Sunday 19th May found us celebrating with Julie as she had come to the end of her time with us as a Student Minister. This is her final reflection to us as a Student.

We hope to welcome her back in the future! 

Julie and Phil shared Holy Communion.   

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Readings

1 Timothy 1:12-17, Luke 15:1-10

 

Reflection

 

Any new phase of ministry provides a good opportunity to take stock of who we are as Christians, who our Minister is, and what we expect of them, and what our churches are doing in their communities – and how that can change with time and new challenges.

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I have decided not to follow the lectionary this week, I thought it would be good to hear again the story of the lost sheep. It’s a story we might have heard many times. But I think that it may well have something to say to all of us at this particular time, – me as I face Ordination to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament but also to all of you as you think about what Ministry means for you and how that can be enhanced with the Time for God volunteers who may well be joining you in September.

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By now you may all be wondering if I’ve lost the plot completely and what has any of that got to do with lost sheep!  I have a question you might not have wondered before: “where are you in the story?”.

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Perhaps you see yourself as an observer or a listener – one of the crowd who were originally around Jesus. Maybe you have been wondering – even grumbling “What is Jesus doing with tax-collectors and sinners?” “Why are there so many dodgy types in this crowd of listeners?”.  “Maybe Jesus should be a bit more picky about who he mixes with?”.

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Then how does the story sound, when it ends “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance”.

You might want to grumble even more –

You might also be forced to re-think.

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God’s love is for everyone, not just ‘decent types’… you know the one’s that think the same way as we do, fit into our way of doing things, that won’t come in wanting to change everything or perhaps even anything!

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Or may be you see yourself as one of the flock of sheep. One of the good ones, the obedient ones – who stay where the grass is green and there is comfort in the flock, and you can see the shepherd out of the corner of your eye, and you know you are safe. What do you do when you see someone wandering off? Do you put your head down and decide not to get involved? Or do you let out a warning ‘baa’, trying to call the stray back, letting them know where you are, where they can be cared for? 

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The experience I have of sheep, especially living so close to them, I can tell you that apart from when they are sleeping they are rarely silent – there is usually quite a lot of calling to each other, the mothers checking out where their lambs are – even when the lambs look big enough to look after themselves. Sheep are not as daft as some might think, they are not made to be solitary, they instinctively flock, and keep together, and care for each other. I wonder if we are the sheep in this story how do we care for each other, do we remain within our comfort zones or could we be a bit more watchful and caring of others, I know how good this flock is at looking out beyond our church walls to ask where people need our help and support, and how we can provide a place of safety for them.

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Or are you the good shepherd? Or do you see that as Phil’s role, keeping his eye on all of you, providing the care where it is needed, leading or guiding you into the pasture he feels you should inhabit?

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Jesus is clear when he speaks in the John’s Gospel “I am the Good Shepherd”.  I think that Ministers of the gospel are, at most, sheep dogs following the whistling call of the Shepherd. 

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It may not surprise a lot of you to know that I identify most readily with the lost sheep, the stray, wandering foolish one. 

I have always had a sense of being lost, or of not quite belonging, I have always had a fear of getting things wrong – I don’t mean making little mistakes – I mean really stuffing up to the extent it seriously affects others. My journey over the past twenty + years has changed that, the past four have been the most significant. I have learnt that I when you let go of the person people expect you to be and begin to learn about the individual that you were created to be, wonderful things start to happen.

That’s the great thing about being the lost sheep – we don’t stay lost – we are found. And when we are found, the Good Shepherd heaves us up onto his shoulder and rejoices, and the neighbours come round for a party, and heaven itself is filled with joy.

This is our identity in Christ – we are found and saved and rejoiced in.

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I pray you will continue to rejoice together when anyone lost is found, and rejoice in your own identity as treasured children of God and rejoice that you have a minister who is also a precious found sheep in the eyes of God. I want to thank you, each and every one of you for helping me to be found, for rejoicing with me, for helping me to understand myself as a precious found child of God. Please know that when I wear my beautiful stole you will be with me, you are all part of such a special part of my journey and I will hold you in my thoughts and prayers.

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The first letter of Timothy tells us how powerful it is to be found and saved and rejoiced in by God.

Paul writes about the mercy he has received in Christ which makes him a servant of God who is filled with overflowing grace. It is this grace of God which takes each one of us and forgives, changes and strengthens us for service.

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As a minister, may I and may Phil and all of you be filled with grace and formed into a powerful witness to God’s love, so that others who are lost may be found

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To God’s praise & glory.   Amen.

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Holy Communion

Julie & Phil

Julie: One of the great joys that I’ve had since being welcomed into this community is being invited around the table with you. Tables in houses with homemade dinners; tables in churches with new friends; tables at cafes and pubs…and at all of these, food, drink, love and laughter have been shared. This morning, once again, we get invited around this table – God’s table – where all of us are invited, welcomed and loved.

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Phil: Around this table, we remember that when Jesus broke bread with tax collectors and outcast women, rich elites and poor peasants, he proclaimed that God’s gracious love and abiding presence know no bounds. Through these occasions of sharing food, many experienced divine love, and shared in God’s kingdom…where lost sheep and lost people are found and welcomed.

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Julie: We remember that at one great feast, Jesus fed thousands of hungry people with five loaves of bread and two fish. At this miraculous meal, there was such an abundance of food that everyone ate until they were full – and there were even twelve baskets of food left over. Today, we celebrate God’s abundant care and extravagant blessing found at this meal.

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Phil: We remember too, how in an upper room in Jerusalem, Jesus called together his closest friends for a meal.  That night, Jesus washed their feet, called them to love another, and nourished them with words and wine. There, when they had finished, Jesus took bread lifted it to heaven to thank the Source of its nourishment, broke it with a sound that echoed in his heart and said, This is my body broken for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.

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After this, he took a cup of wine held it in his hands and thanked God before saying; This is my blood and it’s shed for you.  Drink this in remembrance of me. And so we do.

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Julie: We remember how Jesus would be thankful for all the many ways that God blessed him and, like him, we now give our thanks to God. Let us pray…

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Loving God, With thankful hearts, we remember your great love. For You created the cosmos and delighted in it. You came to the world and redeemed it. You come to the world and renew it.  And so, this morning and always, all who are tired and burdened, all who are frightened and unsafe, all who are sick and broken, come to you to find new life.

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Phil: Living God, we thank you that the bread and wine remind us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of light and love. We rejoice that Jesus taught us not to imagine a manipulative, violent God, but showed us the God who transforms the world through vulnerability and grace; who led people to discover the sacred in the ordinary; who taught of God’s love through stories and jokes, through laughter and tears, through cross and resurrection We ask that these elements might be for us your life-giving presence. We ask, but you have already given. Meet us here we pray. We ask but you are meeting us already. Grant your mercy and peace we request
We ask but you have already granted!

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Julie: Thus as a people met by you, as your people called to walk in your way,
we pray – in whichever language we choose – the prayer that Jesus taught, saying ‘Our Father, who art in heaven…’

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The Breaking

Julie: The body of Christ, broken for you. We do this remembrance of him.

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Phil: The bread of life…thanks be to God!

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Phil: The blood of Christ, shed for us all. We do this in remembrance of him.

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Julie: The cup of blessing…thanks be to God!

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Prayer after Communion

We thank and praise you God for your gifts beyond words.

May the hands that have taken holy things be strengthened for your service.

May the eyes that have witnessed your blessing shine with the light of hope.

And may the people who have gathered here go out into your world to be ambassadors of your grace and love for all.

In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

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The Blessing…

 

As we go from this place may we be blessed with the knowledge that it is the Shepherd that calls us.

May we recognise the disturbed and lost, and always be ready with a welcome,

And may our paths cross often.

May God the creator bless each of us,

Christ the Shepherd accompany us,

And the Holy Spirit the sheep dog, disturb us into action.

Until the Kingdom comes.

Amen