The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday)
3rd May 2009: 9:00am & 11:45am
Preacher: The Revd Gary
In
the Name of our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer- Amen
Well it’s Sunday May 3rd so I must be in
But I’m here now and I did first of all want to say a big thank you to
Dean Andrew and to the Cathedral staff and to you all for this wonderful
opportunity to begin my sabbatical, my first in twenty years, here in Hong Kong
and to get a chance to have a good look around at all that you are doing here
in the service of Christ, our Good Shepherd.
First of all a small presentation to mark our friendship and
fellowship in Christ’s name and it begins with the obligatory tea towel of our
Cathedral where I’m Hon Priest Vicar and a much more interesting guide to
Rochester- a Cathedral city since 604. Thanks Dean Andrew and here’s the tea
towel!
A big hug also for your friendship, hospitality and
love.
It’s good to be here and to be with you all on this feast of the Good
Shepherd and a day when we think about those hearing the voice of the Good
Shepherd, listening to that voice and offering themselves into the ministry of
the church. I know how personally grateful I was to receive such prayer and
support during theological training. Today we will pray and give generously to
the continued theological education of women and men who have heard the voice
of the Good Shepherd; ‘Come Follow Me’.
I myself am so glad to have heard that voice many, many years ago when
I was fourteen years old and knew in myself and my heart that I was called to
serve. I left school looking to
fulfill what I now recognise as my vocation from the
Good Shepherd, but not quite knowing what to do about it.
I therefore found this vocation partially fulfilled for me in serving
for three years as a Police Officer in
After getting married to Moira, also a Police Officer and having our
first two children Jennifer and Vikki I found myself going to church again when
Moira decided to be baptised and confirmed as an
adult. We were also having our children baptised and
I began to get more and more involved in the life of our parish church.
I don’t want to go on for
too long today as I’ve been asked to consider the next service- and I always do
what the Dean tells me- well most of the time anyway! Still a bit of a rebel
really Andrew!
So to cut this life story short- suffice to say that through my
prayers, study and reflection with others I finally heard the voice of the Good
Shepherd asking me to come and follow Jesus Christ and serve the church as a
priest. Well it took some time to finally get there as you have heard, but here
I am twenty years later continuing to do my best to serve the Good Shepherd and
the sheep of the good shepherd- not always getting it right- but thanks be to
God- not always getting it wrong either!
Today as we are called to listen to the Voice of the Good Shepherd,
listen to Jesus- we do so through our attention to the scriptures- we do so
through our times of prayer, worship and fellowship together.
It takes time and effort to do so- but also trust that the Good
Shepherd still speaks to us the sheep today. We see that in the lives of those
who offer themselves for ministry today and throughout the history of the
church- pastors of the Chief Pastor and Good Shepherd. Let us never forget
that!
As I looked around me for evidence that the voice of the Good Shepherd
is being listened to and acted upon here today at St John’s- I found it as I
read the St John’s review, an excellent means of communication fr John might I say and also as I looked at your excellent
website where I found wonderful stories of truth in action- not just in speech
or words but in action ( the reading from the 1st
letter of John today refers to this! This is truth in action as you care for
those with HIV and Aids- Migrant Workers- the poor and marginalized of this
affluent place. I see it also in the priestly ministry that is being offered
each and every day in the sacraments of the church left to the flock by our
Good Shepherd- to encourage and build up- to bind up and to heal- to transform
and make whole so that we live that full life which the Good Shepherd wants us
all to enjoy.
All people, all ages ‘Sheep of the Good Shepherd’ who laid his life
down, so that we might take up our new life- the resurrection life- which we
proclaim this Eastertide. Yes Christ- the Good Shepherd- is risen
and we should continue to listen to his voice today. Today’ s reading from
chapter 10 of John’s Gospel is well worth reflecting on today and
this week ahead to understand better for ourselves who this Good Shepherd truly
is and how Jesus speaks to the flock today.!
For the Lord’s my Shepherd, I shall not want!
You know for years I couldn’t quite get it why the church went on so
much about this Shepherd who they didn’t want! But now I get it and I strain to
hear the voice of the Good Shepherd above the clamour and the din of so many other voices today; for it is the
voice of Love, care and compassion- the voice of the Good Shepherd who knows
you and me personally.
For we are all part of the one flock of the One Good Shepherd no
matter where we are, or where we travel to. Please pray for me as I travel on in
this sabbatical time.
Let’s together keep listening for the voice of The Good Shepherd and
thanks for listening to me today.
The God of Peace who brought back from the dead, our Lord Jesus
Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep continue to keep you in all in faith,
hope and Love. AMEN