28th April 2023
“You are My flock, the sheep of My pasture, My people, and I am your God,’ declares the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 34:31
You Lord, are the source of all good things:
We praise you.
You call us to tend and care for your creation:
May we strive to do your will.
You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives:
May we live together in peace.
A reading from John 10:11-15
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
A response:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
In your gift is daily bread, sustenance for each day
From you comes wisdom and understanding –
the gift of peace.
The Lord desires green pasture and clear waters,
wooded hills that clap their hands,
streams that overflow with joy –
a world where all may rest in peace.
The Lord restores my soul,
forgives my sins and heals my pain.
He renews my confidence so I too
may renew broken relationships.
The Lord leads me in right paths.
He goes before us, leading by example
and marking the way –
on earth as in heaven.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
even though the news is of floods and drought,
fires and tempest, I am comforted
for the Lord is my steadfast companion.
I hear of evil – of warfare and greed,
of persecution and oppression;
of self-interest and self-delusion
– yet I fear not evil, for the Lord is our righteousness.
You prepare a table before me
where bread and wine will satisfy my wants.
In the face of adversity,
You anoint me with the Holy Spirit.
The goodness and mercy of the Lord
shall stay with me all the days of my life,
for the Lord is my shepherd
and I shall not want.
Prayer:
Sovereign God, Shepherd of your people:
As we walked the pilgrimages of the Big One,
You were with us and we thank you.
As we sang and prayed for your guidance,
You were with us and we thank you.
As we stood alongside our brothers and sisters,
You were with us and we thank you.
As we called on those in authority to take action,
You were with us and we thank you.
As the days unfold, keep within us the hope of change,
Soften the hearts of those in authority in industry,
in government and in the churches,
that they may respond to the cry of the earth
and the cry of the poor.
Amen.
The Grace
The Green Tau 