Hello friends,
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk in docks.
And welcome back to another Lenten meditation on Jesus' statement,
I am the Good Shepherd.
So as always,
I invite you just to settle yourself for this time.
To rest easy,
Knowing that all you need to do is be in the presence of God for the next few moments.
Breathe in,
Breathe out,
And allow yourself to become present in this moment of stillness.
As we begin,
Hear these words from Jesus.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
I must bring them also,
And they will listen to my voice.
Close your eyes and imagine a vast open field.
The sun is warm on your skin,
The air carries the scent of earth and fresh grass.
In the distance,
You see a flock of sheep moving together,
Following the gentle call of the shepherd.
Now,
Imagine others coming,
Sheep from different places,
From different pastures.
Some of the sheep have wandered far,
They're uncertain of where they belong.
Some have been left behind by others and are unsure if they'll be welcomed with this shepherd.
But as they hear the shepherd's voice,
They come.
Slowly at first,
And then all at once.
The shepherd gathers the men.
He doesn't push them away.
He doesn't measure who is or isn't worthy.
The love of this shepherd knows no boundaries.
Jesus is the shepherd of all.
His voice calls out to those who feel lost,
Who feel forgotten,
Or who feel like they are on the outside.
Let's just pause for a moment to reflect.
Who in your life might Jesus be inviting you to welcome in?
Is there someone who feels unseen,
Unheard,
Or perhaps excluded?
And how can you reflect the shepherd's love to them?
The beautiful thing about the kingdom of God is that there is no us and there is no them.
There's no dualism in the kingdom.
We are because we're gods.
There is only one flock and there is one shepherd and every one and every thing belongs.
It doesn't mean that the things that are an antithesis to who God is belong.
Those things might come along with something or someone,
But that's not their true nature.
The beautiful thing about the shepherd accepting all who belong is that in that community that walks and pastures together,
To keep with our analogy,
Within that community,
With the help of the shepherd,
And by walking alongside the other sheep together,
We can take on more and more the true nature of who God has made us all to be.
One flock,
One shepherd.
And now,
More difficult perhaps,
But just as important,
I'd like you just to turn your reflection inward for a moment.
Because it's quite possible that there are some aspects of who you are and where you live,
What you do,
The way you go about being in the world.
Things that you see within yourself or that others think they see in you,
That causes you to feel excluded,
To feel unseen and to feel unheard.
What are those places in your own heart that feel disconnected?
And I know it's much more easy to say than it is to actually acknowledge and know deeply.
But know that despite that feeling of being unseen,
Unheard,
Excluded and distant,
God is still with you.
Union of God or with God is not something that is to be attained.
Union with God is something that is out of the gift that God has given us in joining his nature with ours.
We have full union with God simply by being created in his image.
And while this is true,
And I know that deep down most of us know it,
Sometimes there's fears and barriers that keep us from fully stepping into the embrace of the Good Shepherd and feeling that acceptance and belonging and community and love.
And so I wonder,
Can you acknowledge any of those fears or barriers that keep you from stepping into the Shepherd's embrace?
And I wonder,
What might it take for you to let go of those fears,
Allow those barriers to come down and to begin to take your walk towards the arms of the Shepherd?
My friend,
Jesus' call is to you as well.
You belong.
You are gathered in.
You are a part of his fold.
Let that truth settle deep within you.
Let yourself rest in the love that welcomes everyone without fear and without favour.
As you rest as best you can in that love today,
Let us pray.
Jesus,
Make my heart as wide as yours.
Teach me to love beyond boundaries.
And let me be a reflection of your welcome and love.
And help us,
Each one of us,
Lord God.
To identify those things that hold us back from allowing ourselves to be fully embraced into the embrace of the Good Shepherd.
Help us to lay those things down.
To move through those barriers.
Give us the strength and the courage so that we know that there is a beautiful,
Smooth path to walk directly into your arms.
Where we will find grace,
Peace,
Community,
Belonging and love today and every day.
Amen.
Until tomorrow,
My friends,
Go in peace to love and serve God.
Amen.
