The love shove

Our worship service began this 4th Sunday of Easter with the whole congregation reading aloud Psalm 23. This dearly loved Psalm presents the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. This image is also captured in John 10:1-10. Pastor Phil Kniss pointed out that even with the Good Shepherd guiding us, we will find ourselves in the valley of the shadow of death at times. While it may be difficult for Christians in North America to fully understand this image of the valley of the shadow of death, Pastor Ayuba Ashafa from Nigeria gave testimony to his congregation's experience in the "valley". But in John 10 Jesus also uses another metaphor, saying that he is the gate. It is through the gate of Jesus Christ that we find life, coming in and going out. Pastor Phil pointed out that abundant life is not found in the sheepfold. We were not created to only live in the sheepfold, being around other "sheep". God created us to be out in the midst of a world of need and danger and opportunity. Jesus is the Good Shepherd because Jesus knows what we need and lovingly shoves us out into the world and lovingly welcomes us back into the security of the fold.