The Fourth Sunday of Easter
**Please note this service is based on the format of the Anglican Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from the Book of Alternative Services (BAS) and the hymns from the Book of Common Praise (BCP). Other hymns and prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.
**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.
**This is for personal use at home as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together we can worship in our own homes.
Introduction
Glory to you,
Jesus Christ, our good shepherd. In the waters of baptism you give us new
birth, at your table you nourish us with heavenly food, and, in your goodness
and mercy, you guide us beyond the terrors of evil and death to God’s home to
dwell in eternal light. Glory to you forever. Amen.
Opening Hymn – He Came Down (BCP #368)
Gathering
The grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love
of God,
and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with you
all.
And also with you.
Collect for Purity
The Gloria
Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
O God of Peace,
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of
the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make us perfect in every good
work to do your will, and work in us that which is well-pleasing in your sight
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Readings
A reading from
the Book of Acts 4:5-12
The
next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas
the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the
high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst,
they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter,
filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if
we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and
are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to
all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health
by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised
from the dead. This Jesus is
‘the
stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.’
There
is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given
among mortals by which we must be saved.”
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 23
A reading from the First Letter of 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. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the
world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
Little
children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by
this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts
before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts,
and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have
boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey
his commandments and do what pleases him.
And
this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus
Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his
commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he
abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gradual Hymn – Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee (BCP #425)
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John 10:11-18
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
“I
am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The
hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf
coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and
scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for
the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as
the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the
sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them
also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one
shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in
order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own
accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have
received this command from my Father.”
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon
May only truth be spoken and truth
heard. Amen.
Today is the fourth Sunday of Easter, otherwise known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Each liturgical year has us reading a piece from John Chapter 10 as well as Psalm 23, probably the most famous reference to the Good Shepherd there is in the Bible.
In the Gospel, Jesus declares “I am the good shepherd”, meaning God is our shepherd and we are God’s sheep.
Jesus also declares that he will lay his life down for his sheep.
Even without having much experience with shepherds and sheep, we can picture the caring nature of the shepherd, how they tend to the sheep as if they were their very own children.
Whenever Jesus uses the pastoral image
of a shepherd for himself, the point is nearly always the same: as the good
shepherd of his sheep, he will risk his life and even temporarily abandon the
flock if that’s what it takes to save the one lost sheep.
Jesus is the good shepherd because he the source of abundant life, first to the man born blind, giving him a new existence, new life — he is a new creation, a child of God (1:1; 12-13).
Jesus is the good shepherd because he finds the man born blind after the blind man has been thrown out (9:35) which the disciples need to hear because they too will be thrown out (12:42; 16:1-2) and which they need to remember because Jesus found them (1:43).
Jesus is the good shepherd because he knows his sheep and he calls them by name (Lazarus, 11:43; Mary Magdalene, 20:16).
Jesus is the good shepherd because before he goes to the cross, he lays down his life by coming out of the garden, the fold, leaving his sheep protected and safe in the garden, giving himself up for the sake of his disciples, his sheep (18:4).
Jesus is the good shepherd because he will take up his life again in the resurrection AND the ascension, the resurrection being our promise of life here and now (11:25) and the promise of life in our future; the ascension being the abiding place that Jesus prepares for the ones he loves (1:18; 13:23; 14:2).
Jesus is the good shepherd. There is no doubt about it.
But are we good sheep?
Sheep have very strong herd instincts. So much so that their reasoning and intelligence are diminished by these instincts.
Are human beings any different?
We have such herd mentality that we sometimes question each other’s judgement and logic.
When I think of the Nazis and the concentration camps, I often wonder how people could just go along with what was happening.
When I think of flat-Earthers, I don’t understand how so many people believe our planet isn’t round.
When I think of anti-vaxxers, I am baffled at how many disregard all scientific knowledge and research.
Today, when I see stories like a church refusing to shut their doors, or 300 people gathering to protest wearing a mask, or so many people on social media claiming that this pandemic has been a hoax staged by the government, I am flabbergasted and I weep for them.
It amazes me how easy it is to influence people, to convince them that certain ideas are true, that facts are wrong, that groups of people shouldn’t have the right to exist.
The church is no exception. We are in the year 2021 and still we argue over who is and who isn’t allowed to be Christian, to be allowed to worship in church, or to be married at church.
We have been walking in some very dark valleys over the last little while. I often wonder if those valleys are new or if social media has simply amplified their long-time existence.
Queer people, simply by existing, have to walk in some of these dark valleys, to have the courage to simply live. People of colour and Indigenous people experience the same thing. They have the courage to be all who they are, even in the midst of possible violence.
Who are the sheep for your community who have been left “outside” the gate, but now should be welcomed in?
PAUSE
As the true shepherd who loves his sheep, he will let himself be killed rather than see one single sheep harmed.
But why does Jesus the good shepherd lay down his life? To tell us that we are, in fact, enough.
In every image of the flock which Jesus employs, it is always clear that as important as the whole flock is, each individual sheep is as important to him as is the larger collective.
Jesus, especially in John's gospel, doesn't die in order to make some kind of payment to God or to satisfy God's wrath or to pay the penalty for sin.
Jesus, in John's Gospel, is the Revealer, the One who comes to make the invisible God visible and the unapproachable God accessible.
Jesus comes to reveal that God loves the whole world, no exceptions.
It is good to be known and still loved.
The Good Shepherd claims that kind of intimacy with his sheep. The Lord knows us completely and loves us enough to lay down his life for us.
The ultimate demonstration of love was Jesus giving up his power and laying down his life for us.
Such self-sacrificing love is rare. But it is needed so very much. The way of the world is a self-serving life. The herd mentality that causes large groups of people to cling to false information is destroying us.
God’s love compels us to respond to our neighbor’s needs. Followers of Jesus are soaked with the Spirit and are given hearts of love that thrive on caring for one another. And yet, we continue to be selfish and hurt each other.
The saying “walk the talk” demands action, not just words. It’s easier to discuss than to do something about challenges.
But now is the time to “walk the talk”.
We human beings are sheep and what we need most is a shepherd and that shepherd is Jesus Christ.
God provided a shepherd for us in the person of Jesus Christ.
Now is the time to be one of Jesus’ sheep, not one of society’s sheep.
There is change needed in this world. We are called to care for the neighbour and yet we stand idly by as we hurt one another, whether it be with maskless faces, guns in the hands of dangerous people, a knee on a neck, or by simply looking the other way.
God’s creation is hurting and we have gotten caught up in the flow of the herd.
Turn around. Go against the flow.
Be the voice that cries out “I stand with Jesus” and lay down your life for your fellow human being.
I am not asking you to literally die but to fight the herd mentality that has taken over humanity.
I am asking you to go be better sheep.
Amen.
Apostle’s Creed
Let us confess
the faith of our baptism, as we say,
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers of the People
Let us pray in
faith to God our Father, to his Son Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Spirit,
saying, “Lord, hear and have mercy.”
For the Church of the living God throughout the world, let us ask the riches of his grace.
Lord, hear and have mercy.
For all who proclaim the word of truth, let us ask the infinite wisdom of Christ.
Lord, hear and have mercy.
For all who have consecrated their lives to the kingdom of God, and for all struggling to follow the way of Christ, let us ask the gifts of the Spirit.
Lord, hear and have mercy.
For Elizabeth our Queen, for the Prime Minister of Canada, and for all who govern the nations, that they may strive for justice and peace, let us ask the strength of God.
Lord, hear and have mercy.
For scholars and research workers, that their studies may benefit humanity, let us ask the light of the Lord.
Lord, hear and have mercy.
For all who have passed from this life in faith and obedience, let us ask the peace of Christ.
Lord, hear and have mercy.
God of peace, we come here with those things within that rob us of peace. You know what inner conflicts we experience, what struggles of the mind continue, what jealousies cause us unrest.
Can you give us peace? Can Your Spirit minister to our spirits? Can Your love cause us to see others with love? Can Your grace open us up to forgive others?
Mend our minds through our worship here. As we become aware of the conflicts eating at us within, give us insight that will lead to healing action. As we confess jealousies that make us unhappy, lead us to do those things that affirm others. As we admit hostility that keeps us angry, guide us by grace to speak words of forgiveness.
We want our worship to make a difference in our living. We pray for more than good feelings about ourselves. We know we need more than new thoughts. We sense that we need new actions, new responses toward those that trouble us, new ways to speak to those whom we distrust, new ways to care for others whom we ignore.
We pray for our church family, for those ill at home or in hospitals. For those who grieve the loss of one deeply loved, for those who wrestle with a difficult decision, for those who are lonely even though with others, for those who find it hard to believe and trust.
Please take time to offer your own intercessions or to pray in silence.
Guide us in ministering to each other, keeping us aware of another’s pain, helping us to listen when another speaks, leading us to respond with gentle care.
We pray through the Christ who suffered and died and lives in us, for us, through us. Amen.
Confession and Absolution
Dear friends
in Christ,
God is
steadfast in love and infinite in mercy;
God welcomes
sinners and invites them to the table.
Let us confess
our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.
Most merciful
God,
We confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us,
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your name. Amen.
As we speak the truth of our lives, God who is faithful and just, restores us and brings us home again and again.
Almighty God
have mercy upon you,
pardon and
deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and
strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you
in eternal life;
through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Peace
The peace of
the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Offertory Hymn – Abide with Me (BCP #24)
Prayer over the Gifts
**Although not physically at our church buildings to share
our offering together I would encourage you to set your offering of money aside
so that it can be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume, to
mail your offering to the church, or to make donations online. Please remember
ministry is still taking place.
Let us pray.
God of loving
care, you spread before us the table of life, and give us the cup of salvation
to drink. Keep us always in the fold of your Son Jesus Christ, our Saviour and
our shepherd. Amen.
This service was created for live worship on Zoom. For those worshiping on your own, you may either read the Eucharistic prayer, or skip ahead to the Lord's Prayer and then the Doxology.
Eucharistic Prayer 2
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
We give you thanks and praise, almighty God,
through your
beloved Son, Jesus Christ,
our Saviour
and Redeemer.
He is your
living Word
through whom
you have created all things.
By the power
of the Holy Spirit
he took flesh
of the Virgin Mary
and shared our
human nature.
He lived and
died as one of us,
to reconcile
us to you,
the God and
Father of all.
In fulfilment
of your will
he stretched
out his hands in suffering,
to bring
release to those who place their hope in you;
and so he won
for you a holy people.
He chose to
bear our griefs and sorrows,
and to give up
his life on the cross,
that he might
shatter the chains of evil and death,
and banish the
darkness of sin and despair.
By his
resurrection he brings us into the light of your presence.
Now with all
creation we raise our voices
to proclaim the glory of your name.
Holy and gracious God,
accept our
praise,
through your
Son our Saviour Jesus Christ;
who on the
night he was handed over
to suffering
and death,
took bread and
gave you thanks,
saying, “Take,
and eat:
this is my
body which is broken for you.”
In the same
way he took the cup,
saying, “This
is my blood which is shed for you.
When you do
this, you do it in memory of me.”
Remembering,
therefore, his death and resurrection,
we offer you
this bread and this cup,
giving thanks
that you have made us worthy
to stand in
your presence and serve you.
We ask you to
send your Holy Spirit
upon the
offering of your holy Church.
Gather into
one
all who share
in these sacred mysteries,
filling them
with the Holy Spirit
and confirming
their faith in the truth,
that together
we may praise you
and give you
glory
through your
Servant, Jesus Christ.
All glory and
honour are yours,
Father and
Son,
with the Holy
Spirit
in the holy
Church,
now and for
ever.
Amen.
And now, as
our Saviour Christ has taught us,
we are bold to
pray,
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Breaking of the Bread
This is the
body of Christ.
Behold what you are.
Become what you receive.
Amen.
Communion
This is the
table of Christ. It is made ready for those who love him, and for those who
want to love him more. Come, whether you have much faith or little, have tried
to follow, or are afraid that you have failed. Come. Because it is Christ's
will that those who want to meet him, might meet him here.
These are the gifts of God for the People of God.
Thanks be to God.
Prayer After
Communion
As we have feasted around the table, let us pray.
God of steadfast love, watch over the Church redeemed by the blood of your Son. May we who share in these holy mysteries come safely to your eternal kingdom, where there is one flock and one shepherd. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the risen Lord. Amen.
As a congregation, we declare our doxology, as we say together,
Glory to God,
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Blessing
The peace of
God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the
knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: and the
blessing of the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sanctifier be among you and
remain with you always. Amen.
Sending Song – Will You Come and Follow Me? (BCP #430)
Dismissal
Go forth into
the world,
Rejoicing in
the power of the Holy Spirit. Alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
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