Lambeth Circuit

Sunday 3^rd May 2020  4^th Sunday of Easter

This short act of worship has been prepared for you to use as you are unable to attend church.  If you are well enough why not spend a few moments with God, knowing that other people from your church and across the circuit are sharing this act of worship with you

Opening Prayer

Jesus said: ‘I am the Good Shepherd’.  Lord, help me to listen for his voice offering comfort and safety.

Hymn: I heard the voice of Jesus say (StF 248)

I heard the voice of Jesus say:

'Come unto me and rest;

lay down, O weary one, lay down

your head upon my breast.'

I came to Jesus as I was,

weary and worn and sad,

I found in him a resting-place,

and he has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say:

'Behold, I freely give

the living water; thirsty one,

stoop down and drink and live.'

I came to Jesus, and I drank

of that life-giving stream;

my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,

and now I live in him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say:

'I am this dark world's Light;

look unto me, your morn shall rise,

and all your day be bright.'

I looked to Jesus, and I found

in him my star, my sun;

and in that light of life I'll walk,

till travelling days are done.

Horatius N. Bonar (1808-1889)

Let us pray together

Glory to God, creator of heaven and earth, who has made all things living. 

Glory to God, Father of all mercies, who has given his only-begotten son to be our Redeemer. 

Glory to God, fire of holy love, who for our sanctification has poured forth his life-giving Spirit.

John Hamilton (1512-1571)

A Prayer of Confession

Generous God, you offer us abundant life, yet we ask for more; You offer us security and sanctuary, yet we seek our own way – despite the risks; you offer us guidance and direction, and we ignore you and take our own way. We are sorry for our ingratitude, we are sorry for our arrogance, we are sorry that we think we know best. Forgive us, renew us and restore us to abundant life in you, in the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.    He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;    he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths    for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,    I fear no evil; for you are with me;    your rod and your staff—    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me    in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil;    my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me    all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord    my whole life long.

Today’s Gospel Reading:  John 10:1-10

“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. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Time to Reflect

We are just coming to the end of the lambing season and many farmers and their families will have spent long days and nights caring for their new arrivals. They might also be anxious about whether, with the coronavirus and Brexit, there will be a market for their lambs.

  In Jesus’ day sheep were big business and many flocks would have been owned by absent and wealthy businessmen, although cared for by underpaid old men and boys (nothing changes!) These shepherds protected the sheep, not only out of a sense of wellbeing for the animals, but probably more because their job depended on it. The sheep were commercially valuable. This is why we have hints in the gospels of sheep being rustled by unscrupulous competitors and of sheep being protected not just from wild animals but also from wild people!

Jesus uses the metaphor of sheep, in this passage, to teach his friends about the importance of belonging. A flock will recognise the face and the voice of their shepherd – it is important for us to therefore know and recognise the voice of Jesus. This is vital because there are unscrupulous religious leaders trying to lure the sheep away.

Recognition is a motif in the resurrection stories too. Even Jesus’ friends did not recognise him at first – it was only through familiar gestures and through hearing his voice that they realised it was really he in their midst.

Likewise for us, today, it is true that we do not always recognise the voice of the One whom we try to follow. There are competing voices that clamour for our attention, our money and our commitment and it can sometimes be confusing and bewildering – which voice, we ask ourselves, should we listen to?

This time of Lockdown, has provided many of us with the opportunity to be more reflective and listening. We have been forced to be still and to be quiet. For some this is really difficult, but it is also an opportunity for us to truly listen for the voice of God in Jesus. Can we hear what is being said to us? Many are beginning to reflect that God is speaking to us of the failure of many of our human systems. This pandemic has come about largely because humanity has been careless with creation. The crisis has made us aware of the deepening chasm between the rich and the poor. The Lockdown has brought home to us what is really important – our health, our families, our friends, our church, our planet.

I wonder too, if this crisis will also lead to many individual transformations. How many people will use this time to reflect what they really want from life? How many people of faith will emerge with that faith deepened and strengthened? So may we listen. We belong to God. God has called each of us by name and we are God’s. We are the sheep of God’s pasture and God will protect us and lead us into new pathways. Amen.

Take a time to sit quietly

Hymn: The Lord’s my shepherd (StF 481)

The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want; 

He makes me lie in pastures green. 

He leads me by the still, still waters, 

His goodness restores my soul. 

And I will trust in You alone, 

And I will trust in You alone, 

For Your endless mercy follows me, 

Your goodness will lead me home. 

He guides my ways in righteousness, 

And He anoints my head with oil, 

And my cup, it overflows with joy, 

I feast on His pure delights. 

And though I walk the darkest path, 

I will not fear the evil one,

For You are with me, and Your rod and staff 

Are the comfort I need to know.

Stuart Townend (b. 1963)

A time of prayer

Let us pray for our world in crisis,

a crisis that has brought out the best and the worst in humanity:

We give thanks for those who are offering help in so many ways to those in need;

and pray for those who in their fear acted less generously.

We give thanks for all the ‘key workers’ who have  worked tirelessly in medical and care sectors; Local Authority and community teams; production and distribution;

and pray for those now idle, anxious, and depressed due to the closures.

We give thanks for positive voices, encouraging and nurturing others in so many ways;

and pray for those whose voices bring ‘fake’ advice and false testimony.

Good Shepherd of the sheep,

by whom the lost are sought

and guided into the fold:

feed us and we shall be satisfied;

heal us and we shall be made whole’

and lead us, that we may be with you;

for you are alive and reign,

with the Father and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

 Amen;

Collect for 4th Sunday of Easter from Methodist Worship Bk.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father ……

Hymn: In heavenly love abiding (StF 736)

In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear. 

and safe in such confiding, for nothing changes here. 

the storm may roar without me, my heart may low be laid, 

but God is round about me, and can I be dismayed? 

Wherever he may guide me, no want shall turn me back. 

my Shepherd is beside me, and nothing can I lack.

his wisdom ever waking, his sight is never dim. 

He knows the way He's taking, and I will walk with Him 

Green pastures are before me, which yet I have not seen. 

Bright skies will soon be over me, where darkest clouds have been. 

My hope I cannot measure, my path to life is free. 

My Saviour has my treasure, and he will walk with me.

   Anna Laetitia Waring (1823-1910)

A prayer of blessing

I come into your sheep-fold this day, to find the rest I need. When the new day comes, I will follow you through green pastures and beside still waters. May your goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life. Amen.

Original Materials by Pamela Cram

The worship this week has been prepared by the

Rev’d Andrew Dart