“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep 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 are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
It is always interesting to see where God leads us. Jan passes this church on her commute and we wondered when we would be led here.
The Sanctuary is one room with steps in the rear to the basement, but it still would have helped to have signage. We were early and had time to explore a bit.
We were greeted when we walked in by a woman preparing things in the Chancel area, and she later checked with us downstairs to see if we needed anything.
When we sat down in the Sanctuary everyone coming in sat on the other side, but then a woman with her grandson sat in front of us and introduced us to everyone who came by. She was a real ambassador of the church.
The shared pastor for this 150-year-old church has seen attendance double since he started in August. It was a bonus for me to find out the pastor is a Marine.
The Sanctuary is nicely decorated with a large cross and fine stained glass.
A woman mentioned being at a function where they gave away crock pots as a come-on. When she described the crowds, there was some discussion of using crock pots as an evangelism tool.
I was pleased when it was time to share joys and concerns that a lot of joys were mentioned. We are always quick with concerns but frequently overlook the joys.
The sermon was built around this being Good Shepherd Sunday. The pastor did well guiding the congregation through the message, ending with some good thoughts on the demands of listening and the great rewards of being heard.
I drive past this church on my daily commute, but today God led us here. It is indeed on top of a small hill (small for Pittsburgh, anyway) and exhibits a lovely pastoral setting.
We arrived fairly early and were greeted by the only other person there, and after a brief self-guided tour we waited in the Sanctuary until others arrived. The woman who sat directly in front of us introduced us to numerous people as they stopped to greet her. Many others welcomed us during the greeting time.
We learned that the church is 150 years old, and the current pastor has been there since August. Membership at that time was at 17 but has now risen to around 38.
The message, entitled “Listen!” was based on John 10:11-18. He stated that shepherds were often mentioned by Jesus in His teachings, and that the shepherd is a metaphor for Jesus. Jesus calls us distinctively and personally and He wants us to be who He created us to be. However we must consciously choose to listen. Truly listening – to anyone, including Christ – demands a lot, but listening is the foundation of discipleship, and listening to Jesus always enriches us.
The pastor pointed out that true listening leaves us open to change. The noise of the world disguises the real music, however Jesus never gives up and there is no situation where He does not speak. (I particularly appreciated that reminder.)
A vital point was that the more we listen – the true listening that leads to obedience – the better we learn to hear.
This sermon struck a nerve with me. I have an ear condition called Superior Canal Dehiscence, which means that sometimes I am unable to hear well, and if I speak too loudly I become dizzy. Listening is just a bit more challenging for some. But it has forced me to be quiet in some ways also. As with any sensory loss, other senses can be heightened to compensate, and I believe my spiritual ears are better than my physical ears. I choose to view this as a blessing that has forced me to shut out some of the noise of the world.
Obeying, of course, is another issue…my free will is intact so, like all believers, I still struggle with this part of the equation.
I must say though, that based on the way my husband listened to me at lunch, he heard this sermon.
Father, As this congregation works to discern and obey Your lead, we pray that You will provide continued spiritual and numerical growth for this church. We ask that You open their eyes to missional needs that You wish them to embrace and that You continue to bless this pastor as he leads Your flock. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment