John 6:35-51

Brothers and sisters in Christ grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen.

It is so good to be back with you. As I have returned from sabbatical this week and worked my way through a mountain of mail and more than 3,500 emails, I have been reminded over and over again what a tremendous blessing it is to be called to serve alongside each other through this place we call Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Thank you for the gift of sabbatical that you offer to the pastors who serve this congregation and thank you for being you – children of God who are not afraid to step outside of the box once in a while in order to fulfill our mission together to “share the Shepherd’s love with all of God’s children.”

Earlier this year, as I was preparing to begin my first sabbatical experience I asked for wisdom from several clergy colleagues, mentors, and former professors who have had sabbatical experiences before I began my own sabbatical journey. Without question their common response to a sabbatical was, “you need to be open to the rhythm of the new schedule.” I didn’t really know that meant initially. After visiting 17 states and logging more than 9,000 miles in my Subaru, I think I’m beginning to understand what my colleagues and mentors meant when they said I needed to be open to the rhythm of a new schedule. And I think that this idea speaks to all aspects of our life together in Christ – not just during the days of sabbatical.

Maybe you’ve noticed this. Maybe you haven’t been to worship enough this summer to notice. Our worship has settled into the rhythm of the schedule that Jesus offers us in the 6^th chapter of John over the past several weeks.

Jesus says “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.” I will be so bold to say that you and I who are followers of the risen savior Jesus the Christ claim to believe that statement. We believe that God sent Jesus to live among us. Very simply put, God came to us. God with us. The rhythm of the relationship we have with God is God making the move, not us. As stewards of God, disciples of Jesus – we do not go to God. God comes to us – always has and always will. How does the movement of God fit into the rhythm of our schedule? When you and I first wake up to begin a new day, what impact does our belief that God comes down have as we enter each new day?

Before I really thought about or tried to live by being open to the rhythm of the new schedule that God coming to us in Jesus brings, I have to admit it – most of the time I acted and sounded a lot more like the community in our gospel reading today. They complained. Complained. Am I open to the rhythm of Jesus in my life – the new schedule that begins and ends with God coming for me in Jesus. Or – am I just complaining.

So I want to share this with you today. One of the most significant transformations that I experienced during this three month sabbatical as steward of God, a disciple of Jesus, who also happens to be blessed to be one of your pastors is this – complaining has gotten me and will continue to get me nowhere. I don’t know, maybe that speaks to you today too?

You see, the good news of Jesus, the good news of being open to the rhythm of a new schedule, is not about complaining until we get our way or have God contained in the boxes we think God should exist. The good news of Jesus, is that the savior of the world, the living bread that came down from heaven, came for you. And for me.

I was at a worship conference with Bishop Craig Satterlee a few weeks ago in Atlanta. In one workshop, he shared a story about an experience he had during the ELCA’s National Youth Gathering in Detroit this summer. Bishop Satterlee and another ELCA bishop were assigned to stand at a large baptismal font in the Cobo Center and offer a baptismal remembrance ritual to youth that walked by the font.

As I share this story with you, it’s important to paint a little picture of this setting, because Cobo Center was far from intimate and quiet. It  is a huge convention center in downtown Detroit and one of the central locations for more than 30,000 high school students attending the gathering. It’s also important to remind you that these 30,000 young people are Lutheran youth. Doing something like voluntarily coming up to a large baptismal font with a couple odd looking men, we call them bishops, in order to participate in a ritual is not nearly as exciting as riding the zip-line that was nearby.

Needless to say, business was slow for the bishops at the baptismal font. So they decided to take a different strategy. They literally started yelling – “You, come over here!” to people who walked by the font and even grabbing onto the t-shirts of kids and adult leaders and dragging them to the font. At the font they placed a little water on their fore-heads and said something like, “Beloved child of God, remember that in your baptism you have been marked with the cross of Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit forever.”

That’s pretty cool, right. And it would be a great story of witnessing the living bread that came down from heaven if we stopped right there. But that’s not the end of the story. While the bishops were calling kids to come to the font and offering them a blessing, others in the Cobo Center were watching – namely several of the Cobo Center employees who were working in security and maintenance. At the end of the day, several of these employees walked up to the bishops, took off their hats, and asked if what they were doing at the font with the youth and adult leaders was only for those who were participating in the youth gathering or if they could be part of it too. Yes, was Bishop Satterlee’s reply – this is for you too. And so, as tears rolled down faces, water was poured, and blessings were shared.

In a commentary on today’s gospel reading, this same bishop offers us these thoughts. Bishop Satterlee wrote, “The risk of setting out on the journey, which is trusting and following Jesus, is that, even when we think we have a map or a plan, we do not really know where we are going or where we will end up.

The good news is that Jesus, rather than our knowledge and understanding, is the source of our calling and the source of our strength. What makes it good news is that, in those moments when we understandably have enough of this life that we cannot trust Jesus, Jesus has not had enough of us. So, rather than turning to our knowledge, perhaps we can turn to Jesus, recognizing that we cannot have enough of him.”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus is the living bread come down from heaven for you. For me. Jesus is the life-giving rhythm of each new day.

May you be blessed as you open yourself to the rhythm of the new schedule that is our life together in Christ. And may you be a blessing as you share that good news with everyone God places in your life this week. Thanks be to God. Amen.

John 10:11-18 • April 26, 2015

Visit Good Shepherd Lutheran Church’s YouTube page to view a video recording of this sermon.

Brothers and sisters in Christ grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

I first looked at the scripture readings for this weekend about a month ago. And I have to honest, I was disappointed that these were going to be the scripture readings for our last worship together before I leave on sabbatical.

You and I actually hear scripture readings with shepherd imagery every year on the fourth Sunday of Easter. And, if you attend a funeral once in a while, you probably hear some of these readings far more frequently. But, just because we hear texts about the Good Shepherd many times a year, doesn’t necessarily mean that we actually hear them?

There’s a great old story about a pastor who loved to share stories with children. One day while he was sharing a story with them, he said, “Boys and girls, I want to tell you a story about someone who lives in the woods, but sometimes we can see him in our yards. He has a big bushy tail, and likes to eat nuts. Anybody have any idea who I’m talking about?”

No answers. Silence. Blank stares.

The pastor offered a bit more detail. “I’m talking about a creature that lives in the woods, sometimes in our yards, big bushy tail, eats nuts, likes to climb trees, jumps from tree to tree – now, does anybody know who I’m talking about?”
Finally, one boy raises his hand to take the pastor out of his misery. “Do you know who I’m thinking about?” asked the pastor. The boy said, “Yeah, I know that the answer should be Jesus, but it sounds a lot like a squirrel to me.”

My initial disappointment with today’s scripture readings stems from that story’s point – I know the answer should be Jesus, but it sounds a lot like something else. I mean, I’ve never herded sheep. I’m guessing that is true for most of us. And in fact, I’ve never actually met a shepherd. I’m guessing that is also true for many of you too. And, I’ve never fought with a wolf before. My only contact with a wolf is watching them through some sort of protective barrier at a zoo. Again, I’m guessing that is the case for most of us.

The challenge that the shepherd texts present for us today is that many of us don’t have any direct relationship with shepherds or sheep. And since the early days of the Christian church, this lack of relationship forces us to interpret these texts in a way that turns our pastors into the shepherd. To take this interpretation further pastors are shepherds of their flocks and therefore, in some important way, are “like” Jesus, or at the very least striving to be like Jesus.

Pastor Kathryn Matthews offers that, “Perhaps, when we focus on pastors, as shepherds, we fail to think of ourselves as the sheep, or to think about the Good Shepherd himself.” I like her thoughts and what to add that if our focus is only on pastors as shepherds, we fail to remember that pastors are sheep of the Good Shepherd too. Just like everyone else.

I am – even as I live out my call as one of your pastors and try to uphold the vows of ordination that I made before God and the church – I am, a sheep of the same flock that each one of you are part of. That doesn’t mean that I don’t serve as a shepherd of the congregation where I am called to be a pastor. That doesn’t mean that I don’t serve as a shepherd for my friends or family at times. All of us can think of times when we are called to serve as a shepherd in our relationships in the communities in which we live. But even in times when we are called to be a shepherd, we are never the Good Shepherd. You and I are always sheep. And we will always be sheep. Jesus is the shepherd. And will always be the Good Shepherd.

Furthermore, being a sheep in the Good Shepherd’s flock, being known and loved and protected by this shepherd, means that our relationship with God isn’t about individual accomplishments or a just-me-and-Jesus kind of salvation. The great theologian Karl Barth once said that, “there is no such thing as an individual Christian.”

Barth’s idea of no such thing as an individual Christian couldn’t ring more true in the scripture readings about the Good Shepherd. Note that there is no separate singular form of the word sheep. What do you call one? Sheep. What do call many? Sheep. Maybe that’s why there is so much of the Bible devoted to sheep and shepherds – to help us understand just how much you and I belong together and that, because of the Good Shepherd, we are never alone.

So, as part of the Good Shepherd’s flock living out our faith through this part of the flock known as Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, what do sheep look like as the Good Shepherd leads them?

Maybe it’s the sheep of this congregation, part of the Good Shepherd’s flock, overwhelmingly supporting our youth through financial gifts and prayer as they get ready to embark on summer mission trips that will take them from Detroit, Michigan to Gethsemane, El Salvador.

Or maybe it’s the sheep of this congregation, part of the Good Shepherd’s flock, who are eating M&Ms this month and returning the empty containers filled with money in order to bless our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in the Central African Republic. Even though these brothers and sisters live half of a world away, they are sheep of the same flock.
Or maybe it’s the sheep of this congregation, part of the Good Shepherd’s flock, who will donate glue sticks and peanut butter and toilet paper to bless hundreds of children attending summer bible camp at Camp of the Cross. Summer camp children who are sheep of the same flock.

Or maybe it’s the sheep of this congregation, part of the Good Shepherd’s flock, who are stepping WAY outside of their comfort zone this weekend and making May Day baskets that they will give away on May 1st. A simple basket that will remind someone that they are part of the Good Shepherd’s flock and loved unconditionally.

You know what…I think I need to let go of the disappointment I had a few weeks ago regarding the scripture readings for today. How can anyone be disappointed when these texts help you and I to remember that we belong to God and are part of the Good Shepherd’s flock forever?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, later this week I begin a three month sabbatical. I’ll be back with you in August. I’m thankful for this time of sabbatical and pray that it is a blessing not only to me and my family, but also to every sheep who calls Good Shepherd Lutheran Church their faith home. You can read more about what I’ll be doing on sabbatical in the May newsletter.

And as I enter this time of sabbatical, I want you to know how grateful I am to be a sheep with you in the Good Shepherd’s flock. And, finally, I want to tell you one more time just how much you are loved. Not only by me as one of your pastors, but most importantly by God, the father of the Good Shepherd – our risen Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.