‘THE RAINBOW SHEEP’ PRAYER (9/16/07)

SCRIPTURES:  Jeremiah 29: 10-14 & Luke 15: 1-10
THEME:  In the dominion of God, EVERY sheep (person)—even (& especially) the g/l/b/t/q  
                ones matter to Christ!

OPENING ILLUSTRATION:
(Please take your Chalice Hymnal & turn to Page 734 in preparation for our spoken prayer.)
The first Bible passage I ever memorized (Psalm 23) embodies the metaphor of being a sheep & God being my shepherd!  Ironically, I learned this passage from my first grade teacher…some 39 years ago! 

As we turn to the imagery of sheep & shepherd this morning, we will look at this spiritual truth:  ‘That in the dominion of God, EVERY SHEEP (i.e. every person) matters to God & this morning, we’ll focus on particularly the RAINBOW SHEEP, of God’s pastures.

WILL YOU JOIN ME AS WE PRAY PSALM 23 FOR OUR MORNING PRAYER? (Language inclusive)  ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.  God makes to lie down in green pastures & leads me beside still waters; God restores my soul.  God leads me in paths of righteousness for God’s name sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod & your staff—they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, & I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’

BIBLICAL CONCEPTS:
Thank you for joining me in reciting this psalm as a prayer!  Today, we’re going to look at this imagery of sheep & shepherding as it pertains to us as individuals & as a faith community.  I have a review question from last Sunday.  What do you remember from last Sunday’s sermon?  The sermon’s premise was ‘YOU MATTER TO GOD’.

So, do you believe that you matter to God?  I believe that we matter to God VERY much…as evidenced in today’s Gospel reading. 

GOSPEL READING—LUKE 15: 1-10:
Let me ask you.  Do you more easily identify with the ONE lost, lonely sheep or do you more often identify with the 99 sheep that are together, where they’re supposed to be (whatever THAT means) J

In this parable, the tax collectors & sinners came to hear Jesus’ message of inclusion.  The Pharisees & scribes grumbled & complained that Jesus was ‘welcoming sinners AND eats with them’!  Well, yeah!  Jesus then proceeds to ‘tell a story’ about this errant sheep & this lost coin…which, of course, pleases the ‘sinners in the crowd & further angers the religious/righteous members of the audience’!

THOUGHTS OF AN ERRANT SHEEP:
Why do you suppose that ONE SHEEP WANDERED AWAY?  You know, wandering off is
common to sheep; however, most sheep are by definition ‘herd animals’ & aren’t known for
being independent thinkers.  So, what could cause a LONE sheep to wander off from its flock?

  1. Maybe the sheep wandered off because it felt different, unique—even queer & didn’t ‘fit in’ with the rest of the flock?
  2. Maybe the sheep wandered off because someone in the flock told it the ‘Good

     Shepherd’ wouldn’t approve of its difference, its uniqueness, its queerness?

  1. Maybe the sheep wandered off because it decided it didn’t need that ole flock anyway?  That it was better being alone than being talked about, judged & hated?

TRANSITION:
Now, we ALL know, we’re not talking about literal sheep this morning!  Metaphorically speaking, when have you spiritually wandered off from the flock AND from the Shepherd?  How might we claim & re-image this spiritual truth for our people & for our world?

‘THE RAINBOW SHEEP’ OF GOD’S PASTURE:

  1. If you hear nothing else today, hear this:  YOU MATTER TO THE GOOD SHEPHERD!  YOU MATTER TO GOD MORE THAN YOU CAN EVEN FATHOM!
  2. It does NOT matter what you’ve been told in the past—unless you allow it to matter—

Because the Good Shepherd (in John 10: 8-10)…reminds us that ‘those who came before Him were thieves & robbers…that they came to steal, kill & destroy; however, I (the Good Shepherd) came that YOU may have & enjoy life—abundantly!’

  1. How many churches of origin; how many religious leaders have almost stolen your joy, killed your spirit & tried to destroy the rainbow colored sheep in each of us?
  2. That was NOT…the Good Shepherd!  Today, the Good Shepherd is calling you back into THIS FOLD, INTO THIS FLOCK! 

CONCLUSION:
As we conclude this morning, I want & need to speak to those of us that are ‘1 of the 99’ in this parable OR more accurately 1 of the 54 members of Our Hope MCC.  First of all, we 54 need to get ourselves back into this fold/into this flock. 

How can this flock function when 10-15 of us aren’t here for months on end?  There is strength in numbers & there are things that we can do only if ALL of us are here.  I absolutely believe that every member of this church has a unique gift to offer…this flock.  And by being involved sheep, when tough times hit (which they do from time to time)…we have the love & support of an entire faith community—which can minimize our individual traumas & dramas.

And neither are we to be content with ‘getting ours’ without regard to others who truly need the love of the Good Shepherd!  Literally dozens, even 100s of people need what we know to be true about God!  What if no one had told you/me about OHMCC?  Where would we be today?  How hopeless might we have been by now? 

Our Hope MCC has a unique ministry in this community.  We are the only progressive Christian community in this area that dares to embody the love of Jesus Christ as a primarily g/l/b/t/q & straight allied community—without apology & with a focus on LOVE, INCLUSION & OPENNESS TO GOD!  How rare is THAT in our world today?  Very…very rare!

‘THE RAINBOW SHEEP’ PRAYER (9/16/07)

SCRIPTURES:  Jeremiah 29: 10-14 & Luke 15: 1-10
THEME:  In the dominion of God, EVERY sheep (person)—even (& especially) the g/l/b/t/q  
                ones matter to Christ!

OPENING ILLUSTRATION:
(Please take your Chalice Hymnal & turn to Page 734 in preparation for our spoken prayer.)
The first Bible passage I ever memorized (Psalm 23) embodies the metaphor of being a sheep & God being my shepherd!  Ironically, I learned this passage from my first grade teacher…some 39 years ago! 

As we turn to the imagery of sheep & shepherd this morning, we will look at this spiritual truth:  ‘That in the dominion of God, EVERY SHEEP (i.e. every person) matters to God & this morning, we’ll focus on particularly the RAINBOW SHEEP, of God’s pastures.

WILL YOU JOIN ME AS WE PRAY PSALM 23 FOR OUR MORNING PRAYER? (Language inclusive)  ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.  God makes to lie down in green pastures & leads me beside still waters; God restores my soul.  God leads me in paths of righteousness for God’s name sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod & your staff—they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, & I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’

BIBLICAL CONCEPTS:
Thank you for joining me in reciting this psalm as a prayer!  Today, we’re going to look at this imagery of sheep & shepherding as it pertains to us as individuals & as a faith community.  I have a review question from last Sunday.  What do you remember from last Sunday’s sermon?  The sermon’s premise was ‘YOU MATTER TO GOD’.

So, do you believe that you matter to God?  I believe that we matter to God VERY much…as evidenced in today’s Gospel reading. 

GOSPEL READING—LUKE 15: 1-10:
Let me ask you.  Do you more easily identify with the ONE lost, lonely sheep or do you more often identify with the 99 sheep that are together, where they’re supposed to be (whatever THAT means) J

In this parable, the tax collectors & sinners came to hear Jesus’ message of inclusion.  The Pharisees & scribes grumbled & complained that Jesus was ‘welcoming sinners AND eats with them’!  Well, yeah!  Jesus then proceeds to ‘tell a story’ about this errant sheep & this lost coin…which, of course, pleases the ‘sinners in the crowd & further angers the religious/righteous members of the audience’!

THOUGHTS OF AN ERRANT SHEEP:
Why do you suppose that ONE SHEEP WANDERED AWAY?  You know, wandering off is
common to sheep; however, most sheep are by definition ‘herd animals’ & aren’t known for
being independent thinkers.  So, what could cause a LONE sheep to wander off from its flock?

  1. Maybe the sheep wandered off because it felt different, unique—even queer & didn’t ‘fit in’ with the rest of the flock?
  2. Maybe the sheep wandered off because someone in the flock told it the ‘Good

     Shepherd’ wouldn’t approve of its difference, its uniqueness, its queerness?

  1. Maybe the sheep wandered off because it decided it didn’t need that ole flock anyway?  That it was better being alone than being talked about, judged & hated?

TRANSITION:
Now, we ALL know, we’re not talking about literal sheep this morning!  Metaphorically speaking, when have you spiritually wandered off from the flock AND from the Shepherd?  How might we claim & re-image this spiritual truth for our people & for our world?

‘THE RAINBOW SHEEP’ OF GOD’S PASTURE:

  1. If you hear nothing else today, hear this:  YOU MATTER TO THE GOOD SHEPHERD!  YOU MATTER TO GOD MORE THAN YOU CAN EVEN FATHOM!
  2. It does NOT matter what you’ve been told in the past—unless you allow it to matter—

Because the Good Shepherd (in John 10: 8-10)…reminds us that ‘those who came before Him were thieves & robbers…that they came to steal, kill & destroy; however, I (the Good Shepherd) came that YOU may have & enjoy life—abundantly!’

  1. How many churches of origin; how many religious leaders have almost stolen your joy, killed your spirit & tried to destroy the rainbow colored sheep in each of us?
  2. That was NOT…the Good Shepherd!  Today, the Good Shepherd is calling you back into THIS FOLD, INTO THIS FLOCK! 

CONCLUSION:
As we conclude this morning, I want & need to speak to those of us that are ‘1 of the 99’ in this parable OR more accurately 1 of the 54 members of Our Hope MCC.  First of all, we 54 need to get ourselves back into this fold/into this flock. 

How can this flock function when 10-15 of us aren’t here for months on end?  There is strength in numbers & there are things that we can do only if ALL of us are here.  I absolutely believe that every member of this church has a unique gift to offer…this flock.  And by being involved sheep, when tough times hit (which they do from time to time)…we have the love & support of an entire faith community—which can minimize our individual traumas & dramas.

And neither are we to be content with ‘getting ours’ without regard to others who truly need the love of the Good Shepherd!  Literally dozens, even 100s of people need what we know to be true about God!  What if no one had told you/me about OHMCC?  Where would we be today?  How hopeless might we have been by now? 

Our Hope MCC has a unique ministry in this community.  We are the only progressive Christian community in this area that dares to embody the love of Jesus Christ as a primarily g/l/b/t/q & straight allied community—without apology & with a focus on LOVE, INCLUSION & OPENNESS TO GOD!  How rare is THAT in our world today?  Very…very rare!