St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Owings Mills MD
April 21, 2024
Year B: The Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:5-12
Psalm 23
1 John 3:16-24
John 10:11-18
A Sheepfold of Goodness and Mercy
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Today is the Fourth Sunday of Easter – yes, it is still Easter!
And every year on this day we turn our attention to a particularly beautiful and powerful image of Jesus:
Jesus the Good Shepherd.
Both the Old and New Testaments are full of shepherd and sheep imagery. Which is no surprise since the Bible is the product of a time and place when and where sheepherding was common, an important part of the economy.
So, as we heard today in the familiar words of the 23rd Psalm, sometimes God is described as a shepherd, a loving and protective shepherd of God’s people.
And lots of biblical characters were shepherds, including Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and King David.
Jesus, who was steeped in the Jewish Scriptures, uses plenty of shepherd and sheep imagery, too.
There’s the Parable of the Lost Sheep and there’s also Jesus’ vision of the Last Day, when the sheep will be separated from the goats.
And, finally, as we heard in today’s lesson from the Gospel of John, Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd.
And we, his followers, are his sheep – we know his voice and we are protected by him, saved from the wolves who are always on the prowl.
And, not only that, but unlike most shepherds who are just in it for the paycheck, unlike any sensible shepherd, the Good Shepherd is willing to die for his sheep, willing to die for us.
Jesus the Good Shepherd.
At this week’s Wednesday Bible Study, I confessed that this shepherd/sheep imagery is not really my favorite.
Part of the problem is that, even after almost three years of living out here “in the country,” I’m still very much a city person – concrete and asphalt, pigeons and squirrels - that’s my world. I just haven’t had much life experience with sheep or shepherds.
But it’s not the beautiful and comforting image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd that gives me trouble.
No, I resist the image of us – of me – as sheep.
After all, maybe unfairly, sheep are not usually ranked among the most intelligent or capable of animals – they appear totally dependent on their shepherd – they are the ultimate followers – easily corralled, easily misled by shepherds who are not so good.
And so, frankly, I don’t like to think of myself – I don’t like to think of us – that way.
But the hard truth is, all too often, we are like sheep, which can and does get us into big trouble.
And that’s why we need to listen for, and follow, the Good Shepherd.
And that’s why we need to be here, here in the Sheepfold of the Good Shepherd, here in the Sheepfold of Goodness and Mercy.
Obviously, I’m no expert on sheepfolds, but my understanding is that the sheep don’t do very much. Mostly they just stand around and chew grass, waiting to be sheared, I guess.
But the Sheepfold of Goodness and Mercy is quite different.
We don’t just stand around and wait.
No, following the voice of the Good Shepherd and trusting that he will guide us and protect us, we are called to offer goodness and mercy to those here with us in the sheepfold, and to those beyond our gates.
The author of the First Letter of John writes, “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?”
A very pointed question, right?
And then he adds:
“Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.”
So, yes, our church is meant to be a sheepfold – a Sheepfold of Goodness and Mercy.
And, at our best, with God’s help, that is exactly what we are.
Two examples:
The other night, our Adult Confirmation and Refresher class had its last session.
I think I can speak for everyone in the group and say that we were sorry to see our time together come to an end.
The class was a wonderful mix of longtime, middle-time, and new parishioners, Zooming in every Tuesday evening to talk about faith and the church, learning from the book we read but really benefiting from sharing our experiences, our hopes, and our uncertainties.
I was particularly moved to hear the newer parishioners in the group talk about the welcome they’ve received here, how everyone’s been so friendly.
In some cases, these sheep have spent a long time looking for this kind of sheepfold, and now they’ve finally found a holy place where, for a time, they can silence at least some distractions and worries, rest and pray, praise God, and serve our neighbors.
A Sheepfold of Goodness and Mercy.
Second example:
You should know that a couple of our super-talented parishioners have been creating beautiful quilts that I bring to parishioners and others who are ill or shut in.
So, in my office I have a little pile of beautiful and colorful quilts.
When you look at them and hold these amazing creations, you can see and feel the prayers and love woven into each stitch.
Without exception, the recipients of the quilts have been delighted to receive them – but none more than the small group of people I visit at a nursing home, a little annex to our St. Thomas’ sheepfold.
This facility is most definitely not a place like Blakehurst or one of the other very nice retirement communities around here – no, at this place I’m sure the aides and the other workers do the best that they can but it’s rough – it’s a place for people who just can’t afford anything better, a place where joy is in short supply, and suffering and despair are all around.
So, imagine presenting these beautiful quilts to people living – enduring - in a place like that.
A couple of weeks ago, I stopped by to see one of the members of our little nursing home congregation – she’s a wonderfully talented artist, a kind and lovely soul, and someone totally aware of her surroundings – which, in this case, is a kind of curse.
She wasn’t feeling well the day I stopped by. She was in bed, not really up for talking with me – but she was resting under the quilt that I had given her a few months before – the one that had little images crabs and other seashore symbols on it – reminders of her beloved home near the water – a memory of happier days.
The quilt is a testament of beauty and love – an unexpected gift that had delighted and comforted her.
A Sheepfold of Goodness and Mercy.
You don’t need me to tell you that our world is in sorry shape, scarred by unspeakable violence in Ukraine, the Middle East, and countless other places that don’t usually make the news.
You don’t need me to tell you that our country is bitterly divided. Or, perhaps, it’s just that there are some who seek to deepen our differences into divisions, those who benefit from tearing us apart.
You don’t need me to tell you that there are bad shepherds working to mislead us – that there are wolves on the prowl.
Given the sad state of our world and our land, it’s as essential as ever that we listen for the voice of Jesus the Good Shepherd, who calls us to love and generosity and unity.
Given the sad state of our world and our land, it’s as essential as ever that, with God’s help, we continue to build here a Sheepfold of Goodness and Mercy – a place where all kinds of sheep are welcomed – a place where we help our brothers and sisters in need – a place where we love in truth and in action.
And when we are truly a Sheepfold of Goodness and Mercy, people out there – even people in the most dismal of places – can join in our joyful shout:
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Amen.
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