Dear Friends,

We have reached "good shepherd" Sunday - the Sunday in Easter-tide when we hear Jesus explain that he is the good shepherd who the sheep follow because they know his voice. A memory from when I came for interview here is a conversation with the then Rural Dean who had come to North Devon from the urban Midlands. He said for him one of the great blessings of being here was the way that the gospel came alive in this rural context. The imagery of sheep and shepherd is vivid here, it is woven into our normal lives. Now I can echo that - I will never forget conversations with the children at Parrcombe school when they explained to me skills needed of a shepherd, while I was majoring on the love of the shepherd for the sheep they were very quick to highlight the need to be "strong and firm because sometimes sheep are stubborn"; and their admiration for the shepherds of the Christmas story who looked after sheep without the aid of quad bikes.

So when we listen to Jesus choosing the character of a shepherd to show what he is like maybe it is also a Sunday to give thanks for the culture in which we live here, shaped by living close to the land and the skills of tending to the daily needs of the creatures we depend on. Let's hold in our prayers all those who have been through and maybe are still in the long days and nights of lambing. As we think about this week's gospel may those around us deepen our insight into the God who calls us all into safe pastures.

God bless

Samantha