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. . . As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord . . . Joshua 25:15b
Easter 4 Year B
Torhamn, Gunnar, 1894-1965. Good Shepherd, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55855 [retrieved March 30, 2021].
Published date 4/24/2024
Introduction
Introduction
We don't get away with just being cared for by our Good Shepherd Jesus. We have to care for others. (Remember we are witnesses.) So how do we go about doing that? Read this commentary about the 23rd Psalm and the 23rd Antipsalm. This awakens a different perspective. And while you're at it, what did you do for Earth Day?
John 10:11-18
John 10:11-18
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. . . . And I lay down my life for the sheep. . . . No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
From sermon4kids.com: “Jesus is the good shepherd, and we are His sheep . . .. He knows us and He loves us. He will protect us when God’s enemy or anyone tries to hurt us. ”
Scripture: April 25, 2021—Acts 4:5–12 (image); Psalm 23 (image); 1 John 3:16–24 (image); and John 10:11–18 (image). A visual/audio journey through the scripture.
Collect: O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Reflection: What does it mean to lay down our lives for one another (1 John 3:16)? Think about people who have been “good shepherds” for you, sharing the love and showing the way of Jesus Christ. Who has helped to lead you in right paths or walked with you in dark valleys? Who has given you comfort and calmed your fears? Who has shown you hospitality and grace, making a place at the table for you, even when you felt surrounded by enemies? How have you done these things for others?
(excerpted from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year B, Volume 1 © 2014 Westminster John Knox Press)
Symbols of the Church
Symbols of the Church
Eggs are a universal symbol of fertility. That's a big part of why they are considered a symbol of Easter and where the tradition of decorating Easter eggs came from. However, there is also a strictly religious element of their symbolism. Eggs must be cracked open for new life to emerge, just as Jesus' tomb was opened by God so that he could emerge after being resurrected. As a result, Easter eggs symbolize both the tomb of Jesus and his resurrection.
from "15 Easter Symbols and Their Unique Meaning" website.
True shepherd and wolves, Peter Koenig, https://www.pwkoenig.co.uk/Portfolio/true-shepherd-and-the-wolves
“The good shepherd” by Yu Jiade
“The good shepherd” by African Mafa
page of good shepherd images from Global Christian website
“Shepherd me, O God“, sung by Youth Noises & Players in 2013
“My Shepherd” by Virgil Thompson (just for you, Richard)
“The good shepherd” sung by Yolanda Adams
“Choosing to love” by Robert Roth
a contemporary version of Psalm 23 by Robert Alter
"Love is a verb" by Cheryl Lindsay
For families: Study guide and activities (former guide), group activity, snacks, kid video
For children: See family guide/activities (another activity); bulletin; craft
For middlers: See family guide/activities (another activity); bulletin; craft
For youth: Psalm 23 is a well-worn, beloved psalm that many of us can say by heart. Consider what in the psalm is threatened by humanity’s disregard for the earth—“green pastures” and “still waters”. Yes, Earth Day is here: April 22. Think about what your part is and how you may help heal a weary earth.
Excerpted from “A few choice words”, SOLI website https://www.stewardshipoflife.org/2018/04/a-few-choice-words/.Feel free to comment.
This Sunday of Easter is traditionally called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Each year we hear a part of Jesus’ discourse on his relationship to us in the image of the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd loves his sheep so much that he lays down his life for them. We are called by him into his life, the life which he has given for us.
Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles continues the story of the first days of the Church. Peter and the other Apostles are on trial before the rulers of the people because in spite of being commanded to speak no more of Jesus, they had continued to preach and to heal in his name. Today we hear portion of Peter’s response.
The reading today from I John tells us that as God’s children we are to reveal God’s love by living in love with all other people. That love is to be more than a kind feeling. We cannot claim to have God’s love if we do not care for the needs of our poor and neglected brothers and sisters. Our identity now comes from God and our lives are to reflect God’s own nature and love. How we live reveals our relationship to God.
Thus the description of the Church as the Body of Christ is not merely an analogy. It describes our life together as the embodiment of Christ’s love and mercy toward all people. We are not only “the sheep of his pasture,” but we are to shepherd all his people in his name.
From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 2007 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York.
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