Devotional Message from Reverend Mary White
Powell River United is celebrating Easter differently this year.
On Saturday April 3, 2021 from 3:00pm until 5:00pm we are handing out Easter baggies filled with surprises. This is a drive by so decorate your car and wear your Easter bonnet. Drive onto Crofton Street from Michigan Street and we will safely give you your Easter bags. For those who cannot come by on Saturday, we will deliver your Easter bag to your home on Monday April 5th. Looking forward to seeing you.
The one who enters by the gate,
is the shepherd of the sheep.
– John 10:2
THE SPIRIT OF DISCERNMENT
The image of Jesus as shepherd is nothing new or striking. What is new and striking, however, is the relationship of the shepherd and the sheep in John 10:1–5. Jesus’ identity as shepherd and his leadership of the flock are determined not by outside authority but by the community of the sheep and their ability to discern their leader. Jesus as the Christ is identified by whom he is in relationship with. His identity is affirmed by the group’s discernment and response to the shepherd’s calling. His leadership is proven by the group’s willingness to follow him rather than a stranger.
The sensory experience of hearing reveals who Jesus is just as much as the tactile and kinesthetic experience of knowing and following him. His calling, naming, and leading are juxtaposed by the respectful hearing, responding, and following of the sheep. It is a mutual relationship, inseparable and intertwining.
Sheep can discern their shepherd’s voice whenever he or she calls them out of the community flock. Similarly, a mother’s hearing can pick up the cry of her baby. Without seeing her baby, or in the midst of many babies’ noises, the mother is able to discern which cry belongs to her child. In the same way, I am fascinated by the baby’s ability to find his or her mother’s voice among the noises of a crowd. This is true for human beings and for countless mothers and babies in the natural world.
Honing our ability to hear God is important in discerning our call.
Excerpt from: Betty Lynn Schwab “Rising with the Morning Star”
REFLECTION QUESTION
How might you listen more deeply to life around you and within you so that you can help to heal the world?
Keep safe, Keep connected.
Blessings and the strength of Love be with you.
Rev. Mary