26 April – The Fourth Sunday of Easter, John 10.1-10
‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ 6Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Things to think about with the child at the centre:
Activities
Using lollipop sticks, make gates (four vertical sticks and one diagonally in front of them) and stick them together. Decorate the gates with words that describe Jesus on the verticals, and the words “Jesus is the gate” on the diagonal
Response
The sheepfold is a place of safety for the sheep. The shepherd can protect them and look after them.
When we surveyed young people and parents across the Diocese, having safe spaces with trustworthy people was their number one desire.Think about what it means to feel safe for us?
Its only once we feel safe that we can start to experience the joys of life in all its fullness that Jesus offers.
Church should be a safe place for everyone. What can we do to make it safe for others, and more importantly how do we let them know its there?
Prayer
Pray for those who aren’t safe – because of war, famine, family situations, their own health or wellbeing. Bring out your gate and place it in front of the altar as you ask Jesus to bring life in all its fullness to those who don’t feel safe.
Easter to Pentecost lectionary reflections from David Sherwin
Over the next few weeks, beginning with Easter Sunday, we are looking at the stories within the narrative of the lectionary Bible readings leading up to Pentecost. As we do this, may it help us consider where we fit into the story, how our encounter of faith, our meeting Jesus in our lives, has affected us and changed us? What would we write down as our story? Perhaps over the next few weeks, we might write down our journey of faith, our encounter with Jesus, and how our Lord impacts our lives day by day. We can also consider how we might share the Gospel story, the story of Jesus, with those around us and how it might impact their lives. Each week, we consider the principal readings for the day and what they might be saying to us. Allow the reading to speak to you throughout the week and let the story open up before you.
There are two readings for each day. If you only want to concentrate on one reading, that’s fine; maybe one reading speaks to you more than the other, that’s okay, let it do so.
Easter 4, 26th April Acts 2:42-47
Read the account and think about what stands out to you before reading on.
The devotion of the early church was something that those outside the Church were impressed with. A quote from an early church leader called Tertullian observed that those looking on said, ‘See how they (the Christians) love one another, they are ready even to die for one another.’ The lives and devotion of the early Christian Church spoke of Jesus without words. It told the story by actions as well as words. They met for teaching, fellowship, prayers, and the breaking of bread. Awe came upon them all. They worshipped together, they shared all they had, and because of this, their number grew day by day.
What impact does the message of Jesus, the Gospel, have upon us individually and as a local church community? What impact should it have upon the wider church, both within our own Church of England and our relationships with our Christian family in other denominations? What about those outside the church community? How do we relate to them? Do they see us love one another with the same love that Christ loved us with?
John 10:1-10
Read the account and think about what stands out to you before reading on.
Jesus said, “I am the gate of the sheepfold”, and he also said, ‘I am the Good Shepherd.’ Resonating with Psalm 23, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd.’ In this account, Jesus is speaking to the scribes and pharisees, those who should know and hear the voice of the Lord in their lives. Yet they seemed deaf to his voice. Jesus uses the example of sheep and a sheepfold to make his point. If you are my sheep, listen to my voice and respond. Sheep know the voice of their shepherd and run from those who are not. Jesus is the Shepherd and the safe place we run to, the sheepfold, a place where life is lived in abundance.
Do we understand the concept of ‘abundant life ’? How has our life changed upon our decision to follow Christ, or if you have never known yourself outside of his loving care, how have we changed over the years? Is life as a Christian easy or hard? Have we heard the voice of the Lord and gone through the ‘gate’ and found pasture? The disciples were called by name, and you have been called and have been given a new name, as Isaiah says (Isaiah 43:1). In the resurrection garden, Mary heard the Lord call her name; this moment changed her life forever. Listen for the voice of the Lord calling out to you.
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