The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (Psalm 23).

Today we are back in John’s Gospel. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus is the Word of God made flesh that we might know that Jesus is our redeemer, God’s son. John uses the metaphor of the good shepherd that we might understand the relationship between us and our Lord. God came to us that we might have abundant life in him. We are called into relationship with Jesus Christ through the breaking of Bread and the scriptures. Psalm 23 tells us that when we walk through the racism, sexism, individualism, and ungodliness of this present age, Jesus, the good shepherd will walk with us. God will walk with us through this pandemic and into the higher plane of the Beloved Community, if we will stop to hear his voice.

I urge every member to develop a deep relationship through worship, prayer, and service to the Living God. Join us daily as we walk together with our Lord at 9AM through Morning Prayer. If you are going through a difficult time, we will stand beside you and pray with you until we all reach the Promised Land. Follow the path of righteousness that Jesus has laid before us and have your soul restored. We will make it through this difficult time back to green pastures because God loves us and walks with us on this perilous journey through the desert. Please do not be afraid. If we have ever walked through the shadow of death, it has been this last year. Notice the word "through"! This is not where we end up. Please know that there are green pastures and still waters ahead once we get through this pandemic.

Please walk with one another through the last of this pandemic by calling and visiting one another as you are vaccinated and are able. Join us next week on Tuesday at 6:30pm for a meeting of our Lay Eucharistic Ministers and Visitors. We will be offering another class so that you can be certified to take Holy Communion to our shut ins. Come to the church when you feel comfortable and help us recycle cloths in the Thrift Shop. We are trying to be open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, but we need more help. Nancy and our Thrift Shop team really need your assistance! You can offer one day or come every week. Please join us.

Please remember that this week we celebrated Earth Day. Plant some flowers or a tree in the coming weeks. Pick up some garbage or plastic if you see it. Commit yourself to recycling, reducing your carbon footprint and caring for this planet each and every day. St. John’s is committed to environmental stewardship! Our solar panels have given us a zero-sum electric bill in the new section of the church. We have invested wisely and the dividends are both financial and environmental. Please recycle all paper at the church and help us to reduce our consumption.

In Christ’s love, 

Fr. Duncan

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