On the Way to Wonder

Prelude: “Waymaker” by Michael W. Smith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxTxSCf51ck

Alleluia! Christ is risen.   Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Welcome to our virtual worship. The Lord be with you.

Confession and Forgiveness

If you were to keep watch over sins, O Lord, who could stand? Yet with you is forgiveness, and so we confess: (I invite you to reflect in the privacy of your home before a time of confession.)

Confession: Gracious God, have mercy on us. We confess that we have turned away from you, knowingly and unknowingly. We have wandered from your resurrection life. We have strayed from your love for all people. Turn us back to you, O God. Give us new hearts and right spirits, that we may find what is pleasing to you and dwell in your house forever. Amen.

Forgiveness: Receive good news: God turns to you in love. “I will put my spirit in you, and you shall live,” says our God. All your sin is forgiven in the name of ☩ Jesus Christ, who is the free and abounding gift of God’s grace for you. Amen.

 Gathering Hymn: Alleluya! Jesus Is Risen! ELW 377 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nITcyewdmHI

Prayer of the Day

Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Give us grace to love one another, to follow in the way of his commandments, and to share his risen life with all the world, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

 Selection of the Faithful: What a Fellowship, What a Joy Divine, ELW 774 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJUqJczZG_4

HEARING OF GOD’S WORD

First Reading: Acts 7:55-60

⁵⁵Filled with the Holy Spirit, [Stephen] gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶“Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” ⁵⁷But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. ⁵⁸Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.

Psalm: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

¹In you, O Lord, have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
²Incline your ear to me; make haste to deliver me.
³Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag and  my stronghold; for the sake of your name, lead me and guide me.
⁴Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me,
for you are my tower of strength. 
⁵Into your hands I commend my spirit, for you have redeemed me,   O Lord, God of truth.
¹⁵My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my  enemies, and from those who persecute me.
¹⁶Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.” 

Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-10

²Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—³if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
⁴Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and ⁵like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶For it stands in scripture:
“See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
⁷To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner,”
⁸and
“A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
⁹But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
¹⁰Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.

Gospel: John 14:1-14

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. ²In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴And you know the way to the place where I am going.” ⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
⁸Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” ⁹Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. ¹²Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”

SERMON – T-Boned

Have you ever been T-boned by life? That brand new car was rammed from the side by a careless driver? Planning a vacation when the doctor reads the results? Preparing for surgery when Covid-19 moves surgery to July? Suddenly all our plans go topsy-turvy as we attempt to deal with life in real time. As I have been sharing, Easter and Easter season was a T-bone experience for the disciples and followers of Jesus. Their hero was crucified and the body disappeared. The first two weeks of Easter, we listened as followers shared about their encounters with the risen Christ shortly after the resurrection, before the ascension. Not one but hundreds of people report that they saw, touched, heard and interacted with him. He is alive! That’s one proof if we trust testimonies but that might not fit you.

Last week we reflected on a different approach. I test if something is real by juxtaposing the new experience with the old reality. Is there congruity? We looked at Jesus’s claim to be the Good Shepherd with the promise that we would hear his voice, that he was the gate allowing events to touch our lives, and ultimately he would gave us life, abundantly. We experience those claims in prayer, by perseverance through hard times with his presence, and with peace that passes understanding.

Today we look at another passage and another proof. Jesus is walking from the upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane, facing betrayal and crucifixion. What does he choose to talk about? He focused the disciples eyes on the goal of what was about to happen. Their hearts would be troubled but… Believe in him, he is going to prepare a place for us and we will be with him. Pie in the sky? Does the goal justify the price? Does sheltering flatten the curve and save lives? We know the question and live in the process!

I taught ELS for eight years in the Minneapolis Adult Education program with immigrants and refugees from all over the world, with tons of stories and all sorts of education from their home country. For some the story is being caught in political situations that T-boned their lives and brought them here but for many regardless of what led to their choice to seek entrance into the USA, a common theme emerged. One spouse works one or two jobs available for people with little language and the other spouse works the complementary shift. Child care was somehow shared or extended family was enlisted. They navigate exhaustion to get language to get a better life. Often I heard, Yes, I work at fast food, sweeping floors, cleaning bathrooms, emptying trash but my children are in school, may go to college and will have a more comfortable life that I dream about. The parents sacrifice, enter upheaval, for the love of the perceived benefit for the children.

Life can be unsettled by the unexpected but it can also become unsettled because we choose chaos for the future good. Our passage today, I would propose is Jesus, knowing that life was going to be turned upside down, focused the disciples eyes on the process (a coping strategy), on place (a strategic goal to keep insight), and on their priest (their leader).

Believe in God, believe also in me.

PROCESS: FAITH

         I have a son who bungee jumped from Victoria Falls in Zambia. The jump is 111 meters, about 364 feet, or a bit more than a football field with the Zambezi River to meet him. Unlike our commercials, there was no soda can at the bottom to grab. It was a life changer for him. Talk about faith! Was the chord the right length? Would it hold? Was it worth it? Early Christians did not have government protection of their right to worship. So many faced horrible deaths, tarred and burned as torches, crucified, Heb. 11:32-40, “the world was not worthy of them.” They did not have a Bible in their language with multiple versions to compare and contrast. No TV, no FB, and no streaming options. No beautiful cathedrals with eloquent pastors to guide them. Knowing this future facing his followers, Jesus starts by saying, “Believe in me.”

As we struggle with the confinements of the social situation now, with the chaos of our political system, with the uncertainty of our economic system, Jesus calls us to faith in a person who is God and not faith in a world system that is fallible. Can you hear your kid asking, “And how does that work for you, Mom/Dad?” And there we are, back to testimony about relationship.

Perhaps this Sunday as we reflect on women that have been inspirational in our lives, we can take time to look back over the years and how faith in Christ has worked for us. Can you identify God’s faithfulness through the rough times, the reversals, the betrayals, the joys and the blessings? Perhaps He was there as a mother, as a wife, or some other woman who mothered you and modeled a life of faith. For many of us, we would say faith is not the result of a theological explanation but because of life lived believing in a Lord who walks with us. Jesus has been our Good Shepherd!

I go to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again and will take you to myself,

so that where I am, there you may be also.

A PLACE TOGETHER

“Where are you from?” is a question my children and I have struggled with. Are we from Los Angeles where our worldly belongings are stored or are we from Eldoret, Kenya, East Africa, a place that no-one knows and that pulls up visions of Tarzan? My son would say, “I’m not Joe Doe from Africa.” Jesus was known as “Jesus of Nazareth.” Paul was known as “Paul of Tarsus.” Darius was “Darius the Mead.” Jonah is identified with Ninevah. Adam and Eve came from the Garden of Eden. Place is important. Perhaps it identifies our roots, explains our idiosyncrasies, and gives a face to “home.”

Jesus told his followers at the beginning of his ministry, Matthew 8:20, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son Man has no place to lay his head.” Perhaps that works when he walks the countryside and people welcome him or he turns water into wine or feeds 5000 but what happens after the crucifixion and Jesus disappears? Where do the disciples belong, Jerusalem? This is an issue the early church faced. Judaism had always been identified with Jerusalem. Catholicism became identified with Rome or Constantinople? Our generation identifies with churches, buildings that are now closed. Where is our place? Where do you identify?

Covid-19 confronts this need of place for people. If parents die, where is the home I can run to and identify with? Place is deeply connected to identity. After my parents died, I had an argument with my husband, stomped out and drove to the local library and sat in my car crying. I had no place to retreat anymore, no one who held my history, valued my person. Choices to enter chaos are choices that bring a sense of disconnect from one place while verrrrry gradually connection develop with the new place that is never quite home.

Jesus speaks into our very core need. He is going before us to prepare a place for us to be with him. “Going before” means the home is ready with no mortgage. It is prepared, shelves fully stocked. We came home on furlough one year with five small children and our Sunday school class had stocked our cupboard! What surprise will await us, I do not know, but it is prepared. We are not forgotten and “heaven” will not be surprised when we arrive! And lastly, we will be with him. Now we have a picture, an image! What does it mean? Look to the Gospels where being with Jesus meant the blind were healed, the thirsty fed, the dead raised, the truth spoken, and children valued. Place is so important and Jesus assures his followers that he is going BEFORE to PREPARE a PLACE to be with HIM. What a wonderful vision to keep before us as we tread the challenges of this life.

¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;

but if you do not,

then believe me because of the works themselves.

PRIEST

The priest was the person who mediated between God and his people. The prophet spoke God’s words but the priest, stood between God and humans. During this pandemic, pastors everywhere are working to keep connected with their people. Sheep without a shepherd are vulnerable.

The priests handled the sacrificial system. It is important that the disciples and we understand that Jesus and God are together. The shepherd puts himself between his sheep and the enemy. Jesus is here speaking into the end of the sacrificial system, the link between God and people. He is God. He is the sacrifice. After the crucifixion, when we no longer see Jesus, he will be an eternal priest. Hebrews 4-7 says a lot about this. Heb.7:24, “but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

We start our services with a confessional that we have fallen short knowingly and unknowingly by what we have done or left undone. It is not popular talk these days as we want everyone to follow the “I’m ok, you’re OK” philosophy but I suspect for many of us, we know we are broken people (sinful) in a broken (sinful) world that needs a savior. Jesus is “in God” and God is “in him” as is observable in his deeds.

Our summary: Jesus says

Hymn of Day: You Are the Way, ELW 758 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlm2_A8VQhE (0:03-1:49 only)

The Creed

Let us join our voices virtually by sharing the Maasai (a tribe in Kenya) Version of the Apostles’ Creed.

We believe in the one High God, who out of love created the beautiful world and everything good in it. He created man and wanted man to be happy in the world. God loves the world and every nation and tribe on the earth. We have known this High God in darkness, and now we know him in the light. God promised in the book of his word, the bible, that he would save the world and all the nations and tribes.
We believe that God made good his promise by sending his son, Jesus Christ, a man in the flesh, a Jew by tribe, born poor in a little village, who left his home and was always on safari doing good, curing people by the power of God, teaching about God and man, showing the meaning of religion is love. He was rejected by his people, tortured and nailed hands and feet to a cross, and died. He lay buried in the grave, but the hyenas did not touch him, and on the third day, he rose from the grave. He ascended to the skies. He is the Lord.
We believe that all our sins are forgiven through him. All who have faith in him must be sorry for their sins, be baptized in the Holy Spirit of God, live the rules of love and share the bread together in love, to announce the good news to others until Jesus comes again. We are waiting for him. He is alive. He lives. This we believe. Amen.

Or you can listen to the Creed in vocal form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuDI-sk2nJU

Prayers of Intercession

Uplifted by the promised hope of healing and resurrection, we join the people of God in all times and places in praying for the church, the world, and all who are in need.

Build us up, living God, as living stones united in your spiritual house. Continually strengthen your church as it is sent forth to proclaim your love. We pray especially during this time of sheltering for new congregations and those in redevelopment. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Humble us, creator God, as part of your creation. Fill us with respect and awe for the world you have made, including volcanoes, ocean currents, tropical rainstorms, glaciers, and other forces that both destroy and create. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Align our ways to your love, O God. We pray for countries, leaders, and other organizations as they prepare places for those seeking refuge and safety. Give us wisdom as the churches in different states face decisions and procedures for opening again. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of healing and rest, help those whose hearts are heavy and weighed down by many troubles. Comfort their suffering, ease their distress, and carry their burdens. We especially think of people worldwide dealing with the complications of Covid-19. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Nurturing God, we pray for those who tend and teach young children, for the safe pregnancies of expectant parents, and for families who struggle with infertility and miscarriage. We give thanks for all who have shown mothering care, and we remember all for whom this day is difficult. Flood our hearts and minds with positive memories and put your arms around those who grieve losses and abuse. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 Generous God, you call into your brilliant light all who have died. Give us faith to take hold of the promise of your eternal life. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

With bold confidence in your love, almighty God, we place all for whom we pray into your eternal care; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Peace If you are worship with someone else, turn and share, “The peace of Christ be with you always.” Response, “And also with you.” You might use your finger to mark you children or loved one with a cross on their forehead. If you are practicing social distancing, put your palms together in-front of your chest and open them outward to the other to show your blessing of them. Peace!

Offering Prayer

Merciful God, our ordinary gifts seem small for such a celebration, but you make of them an abundance, just as you do with our lives. Feed us again at this table for service in your name, in the strength of the risen Christ. Amen.

Communion: I invite you to talk a little piece of bread and eat it. Christ is as close to you as the bread in your mouth and stomach. Always remember. Now take a sip of your drink. Christ is as close to you as the blood in your body, strengthening you. Always remember.

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer after Communion

Life-giving God, you have fed us with your word, and our hearts burn within us. Through this meal you have opened us to your presence. Now send us forth to share the gifts of Easter with all in need; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing

May the One who brought forth Jesus from the dead raise you to new life, fill you with hope, and turn your mourning into dancing. Almighty God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen.

 Sending: Now the Green Blade Rises, ELW 379 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYA0tFX2tV4

Dismissal

Christ is risen, just as he said. Go in peace. Share the good news. Alleluia!

Thanks be to God. Alleluia!

Sunday, May 3, 2020
Fourth Sunday of Easter

Prelude: Open My Eyes that I May See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkXIjZERSnE

Alleluia! Christ is risen.  Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Welcome to our virtual worship. The Lord be with you.

Confession and Forgiveness

If you were to keep watch over sins, O Lord, who could stand? Yet with you is forgiveness, and so we confess: (I invite you to reflect in the privacy of your home before a time of confession.)

Confession: Gracious God, have mercy on us. We confess that we have turned away from you, knowingly and unknowingly. We have wandered from your resurrection life. We have strayed from your love for all people. Turn us back to you, O God. Give us new hearts and right spirits, that we may find what is pleasing to you and dwell in your house forever. Amen.

Forgiveness: Receive good news: God turns to you in love. “I will put my spirit in you, and you shall live,” says our God. All your sin is forgiven in the name of ☩ Jesus Christ, who is the free and abounding gift of God’s grace for you. Amen.

 Gathering Hymn: ELW 778, The Lord’s My Shepherd, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkqPro-u9GE

Prayer of the Day:  O God our shepherd, you know your sheep by name and lead us to safety through the valleys of death. Guide us by your voice, that we may walk in certainty and security to the joyous feast prepared in your house, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Hymn selection of the faithful: ELW 787 On Eagle’s Wings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTPpMdZojNU

         HEARING GOD’S WORD

Alleluia. Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me. Alleluia. (John 10:14)

First Reading: Acts 2:42-47

⁴²[The baptized] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
⁴³Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All who believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Psalm: Psalm 23

¹The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.
²The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
³You restore my soul, O Lord, and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
⁴Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for        you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 
⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head              with oil, and my cup is running over.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:19-25

¹⁹It is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. ²⁰If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. ²¹For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.
²²“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
²³When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. ²⁴He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Gospel: John 10:1-10

[Jesus said:] ¹“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. ²The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
⁷So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

SERMON

         How do we deal with a unique and unsettling experience that challenges our whole understanding of reality? Right now, Covid-19 has caused a disruption to USA life. The disciples thought Jesus was the Messiah who would restore their nation to the glory of the days of Solomon. Jerusalem would become great again. Palm Sunday the crowds cheered his entrance into Jerusalem. But by the end of the week the crowds were yelling, “Crucify him!” And the Roman government did. Dreams were dashed. It’s kind of like standing at the altar but the other person never shows. Can you feel the humiliation and despair? Not only that, after seeing Jesus flogged, driven through the streets of Jerusalem, crucified, and a sword put in his side, Jesus was buried in a tomb that was sealed. Three days later, after the Sabbath, women went to the tomb and found the body gone. Stories began to fly about what happened. Some said the body was stolen. Others said they saw the risen Christ. What happened?

Easter season is about the proofs that Christ is risen. First we heard about Jesus going through closed doors to meet with his disciples on the second Sunday. Last week we heard about Jesus walking on the road to Emmaus and laying a scriptural foundation for two other followers and “breaking bread.” But let’s go back to our question. When reality gets all messed up, how do we straighten it out? The person left at the altar, the person positive for Covid, the victim of a crime, might cope by reflecting back on what has led up to the present crisis. Were there clues that they missed, people they contacted, or mistakes they made? Our lesson today reflects back to on one of our most powerful images of Christ. Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Psalm 23 is our Psalm reading. How does our anticipation of Jesus as the Good Shepherd fit with the reality of the chaos we are living in right now, or did we miss something?

In our passage, John pulls out three strong images of Jesus as the Good Shepherd: voice, gate, and leadership. I do not know your experience with sheep but mine began when my husband, myself and our eight month old first born headed to the northern frontier of Kenya to start a Bible translation with a nomadic tribe. Severe drought had ravaged the area and our cemented mud house was on the edge of a former famine relief camp for about 10,000 people. They lived traditionally on meat, milk and blood. They were camel herders reduced to sheep and goats they kept in corrals made of thorn bushes piled together. If you have watched The Ghost and the Darkness about the man-eating lions of Tsavo, you understand. The animals are not American pets, they are life to the people. Their meat, their milk, their blood, and their skins form the basis of life.

THE VOICE

                                                      “the sheep hear his voice.                                                                              He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. “

         I have been a consecrated, now ordained, Deaconess with the ELCA for ten years. Hence the title “sister.” At the annual assembly where we all gather from the USA, Canada, and Haiti, I have “voice and vote.” Voice is a powerful concept in modern English lingo, perhaps carrying more weight than the original passage but perhaps it reveals a very important insight. When we weigh the truth of Easter and all the claims, all the privileges, all the complications of it, we are weighing it up against the idea of voice. “The sheep hear his voice.” Was Jesus speaking about an auditory experience to be expected by the saved, not unlike speaking in tongues? The “in” people hear and the “out” or “not-quite-in” people must keep straining for the experience. Not likely.

I have voice at Assembly which means I can come to the microphone and comment on any subject on the floor. I can make proposals. I can make objections. My opinions count. It does not necessarily mean I am the only voice in the room or the determinative voice on a matter. I am not the commander nor am I a beggar, I am partnering with the community. So listening to Jesus’ voice may not necessarily carry the sense of command as much as the right to comment and contribute, to partner. As I grow older, I realize partnership with Christ is not the same as the power struggles of becoming I had with my parents. Jesus partners with his sheep, speaking to them, guiding them. He is not driving and domineering. He moves them at their pace, looking for food and directing them but never in a demanding way. He may sing to them and he knows each one. We hear his voice in all aspects of life.

But so often God seems silent. To this response, I think of our modern day active listening slogan – hearing someone into voice. When God uses his voice through silence, it does not imply absence but focused listening. As we speak and God listens, we clarify our thoughts, our wishes, our petitions and find our own voice and identity. God’s silent voice partners with me to draw me into voice.

Religion is universally identified with prayer. Here prayer, hearing God’s voice, is linked with Him knowing our name. For the Christian, there is a personal relationship. After the crucifixion, resurrection, there was no physical Jesus but perhaps followers reflected on the Good Shepherd and looked for voice. Was there personal relationship where the follower has voice? The post resurrection experiences point to experiences with the risen Christ who knew names, knew histories and personalities, and who personally partnered with follows to accomplish goals. Those qualities still grow in Christians, in you and me today, and direct us to meaningful goals. We hear his voice through prayer, through Scripture, through music, and through community even as his silent voice draws us into our better selves.

THE GATE

“I am the gate for the sheep.”

         The sheep and goat corrals in the area where we lived were thorn bushes arranged in a circle and stacked so thieves or wild animals could not break in and steal a meal. There was only one entrance/exit and usually it was positioned so that the owner’s front door was within feet of the gate of the animals. It would be hard for a lion or hyena to sneak in or drag an animal out. The sound of an intruder would wake the shepherd. So then how is it that the sheep of Jesus get hurt? Why do bad things happen to good people? There is the rub. God’s sovereign role and our free will seem so often in tension.

I note the verse says that those who enter the gate “are saved,” not given a happy-ever-after life. “Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” Somehow in the struggles of life we find pasture, places to feed ourselves, but we also get hurt.

God allowed his son to suffer and allows us to suffer. I use the word “allow” and not the word, “invite” or “planned.” The events of my life are not outside God’s awareness or accidental, even the presence of Covid-19. We hold on to Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” I had a little tomato plant in Nairobi that sprung up in the crack in the sidewalk and faithfully bore tomatoes. Struggling with sickness a nurse cares for us when we cannot care for ourselves. Music comes to mind to strengthen our soul when we are discouraged. At just that moment when we are down, a friend calls and remembers us. I am coming to believe that Jesus endured the cross, not just to pacify some angry God who is far distant, but to show us we need not fear pain and death because a Good Shepherd walks with us on rocky paths and in deserts destroyed by draught. The gate keeps out the evil one but the shepherd walks with us through trials that strengthen us. The gate keeps out the thief that seeks to steal our joy and our life and the shepherd assures us that nothing can separate us from the love of God, not even our own doubt.

The gate does not shut us off from life like a bird in a cage but protects us as we go in and out and find pasture. Jesus is our gate who saves us. For me, John 10 confirms the crucifixion and resurrection experience. Life is unfair. Ugly things happen. There are thieves and false shepherds that would steal and whose voice of hatred and revenge would destroy. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who understands tough times like Covid, and walks with us.

THE LEADER

“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Each morning the young warriors, male and female, would take the animals to pasture. Each evening they would bring them home and all the animals of the village would play together in the streets as the milking took place. Little goats would butt heads with each other. How they got put to bed in the right corral, I do not know. But as dusk settled over the desert, the young people would dance, jumping into the air, shaking their beads and stamping their feet. Older people sat before houses made of poles and grass mats or cardboard boxes. Often we brought our food and we shared with them. Community, laughter, and stories filled the air. Perhaps my memories are a bit idyllic as it has been forty years but somehow life was “good,” not perfect. I don’t believe the abundant life means material possessions in big houses with lots of cars, but that pervasive sense of contentment and satisfaction that we have faced the challenges of the day to the best of our ability with the aid of our best friend at our side advising us, navigating the challenges, and rejoicing together. We talk and share. The sun sets and we can sleep peacefully for we have a savior who never slumbers or sleeps.

We do have voice through prayer, we do have protection through the gate that mediates what events touch our lives, and we are headed to even greener pastures. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, even during Covid-19.

Hymn of Day: The King of Love My Shepherd Is. ELW 502 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI1OeQfkVyI

The Creed

Let us join our voices virtually by sharing the Maasai (a tribe in Kenya) Version of the Apostles’ Creed.

We believe in the one High God, who out of love created the beautiful world and everything good in it. He created man and wanted man to be happy in the world. God loves the world and every nation and tribe on the earth. We have known this High God in darkness, and now we know him in the light. God promised in the book of his word, the bible, that he would save the world and all the nations and tribes.
We believe that God made good his promise by sending his son, Jesus Christ, a man in the flesh, a Jew by tribe, born poor in a little village, who left his home and was always on safari doing good, curing people by the power of God, teaching about God and man, showing the meaning of religion is love. He was rejected by his people, tortured and nailed hands and feet to a cross, and died. He lay buried in the grave, but the hyenas did not touch him, and on the third day, he rose from the grave. He ascended to the skies. He is the Lord.
We believe that all our sins are forgiven through him. All who have faith in him must be sorry for their sins, be baptized in the Holy Spirit of God, live the rules of love and share the bread together in love, to announce the good news to others until Jesus comes again. We are waiting for him. He is alive. He lives. This we believe. Amen.

Or you can listen to the Creed in vocal form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuDI-sk2nJU

Prayers of Intercession

Uplifted by the promised hope of healing and resurrection, we join the people of God in all times and places in praying for the church, the world, and all who are in need.

 Shepherding God, we thank you for the educational ministries of your church. Enrich the work of teachers, professors, mentors, advisors, and faculty at colleges, seminaries, and learning sites. We pray that Bethany’s Learning Ministry for young children might open soon and continue to be a blessing for children. Bless teachers who are sheltered but still trying to guide students from a distance. Give them creativity and give the students the ability to receive the lessons. We pray for those navigating graduation experiences. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Creating God, we praise you for those who maintain and operate farm equipment, for those who plant and harvest crops, for local farmers’ markets, and for those involved in agriculture of any kind. Strengthen their hands as they feed the world. We especially remember Bethany’s Community Garden as they seek to follow guidelines but work within the rhythms of nature to feed many. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Guiding God, no one should be in want. Bid the nations to return to your paths of righteousness and inspire our leaders to walk in your ways, so that all may have the opportunity to live abundantly and sustainably. We especially remember those in need from sheltering and unable to pay bills. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Comforting God, you carry us tenderly. We pray for those who walk through dark valleys overshadowed by anxiety and overwhelmed with suffering. Again we especially remember those impacted by Covid-19 and all the services on the frontline of this battle. Give them strength and protect them. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Nurturing God, you desire justice for the hungry. Bless advocacy work, food pantries, and feeding ministries in our congregations. We think of the families that need the help of Bethany’s Basket. May none of our neighbors lack for basic needs. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Everlasting God, your beloved have heard your voice; you have called them by name and guided them to your side in death. We thank you for their lives of faithful witness. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

With bold confidence in your love, almighty God, we place all for whom we pray into your eternal care; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Peace If you are worship with someone else, turn and share, “The peace of Christ be with you always.” Response, “And also with you.” You might use your finger to mark you children or loved one with a cross on their forehead. If you are practicing social distancing, put your palms together in-front of your chest and open them outward to the other to show your blessing of them. Peace!

Offering Prayer

Merciful God, our ordinary gifts seem small in light of your actions for us, but you make of them an abundance, just as you do with our lives. Feed us again for service in your name, in the strength of the risen Christ. Amen.

Communion: I invite you to talk a little piece of bread and eat it. Christ is as close to you as the bread in your mouth and stomach. Always remember. Now take a sip of your drink. Christ is as close to you as the blood in your body, strengthening you. Always remember.

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer after Communion

Life-giving God, you have fed us with your word, and our hearts burn within us. Through this meal you have opened us to your presence. Now send us forth to share the gifts of Easter with all in need; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EPcd0B5SNs&fbclid=IwAR1TCDQSW-jijW0sDUoYkSk-oYrHxStqr7cEeaR7CJNGyA5-hRCWacH0Bu0

May the One who brought forth Jesus from the dead raise you to new life, fill you with hope, and turn your mourning into dancing. Almighty God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen.

 Sending Hymn: Praise the Lord, Rise Up Rejoicing , ELW 544 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DEiYj0ZoIQ

Dismissal

Christ is risen, just as he said. Go in peace. Share the good news. Alleluia!                  Thanks be to God. Alleluia!