The Gatekeeper of Our Life
The Gatekeeper of Our Life
Call to Worship
All you works of God, all you mighty heavens,
Sun, moon and stars; wind, rain and thunder,
Mountains and forests, streams and waterfalls,
Whales beneath the seas, birds throughout the skies,
All that leaps or crawls, all folk who worry and wonder,
Let us worship and praise our Maker together.
Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, holy, holy, God almighty Lord
Holy, holy, holy, everywhere adored!
God without beginning, God, eternal One
Reigns and rules forever all beneath the sun.
Holy, holy, holy, God almighty Lord
Holy, holy, holy, everywhere adored!
Power and love and wonder circling round God’s throne
Praise our God most holy, Lord of Life alone.
CCLI: 1963748
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
God our Maker, we come before you this day,
giving thanks for all the wonder in your creation:
for the detailed perfection revealed in a baby’s tiny fingers,
in pussy willows unzipping their jackets to greet the spring,
in each rock face worn by wind and water,
witnessing to your ancient wisdom like wrinkles around an aging smile.
These details lift our hearts to praise you.
So, let the details of the story the Risen Christ lift our hearts this day,
that we too may discover him in our midst,
making all things new with the springtime of your Spirit.
O God, in raising Jesus from the dead, you showed us your power
to defeat all that brings fear and sorrow to our lives.
In his resurrection, Jesus promised to be with us always.
Yet we confess we are sometimes uncertain about how to find him.
Like Thomas, we are unsure if we can trust the promise of resurrection for ourselves.
Forgive us when we struggle with doubt about your presence with us.
Breathe your Spirit upon us and bring us the peace Christ promised. Amen
Assurance of Pardon
Dear friends, the risen Christ is in our midst, speaking words of peace and forgiveness to us this day. Receive his gift of forgiveness. Be at peace with yourself and with one another. Amen.
Hymn: Jesus’ hands were kind hands
Jesus’ hands were kind hands, doing good to all
Healing pain and sickness, blessing children small
Washing tired feet and saving those who fall
Jesus’ hands were kind hands, doing good to all
Take my hands, Lord Jesus, let them work for you
Make them strong and gentle, kind in all I do
Let me watch you, Jesus, till I’m gentle too
Till my hands are kind hands, quick to work for you.
CCLI: 1963748
A Time for the Children
Boys and girls, we are all trying to figure out how best to use our time. I am sure you have found time to clean your room and I am sure that you are helping your parents more around the house. While we are not able to be with our friends and play with them in person, we can still use our hands with our own family. Take the time to help one another and give each other a hug and tell one another that you love them.
Prayer for Understanding
Gracious God, as we listen to your Word, increase our understanding by the power of your Spirit. May our lives be shaped by your wisdom and inspired by your love through Christ, your living Word. Amen.
1Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials,
7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
John 10:1-10
1 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.
2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
The Message
The Gatekeeper of our Life – John 10:1-10
One of the most loved passages of Scripture is where Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd. For the people of that day and time, sheep and shepherds were very much a part of their everyday life. It would be very common in the countryside to find flocks of sheep and the enclosures where the sheep could be kept safe when not out in the fields feeding. People would have been familiar with the role of the shepherd and they would have been aware of the necessity for the shepherd to safeguard the sheep while in their enclosures. Sheep stealing is not a new thing but something that has ever been with us. Even though the people had been given the instruction not to steal or to covet, it did happen. Obedience to laws and regulations requires our willingness to follow them and we know that there are people not willing to listen to or accept the laws and regulations that are in place to protect and secure all persons in the society.
Jesus knew that being a shepherd was a full-time occupation. At least one shepherd needed to always be awake at any hour of the day or night and that applied not only to their time out in the fields but also to the times when the sheep would be gathered near the villages. Shepherds needed to get supplies just like anyone else. The shepherds depended on gatekeepers of the sheepfolds – the enclosures – to provide security for their flocks until they were able to return and take the flocks out to pasture. These shepherds may or may not have been independent contractors. If they were working for someone else, they would have to answer to the owner of the sheep for any losses. But – as nothing in this life is ever perfect – things happened, and sheep were stolen. Even if the gatekeeper did his job well sheep may still go missing as bandits and thieves would climb the fences to carry off the sheep. Jesus uses this imagery to help the people begin to understand how he views his role and responsibility. Jesus likens himself to the gate of the sheepfold. Jesus remains at the only access point to the sheepfold like a shepherd would, helping to ensure that the sheep could not leave without him knowing about it.
Now think about this in terms of our own lives. As disciples and followers of God in Christ, we are the sheep of God. We are surrounded by a sheepfold that is not made of wood or stone or brick but one that is made of the very Word of God made known to us through the teachings of Jesus and confirmed to us through the wisdom of God’s Spirit in our lives. We enter this invisible sanctuary by accepting the invitation of God in Christ to come and find rest. When we pass through the gate to this sanctuary we are met by the One who was sent to reassure us that we are loved by God, forgiven by God and strengthened by God. Whatever fears we may have, whatever pain or suffering or heartaches or disappointments we have encountered in the world, this invisible sanctuary becomes for us the place where we can feel safe and secure.
To think about this invisible sanctuary is so important in this time when we are unable to come together in our regular sanctuaries. Normally, we would enter the door of that sanctuary and feel within the walls that sense of relief and rest. We would be able to see one another and share by vision and sound and touch the things in our lives that had caused us the most pain and the most joy. And when we would leave that sanctuary, we would go knowing that we had been refreshed and strengthened to be able to face whatever we might encounter.
If we were to focus only on this image of Jesus and his relationship to us, we would find our faith and our commitment to be limited. As Jesus so clearly illustrates through so many images, our lives are precious to him and his desire to be with us never ends at the gate. He attempts to show us that he is conscious of us and ever willing to be there for us and with us no matter where life takes us. He is for us a sanctuary in times of trouble, but he is also for us a companion on this journey of life wherever our steps may take us.
For Jesus is not only the gate for the sheepfold, he is the sheepfold and he is the Shepherd. He seeks to guard us in thought and action both within the sanctuary and when we are outside. But as much as he seeks to guard us, he gives us the freedom to choose. We are free to accept his care and his guidance, to accept his love and his direction in life. My prayer is that you are led to accept that care and guidance and that you may feel that love and direction in your lives.
At this moment, we are finding our circles of connectedness challenged. We have had to physically distance ourselves in order to minimize the spread of a virus that has taken the lives of so many around the world. And yet there is a communion and community that continues to bind us together no matter what the circumstances we face in this world. Whatever the “new normal” may be determined to be, we have a “new normal” that we have been following all along and that is the “new normal” given to us by God through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in our midst.
We may have to get used to a new look when we see each other but our eyes will meet and we will see how much we care for one another and we will continue to be the people of God, the sheep of his pasture. We will continue to rely on our Lord to be the gatekeeper of our lives and we will never forget to come to our Lord for green pastures to nourish us and clear water to refresh us.
May the love of the Father who made us, the love of the Son who died for us and the love of the Spirit who dwells within us, bless us and keep us.
Remember as you seek to maintain your physical and mental well-being; remember that is important to maintain your spiritual well-being and do not forget that you are a child of God and that wherever you go, you go in the name of and with the companionship of the One we know as the Good Shepherd. AMEN
Invitation to the Offering
In this season of Easter, we celebrate God’s most precious gift to us in Christ’s dying and his rising. As we present our gifts this morning, may our generosity reflect God’s goodness to us and the hope we have In Christ Jesus.
Prayer of Dedication
Giver of every good and perfect gift, in Christ we see the power of sacrifice, and trust the hope of resurrection. We bring our gifts in gratitude for all we have received in him. Bless our gifts and our lives which we commit to serve our risen Lord. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
God of new Life, Christ came speaking words of peace and understanding.
Thank you for strengthening our faith
and empowering us to live with hope and trust in you day by day.
We are grateful that you give us courage to face our fears and struggles, patience to endure moments when the way ahead is not clear,
and resilience in the face of new realities.
Loving God, we pray for the many places of brokenness in our world. We think especially of those suffering in the COVID-19 outbreak, those with the disease, those who have lost loved ones, those working hard to respond to the pandemic, and those who have lost work or lost hope., In these moments of quiet, we name the situations on our hearts today, all those places in need of your restoration.
(Silencefor 10-15 seconds)
We ask that the whole earth will experience your gift of new life and hope.
We pray for those who struggle with their experience of the church. Open them to your love and grace so that any pain the church has caused will be healed. Guide us with your Spirit of wisdom to know how to live out our faith in ways that create pathways for others to find you, not barriers.
We pray for this congregation, for The Presbyterian Church in Canada, and for the Church of Jesus Christ in every country and culture. In these days of unexpected challenge, when worship and fellowship have been disrupted, strengthen our trust in you and our concern for others. Make us good stewards of time apart to reflect on your presence with your people in circumstances of deep challenge. Help us maintain the joy we know in the Risen Christ.
We also pray for ourselves, our family and friends, our neighbourhoods and community. We lay before you in silence all the people and concerns on our hearts and minds today.
(Silence for 10-15 seconds)
We are grateful that we can place all our worries and our hopes into your hands, O God, knowing that you will hear us and respond.
Hear us now as we offer the words our Risen Lord taught us to say…
Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Forever and ever. AMEN
HYMN: Come to my heart
Come to my heart, Lord Jesus; teach me to walk in your way
Come to my heart, Lord Jesus; come to my heart today.
Give me the peace and joy that only you can bring.
Come to my heart, Lord Jesus; give me a song to sing.
Fill me with love, Lord Jesus;teach me to walk in your way
Fill me with love, Lord Jesus; fill me with love today
Give me the peace and joy that only you can bring.
Fill me with love, Lord Jesus; give me a song to sing.
Answer my pray’r, Lord Jesus; teach me to walk in your way
Answer my pray’r, Lord Jesus; answer my pray’r today
Give me the peace and joy that only you can bring.
Answer my pray’r, Lord Jesus; give me a song to sing.
CCLI: 1963748
A Blessing:
As we conclude this time of prayer and reflection may we remember that we live in God’s world and that we are to be people of peace. And may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with each one of us this day and forever more. AMEN
Prayer Partnership
Sunday, April 19 We pray for those in our circle of friendship and love who need healing, guidance or strength.
Monday, April 20 We thank God for the Cyclical PCC coaches. Guide and encourage them as they work with leaders discerning calls to new ministry.
Tuesday, April 21 We give thanks for Presbyterian World Service & Development partners who are helping marginalized farmers protect and revitalize the soil and cultivate plentiful harvests.
Wednesday, April 22 (Earth Day) We give thanks for this earth that God has made. Today, on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we pray for the will to make the hard changes required to fulfill our responsibilities as wise and faithful stewards of creation.
Thursday, April 23 We pray for the continued efforts of individuals and communities in responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, which were released in 2015.
Friday, April 24 We pray for guidance for the members of the Women’s Missionary Society Council Executive as they make decisions that will allow them to continue their ministry into the future.
Saturday, April 25 We pray for the Vancouver School of Theology’s search for a new Academic Dean.
Mission Moment
April 19: Earth Day (April 22)
Lucsius knows that when he cares for the earth, he can take better care of his family. Having discovered conservation agriculture, soil care management and crop diversification through a PWS&D-supported program, this Haitian farmer now grows a diverse range of food. The legumes, cassava, cabbage, peppers, carrots, beans, potatoes and bananas help make his family’s meals both colourful and nutritious. Excited for his increased ability to provide for his family, Lucsius saved the profits from selling his vegetables to buy a pig, further improving his family’s food security. Reflecting on the support he received from PWS&D and other farmers in his community, Lucsius said, “It is possible to produce better food to be able to feed our families.”
PWS&D supports small-scale farmers
The rights to music under licence: CCLI: 1963748.