Quite a Week

Easter 4B
Acts 4:5 - 12, Psalm 23, 1 John 3: 16 - 24, John 10: 11 - 18
Following the good Shepherd

This has been quite an eventful week – at least for me. Last Sunday, at 6 AM I was on a plane to Washington DC with three other clergy of this Diocese to attend a nation wide Mobilization to End Poverty. There were over 1000 Christians in the nation’s capital from Evangelicals and Pentecostals to Baptists, Lutherans, Episcopalians and Catholics.

I kept pinching myself to believe it was true – all these people who follow Jesus had come together to follow Jesus – to plead the case for the poorest of the poor – the little ones of God who have no voice, no lobbyists, no presence of their own in the halls of Congress. What we found were representatives of the highest offices of the land – from the President to Senators to Representatives who were receptive to what we had to say – and who were certainly impressed to see and hear from such a large representation of the body of Christ – speaking as one voice of our intention to create a movement to half the poverty rate in ten years, to fully fund foreign assistance, and to reform health care.

It is the considered opinion of Christian public policy makers that these three items are not only doable but that they are an imperative of our faith – to halve the poverty rate in 10 years, to fully fund the foreign assistance that provides things like AIDS medicines, malaria nets, clean water to the poorest of the world’s poor, and to reform the health care system that in it’s present form is at the root of so many bankruptcies and so much poverty.

Every time I am in Washington DC, I come away with a renewed sense of the utter and unique privilege we have as Americans who live in a democracy in which regular people like you and me can walk into Congress and have a voice. Granted, it’s a small voice when you don’t have a lot of money backing you up - but joined with a lot of voices, you can be heard – and speaking out loud makes a difference.

I am not the kind of Christian that wraps the Bible and the Flag together as though they were one – they are not. Following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, means that we do not follow other voices – the voices of empire and money – that we choose his voice first and foremost beyond the din of a thousand other siren voices calling out to us - but in a democracy –it does mean that we follow Jesus into the voting booth,(I came home and filled out my mail in ballot for the May 19th election!) It means that we follow Jesus into letter writing, into speaking out for children and elderly and widows and orphans and the little ones – the ones that Jesus very specifically invited into his arms. In our country, we can speak in the name of our Good Shepherd usually without going to jail - a privilege that many in the world don't have – and it seems to me to be a Christian duty to do so.

Thank you for allowing me to accept the invitation of this Diocese to go to Washington DC and speak up in Jesus’ name, with thousands of other Christians.

Back at home – it has been an eventful week. The parish profile went public last week, and applications for permanent rector are now being received. They will be received through May 26th. Then the Search Committee will prayerfully read and review all the applications, sorting and discerning. They will conduct phone interviews and narrow down to applicants that they will visit with and interview in person. After that, they will present between two to four names to the Vestry for their consideration. The Vestry will conduct their own interviews – and finally issue a call – an invitation to come to St. Alban’s as the Rector.

How can you trust this time consuming process? You can trust this process because at every step of the way, the entire community will be praying and trusting that the Good Shepherd is leading the flock. That the Good Shepherd has nothing but good planned and provided for his people. That the Good Shepherd is indeed Good and a Shepherd – and will not abandon nor neglect nor forget his people, but lead you all skillfully and attentively through desert and into green pastures and still waters. So that's your first job. Pray!

AND your second job is to remember that there is a connection between the guidance of the Good Shepherd and following his voice. And his voice will almost inevitably lead you into concern for his other sheep – his most fragile and vulnerable lambs. As you follow his voice and reach out in care and concern for others, that is when you are the most secure and the most protected and the most guided.

You have been reaching out in care and concern for many years through the partnership with GRIP, the Greater Richmond Interfaith Project. For many, many years, you have made sandwiches, boiled eggs, brought bananas, and love and care to the homeless and the hungry. The newly formed Outreach Committee has committed itself to helping you all deepen and extend this connection. On it’s part, GRIP is working to extend it’s relationship with churches and with the community. They are looking at not only feeding and housing people – but beginning to address some of the root causes as to why people are hungry and homeless. One of those reasons is because of the high cost of housing and the interest rates of loans that have forced many into foreclosure. GRIP is asking churches to devote Sunday, May 17th to praying for and educating ourselves about housing – shelter. We are joining with other churches – from Evangelical to Pentecostal to Lutheran, Episcopalian and Catholic – in this May 17th effort to educate ourselves and to advocate for policies that help keep people housed. This is one way that we follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd – not only in word but in deed.

By making these kinds of efforts to follow Jesus – not just as a fan of Jesus – but as a follower of Jesus – you can lean further and further into his arms and trust this process of calling a new permanent rector. The Good Shepherd will guide you and will protect you.

I too have been in the search process – and by now most of you should have received either an email or a phone call with my own news. If you haven’t I apologize that this may be the first time you are hearing the news that I have been called to lead a church named Church of the Good Shepherd! Good Shepherd is located about half way between Salinas and Monterey. It’s in a rural location of horse farms and winery estates – oak trees and jack rabbits and it is very beautiful. One of the many ministries of the church is a preschool that serves over 100 children. I will most likely be living in Monterey or Pacific Grove and will, of course, love to have visitors! So, consider yourselves invited and wanted. One other important detail – this is all happening very quickly – and so my last Sunday will be Pentecost on May 31st.

Transitions are both exciting and hard. There is a whole mix of feelings and emotions – regrets and anticipations. I find myself all smiles one minute and tears the next. The whole range of feelings happen at times of transition - I have all of those feelings – and I imagine you might as well. And that's ok - it's ok to feel contradictory feelings all at the same time!

But the key to our Christian walk, wherever it takes us, I truly and humbly believe, is contained in our scripture readings this morning. “I am….” Jesus said. “I am your Shepherd.” Utterly trustworthy. Utterly enchanting. Utterly protective. Utterly responsible. “Follow me – and I will lead you in green pastures, beside still waters, through the valleys, and seat you at table where goodness and mercy shall overflow all the days of your lives.”

Amen.