19. Year C - Fourth Sunday of Easter

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VERSION: 29 April 2002

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C

GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY

In 2004: 2 May

In 2007: 29 Apr

In 2010: 25 Apr

In 2013: 21 Apr

In 2016: 17 Apr

- - -

Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Easter season' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

PATRONAL FESTIVAL

Many of our congregations and schools are named Good Shepherd. If this is the case in your congregation/school, consider making Good Shepherd Sunday a special celebration of your congregational/school family. Remember the establishment and history of your congregation and present-day activities and mission. Consider special rites and ceremonies such as blessing of congregational/school officers, intercessions for the congregation/school, and processions around the church/school.

LITURGY

SENTENCE

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

Jesus said: I am the good shepherd (Alleluia).

I give them eternal life, and they shall never die (Alleluia).

(John 10:11a,28a TEV)

OR

Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from? (Alleluia)

They have washed their robes

and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Alleluia).

(Rev 7:13a,14b NRSV)

OR

The Lamb will be our shepherd (Alleluia);

he will guide us to springs of the water of life (Alleluia).

(Rev 7:17a,b NRSV alt)

OR, use one of the standard Easter Sentences in the document 'Easter season', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

LORD, HAVE MERCY

For variations to the 'Lord, have mercy', see the document 'Easter season' (under 'Liturgy', 'Lord, have mercy' and under 'Hymns and songs' 'Lord, have mercy'), in the 'General and seasonal' folder, or use the following for this Sunday (based on the German).

Let us call on the Lord, to whom we belong through our baptism.

Lord Jesus Christ, you are our good shepherd:

Lord, have mercy.

You give your life for the sheep:

Christ, have mercy.

You gather us into your flock:

Lord, have mercy.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)

Traditional

Almighty God,

since you have brought back from the dead

the great Shepherd of the sheep,

to call us into his flock through his word:

Grant us your Holy Spirit,

so that we may hear the voice of the good Shepherd

and faithfully follow him;

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, modernised traditional

Almighty and eternal God,

you have brought back from the dead

the great Shepherd of the sheep,

to call us into his flock through his word.

Send us your Holy Spirit,

so that we may hear the voice of the good Shepherd

and faithfully follow him.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, alternative

(Let us pray for God's help to do his will. [silence])

God of peace,

you brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ,

the great Shepherd of the sheep.

Equip us through his blood,

which sealed the eternal covenant,

with every good thing we need

to do your will,

and work in us what is pleasing to you.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, new

(Let us pray that we follow our good shepherd. [silence])

Loving God,

we thank you that your Son Jesus

is the good shepherd

who cares for your people.

Open our hearts to hear his voice,

to know him as he calls us by name,

and to follow wherever he leads.

For he lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

FIRST READING

Acts 9:36-43 Peter raises Tabitha (Dorcas) from death

PSALM

Psalm 23

Antiphon:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not (be in) want.

(Ps 23:1 NRSV, or NIV including bracketed words)

SECOND READING

Revelation 7:9-17 The Lamb is their shepherd

ALLELUIA VERSE

Alleluia, alleluia.

(Since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again;

death no longer has any power over him.

Alleluia.)

(Jesus said:) 'My sheep hear my voice;

I know them, and they follow me.' (John 10:27 NRSV)

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

John 10:22-30 My sheep listen to my voice

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ (, raised to live forever).

Thank you, Jesus, our good shepherd,

for calling us into your flock.

Help us always to listen to your voice and follow you.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Eternal loving Shepherd,

your Son laid down his life for us, his sheep.

Help us to follow him

by loving and serving the people around us.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

Sheep listen to the voice of their shepherd. God our Father, open our ears to hear the voice of Jesus Christ your Son, so that he may lead us to pray with him for all we need.

The regular response, OR:

Lord, hear the voice of your sheep,

as we cry to you for help.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Shepherd God, you gather your sheep from all corners of the world, and do not allow even one of your flock to be lost. May we and all people hear your voice, and be gathered into the one flock of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

SEASONAL PREFACE

It is indeed right and good,

Lord God, holy Father,

that we should at all times and in all places

give thanks to you,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

But most of all we praise you

for the glorious resurrection of your Son,

the true Passover Lamb,

who has taken away the sin of the world.

By his death he has destroyed death,

and by his rising again he has restored life.

And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter

and all the other witnesses of the resurrection,

with earth and sea and all their creatures,

and with angels and archangels,

cherubim and seraphim,

we adore and praise your glorious name:

COMMUNION INVITATION

Jesus says: 'Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.'

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

For an Easter post-communion prayer, see the document 'Easter season', under 'Prayer after communion', in the 'General and seasonal' folder. Alternatively, use the third prayer of the day (as listed above) without modification. The reference to the blood of Christ and the eternal covenant is most appropriate at this point.

SEASONAL BLESSING

This seasonal blessing is used together with (ie before) the usual blessing in the order of service.

(May) the God of peace,

who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus,

the great shepherd of the sheep,

provide you with every good thing you need

in order to do his will; . . .

DISMISSAL

Go in peace. The Lamb of God is your shepherd.

Thanks be to God. OR In the name of Christ. Amen.

HYMNS AND SONGS

FOR THE READINGS

Please note:        * =        Modernised version available

      G3, G4 . . . =        Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . .

      GS =        Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading: Acts 9:36-43

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: Revelation 7:9-17

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: John 10:22-30

LHS

AT

TI

Note also verse 2 of the modernised version of LH 317 (this verse is not in LH).

PSALM 23

For musical settings of Psalm 23, see Music Packages 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8.

The following metrical versions of the psalm may be used:

The Lord's my shepherd (LHS 387*, TIS 10)

OR

The King of love my shepherd is (LHS 391*, TIS 145)

*Modernised version available

OR

My shepherd is the Lord (TIS 11)

OR

Geoff Strelan's song Psalm 23 in Praise for All Seasons no 62

OR

The Iona collection Psalms of Patience, Protest and Praise contains a metrical version of Psalm 23 that could be used on this day (page 12)

Note that the Iona Community is willing to allow a church or worship assembly to reproduce the words only of a song from these publications on a service sheet or overhead transperency that is to be used once only on a non-commercial basis, provided that the title of the song and the name of the copyright holder is clearly shown.

OR

David Sch¸tz's version sung to the tune 'Shalom, my friends' ATA 195.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,

Shalom, shalom.

He makes me lie down in green pasture land,

Shalom, shalom.

He leads me beside the slow-running streams,

Shalom, shalom.

My soul he restores; he leads me aright,

Shalom, shalom.

And though I should walk through death's valley dark,

Shalom, shalom,

there's nothing I fear, for you, Lord, are near,

Shalom, shalom.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me,

Shalom, shalom.

You set me a place before all my foes,

Shalom, shalom.

My head you anoint, my cup overflows,

Shalom, shalom.

To me you always are loving and good,

Shalom, shalom,

My dwelling shall be the house of the Lord,

Shalom, shalom,

for all of my life, for all of my days,

Shalom, shalom.

BAPTISM HYMNS FOR GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY

If a baptism is celebrated on this day, consider using one of these:

COMMUNION HYMN FOR GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY

LHS 283 Zion, to thy Saviour singing* (especially verse 5) is appropriate for Good Shepherd Sunday.

* modernised version available

NOTES ON THE READINGS

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Notes on the readings', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

ACTS 9:36-43: In the infant church both good works and miracles were vitally connected with the witness to the power and truth of the word of Christ. In the case of Tabitha, it was after deep solitary prayer that Peter commanded her to 'get up'. The miracle had a strong impact in the region, no doubt also because of Tabitha's valuable testimony in deeds of love. We are told, 'many believed in the Lord'.

REVELATION 7:9-17: John portrays an incalculable crowd of people from every nation on earth before the throne of God in heaven. They are those who have been cleansed of all sin by the blood of the Lamb. Their song of victory is on account of what Christ has done in washing them clean by his own blood, shed on the cross for the world's sin. The angels' song of praise repeats the sevenfold attributes which he deserves for his great work, seen in the presence of the vast crowd. The beauty, glory and satisfying shelter of life eternal includes the absence of all earthly suffering which at present still causes tears.

JOHN 10:22-30: The hostile question of the religious leaders blames Jesus for not making clear his claims on Messiahship. Jesus' reticence to them in this way was understandable in view of their misconceived expectations of the coming Messiah. Those notions would have conflicted violently with the way in which the Lord was planting the seeds of his kingdom. Jesus' reply shows that the answer lay not so much in the clarity of his words as in the need for willingness for openness of mind on the part of the questioners. They could, of course, belong to his flock if they would but hear his voice rightly. They would neither believe his miraculous works, nor would they listen to his voice as the shepherd. The shepherd of Israel was God himself. Jesus reinforced that dictum by the statement that he and the Father were one being. Whoever, then, would hear his voice in humble trust would receive the gift of eternal life together with total safekeeping in his hand.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the second reading could be accompanied by a picture of Christ the triumphant lamb, and the gospel could be accompanied by a picture of Jesus as the good Shepherd (eg see the illustration in the TEV Bible for Ezek 34:15).

BANNERS

Create and display a banner or poster to highlight the special emphasis of this day. Two symbols are appropriate:

DRAMA

'MEGA DRAMA'

See a drama for the day in Mega Drama resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

DRAMATISING THE READINGS

The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer. For instance, the first reading from Acts could be read by three readers: narrator, messenger, and Peter; and the second reading could be read by a number of readers: narrator, voices of multitude and angels, and the elder. Consider using a voice choir to speak in unison the words of the multitude and angels. Alternatively, a choir could sing these passages to a simple musical setting.

CHILDREN

LAMBS

Make a connection between Jesus as the Good Shepherd and last week's theme of either Jesus as the Lamb of God or the people of God as Jesus' 'lambs'. See the suggestions in last Sunday's resources.

CHILDREN'S SONGS

Many children's songs use the image of children as lambs and Christ as their Shepherd. The following are suitable:

LHS

* modernised version available

Sing to Jesus

See last Sunday's resources for the hymn based on Blake's poem 'The Lamb'.

'COME AND SEE JESUS'

The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is now available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

The story for the Fourth Sunday of Easter is: Dorcas (Acts 9:36-43) (to be found in the original edition Series B, 6 Easter, and in the RCL edition Series C for 4 Easter).