One Flock, One Shepherd

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.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.” John 10:7-17 

One Flock, One Shepherd

Look my child and you will see
shepherds are not wealthy ones
nor greedy, selfish caught up
with being first in line always.

The shepherd may lead the flock
most often following behind
gathering up the wayward ones
carrying the tiny exhausted ones.

We often look to high places
for leaders who might look right
yet the shepherd we need and want
is here in among the restless flock.

The most unlikely of families
brought forth a most unlikely savior
strident and loving for vulnerable ones
 awake, watching in darkest nights.

About the Middle

About the middle of the festival Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach. The Jews were astonished at it, saying, “How does this man have such learning, when he has never been taught?” Then Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine but his who sent me. Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him.

“Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you looking for an opportunity to kill me?” The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is trying to kill you?” Jesus answered them, “I performed one work, and all of you are astonished. Moses gave you circumcision (it is, of course, not from Moses, but from the patriarchs), and you circumcise a man on the sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the sabbath in order that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I healed a man’s whole body on the sabbath? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many in the crowd believed in him and were saying, “When the Messiah comes, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering such things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent temple police to arrest him. Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little while longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will search for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.” The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, ‘You will search for me and you will not find me’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?” John 7:14-36 

About the Middle

Stuck in the middle space
a back seat child roars
the bodies pressing close
one and the same family.

The crowds roars with fear
some with hope's glimmer
words of life given them
without permission, authority.

There he was and so are we
part of the crowd together
a broken family with aches
son and daughters side by side.

There is little we can do 
accepting the love given
welcoming be blessed to be
stuck in the middle again.

My Time Has Not Yet Come

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. Now the Jewish festival of Booths was near. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing; for no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” (For not even his brothers believed in him.) Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil. Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my time has not yet fully come.” After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret. The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, “Where is he?” And there was considerable complaining about him among the crowds. While some were saying, “He is a good man,” others were saying, “No, he is deceiving the crowd.” Yet no one would speak openly about him for fear of the Jews. John 7:1-13 

Yesterday, in the morning before the heat really set in, we went to pick peaches. It was a quiet morning and there were just a few people out picking before a scorching afternoon. We walked through a grove of apple trees that were laden but the fruit was not yet ripe. It was so tempting, as they looked so beautiful. But they were not ready yet and we had a goal of getting peaches. often in life, we try to rush things with sour and rude results. We might be anxious today, but if we rush and push, we often end up with spoiled or even worse results. 

Jesus is being goaded and pushed by his brothers. We don't know their motivation, but we can guess they want to be seen with the latest celebrity. They couldn't imagine the results, the outcomes for him. Already, there were real threats on his life which his brothers and disciples wouldn't take seriously. We are invited today to wait for our time, to give everything and everyone the time they need to move into their roles. Jesus, the son of God, waited until his thirties to make miracles happen, and even then, he was cautious and thoughtful.

Today I ask God to help me be patient and thoughtful when the urge is to push, rush and be done with it. May we all give space and time so that beauty and love may grow.

To Whom Can We Go?

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.”

Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for he, though one of the twelve, was going to betray him. John 6:60-71 

Sometimes, we all want to run away from our troubles, whatever they may be. The thought of packing a suitcase and abandoning all of the mess occurs to everyone. And sometimes, there are abusive relationships and soul crushing situations that we must walk or run away from. Yet, for most of us, we are surrounded by love and support, even on our bad days. We might not see it or feel it, but love is there even in the midst of troubles.

Jesus had some followers take off after he was really clear how hard their lives would be. They wanted life to be easy. They wanted, what we all want, an easy and safe ride. But being faithful and loving is often hard with little reward and less support. True friends and family don't abandon us in hard times, and God in right there in the middle of our mess. We are reminded today that we can be broken, yet love will mend us, we can be ignored and hurt but love will find our way home.

Today I ask God to give me the strength to lift my head up and rejoice where I have been placed. May we all see God's love today in the midst of our messes. And may we share the little rays of hope and love with others mired down and lost.

Raise Them Up

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. John 6:52-59 

Raise Them Up

Some days it is hard even
to raise a head from the bed
the noise of life overwhelms
the tasks ahead way too great.

The sun streaming through
reminds us of a brand new day
yet the scrams in the hallway
tells us there is work to do.

Bound together as a messy family
we start each day with great hope
there will be tears, shouting surely
yet we will rise for love is here.

We can tremble with fear today
we can dance with joy tomorrow
we will rise up and be made whole
even when the clouds amass around.

Rise up for every day is a last one
stand up for this is the very moment
hope is breaking through the torment
fear has been blotted out by love.

This Teaching Is Difficult

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’ He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.

 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’ John 6:56-69

Tomorrow morning, or sometime in the next few weeks, children across the country will start a new school year. It's a scary and exhilarating moment for everyone, parents, teachers and children alike. Many parents thrilled with the return of routine while tearing up as the gentle summer time is lost. Children, in new clothes slung with new backpacks, run to join the fray or drag their feet fearful for all that is ahead. And teachers, hope they can be better this year, lose their temper or focus less, and pray for good kids and kinder parents. They all know, from the kids to the adults involved, there will be all sorts of unplanned and unwanted moments. Teaching, learning, and raising children is so very, very, very difficult, even on the best of days.

Jesus is saying some really gritty, gruesome things and the people around him are drawing back. They all want their image of God's love to be something tidy, acceptable and ultimately gentle. Hearing Jesus' words make them very nervous because they smack of their real, lived lives. They want bliss on earth not hard work. Yet real faith is hard work as we all know. Real love is hard work, not a happy slappy, fabled, starry-eyed existence. Loving and raising children calls for fierce love, a love that is disciplined and respectful, ever vigilant and ever exhausted (if we are doing it right). Love, the kind that is eternal is at once freely given and hard won. Love lived out requires are all in, every moment, selfless, exhausted, imperfect selves. God invites us to dive head in to this tough teaching.

Today, I ask God to renew my spirit and commitment to love. May we all, as exhausted and scared as we might be, commit ourselves to the hard parts of loving so that the world might know God's love in the midst of so many troubles and so pain.

Nothing On My Own

 ‘I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgement is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

 ‘If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.

 ‘You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept glory from human beings. But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?’ John 5:30-47

We get the notion from an early age that to be good is to independent, strong and totally self-reliant. We are taught that being needy means being soft, being a loser. Yet, even those people who are herculean in strength have coaches, families and support systems. They can do nothing on their own, really. Every athlete, every star, every person who seems amazing has a cadre of people who believe in them, support them, feed them and get them to where they are going. I struggle when I need to ask for help, and wish I was better realizing that we all need each other.

Jesus teaches the leaders that their independence is not theirs alone but they are standing on the shoulders of generations of others and are surrounded by the witnesses to God's love. They want to keep God in a box, on the page and under control, but that is not how Creation works, nor how the Creator, the author of love, functions. Our need is that place where all the gifts of creation can be opened up. We are invited to be honest in our need and we are promised that love will find us.

Today, I ask God to help me be honest in my need and be a support, a pillar to those who need love. May we be both really needy and really strong for one another so love can grow and ignite around us.

Respect

Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life.

“Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” John 5:19-29

Respect

Love is a gentle and firm hand
a good direction when all seems lost
an honoring of those before us
a posture of serving with joy.

Do not believe although freely given
this love will be an easy thing
you must daily take up a load
daily be willing to be a participant.

Love demands honor and respect
it withers away without them
like a summer herb going to seed
it will find other fields to take root.

Love is a free gift gratefully given
the lifeblood of the Creator poured out
we are offered a continual stream
given the power to spread it wide.

A Real Meal

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’ John 6:51-58

I know that every family and every culture has some meal that would be described as a 'real meal'. This is what it means to eat. Vegetarian, Vegan, Carnivore, Omnivore - all of us can conjure up the image of what a real meal for us. All of us know what it means to be fed, and although it might be different between family, culture and place, we all understand it instinctively. And food instinctively reminds us of family, clan and culture. Food brings us home, even when we are no where near our home, our people or our country. It's the meal that keeps us grounded and surrounded even when we are in far flung places.

Jesus calls himself the bread of life, the needed sustenance for a  strong life of faith. He calls himself that ground, that meal which is real and essential to who we are and what we do. He is not referring to something ethereal and cosmic but to our real need to be fed and strengthened day by day. Without certain nutrients and certain foods, we fade and fail. With a regular diet of real meals we are sustained and we thrive. We are invited by God today to seek our that real fullness, that true real meal in Jesus -Jesus as home, nourishment and strength for today and the journey ahead.

Today I ask God to help me know what I need and fill my plate with the sustaining love of Jesus. May we find our place and the table and feast, so that our strength and compassion might be fuel and strength for others.

Take Up Your Mat

After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.'” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath.

But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God. John 5:1-18 

Take Up Your Mat

I dream of running the woods flying
through deep shadow and light breaks
pedaling a bicycle many miles along
endless sandy streets by the dunes.

I wake to find myself so earthbound
every movement a conscious effort
viewing the world through this plane
of lying helpless so near the ground.

The broken and overlooked here
from our perches on all your streets
ache to be able to go about our business
would give anything to be made whole.

Most people see me and turn away
they do not want to imagine themselves
crippled and needy, bent and in pain
yet they snap up the saved handicap seats.

I would walk, run and pedal fast friend
it I could I would cook for you too
please today see me as you family
help me to the savior to the pool.

Recovering

When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee (for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in the prophet’s own country). When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival.

Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.” The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole household. Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee. John 4:43-54 

I have spent this very warm and muggy summer recovering from having several fusions in my back. It has been a very long recovery, with some hard days, that were made better by loving family and friends who cheer me on. I remember as a child being very sick and still aching to get up and run around. My parents were scared and anxious while I was just frustrated and impatient. I am still that way. Having faith in a process of healing requires patience that I don't always have. Yet, the one thing that has gotten me through is knowing others were praying for me when I couldn't pray, people were holding me when I couldn't stand any longer.

The word has gotten out about Jesus. The miracles he preformed and the lives he changed were making the news. Word of mouth was at a fever pitch. Gossip and story telling made way for a father's faith. A parent, wracked with fear for his child, asks for a miracle and he receives it. His faith not only changed his life, it changed his son and everyone who knew of that moment. That is the way of faith and love. It changes everything and everyone. When we are faithful, we can bring transforming love with us. God invites us, even in our pain filled and dark times, to remember the faith of this father who changed his whole world for love.

Today I ask God to give me an ever deepening faith. May we all, even in our darkest hours, ask for the miracles we need, knowing by our love and faithfulness we can change the world around us.