For Sunday, April 30, 2023, Readings: Acts
2:42-47; Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10
Those who had been baptized devoted themselves to the apostles'
teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. [Acts 2:42]
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be
in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still
waters. He revives my soul and guides me along right pathways for his Name's
sake. [Psalm 23:1-2]
But
if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval...because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you
an example, so that you should follow in his steps...When he was abused, he did
not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten...by his wounds you
have been healed...For you were going astray like sheep but now you have
returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. [1 Peter 2:20b-21, 23, 24b-25]
Jesus said, "...the one who enters
by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for
him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name...and the
sheep follow him because they know his voice...Very truly I tell you, I am the
gate for the sheep...Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and
go out and find pasture. [John 10:2-3a, 4b, 7, 9]
Psalm 23 is, without doubt, the best-known piece of Scripture in
the world among multiple religions, denominations, and sects, for the believers
and for those who have no faith affiliation or belief. The origin is ascribed
to King David, a shepherd in his youth, and even through various older and more
modern translations, this psalm gives us the moving pastoral image, line-by-line,
of the everyday activities of shepherds*, describing in detail how God cares
for us.
It is also true that sometimes the
familiar is too comfortable and we don’t really hear the phrasing as we repeat
syllables by rote. Are we contemplating the meaning and call to personal
response and action behind the words, whether in this Psalm or any Scripture
reading in the Liturgy/Service? We must listen again with fresh ears, minds,
and hearts. The beauty and comfort of the Shepherd in Psalm 23 is easily zoned
in on while the other readings are more easily left behind. But even this
calming pastoral narrative comes with a price. We, who want to know
ourselves as true and faithful Christians, must rouse ourselves from
complacency, listen for the Voice that calls, and then follow in earnest and in
confidence. All we "have" on this earthly plain is temporary, which was
never clearer than in the recent and rampant pandemic.
For Episcopalians/Anglicans, the reading from
Acts this week is infused with one of the promises made by us or for us in our
Baptismal and/or Confirmation Covenants: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the
prayers..." The statements of belief and the promises of the Covenant
are a quick refresher and guide to the basics of true Christian living, and
always worth reviewing regularly, whether or not you are of this denominational
heritage and practice. [for more information click
here: BCPonline for the US version of the
Book of Common Prayer - Holy Baptism - and scroll to pages 304-5 for the
promises]
The rise of online Liturgy/Worship
since COVID-19 lockdowns have made regular attendance available to many who are
unable to participate in the breaking and
receiving of sacred bread and in-person fellowship. Whether we attend in-person or online, or have
simply fallen away from either, as we break bread for our meals each day, let
us remember to say a simple “grace” as we sit down to eat, even if alone, even
if only Thank You for this meal.
Personal prayer and the Apostles’ teachings are
always readily available to us, and we can meet and greet each other in
many ways. One way to pray is by using Psalm 23 aloud and inserting the name
and specific pronouns of others, such as, “The Lord is Margaret’s shepherd, she
shall not be in want…” Think about printing it out in that form, hand-writing a
name throughout and sending it to
someone in need; and re-read/pray it often for yourself.
In the lesson from 1st Peter, we are
given the difficult and all-too-current reminder that although we are to suffer
what we must, as Jesus in his Passion, we are not to return abuse in kind. We
are to realize that by the wounds of Jesus we are healed as we were going astray like sheep, but...have now returned... Somedays are easier than others with political fervor and
terrible violence at a daily high pitch. Yet the Gospel also carries the
Shepherd theme and comforts us with another serene image, that of Christ as the
divine Gate that opens for all of His sheep for salvation in a safe and
abundant pasture.
Let us not go astray like sheep but flock together through the open Gate, living sheepishly by our hearts dwelling with the Lamb of God now and forever, in this life and the next.
*I commend to you a charming and interesting little book, A
Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller, for an eye- and
soul-opening look at the amazing connections between the Psalm's imagery and
real-life sheep farming.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Shepherd
of our Souls, our Holy Gate, Your calming pasture is always open for spiritual
shelter and encouragement in this life each minute, each hour, each day. As You
call us by name, kindle our desire to hear Your voice deep within us and follow
Your call to salvation and abundant life, now and for ever.
By Your blood we are reconciled
RESPONSE:
By Your wounds we are healed
~ Shepherd of our Souls, as you
stood peaceably in front of the political authorities of Your mortal time,
grant us courage and confidence to peacefully and persistently urge leaders of
this Country, this Community, and this World, to legislate safety, economic
compassion, and equity for all people. We pray especially for: add
your own petitions
By Your blood we are reconciled
By
Your wounds we are healed
~ Shepherd of our Souls, anoint
the hearts, restore the hope, and give rest from anxiety to all who are
suffering in any physical or emotional way, and also to those who risk their
lives to give protection, rescue, treatment, and all other forms of
care. We pray for those in need… add
your own petitions
By Your blood we are reconciled
By Your
wounds we are healed
~ Shepherd of our Souls, we
entrust the souls of all who have left this life to Your care, knowing that
they now dwell in the light of Your House forever. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
By Your blood we are reconciled
By Your wounds we
are healed
~ Shepherd of our
Souls, we pause in this moment to offer You our other
heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
By Your blood we are reconciled
By Your
wounds we are healed
~ Shepherd of our Souls, Your ordained
representatives in our time lead us to Your Gate with glad and generous hearts.
They strive by an increasing variety of ways to bring You to us, through the
Apostles’ teaching and prayer, and continually evolving options for fellowship.
Through Your goodness and mercy, grant them peace, comfort, and stamina to continue
Your work among, with, and for us. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
By Your blood we are reconciled
By Your wounds we
are healed
The Celebrant adds: O Lord our God,
we are welcomed always into Your mystical pasture, to live and thrive on the
Divine Bread of Life, Christ Jesus. Awaken us again, in these and all times, to
follow You along the right paths and enter the Holy Gate to abundant and eternal
life, in Your glorious and infinite kingdom. We ask this through Jesus the
Christ, our Guardian and Shepherd; and the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of our Souls;
who together with You reign as One God, forever and ever. Amen.
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