Morning Service for the Fourth Sunday of Easter 2024

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Service

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September 4, 2024

The image of the Shepherd is an old one, and perhaps one that’s not terribly relevant to our modern age when the nearest most of us gets to a sheep is leg of lamb with mint source. But the image is a powerful one still – and it was one Jesus made full use of – and it’s hard to beat on a day like today when we have a baptism.

Morning Service for the Fourth Sunday of Easter 2024

HYMN Immortal, invisible God only wise NEH 377/AMR 372 – St Denio

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,

Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

2 Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,

nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;

Thy justice, like mountains high soaring above

Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

3 To all life thou givest–to both great and small;

In all life thou livest, the true life of all;

We blossom and flourish like leaves on the tree,

Then wither and perish—but naught changeth thee.

4 Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,

Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;

All praise we would render; O help us to see

‘Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen

PRAYERS OF PENITENCE

Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith,

firmly resolved to keep God’s commandments and to live in love and peace with all.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you
and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who died for us, forgive us all that is past
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.

May the God of love and power
forgive you and free you from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by his Spirit,
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE COLLECT

Almighty God,

whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life:

raise us, who trust in him,

from the death of sin to the life of righteousness,

that we may seek those things which are above,

where he reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.

FIRST READING – 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.”

HYMN Now the green blade riseth NEH 115 Noel Nouvelet

1 Now the green blade riseth,

from the buried grain,

Wheat that in dark earth

many days has lain;

Love lives again,

that with the dead has been:

Love is come again like

wheat that springeth green.

2 In the grave they laid Him,

Love who had been slain,

Thinking that He never would awake again,

Laid in the earth

like grain that sleeps unseen:

Love is come again like

wheat that springeth green.

3 Forth He came at Easter,

like the risen grain,

Jesus who for three days

in the grave had lain;

Quick from the dead the risen One is seen:

Love is come again like

wheat that springeth green.

4 When our hearts are wintry,

grieving, or in pain,

Jesus’ touch can call us back to life again,

Fields of our hearts

that dead and bare have been:

Love is come again like

wheat that springeth green.

GOSPEL – John 10.11-18

“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.”

SERMON

A baptism is an act of trust – it’s a dedication to a way as yet untrod, it’s a declaration to a kind of life not yet experienced. Who we trust in our life to lead us is a profound decision, it will shape so many of our attitudes and the direction we take in life – sometimes overtly, but far more often subconsciously.

Even at an early age the stories we are read, the images that become a part of our lives subtly influence the kind of people we shall become. I remember, as a very young child, a picture of Jesus as the kind, benevolent figure, wearing flowing white robes, in a green valley surrounded by contented sheep. Whenever I wanted to pray I just thought of that image and the peace and calm and deep kindness of that figure made me feel that all would be well. Other images of a Good Samaritan and a Prodigal Son, Jesus on the cross and Jesus outside an empty tomb with a distraught Mary of Magdala, they all played a part in my hopes and fears, regrets and joys.

Baptising children, even babies, does make sense because the stories we tell, the images we surround them with will inevitably affect their entire life. By bringing them to baptism we are acknowledging the frightening power we have over the lives of our children. In bringing them to baptism we are seeking to share with them the way we have chosen to walk, the Shepherd we have chosen to follow.

A pastor was taking a group of parishioners on a tour of the Holy Land. He had just read them the parable of the good shepherd and was explaining to them that, as they continued their tour, they would see shepherds on the hillsides just as in Jesus’ day. He wanted to impress the group, so he told them what every good pastor tells his people about shepherds. He described how, in the Holy Land, shepherds always lead their sheep, always walking in front to face dangers, always protecting the sheep by going ahead of them. He barely got the last word out when, sure enough, they rounded a corner and saw a man and his sheep on the hillside. There was only one problem: the man wasn’t leading the sheep as the good pastor had said. No, he was behind the sheep and seemed to be chasing them. The pastor turned red. Flabbergasted, he ran over to the fence and said, “I always thought shepherds in this region led their sheep — out in front. And I told my people that a good shepherd never chases his sheep.” The man replied, “That’s absolutely true… you’re absolutely right… but I’m not the shepherd, I’m the butcher!”

The world is full of butchers, rather better disguised than that one, we hope that by learning to follow the Good Shepherd we may learn to avoid them.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Let us declare our faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the scriptures;
he was buried; he was raised to life on the third day
in accordance with the scriptures;
afterwards he appeared to his followers,
and to all the apostles: this we have received,
and this we believe. Amen. 1 Corinthians 15.3-7

HYMN The king of love my shepherd is NEH 457 AMR 197- Dominus regit me

1 THE King of love my Shepherd is,

Whose goodness faileth never;

I nothing lack if I am his

And he is mine for ever.

2 Where streams of living water flow

My ransomed soul he leadeth,

And where the verdant pastures grow

With food celestial feedeth.

3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,

But yet in love he sought me,

And on his shoulder gently laid,

And home, rejoicing, brought me.

4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill

With thee, dear Lord, beside me;

Thy rod and staff my comfort still,

Thy cross before to guide me.

5 Thou spread’st a table in my sight;

Thy unction, grace bestoweth:

And O what transport of delight

From thy pure chalice floweth!

6 And so through all the length of days

Thy goodness faileth never;

Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise

Within thy house for ever.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION – Gill Macdonald

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be your name:

Lord, your name is above every name with Christians around the world; we pray for all our brothers ad sisters in Christ who proclaim your glory especially those in areas of persecution and danger. We especially think of Christians in Pakistan, Myanmar and the Middle East. We pray for our own diocese, and benefice, and for William in his ministry here with us.