10:30 am, Sun, April 21, 2024 ~ FBCA

(Psalm 23; 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:1-18)

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, among other things. Psalm 23 is here, along with words of Jesus about being a Shepherd.

In our faith experience, we have met up with the great, good Shepherd, Jesus the Christ. The Shepherd who knows and is known by the sheep. The Shepherd who lays down His life for the flock.

The images are so earthy. Today is the eve of Earth Day. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, there are local opportunities to get out and do a bit of clean up where there is trash. Even the local running and walking club cleaned up a part of town, yesterday. There is so much more that is done and learned on Earth Day, or during Earth Week, and some call it. Faith communities like First Baptist get involved. For years I have thought that churches could set a new goal for Earth Day every year, and celebrate how we changed over the previous twelve months - whether our goal was using less paper, less water, less healing fuel, or less food from far, far away.

It usually seems to me that our religious faith, our Churches, our scriptures, are all about God and people. Well, the Bible was written down by and for humans, after all. Our religious patterns were developed by us. But might our Good Shepherd also be the Shepherd of all Creation? The story of our Saviour and Shepherd is of a loving Deity who joined the created world, as one of the creatures, 1 of us.

The Spirit of Jesus today is speaking for climate justice, for the good of the whole world. I think, when it was written down that Jesus said to a man named Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son,” I think it was about people. God so loved all humans. But the Greek word here for ‘world’ is cosmos, which we use, in English, for the whole universe out there. Does God also so love the cosmos that God came into creation as the human, Jesus?

Two weeks ago we sang ‘This Is My Father’s World.’ The author was an American pastor, Maltbie Babcock. A great athlete, he swam, hiked, went fishing; he also played instruments and wrote music. When he was at a church in Lockport, New York state, he would hike and run in the hills outside town. At that time he wrote a sixteen stanza poem, each line beginning with ‘This is My Father’s world.’

This is my Father’s world;

He shines in all that’s fair;

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,

He speaks to me everywhere.

Amid all the beauty, we know the problems. People these days get plenty of data, information, science, about the climate crisis and environmental research and the many issues to be faced. Where do people get their values? Their meaning? Their hope? Their spirit to bring them together and make a difference? In many settings, God talk is not allowed much, anymore. We, in church, allow ‘God talk,’ of course. Among us, from us, comes the opportunity for people of every age to explore the spirituality of this crisis time. To find the meaning of our lives in this age of troubles.

We declare this Christ, this Jesus, this God, can shepherd us. And many of us can be shepherds to others, undershepherds, as is sometimes said. This breaks the shepherding metaphor, I guess, because I don’t think many sheep become little shepherds of the others in the flock. But we, who follow Jesus who lived and breathed upon this earth, we can be shepherds to others in our world. Shepherds under Christ, as we seek how to live in this day and age.

You may or may not feel it, but we hear there is great climate anxiety among many younger people these days. The situation can seem hopeless, as the world gets polluted, the human population grows hugely, the climate gets altered, and other species on earth and in the seas disappear.

The Good Shepherd is at the root of our ability to be carers for creation. The Psalm celebrates that God is my Shepherd, so:

I shall not need. If I don’t feel in need, I am freed up to use less, waste less, and bless more.

I shall be led. When we are lost or confused about environmental issues, we have a Saviour who is no dummy. There is guidance available to us, about every aspect of life.

I shall not fear. This is recited so many times in our scriptures. And we can live it when the earth and seas are crashing into chaos. What a difference it makes when we sense we are provided for.

I shall be prepared for. If the face of the enemies of our earth, God goes with us.

I shall be followed by goodness. Just when nothing but disaster seems to be what is headed our way, we have this sense that some other things are chasing us, and catching up with us: goodness and mercy.

I shall dwell or abide. While we have this life, on earth, together, our Shepherd wants us to know we belong, and are with our Good Shepherd, even here and now. Even in the darkest of valleys.

When we are so secure, we can be free and confident to be good stewards of all creation. Remember we are creatures, we are part of creation. And, as undershepherds of the Master, our lives are inspiring others, teaching others, training others, and bringing others into better lives upon this good, green earth. We are doing it together.

First John warns those who have the world’s goods but are not helping people in need. Our proper living in the environment is part of our helping those in need. Right?

And, those in need and in crisis are not nearly as free to be ‘environmentally friendly,’ so called. Or so it seems. Some good ways of doing things for earth are like luxuries. Such as ‘eating local.’ Great idea. But is it more expensive? Lettuce at a local market stand, or lettuce from Sobeys or Superstore?

First John speaks about love as true action. Love is not just words and ideas. Love in deed and in truth, it says here. Actions speak louder than words. Actions get things done. Touching the earth lightly and using the earth gently is better for the billions of people who also share it with us. One way to love people is to love the rest of the earth. We are inseparable.

One day this past week two birds caught my attention. One was a Summer Tanager that I heard about, just over in West Amherst. I only saw pictures of this small, vibrant red bird with dull black wings. The second: our grandson and his friend were playing outside, with their nerf guns, and took a little chickadee as their target. It was hit. It was stunned. It died. The boys apologised - to us. I guess they apologized to the bird by burying it in the backyard.

It is said that to make a change in our lives, things have to get uncomfortable enough that we simply must move, must change how we do things. But can’t there also be attraction? Something new, a new way, a new attitude, is so attractive we move into it. Like the boys and the chickadee, we learn from our actions and our powers. Like the birders seeking to see the summer tanager, we get inspired and attracted to all the beauty of God’s green earth.

Jesus stands before us, laying down His life for the whole world, and taking it up again, as it says here in John’s Gospel. A great Shepherd of creation. Even the Revelation vision of a new heavens and earth shines for us as a call to make this kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven. For the beauty of the earth, let us keep knowing the Shepherd's voice, and following our Leader.