The Good Shepherd in a Time of Coronavirus Preached on May 5th, 2020 For Wollaston Congregational Church Virtual Worship Service Scripture: John 10:1-10, Psalm 23 It would be stretching the truth to say that I grew up around sheep. I lived close to the city in a not so rural area. But I did see sheep quite often, when my family took trips out to the North Yorkshire moors, or to the East coast. We’d see them in the fields, in early spring, while the weather was still frigid. They’d be bundled in their winter coats, mothers each with one or two little lambs in tow. We’ve driven through the moors, and have them wander onto the road, so that we had to slow way down. These sheep are in the pasture: roaming and yet close enough to their flock. When the shepherd comes to round them up they will hear and come right along. Our children did not see sheep quite so often, growing up in New England. A few years ago, when we were back in the UK on a visit, we took a walk in the countryside and saw the sheep grazing the hills. One of kids asked about how the sheep owners ever gathered them back again, having let them loose on the hillside. The timing was perfect, as a shepherd and his dog strolled out ahead of us. With a few quick whistles, and minimal verbal instruction, the dog rounded up the little flock and brought them back down the hill to meet the shepherd. And then they headed down to the farm. The whole exercise seemed to take just a few minutes. Sheep herd naturally, they know safety in numbers. And still, they need to be protected from predators and from theft. In our gospel passage today, Jesus uses imagery that would be familiar to every child in the countryside of his time. Jesus tells his listeners that he is the good shepherd. He is the one to care for and protect the sheep. He ensures that they remain in the sheepfold. He recognizes enemies and keeps them out. The sheep, quite naturally, know his voice. They know that when they are with him they are safe. He will bring them into the fold for the night, where they will huddle close keeping one another warm. He will keep the predators and the thieves away. He’ll rub their heads with oil to keep the fleas off. And when it is safe to do so, he’ll lead them out again, to a verdant green pasture, to abundant life. This bucolic imagery sounds beautiful to our 21st century ears. We generally find it is comforting. Perhaps in our daily prayers and meditations we will slowly read this passage from John’s gospel and the 23rd psalm, imagining Jesus looking out for us and protecting us from all ills. It’s a lovely thought, but it may seem like a fanciful distraction in these times. After all, we have not really been protected from all ills, have we? Jesus the good shepherd has not protected us and our community from the ravages of the coronavirus. And we have not been immune to the consequences of the response: loss of employment and income, shortages in the grocery stores and other economic woes. For this passage to speak us today, we will need to go deeper, and ask questions such as: - What does safety for a church mean, when we cannot herd together physically? - Who and what are we to be protected from, in the imaginary sheepfold, in these times? - And what does being led out to pasture and to abundant life look like, in these days? We remember that sheep are herding animals. They do not travel alone. Remember the parable about the one lost sheep and the good shepherd who leaves the other 99 to find it? The lost sheep is the one in trouble. The other 99 are safe in their herd. Going it alone is dangerous for sheep. And so, we are … “like sheep” as in the verse from the prophet Isaiah, that is sung over and over, in performances of Handel’s Messiah. We, the people of the church, need to herd together. We find our safety in the fold, shepherded by Jesus, who protects us from hustlers and thieves. At the moment, we are remaining physically distant, for safety and protection, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We particularly want to protect our older and more vulnerable members. We also want to do our part to limit the spread of the virus in the community. This is how we show love for one another and for our neighbors, in these strange times: by staying home, and wearing masks and distancing when we do go out. We keep our church building safe, for future visitors, by keeping the virus out during in this time of high infection rates. Some churches have continued to gather physically for worship during this crisis. Ironically, their services often include the laying on of hands for healing. It’s so sad that the pastors of these churches do not see the need to protect their vulnerable members. They are setting a harmful example for their congregants and their communities. There are other safety concerns besides the possibility of infection for our churches, too. Perhaps you have heard about Zoom-bombers. These are people who get hold of Zoom meeting information and take over the meetings, sharing hateful material. A few weeks ago a church known for their open and affirming stance for the LGBTQ+ community was bombed with hateful homophobic slurs. This kind of attack can cause literal harm to those who have been traumatized by hate speech in the past. I’ve also heard of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings being bombed by people taunting the members to go out and drink. And, I’ve heard of churches with racially diverse congregations having their online services bombed with race-hating imagery. Even while we are physically safe in our homes, these kinds of attacks can be spiritually and psychologically damaging. That is why we do not share the Zoom link or meeting ids for our services publically. Church members in our fold are spiritually and psychologically safe when we have a place to share our stories and our concerns. It takes vulnerability to speak out loud the prayers we need for ourselves and our loved ones. We need a place of safety, to tell one another what is really going on in our lives. We need to know that we will not be laughed at or put down. We need to know that our stories will not become the subject of gossip. While we remain in the fold, our work is to praise God with glad and generous hearts. It is to share with one another, to ease one another’s burdens. This has been happening so well, with you all calling each other on the phone, checking in and finding out if there is anything anyone needs. Even during virtual worship we can emulate the church in the book of Acts, by breaking bread and eating together. Our hearts are one, when are moved together by the music, or a particular video or our time of prayer. And even while we are on lockdown, we can love our neighbors, individually and as a community. Last Sunday the stewards planned to buy supplies over the next week or so, so that we can provide Father Bill’s shelter with more bagged lunches. Individually, we can shop for those who cannot go out and we can donate to the organizations who are relieving suffering. But of course, our gospel passage reminds us that the sheep do not remain in the sheepfold for all time. Jesus says that the shepherd leads the sheep out to pasture. He leads them to abundant life. We may draw on Psalm 23, as we acknowledge that the journey to the pasture and to abundant life is not straightforward. The route takes us through the darkest valley, the valley of the shadow of death. I believe we are passing through that fearful place right now. This is probably one of the darkest valleys we have ever known. Some days the valley seems so dark, we can barely see the light at the end. And yet, one thing that the gospel and the psalm both affirm is that our good shepherd, the one we know in Jesus, goes with us. He leads us through that valley and out the other side into abundant life. And so, we might wonder what that abundant life looks like, given this crisis? Some people are speculating over what the church will be like in the future. Like many churches, we have been led out of our building. We have begun to expand our reach through online and electronic worship. Perhaps this is also the work of the shepherd? As we pass together through the darkest of valleys, I cannot imagine the self-hatred that causes someone to Zoom bomb church services and AA meetings with harmful messages. And I’m mystified by those who lack trust in the community, and value their personal liberty over physically distancing to protect the vulnerable. That kind of life must be so limited, fearful, and isolated. The fear, hatred and isolation is the evil that is to be rejected, not the people who are stuck in that life. The abundant life to which the shepherd Jesus leads us is counter to all these things. It is the place where we can love and praise God with glad and generous hearts. It is a place where we no longer need to fear. It is a place of belonging, for members of the flock whose shepherd God guides and protects them from all evil. May we all remain connected to the flock, protected by the shepherd, so that we may be led our to that abundant life. May all God’s people say, Amen.
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