Ever since last Autumn I've been haunted by John's Gospel Chapter 10 where Jesus talks about being the Good Shepherd and also The Gate of the Sheep. It speaks of the sheep hearing the Shepherd's voice, recognising it, following the Shepherd, avoiding other voices. For some reason when I read this in the course of Morning Prayer last year it seemed tremendously personally significant. Many of you may have had the same experience of God's word being highlighted on the page as you read. I have thought long and hard about those words since then.
John 10:2-5
2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger's voice."
John 10:16-17
16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
As I mentioned in my First Sabbatical Report, this was the reading during my Sunday in Gateshead, and guess what, the Sunday Morning Communion Service in Iona Abbey had the same Gospel reading. Keep praying my sabbatical prayer.
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