Readings: Acts 4:5-12; Psalm 23; 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18

At our confirmation class we spent some time looking at our image of God.  We were given a list of some of the ways in which God is described in Scripture.  There was the still small voice, the mother hen, the thief in the night, the royal king and many others.  We all had opinions about which we favoured.  One that was not on the list was the theme for today, Jesus, the good shepherd.  I wonder as I reflect if that would have ranked amongst our favourites. 

Even in our urban society where most of us have little experience around sheep the shepherd imagery of the 23^rd psalm is universally known.  The God who shepherds us, leads us, walks with us through troubled times.  This is the comforting picture of the good shepherd who meets our needs, who cares for us.  The good shepherd is depicted in artwork, in stained glass windows.  It speaks to us of comfort and care. 

I remember being with an elderly woman, as she lay in a hospital room very close to death.  The family had gathered to say their goodbyes.  She was in a coma; it seemed as if she had already begun the transition from life to death.  The family asked for prayer.  I began by reciting the twenty-third psalm.  A voice chimed in with mine.  At first I thought it was one of the family; then I realized that the woman, as close to death as she was, had reconnected with us for a time through those familiar words. 

Now if Jesus is the shepherd then that makes us the sheep.  I'm not at all sure many of us think about that when we get those warm fuzzy feelings about the image of the good shepherd.  How many of us would like being thought of as sheep?  Sheep have a rather bad name.  Little lambs, okay.  They are rather sweet, of course, soft and woolly.  But sheep!  That's a different story.  They seem smelly, stupid creatures that don't think for themselves.  So what exactly is it about the image that captivates us? 

A few years ago when I preached on the good shepherd passage at a friend's ordination, I did some research into sheep and shepherds.  A sheep farmer assured me that sheep, far from being stupid, are generally maligned and misunderstood. 

It is true that they need to be led.  But if you think about it, that is not so stupid after all.  If you stand behind sheep making loud noises, all they do is run around behind you.  They will not go anywhere that their shepherd does not go first.  That too, I would point out, is not stupid.  They want to make certain that everything is all right, that where they are about to go is actually safe. But perhaps the most wonderful thing about sheep is their sense of the joy of living.  Any shepherd will tell you that their favourite time of year is spring.  All winter the sheep are kept enclosed in a barn or in a fenced area.  But in spring they are led out into the field.  "Watch them being led into the pasture," a farmer told me.  "They are filled with excitement.  As they go through the gate even the staid old ewes will often kick up their heels and leap with delight at the prospect of finding fresh feed."  They enjoy being led onto new ground. 

As your pastor, I try to remember that the flock does like to be led.  Not to be pushed from behind.  But to be led onto new ground where they can experience all that God holds for them.  I try to remember that.  To open up your lives to the ministry to which God has called you.  For you are called.  Called to ministry.  Each of us, lay and ordained is called by God.  Called by virtue of our baptism to be God's person in the world.  Our baptism was our ordination, our setting apart as one of God's people to share in Christ's ministry.  Our relationship to God depends upon our hearing the call and responding to it. 

But that brings us to the downside of the Gospel.  The part that makes a demand on each of us.  The part that is not so warm and cozy.  The part that should make us feel a little uncomfortable, make us squirm, in our seat.  For Jesus says, "I know my own and my own know me."  It is a response to people who have questioned him, intending to entrap him.  "Are you the Christ?" they demand.  A subversive question calling for an equally subversive answer.  "Because you do not know me, because you are not in relationship with me," he tells them, "you cannot answer that question.  On the other hand, if you recognized my voice, if you knew who I was, you wouldn't have to ask the question in the first place." 

That could never apply to us.  After all, it is because we have heard his voice that we are sitting here in this church this morning.  We come Sunday by Sunday to take part in worship.  We hear his voice.  We follow where he leads us. 

Or are we like sheep?  Are there faithful churchgoers who go through the motions of Christian faith but never really come to terms with what they believe?  Do they hear the voice of the shepherd, but not clearly enough to make it out?  Do they go along with the crowd, like some kind of stray sheep.  Chances are if we are sitting here it is because we believe.  The question is, do we act as if we believe? 

 During the Easter season we replace the Old Testament readings with the account of the early Church recorded in the Acts of the Apostles.  It is not by accident.  It is a powerful reminder of the effect of the resurrection on the lives of the disciples.  These early Christians who had been living in great fear are proclaiming the kingdom in an effective way. 

Take for example Peter and John.  They were arrested, then brought before the Sanhedrin for questioning.  They had been talking to whoever would listen about the risen Christ.  These disciples who had run away following Jesus’ arrest, were speaking with power and authority.  They were talking about the resurrection! Not a popular topic, I may point out, amongst Saducees who did not believe in the resurrection.  But they chose to contest a healing, a good deed done to someone in need.  They were not happy about the healing because they felt that god should work only through them.   

“By whose authority are you healing,” they are being asked.  And their clear answer is that it is in the name of the risen Lord.  It is the presence of Jesus that has transformed their lives.  In turn they are reaching out to others in real and tangible ways. 

The proof of the resurrection is always the transformation that it causes in peoples’ lives.  An awesome power has been released into the world.  Can we see that power in our lives? 

That is why Peter said to the authorities, “if we are questioned today because of a kindness done to someone, it is by the name of Jesus Christ.”  It was in the presence of Jesus that something had happened to him.  He was changed, transformed by being with Jesus.  Jesus’ kindness became his kindness.  Mother Teresa says, “It is the Lord, who fills us with God’s love!”  We say as we reach out to others in Christian love, “It is God working in us.” 

Our Diocese has set aside this period of time for us to focus on our need to minister not only to those in our parish families, but to reach out into our communities in love. Our call as Christians is a call to reach out to the poor and the needy in real and practical ways. It is a call to live justly in a world of inequality. It is a call to share the good things that God has provided for us with those in need. And so today we celebrate the bounty in which we live. We give thanks for all of God's blessings. We look at God's call to us and consider how we may respond to those in need.

In our Diocese we do it through a yearly campaign called FaithWorks. Many of you are contributing regularly through Pre-authorized Giving or your envelopes. Each year the campaign raises over a million dollars. Without the campaign many wonderful ministries would never take place. FaithWorks funds youth ministries like the Dam drop-in here in Meadowvale. It funds inner city projects like Flemingdon Park. There are projects to help refugees, prison ministries, and the homeless. We have partners such as the PWRDF (Primate's World Relief and Development Fund), which reach out to people all over the world.

FaithWorks is an opportunity to be the Church in the world. What a church we will be when we recognize the voice of the shepherd calling us! Like the early Christians we will be filled with enthusiasm and spiritual vitality. We will be reaching out to the poor and needy. We will be applying our faith to our everyday life. We will know the power of the resurrection at work in our lives.  We will reach out to others in real and tangible ways.  We will be the Church.