What if you and I are to be good shepherds too? What if laying down life is really about love and how we are to love? Isn’t that what we heard in today’s epistle (1 John 3:16-24)? “We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us - and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” I wonder where that kind of love is in your life today, what it asks of you, what it offers you. Is it in your marriage, parenting, friendships? At work? Is it the lens through which you see the world and the daily struggles of people? Is it at the heart of your conversations, actions, decisions? If it is, what does it look like? How are you experiencing it? And if it’s not, why not? What would your need to change to love that way?
Tag: Good Shepherd
The Question of Reopening – A Sermon on Psalm 23 and John 10:1-10
Jesus says that he is the gate. Gates open and close. Gates keep sheep in, and thieves and bandits out. Gates close to death and open to life. I’m attracted to the gate metaphor because it fits what is happening in our country, our state, our town, your life and my life. I’m talking about reopening.
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All Shall Be Well – A Sermon On Psalm 23 And COVID-19
"All shall be well. All shall be well. Every manner of thing shall be well." I hope you will hold on to what those words say. Let them bind you to faith, hope, and love, and connect you to one another. The theme of those words - all shall be well - is the thread that runs through today’s psalm.
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The Abundant Life – A Sermon On John 10:11-18
Does my life matter? Do I make a difference, and if so, how? I suspect we all struggle with these questions or questions like them. I’m pretty sure that at some level they are always with us. And we don’t just want someone else to say yes. We want to be able to say yes for ourselves.
Regardless of when or how those questions come up I think they are grounded in a deep longing and desire for abundance in our life. We want to be an abundant people. We want to live an abundant life.
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Try Them Apples On For Size – A Sermon on John 10:1-10
Easter 4A - John 10:1-10 “Jesus used this figure of speech with them but they did not understand what he was saying to them” (John 10:6) Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever listened to the gospel reading…
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Walking Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death
Psalm 23:4. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Someone whose husband recently died said to me, “I…
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The Things I Want
Psalm 23:1. "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want." I have a pretty long wish list. I have places I want to go. I have things I want to do. I have dreams I want to…
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A Laying Down Life Kind of Love – A Sermon on 1 John 3:16-24 and John 10:11-18; Easter 4B
The collect and readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter (Shepherd Sunday) may be found here. The following sermon is based on 1 John 3:16-24 and John 10:11-18. She died about two weeks ago. She was young, only in her…
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Uncomfortable Faith, Unsnatchable People – A Sermon For Easter 4C, John 10:22-30.
The collect and readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter may be found here. The appointed gospel is John 10:22-30. 22At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in…
Read More Uncomfortable Faith, Unsnatchable People – A Sermon For Easter 4C, John 10:22-30.
Interrupting the Silence 