Hi everyone,
Welcome to worship for this 4th Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday, which lands on May 11, 2025!
The bulletin for this service can be found here. You can use it to follow along with the service as it will have the order and words of worship and the full sermon. The words that you need to know will also be on your screen, and the sermon is also included on this page below the video.
For an enhanced online worship experience, you can have a lit candle in your space that can be extinguished near the end of the service when the altar candles are extinguished after the sending hymn. If you are comfortable, you are also welcome to participate in communion with something small to eat and drink ready for the appropriate time. Further instruction will be given then.
May God’s gracious presence be apparent to you this day and always!
God our shepherd, as you welcome us to the abundant feast of blessing at the table of your Word, open our hearts that we might see, hear, and feed on your goodness, by the power of the Spirit, through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
So more pope news this week. This past Thursday morning, white smoke billowed out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, indicating to the world that a new pope was elected. I was a bit late to the news, I found out about 2 or 3 hours after the fact, and perhaps like many of you, the first thing I did was go online to see what people were saying about it all.
And I’ll admit, it wasn’t as juicy as I thought it would be. I guess I was expecting some head-shaking comments from people who might disapprove with the selection, or some bone-headed comments from others who just don’t like the process at all, or perhaps some completely off-the-wall comments from people who actually think that they should have been pope instead.
But it didn’t happen, not that I saw at the time at least. I checked all my sources that usually deliver these kinds of goods, but they all came up empty. All comments publicly made about the new Pope seemed to be positive, hopeful, and respectful toward the papacy, the selection process, and Pope Leo XIV himself.
However, what I did find is that I wasn’t the only one who was looking for some juicy gossip and more reasons to shake my head at those who I am already shaking my head at. Because while actual news sources that I trust seemed to be pretty quiet on anything bad said or done around this election of pope, that didn’t stop people from saying that stuff happened that I’m not sure if it actually happened. Some people were pointing out issues that I’m not sure are even issues. It felt like some were just stirring up the pot to maybe get a rise out of people, in basic classic troll fashion.
While I don’t agree with disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing, I can kind of understand where these trolls are coming from. I heard it said about any disagreement or division among people that you could say anything negative about either side, and no matter how outlandish, those on the polar opposite end would believe it. And that makes sense, I suppose, as we often like to justify ourselves and our opinions, even if from false information.
We’ve seen examples of this where people are accused of committing heinous and unbelievable acts, and those who don’t like them totally believe it even when it hadn’t been proven or worse yet, blatantly disproven. We’ve seen examples of people up in arms about something that someone they don’t like did, but then totally bush it off when someone they do like does the same exact thing. We’ve seen examples of people just choosing to hate regardless of what is being said or not said about those others.
That is how divided people are these days. That is how much distain and disrespect people have for those they just don’t want to agree with. That is how much so many people aren’t able to hear or see past their own assumptions, opinions, and solidly formed conclusions of each other.
And I find that really sad. I think it’s so awful that we’ve come to this. And what makes it even worse is that it isn’t anything new.
Take today’s gospel text for example. This is an account of something that happened close to 2000 years ago, and we still see people with this same exact attitude. People held onto their assumptions about others, they stood firm on their beliefs about who God is and what God is about, they wouldn’t budge on what they believed the Messiah to be and just how it wasn’t Jesus.
I mean they asked him straight up, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
But even if Jesus did say so, I am not sure if they would even trust him. Even if Jesus was definitive with his identity, I have a feeling the presupposed opinions and assumptions would determine their conclusions. Even if Jesus were to tell them clearly and plainly, I just don’t think they’d believe.
Because as Jesus says, he did tell them, perhaps not in so many words, but it was through his actions that should have made it clear who he is from, who he is for, and who he saves.
And this is what Jesus was talking about earlier in this chapter when he said that the sheep would “know his voice”. See today is the 4th Sunday of Easter, but it is informally known as Good Shepherd Sunday, and every year on Good Shepherd Sunday we get a portion of John 10, where Jesus explains to his disciples how he is the Good Shepherd, how we can know and discern his voice over the cacophony of various other voices that inundate us, and recognise his hand at work in our lives and in the world.
And so that is what this day is about, that after just having celebrated the resurrection, after confessing that Jesus is alive and active in our communities, after accepting how our salvation has been set and secured through the life and death of Jesus, we might be wondering “now what”. And so we are taught that Jesus is our Good Shepherd, who leads, guides, and walks with us in his ways.
His ways of grace, mercy, and peace.
And that is what so many of us struggle with. That while the principles of grace, mercy, and peace are great on paper, but when the rubber hits the road it’s every person for themselves. Since the day we were born we instinctively wanted to hit those who hit us, hurt those who hurt us, and hate those who hate us. In our heads we tell ourselves that they deserve it, they brought it upon themselves, that this is the way of justice. It’s eye for an eye and cheek for a cheek. We want to retaliate, we want revenge, we want retribution on all who have wronged us however slightly.
But Jesus the Good Shepherd shows us this counter-cultural way of living, in which we can learn to live in community, serve in love, and walk in peace. He shows us the way in which we can welcome the stranger, forgive our enemies, and love those who hate us. He shows us what salvation truly looks like, how it’s not in power and might, but in humility and mercy.
And that could be tough for a lot of us to hear. We often lean on our assumptions and preconceived assumptions and perhaps instinct and can’t always reconcile that with the teachings of Jesus.
But the thing is that Jesus’ voice, his quiet, still, and peaceful voice, can be easily drowned out by the other voices of the world that tell us what we need to be to earn respect, what we need to do to gain power, and who we need to hurt in order to survive. Jesus’ presence in our lives can be easily missed because we might be focussing too hard on the ways contrary to God’s. Jesus’ love for us might get lost in our love for the world.
But just because the voice isn’t heard doesn’t mean that Jesus doesn’t speak. Just because Jesus’ presence isn’t always felt doesn’t mean that he isn’t with us. Just because we don’t always get how Jesus could love or save us, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t.
Because in fact he does. His love for us and all people is so strong that no one could snatch us out of his hand. He continues to leave the door open for us to follow him into community and peace. His voice will always be speaking to us and is recognisable through actions of grace, mercy, and love.
But this doesn’t make it easy, as again the voices of the world can be so loud. But once we know what Jesus’ voice sounds like, what his hand at work feels like, and what his face looks like, we can easier recognise him speaking to us, working in us, and being with us as we go through life’s ups and downs.
His voice might be heard in the songs we sing. His hand might be bringing us the laugher and fellowship that we witness and experience. His presence might lead us away from the comfortable ways of the world and toward the often uncomfortable but righteous ways of our faith.
Wherever we might hear that voice, feel that leading, and see that presence, may we find the faith to believe it, the strength to follow it, and the humility to know that it is the love God full of grace, mercy, and peace.
So on this Good Shepherd Sunday, may we always be aware of Jesus the Shepherd speaking to us, calling us, and leading us on paths of righteousness and peace, waiting for us to follow. Thanks be to God. Amen.