May 15 -- 4th Sunday of Easter

Grace to you and peace from our risen Savior Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Sisters and brother in Christ…Jesus likes to mix his metaphors.

Today is the Sunday sometimes known as Good Shepherd Sunday. A chance for us to reflect upon Christ as our shepherd, our shepherd of the valley. But here in this Gospel text Jesus very clearly states that he’s the gate.

I’d love to have had a camera on the disciples as Jesus is spouting his poetry and his beautiful metaphorical imagery about himself...

Shot of Jesus (waxing poetic)…now cut to disciples (“uhhhh….”). Not making this up: verse 6.

“Are you the Shepherd, Jesus, or are you the gate, I’m confused?” And Jesus would reply, “Yes, I am the way.” (next week: way, truth, life)

All of the images of Jesus are important; I certainly do not mean to ridicule. (although I do mean to play with scripture – one of my two favorite images/metaphors for the Bible itself is a playground – “Think of the Bible as a playground” -- when we approach a playground, there are a lot of feelings that come up – for some sadly fear or bad associations, but thankfully for many of us too – there is joy, a spirit of playfulness, humor, imagination, freedom…we get out of breath, but we breathe. I do mean to instill in us a sense of playfulness with our texts – loosen up, laugh, question, ponder)

So what of Jesus saying that he is the Gate? (I’d like to spend more time here…since this image often subsumed in shadow of Good Shepherd) What of Jesus saying that he is the Gate?

This really gives us…and gave the people of John’s day…an opportunity to reflect on “church” – church being here, those who reside both inside and move outside of this fence, the sheep, us – we are in here within the fence, we’ll go out there for the rest of the week, and then we’ll come back in here.

John the Gospel writer’s community had tons of different “church groups” popping up in his day. It must have been terribly confusing—all claiming to be the right way. This image of Jesus as the Gate of the church can be a very helpful one for us today. This image gives us an opportunity again to stop and check ourselves at the door, at the gate – do we as a church live as though Christ is our gate? Is Christ the means by which we come and go?

Or is it something else? Is it the friends, or the escape from the world? Or maybe it’s the pastor – This is a really good question for pastors too. We have to be careful that pastors aren’t the means by which we come and go. I always get so uncomfortable when people say to me, “It’s your church, Pastor.” Or “It’s your show.” Partly because I like that idea. [pause] What if someone said that to you? What if it was “your church”— what if people looked to you to “make the call”. Maybe you’d be enticed by that too. All to many story of pastors getting drunk on their own egos – I’m sorry, but the pastor’s picture up in front of a church, down by the street, I think, really sends a strange message…Who is the gate?

Even the Bible, I believe, can become an alternative gate! Do we point to Christ or do we point to the Bible? Luther and his companions were very clear—and I think very helpful—on this: they said that the Bible was only meant to point to Christ. “Cradle of Christ”. I quote Luther here, because I hope you know how serious of a biblical scholar he was, even if you think I’m too playful.

Is Christ the means by which we come and go? (the first reading from Acts gives us a concise idea of a place where Christ as the entry and exit point, even though it doesn’t say that…see if you see it: They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All who believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶Day 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, ⁴⁷praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

do we as a church live as though Christ is our gate? Is Christ at our going out and our coming in?)

I think, at SVLC, our answer to that is wonderful blend of yes and no. We do some things really well—I do, as I read through this passage in Acts, I think of my experience here – just this week: Wednesday, we honored our past as we gave thanks for a life well lived, then on Friday we celebrated the future <-- just a few examples – worship, prayers, eating, sharing, selling our possessions, and doing it all with glad and generous hearts. The text talked about “life abundant”?... I see that here, in so many ways! I am proud to be part—not a leader of it—but a part of it. SVLC has pastors that come and go, people that come and go (I mean we did all this just this week…and we didn’t even have Judy :). There’s not one person you can’t point to (except Margaret Johnson :) but there is a spirit here that endures. Because I think in so many ways we do strive to live in ways that reflect the reality – that Christ is truly the means by which we come and go!

And of course as a church, we wouldn’t be a church or human beings for that matter, if we didn’t still have some work to do…

How might we even more share what we have with those in need, how might we even more give ourselves to the teachings of the Apostles, the Word of God, how might we even more hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, beckoning us out into the world and back into “the fold”/the church, beckoning us to go deeper into ourselves, where is Christ the Good Shepherd calling you, calling us this week?

What do you see as being the thing most needed? What do you think Christ sees as being the thing most needing attention?

May Christ continue to be our Gate – the means by which we come and go. And thanks be to God our Good Shepherd – who continues to guide us, to lead us, to protect us, and to always, always call us safely home and enfold us with love – this day and forever. AMEN.