called the good shepherd.

Kalos, the Greek word, translated “good,” describes that which is noble, wholesome, good, and beautiful.  This is the character of God, and He alone is good.

Jesus is the only one who has, or ever will, live a sinless life.  He kept and fulfilled the commandants perfectly.  Those who call on the name of Jesus are forgiven and are seen by God as good, but it is only through Jesus that we can lay claim to this goodness.  And as we know, we’re all still works in progress.  For now, what’s left of our sinful nature is still fighting against our true nature (who we are in Christ).

Abundant life is not just for eternal life but also means life in the present age. As a part of the sheepfold, Jesus provides a present “life of the age” to those who are denied life-giving opportunities in today’s society.

Let me suggest that the voices to which we listen have a whole lot to do with those situations that put us at risk. Voices call us to follow into any number of seemingly good things that can threaten our very soul. Some are stupid like emails that promise us millions of dollars from a rich guy in Nigeria. Others are tempting, such as investing in “sure things” . Understand that none of these voices, in and of themselves, is bad. They are only bad in that we tend to follow them instead of the voice of Jesus. They are dangerous when they lead us away –Confuse us so we no longer hear our Lord clearly and stop following. Jesus .

All shepherds, other than Christ, will fail us if we look to them for our salvation, because only Jesus has the exclusive title of, the good shepherd.   He’s the only way to God the Father. Jesus gives life  to the full.–f life that gives hope, direction and purpose. I

When we place ourselves under the care of Jesus our life is safe with him. Jesus shows us a better way to live. He provides exactly what we need to grow in our faith. .  When we follow him, he is glorified Take heart for our Lord is calling our name even today. Let us follow Him.  AMEN
HYMN      356  You, Lord, are both lamb and shepherd

OFFERING
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”: the words of the Psalm celebrate God’s overflowing goodness and mercy in our lives. We offer God our gifts so God’s goodness and mercy will keep flowing into the world God made.
 
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost
OFFERTORY PRAYER
God with a tender heart, we thank you for the care you offer to us as our Shepherd. Bless the gifts we offer so they will spread your abundant love to lives in need of caring. Bless our lives so that we may care for the world as we follow Jesus day by day. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Wise and generous God, shepherd of our lives, we are thankful this day for all you provide to sustain us. You call our weary souls to rest when the world seems busy.
You bless us with the promise of new life as pastures around us turn green, announcing another spring .You gather us around tables of friendship to draw strength from one another. Thank you for signs of your goodness and mercy we can treasure each day.
By your Spirit, deepen our understanding so that we come to know you more fully, and follow your Word more faithfully
Loving and Listening God, shepherd of the world, we bring you our prayers for others, friends and enemies, neighbours and strangers alike. We pray for people who are struggling with illness, loneliness, grief or sadness: Walk with them through dark days and steep valleys.
We pray for people in countries and communities  where it is not safe to live out their faith or express their views openly.
We pray for victims of discrimination and acts of hatred, and those who fear violence day by day.
We pray for journalists and advocates for justice who live under threat for telling the truth.
 
We pray for churches,
We pray for congregations going through transitions. May they be patient and open to seeing and acting on God’s will when times are challenging.
 We pray for the candidates for ministry and guidance counsellors as they faithfully engage in the shared process of vocational discernment during Guidance Conference this week.
local organizations and businesses
that face difficulty reorganizing and the pressure of economic challenges.
We pray for our families, friends and for ourselves,
as well as those in the news whose situations tug at our hearts.
We offer these prayers and our unspoken concerns to you,
in the name of the Risen Lord who taught us to pray:
THE  LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy name,  thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.  Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
HYMN      485  Saviour, like a shepherd lead us

BENEDICTION
Go in peace, in the assurances  that the Good Shepherd walks beside you. May God lead you to places of rest and renewal;  May Christ give you courage on the journey; May the Holy Spirit fill your hearts with joy and generosity; And may the blessing of God, Creator, Christ and Spirit, dwell in your hearts this day and always.
CLOSING SONG                                   
 He is Lord,  He is Lord