The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
Certainly lots of •
Pastoral images
•
This morning
And that’s •
Pastoral, as in,
Sheep and •
Shepherds.
We might even •
Call this
Good Shepherd •
Sunday
This idea of •
Jesus as…
•
Shepherd-
With us as •
The sheep- is
A persistent image in •
The Scriptures.
In Jesus’ day •
The image of 1
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
A Shepherd was •
Commonplace
But Most of us •
Have never met
•
A shepherd,
Or know •
Much of anything
•
About sheep
So we might not •
Get as much
Out of… •
This Sheep/Shepherd talk
•
As we should
Generally •
Sheep don’t have
•
A great rep
As they are •
Most often
Described as •
Being the
Most hapless and 2
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
•
Helpless of
•
Creatures-
But I did •
A little digging
•
This week
And here’s what •
I learned about
The life •
Pastoral:
The shepherd gig was •
Anything but
•
Picturesque.
I’d describe it •
Instead…
As dangerous, •
Risky, and menial.
Spending most of •
Their time in
The fields rather •
Than in
•
Polite society… 3
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
Shepherds were •
Generally rough
•
Around the edges,
Jesus’ claim, •
"I am the
•
Good shepherd,"
Had an •
Edge to it….
And would •
Have been
An affront to •
The Religious elite.
Today, it would •
Be like saying
"I am the good •
Migrant worker."
Ok that’s what •
I learned about
•
Shepherds
What I learned •
About sheep was 4
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
•
More interesting
Because one of •
The problems
We moderns •
Have with the
Metaphor of Jesus •
As shepherd
And us •
As sheep is
That we… •
Bristle at
The idea of being •
Thought of as
Dumb and mindless •
Like sheep
What I •
Learned though was
This notion that •
Sheep are dumb has
Only been •
In circulation
A relatively 5
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
•
Short while.
And actually it was •
Cattle ranchers
Who spread this… •
Idea around
You see •
Sheep…
Do not behave •
Like cows.
Cows are herded •
From the rear
With shouts •
And prods
But that does •
Not work
•
With sheep.
If you stand •
Behind sheep
•
Making noises,
They will just 6
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
•
Run around
•
Behind you.
Cows can •
Be pushed…
Sheep must •
Be led.
That’s right •
Sheep actually
Prefer… •
To be led.
And sheep •
Find comfort
In being •
Part of
•
A flock
Sheep seem •
To consider
Their shepherds •
Part of the family,
And the relationship •
That forms 7
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
Between them is •
Quite exclusive.
What this infers is •
That Sheep aren’t
Necessarily •
Dumb
They just are •
Different than
•
Cows
Ok so we’ve •
Got up to speed
About Sheep •
And Shepherds
Now I want •
Center our thoughts
On about as •
Well known a
Piece of Scripture •
There is:
•
The 23rd Psalm-
We have all 8
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
•
Heard it
Probably… •
Countless times-
Many know it •
By heart.
At its most •
Basic level, it is
Some of the •
Most Beautiful
Literature… •
Ever written
It is a text •
That speaks to
Danger and •
Protection.
While evoking •
Intimacy and security.
The Language is•
Slow and simple;
It is the •
Language of… 9
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
•
Presence.
It’s the •
Language of…
•
Love.
And here is what… •
The Psalmist
Tells us about •
Living a life
Under the care of •
Our shepherd:
The LORD •
IS…
•
My shepherd,
I shall •
Not want.
He makes me •
Lie down in
•
Green pastures
He leads me •
Beside
Still… •
Waters 10
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
He restores… •
My soul.
He leads me •
In right paths for
•
His name’s sake.
Even though •
I walk through
•
The darkest valley,
I fear •
No evil;
For you are •
With me;
Your rod and •
Your staff…
•
They comfort me.
You prepare •
A table
•
Before me in
The presence of •
My enemies (those who trouble me)
11
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
You anoint •
My head
•
With oil…
My cup •
Overflows. (runs over)
Surely •
Goodness
•
And mercy
Shall follow me •
All the days of
•
My life,
And I shall dwell •
In the house of
The LORD •
My whole
•
Life long.
So… •
Let’s see
The Good Shepherd •
Will see that
We are never •
In want 12
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
Loving care •
Surrounds us
•
On all sides.
Comfort and •
Assurance are
•
Eternally available
That goodness •
And mercy
Will follow us •
For how long?
•
Forever.
That is what •
God promises
To those who •
Will listen.
If this is what •
God promises
Why does •
Our world
And the reality of 13
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
•
Our individual lives
Evidence so little •
Tranquility
•
And peace?
We live in a world •
That often feels
•
Very scary and foreign
Even in our •
Home town and
•
Own homes
We can suffer from the •
Distinct feeling of
•
Dislocation
We find ourselves •
Longing for
•
A far-off,
Half-forgotten place •
Where things
Make sense and •
We know peace
There is just 14
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
•
A gigantic
•
Disconnect
Between the •
World depicted
•
In Psalm 23
And the reality of •
Our lives.
And instead of •
Getting in
Behind •
Our shepherd
And letting him •
Lead us
We act more •
Like cows
•
Than sheep
We think it’s •
Better to go
•
It alone
Than follow… •
Anyone
15
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
Instead of •
Listening to
The voice of •
Our shepherd
We only respond •
To shouts
•
And prods
What would •
Our lives
•
Look like if…
Upon awaking •
We read the
•
23rd Psalm
And took it •
To heart?
What if we •
Willingly
Even… •
Thankfully
Accepted our •
Shepherd’s care,
And quit trying to •
Achieve ourselves 16
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
•
To wholeness
And instead •
Became whole
Through being •
Part of our
•
Shepherd’s flock
What if •
Instead of
Trying to •
Manipulate
And control •
Our reality
We allowed •
Our Shepherd
•
To lead us
And let him •
Inform…
•
Our reality
How about if •
In the midst of
All that 17
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
•
Troubles us...
We could literally •
Be drinking from
•
The Cup of Life
We could quit •
Our aimless
•
Wandering;
Our going it •
Alone.
We might then •
Finally…
•
Recognize that…
We, in fact, were •
Made for
•
Paradise.
That the lost •
Native country
That we •
Long for,
18
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
Well it’s not •
Far off at all.
That those •
Beautiful fields
And transparent •
Streams;
That those •
Features are
Already part of •
Our landscape.
I’m being •
Very serious
•
About this
What if •
We really believed
•
That psalmist
Was spot on •
In describing
Jesus as the •
Good Shepherd?
Maybe the 19
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
•
Better question is
What… •
Do we have
•
To lose?
Our fear… •
Our longing for
•
Security?
Let’s hear it •
One more time:
The LORD •
IS…
•
My shepherd,
I shall •
Not want.
He makes me •
Lie down in
•
Green pastures
He leads me •
Beside
Still… •
Waters
20
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
He restores… •
My soul.
He leads me •
In right paths for
•
His name’s sake.
Even though •
I walk through
•
The darkest valley,
I fear •
No evil;
For you are •
With me;
Your rod and •
Your staff…
•
They comfort me.
You prepare •
A table
•
Before me in
The presence of •
My enemies;
You anoint •
My head 21
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Easter 4b 2015
•
With oil…
My cup •
Overflows.
Surely •
Goodness
•
And mercy
Shall follow me •
All the days of
•
My life,
And I shall dwell •
In the house of
My whole •
Life long
Amen.
22