30 April 2023
10:00 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
This morning at 10am our service was a parish Eucharist celebrated by Father Chris. In the Gospel this week, from St John, (see below) Jesus talks about the Shepard and his sheep. This would have been a familiar example to his audience the Pharisees as sheep were kept in built enclosures with thick spiky branches on the top at night time. The entrance was narrow and the shepherd slept across the entrance. It was dangerous and wolves and mountain lions prowled around. This analogy is found through out the Bible not just the Gospels.
We had a new congregation member today to mark this, and Father Chris told us in his sermon that sheep are sociable creatures who, like humans like to be together, Wobbles, an new lamb, who had been hand reared, came to church and helped the Sunday School as they studied and returned with them at the end of the service, she was very popular!
The Choir sang the Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei from the setting by Darke in F. For the Anthem they sang Brother James Air.
We had our annual APCM after the service in the rooms, and unanimously voted in a new PCC, the 2 Church Warden, the Treasurers, and the Deanery Synod reps. Father Chris thanked Father Roger and Father John for their help in the interregnum and invited them to join us any time. He spoke briefly of the need to look forward and plan our growth as a church, in all aspects of our life together.
A reading from the acts of the Apostles.
Many were baptised and were added to the community.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone,
because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.
All who believed were together and had all things in common;
they would sell their possessions and goods
and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.
Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple,
they broke bread at home
and ate their food with glad and generous hearts,
praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.
And day by day the Lord added to their number
those who were being saved.
1 Peter 2:19-25
A reading from the first letter of Peter.
Brothers and sisters:
It is a credit to you, if, being aware of God,
you endure pain while suffering unjustly.
If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, where is the credit in that?
But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it,
you have God’s approval.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example,
so that you should follow in his steps.
‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’
When he was abused, he did not return abuse;
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross,
so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness;
by his wounds you have been healed.
For you were going astray like sheep,
but now you have returned
to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
John 10:1-10
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
‘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.
