Lighthouse April 23, 2024
I am the good Shepherd. The fourth Sunday after Easter we always celebrate what we call Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus says that he is the good Shepherd and he knows his sheep. I think the most favorite psalm of all is psalm 23, at least for most funerals. We all seem to get a good feeling from listening to the words `the Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. He leads me to green pastures.’ It really seems to touch that me, me notion we have that God wants to treat us like spoiled children just as we do when we say ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ He will even leave the ‘ninety nine behind to go after that one lost sheep, me.’ But have you ever stopped to consider how we are to be like Jesus. While he is the good Shepherd he is also ‘the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.’ He is the lamb whom John the Baptist points out who like the Passover lamb, will die on the cross on the day of Passover for the sins of the world. He is the lamb whom John the Evangelist saw as having been sacrificed but now standing victorious on the altar. Do we not realize that it is all about sacrifice and not about pleasure. If Jesus is the lamb who is sacrificed for others; no greater love can one have but to lay down his life for his sheep; then how much more are we called to lay down our lives for the salvation of others. To show how this progresses, see what happens to Peter after the resurrection. Three times Jesus would ask him if he loves him. Each time Jesus will say ‘feed my lambs.’ Peter himself will then be killed on a cross. To be Christ’s own we must all, to some extent, be ready to be shepherds for others. I think of Fr. Stan Rother from Oklahoma, whose grave I hope to visit next month, who had death threats against him when working in Guatemala and could have easily left but said ‘the shepherd does not leave his sheep.’ Yes, all of us are called to be shepherds and when others say those words ‘There is nothing I shall want’ it is because God uses you to help make sure nothing is lacking for their salvation. Parents are to sacrifice themselves, not just for the physical needs of their children, but to make sure their children know that the things of this world will disappear, to make sure their children know they have but one main purpose in life and that is to get them to heaven. Pastors, yes, like Peter have a special role of helping their sheep keep their eyes on the destination. And, by extension, we have that obligation to one another knowing there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. We are all truly called to make the sacrifices necessary to help others come to salvation. What kind of sacrifice can you make this week to help your children or friends who are off-track?
Lighthouse April 10, 2024
And, Did you enjoy it?
“God saw that it was good.” Isn‘t it amazing how much hype we went through this week
concerning the eclipse. So much so you probably won’t give two seconds to this article. In any
case, just think about it. The very fact that we can predict such an event with such accuracy. In
terms of time and space. What an awesome God we serve. Can you imagine if the moon were
a little larger, or a little further from the earth how much different the results would be? If the sun
were just a little closer or a little further from the earth how much different life, if any, would be
on the earth. It is the very predictability of all of space and nature around us that gives us so
much power to do so much for the human race. So much exactitude can only be explained by
there being a greater all intelligent being responsible for it. Some believe that if God is God
then he would be capable of being unpredictable. Our experience would tell us that that is not the
case and therefore we can support the different sciences which continue to come to greater and
greater understanding of the order with which He has established everything. I mean everything.
That is why we can say there are natural laws that need to be obeyed. Because of such knowledge we
have been able to go from believing our own place of existence is the center of the. Universe to
thinking that this or that city was the center to thinking that the earth itself is the center. After all
we still say ‘the sun rises’ which of course it doesn’t. Then we thought we were smart because
we discovered that the sun is the center, and that worked well for us but now, with Hubble and
JWTF telescopes we realize we may never know the center of all that exists; if there is one. But
what we do know is, there is an order. We may have to keep refining our theories, because that
is all they are. Just as Galileo was asked to declare his proclamation of the sun being the center
of the universe as a theory. Getting to experience the eclipse should make us all marvel more
and more at the creativeness of our God and pray we continue to delight in discovering more
and more what he has created for us. When scripture tells us in Genesis that God gave Adam
the power to name the animals and the power to cultivate the land it is telling us that it all there
for us to discover and find ways to benefit all by using it according to His will. May you always
delight in your observation of all that surrounds us. I know I’m more than delighted in just seeing
the dogwood forest going out highway HH from Piedmont. Open your eyes to what else you
can see besides the eclipse this week. What have you observed that you never have before?