Fourth Sunday of Easter
Sunday 25th April 2021
Although we have been able to resume public worship not everyone is able to attend so this service was streamed live on YouTube and is still available now. The service can be found here.
Easter 4
Acts 4. 5-12
John 10. 11-18
Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs
Jesus might so easily have confined his work to within his own Jewish community. Given his culture and the times in which he lived – with Israel being under foreign occupation and domination, it would have been totally understandable. But he didn’t and doesn’t.
And, as a result, rather than his followers remaining an obscure sect within Judaism, Christianity has become the worldwide religion it is today, and Anglicanism – which in this country is represented by the Church of England, is also a worldwide phenomenon.
And this is the tradition – the family – into which we are to baptise little Gracie-May this morning.
“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
And Godparents – while I am sure you are looking forward to growing into your relationship with this little girl and helping her along the way as she grows up. It is your task – amongst others – to help her to listen out for the voice of Jesus calling to her – and help her to recognise it for what it is – so that she too can play her part in building God’s kingdom here on earth… No pressure then! But it does require you to be listening for the good shepherd calling in your own lives too!
But lest you think that sounds a bit heavy – and while it is a considerable responsibility – there is nothing that says you cannot have a bit of fun along the way!
Just now there are plenty of lambs gambolling about the fields. And I defy anyone to see lambs playing together and not have a smile on their lips. This is the life to which God calls us – to revel in the wonderful world he has given us. A world that has its problems of course; a world that faces challenges of climate change and pollution, of human duplicity and greed, but which is still a beautiful place. This is the world into which Gracie-May and Phoebe are growing and which they will need to care for in their turn.
And just as there is one flock, one shepherd, so there is also one world; and while we may get excited about the prospects long term of travel to other worlds, other planets, nothing we have seen so far compares with the wonders of the earth. Yes it is a phenomenal achievement that our scientists can fly to Mars and now have flown a mini-helicopter there, but the pictures we see are of an arid landscape – more barren than the worst desert on earth. Beautiful in its own way, perhaps – but not exactly inviting!
It is part of human nature to want to explore the unfamiliar. Gracie-May has so much learning and wondering to do ahead of her. All of us sitting here know how astonishing the world is today compared to the one in which we grew up – how much more will be accomplished in her lifetime?
But through it all is the solid truth that God has loved her into being, through the love of her parents Bobby-Jo and Matthew, and that she has her own unique potential and purpose to fulfil, but to realise it to its full, she will need the knowledge and love of God to hold and support her through life and that is what we wish to share with her – and with each other here this morning and with those watching from home. It is fantastic; amazing; and we know (and she will learn if we all, with her Godparents, do right by her) that there is salvation in no one else, for ‘there is no other name under heaven given among mortals, by which we must be saved.’
Thanks be to God
Amen.