The Good Shepherd.

Thank you all for your prayers.

A couple of weeks ago my dearly beloved, bright, healthy grandson, Sunny, suddenly passed away in his sleep at home aged sixteen. I like the Salvation Army expression that he has gone to glory. We are told in Psalm 23 that God prepares and hosts a banquet, a feast for us in his house where we will dwell with him forever. It is a great comfort to me that Sunny found faith a few months before he died.

Investigations into Sunny’s death are seeking to find a cause, but as his Mum says, that will not bring him back. When the unexpected tragedies happen we realise that we are not in control and how little we understand the ways and purposes of God. However, we do know that God is referred to as Shepherd in the Old Testament and Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd. The Greek word for good means beautiful. The most beautiful act the world has ever known is that Jesus laid down his life for us, his sheep. He freely chose to lay it down by his cross and freely chose to take it up again by his resurrection. This gives us the hope of eternal life.

I recently heard the story of two ministers who met with a shepherd boy on remote Welsh hills. The boy had hearing impairment and was illiterate. The ministers told him about the Good Shepherd who cares for him as he cares for his sheep. They taught him to use his thumb and fingers on his hand to remember the words ‘the Lord is my shepherd’ emphasising that God wants a personal relationship with us. The shepherd boy later died as a result of a terrible blizzard and was found buried in snow clutching his fourth ‘my’ finger.

What is it that fulfils us and sustains us in life, bringing deep joy and contentment more than anything else? The answer is relationship with God through Jesus, our Good Shepherd. We all walk through the shadow of death in many ways, job losses, loss of finances and homes, health issues, but we need not be afraid because goodness, mercy and love follow us all the days of our lives. The resurrection life is one of new beginnings. In the book of Revelation earth and heaven are seen in parallel, mirroring each other.

Jesus said that the sheep know his voice. He left us the Holy Spirit to dwell in us to guide, comfort and discern things that are not of this world but of the kingdom of heaven. It is as if we inhabit two parallel universes, this world and eternity at the same time. Eternal life is knowing God.

We are called to lay our lives down to our own control that we may take them up again in a new way under God’s control. God gives us renewal of mind, body and spirit and is constantly moving us onwards and upwards, giving us new life in all its fullness.

Angela Stewart, Lay Minister.