Worship for 25th April 2021

Time to Reflect…

On Easter Monday 06 April 2015, we were devastated by the news that our 18-month-old nephew, Judah, drowned in Durban, South Africa. But we were overwhelmed with compassion by people in this circuit and by people from around the world.

On the day of his funeral, the picture that I had in my mind was of my grandmother (who was a subsistence farmer) holding a rejected lamb (feeding it and nursing it as if it was her own child). Yes, that is how we felt in our grief – cared for and loved by God’s people.

If the Easter season is about anything, it’s about restoration, life, and God’s compassionate care for God’s people. These are the themes that come through the readings for this week.

In Acts the disciples, who are put on trial for healing the lame man outside of the Temple, proudly proclaim Jesus as the name by which the healing has happened, and by which humanity is to be saved.

In David’s famous Psalm, God’s care as Shepherd is celebrated. In John’s letter the love of God that is revealed in Christ’s sacrifice is to be passed on through those who are Christ’s disciples as they choose to love one another and lay down their lives for one another.

Finally, in John 10 Jesus proclaims himself as the Good Shepherd who cares for the sheep with commitment and courage, and who lays down his life for the sheep.

In this loving sacrifice lies the hope of resurrection – Jesus boldly declares that he will take up his life again. The message is an essential one as we reflect on the resurrection over the next few weeks. Resurrection can easily be seen as an individual experience of life beyond the grave, but the Gospel uncovers that it is so much more than that. As much as it does offer personal renewal through God’s life, and the promise of eternity, the resurrection also calls us to be life carriers – shepherds who, like Jesus, lay our lives down for others. It is the hope of resurrection that makes sacrifice possible, and that gives us the strength and courage to risk loving and serving others even when it hurts.

Like the people of Israel in Jesus’ time, we long for Good Shepherds who lead with grace, compassion, wisdom, and justice. The examples we have – Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Wangari Maathai, Gandhi – inspire and challenge us and give us hope that the leadership our world needs is possible. For those of us who exercise leadership in any capacity, the Easter vision calls us to use our influence to bring life to others, serve others, and work sacrificially for our communities’ good.

When we gather as God’s people, we are called to build a community of Christlike love. Anyone who has been part of a church knows how hard that can be. But, today, remember that you need others in your spiritual journey and commit to being part of a sacrificial community of love in some way. Then, as we connect with one another in resurrection communities, we are able to bring life to our neighbourhoods, impacting others with God’s care and grace.

This means that much of how we have “structured” and lived our faith as Christ-followers may need to change. From exclusive communities, we will need to learn acceptance and welcome. From being people of judgment and criticism, we will need to become people of love and forgiveness. From being those who focus only on a few issues that directly affect us, we will need to contribute to causes that bring life to people we may never meet.

The energy that resurrection brings cannot be contained. It breaks out wherever it can, and those who seek to live resurrection can only follow where it leads. When we try to stop it or control it, we only fall out of step with Christ. This means that every action, word and thought can be either the reflection of resurrection, or an obstacle to making it visible. The choice is ours – we can be Good Shepherds who care for and lay our lives down for those around us, or not.

Amen.