And Dream of Sheep

I am back at St Gabriel’s Church, Popley this Sunday, and we are doing something a little bit different.

It is always a joy to worship with the good people of Popley, and last week I was there to conduct two traditional Holy Communion services, or at least as traditional as St Gabriel’s gets, so this week we thought it would be good to do something different.

I am excited about this, as it means we can re-arrange the chairs, sit around tables and engage in creative activities, as we discuss the themes of the Bible passage, which this week focuses on the Good Shepherd passage in John 10, and Psalm 23. It also means that I don’t have a sermon to share, as we will be creating the sermon together. Instead I have questions, so many questions, which I hope we will be able to find answers to together.

Questions like…

Why does Jesus call himself a Shepherd in the first place?

How did his followers feel about being called sheep?

What did it mean to be a gatekeeper?

Who were the thieves?

What is the difference between being a gate and a gatekeeper?

What is the difference between a shepherd and a hired hand?

What would you do if a wolf came on the attack?

Who is Jesus referring to as ‘wolves’?

Who are the other sheep Jesus wants to bring into the fold?

How do we view this passage in the light of Jesus’ death and resurrection?

Are we in the fold?

Do we have a role as sheep?

What might that be?

These are the questions we will be seeking to answer together. How would you answer them?

You can read about the Good Shepherd here.