The Voice of The Shepherd-A Mother's Day Sermon

May 11, 2014

Acts 2:42-47

John 10:1-10

Over the last few years  numerous friends have had children. This life shift has been so interesting in their lives and in our friendships. Many of them found out the gender as soon as they could and picked a name for the baby very soon after. Some of them had lists of names based on family members, favorite books or TV shows, biblical names, or just ones that they as people liked. While some held more stock in the naming process than others they all put thought into it and it began to shape the identity of this little person.

When I was in 1^st grade one of our projects was to write about the origin of our names. We were supposed to interview our parents about why they choose our names and then do basic research on the meaning of them. While some of my friends were named after great-grandparents or other family members I had hopes that I too was named after something amazing! Maybe it was after Catherine the Great or a favorite childhood teacher or some long-lost relative.  I learned that my mother just liked my name, and I was given the same middle name as my grandmother in her honor. Boring! When my sister had the same project a few years later it was even worse because she was given her first name because it had the same number of letters as mine did, my mother didn’t want us fighting over that, and her middle name was from our other grandmother. We both also knew that if we had been boys we would be named Nicholas in memory of our great-grandparents. Yet as time went on I realized how grateful I was for the names I was given, names mixed with new and family history.

In our bibles we see the importance of names. What you are called has a purpose, an intended meaning and a responsibility. Abram becomes Abraham, Sarai becomes Sarah, John the Baptist is named through his father by God, Jesus means Messiah. In the book of Matthew we are even given a genealogy of Jesus’ lineage  in the first 17 verses. We see names from the Old Testament, important names of people of faith. Yet even with this history and societal expectation of the Messiah we see a man unlike any other, doing things never seen before, with a purpose and a calling. The hymns during Christmas and Easter utilize the many names we have given Jesus, names filled with hopes and fears and expectation; Emmanuel, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, the Great Shepherd.

These names are reminders of the many facets that make up Jesus and make up each one of us. As people of faith we come to this place with our stuff, our dreams, ideals, and assumptions yet once here we are united as one. Each of us adds something to this space.

In our New Testament lesson Paul shows us the community of Christ, those who have heard the teachings and seen the signs performed by Jesus and his disciples, those who have believed. Yet nowhere in this passage is the name of Jesus mentioned. His guiding example is what we see and what we are called to act upon. Paul shows us that the actions of the faithful caused their numbers to grow and many to believe. In some way we are also challenged-how have we brought others to know Jesus? What have we done as individuals and in community to live lives of hospitality and example?

Our gospel lesson is another parable from Jesus. Shepherds and sheep are examples we have seen since the Old Testament. There is an intimacy in shepherding and a level of care that is seemingly uncommon in our day to day. Many shepherds name their sheep based on their behaviors. When an outsider looks at the sheep it can be hard to tell them apart because the understanding of each sheep isn't as deep as the shepherd. It makes very little sense how one person can lead a large group of sheep from spot to spot with little wandering off. Yet when we examine this we see the control of the shepherd is in his voice. The shepherds voice is stern and soothing. Only the shepherd can calm a sheep who is hurt or trapped, only the shepherd can quickly get the sheep in and out of their corral.

Friends, we are called to be shepherds working with the great shepherd. This doesn't mean we are called to be authoritative or bossy, rather we are called to be caring members who nurture and calm those around us, a mothering of sorts. We are shepherds because we help to bring others to God and the kin-dom in this world. As the living examples of God, representatives of the holy community what names are we calling others?

When I held my godson for the first time he was a little over a month old. His eyes were so alert and he kept turning his head, trying to capture everything around him. All it took was his name in a quiet voice and suddenly the most beautiful eyes stared at me. He knew his name and he knew that he could trust that calming voice saying it. I wish that I so readily turned to the voice of God.

As wanderers in this world the voice of god is calling each of us by name. This voice calls us out of dangerous places, the voice calls us to the greenest of pastures. When the voice of God calls us will we answer? What will we say? I hope we can say something like:

“Here am I, Catherine, Child of God ready to do your will in this world.”

But even as we answer the voice of God,  as I declare my own name, as we claim our identities, how are we helping others claim there’s?? How are we helping them to embrace the paths God has set before them?

We must call each other by our names, not our status, not our job, not our addictions, not our baggage, but by name.  Jesus knows each of us is special, sacred beings for Gods glory. When we answer the voice of God we become shepherds and like Jesus we then see each of our fellow beings as sacred and special

On this mothers day I want to challenge each of you to embrace the spirit of the shepherd and be a mothering presence in the lives of all around you. Ask the names and use them. Each name, each person, has history, has gifts that need to be shared. Our individual purposes and our individual gifts are needed to bring new life to the world. Will you help Jesus to feed His sheep?

Do you see what I see?

Friends-Below is the last sermon I preached 3/30/14.I'm trying to be better on posting! Until then enjoy the below based on 1 Samuel 16:1-13 and John 9:1-41.

-Cat

Every Christmas season since I was little there is always a service where the children's choir gets up and sing, "Do you hear what I hear?”.  With gusto, and possibly not enough enthusiasm, these little ones would share the story of Jesus' birth through the perspective of various onlookers, to all assembled. The seemingly innocent questions posed within the song cause us as listeners to think. "Do you know what I know? Do you hear what I hear? Do you see what I see?"

I think these questions asked during Christmas in song are even more important to ask during the season of lent; questions asked to the disciples and to us today. During this year in the liturgical calendar we have looked at many defining moments in the ministry of Jesus.

On the first Sunday we talked about Jesus being tempted in the wilderness and were reminded that evil is present but faith prevails. Last week we talked about the Samaritan woman at the well and living water; Pastor Cathy talked about chance encounters and how we should be attentive to the many opportunities to encounter others during our daily lives. In our gospel this week we see another of these chance encounters Jesus makes. This time we meet a man blind from birth who is granted sight to show the Pharisees their blindness.

One of the largest differences between each story is the audience being addressed within. The first encounter is Jesus and the devil-where the devil tried to tempt him after 40 days of fasting in the wilderness, the second the woman and Jesus-where the woman goes off joyfully after their exchange at the well proclaiming the news of Jesus to her village, this week the encounter includes the blind man, Jesus, disciples and the Pharisees-where the healing of a socially labeled sinner causes the leaders to question themselves and make a scene of this man’s healing. Each story is pivotal in the narrative of Jesus's ministry and in our Christian faith; evil is present, we must be ready for chance encounters, we need to see. And just like Jesus for us these moment happen with self, in relationship to others and in the larger community.

Now sight is one of our most important senses. I remember being 8 and going through a dark touch tunnel maze. In the maze you couldn't see anything so you relied on your other senses to make it out. The trick was if you kept your hand on the wall as you crawled through you would reach the exit. Yet a few friends who kept on hitting dead ends went from helplessness to absolute fear at being blind within the maze. When I was older I went to that same maze as a counselor and saw that the staff had night vision cameras in the tunnel and watched every child as they went through, when a child completely lost it they were able to open a hatch along the maze and pull the frightened child out, being a light in the darkness and helping to ease the fear. While I’m not afraid of the dark anymore I still get a bit nervous when I can’t see where I am, and I think that’s part of human nature. Yet I also believe that there is a saving grace in every dark moment. In this week’s scripture readings there are three types of blindness we are introduced to; physical, spiritual and resistant, spiritual and willing.

Our John passage tells of a man blind at birth who Jesus saw on the side of the road begging. This man was a social outcast, born without sight, living every day in darkness, never expecting to be healed and being able to see. Yet once sight was granted he was excited and grateful. Neighbors, strangers and the Pharisees all questioned this man and he gave the same answer; "he put mud on my eyes, I washed them and now I see. Yes I was blind from birth. No I don't know who he is but he must be someone powerful, someone to be followed". In his blindness this man lived his life as best as he could and in his sight he did the same. The blindness was a hindrance but not a defining factor of this man. In the passage Margaret read the man tells the Pharisees “you do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.” This man of no faith was instantly changed, unable to explain but able to understand the power of Jesus. Who is this Jesus and how has this been shown to us? What things are in our lives blocking our way to the kin-dom of God? This is the question for us from the man- “Do you know what I know?”

In this same passage we see the resistance of the Pharisees, religious leaders of the time, to the power and majesty of Jesus. They could not believe that this sinner had been healed, obviously it was a sham. These leaders went as far as questioning neighbors and this man’s parents to make sure he really was blind! We see in verse 34 that they went as far as driving this man out of the synagogue and the town because of their lack of understanding. The man shared his testimony over and over again yet the Pharisees did not listen. It was as if he was shouting “Do you hear what I hear?” and the Pharisees had plugs in their ears! But how often are we just like the Pharisees, hearing the sound of words of wisdom but not listening to the words being said? How often do we try not to reflect on a poignant message from church or from conversation with others because we don’t want the truth? What are we hearing????

In our Old Testament reading we are introduced to Samuel, another religious leader. Unlike the Pharisees in the Gospel he listened to Gods direction, although it took him some time to see Gods vision. God sent Samuel to Jesse saying that the next king of Israel was among his sons. Samuel looked at each son of Jesse; some were tall, others were strong, and yet others had a commanding presence, all processing kingly qualities. Each time Samuel asked if this was the one, the Lord’s anointed, and each time he was told no. It wasn’t until David was seen that God declared that this was the king of Israel, “…for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” David was a shepherd, the youngest, a gentle soul but it was his heart that God saw and knew made him the best choice. Do we see the path God has in store? I think there is such importance with not only the anointing but how Samuel reacted to Gods directive. He did not get upset or frustrated with God, rather he kept pursuing until the right answer was found. He saw God vision for Israel and acted towards it. What is God calling for this community to do in this world? Do we see what God sees?

Friends as we continue on this Lenten journey together maybe all the questions and confusion and uncertainty boil down to the song from the children. “I’m gonna live so God can use me anywhere, anytime.” I pray that we take the rest of this season to deepen our understanding of God, to hear the words of wisdom, to see the grace of Jesus in all our interactions and every moment of every day. May we be granted new eyes to see all the wonders in front of us. Praise be to God.