My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.’ John 10 : 27 - 30
Reading for this week : John 10 : 22 - 30
Thought for the week
We’ve all had experiences over the past few years of connecting virtually – experiences many of us thought we would never have or rely on. The internet served us well, yet when we could, even for a few moments, being actually present was no substitute. (Do you remember when we could meet in gardens. Sometimes just at the front door with our loved ones).
Jesus’ words in our Gospel reading assure us that He is God present to us. As we continue to celebrate Easter we hear of the Risen Lord being present among His disciples.
Yet more than this, Jesus assures us He is present with all those who believe in Him today. And through believing, we belong to Him.
When we see Jesus, know His presence, trust in Him, we are meeting with the Father, the Lord Himself who made all things and is the source of life, even eternal Life.
How amazing is the Lord’s love that He is not remote from us, but we can know Him through Jesus, the Good Shepherd. His care, compassion and love is freely available to everyone.
Rev Paul
A Pastoral Prayer (inspired by Psalm 23, John 10)
Loving Shepherd,
You lead and guide, You walk alongside,
You prepare, you feed, you call, all of your sheep,
even those of us who are lost,
those of us who stray constantly,
those of us who stay close to your comforting staff.
We are grateful for the lush green pastures of our lives,
and we pause now to offer our thanksgivings
for the goodnesses in our lives…
There are so many who walk in the shadows
of fear and suffering and despair,
and we pause now, to offer our prayers
for the broken and bleeding places in this world…
We also offer our prayers for the sheep of our own flocks,
in our families and friends,
in this our church and our community…
O Loving Shepherd,
We have all we need, as we live in You.
Amen.
written by Rev Karla, and posted on RevGalBlogPals. https://revgalblogpals.org/