May 7, 2017

John 10: 1-10 The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper 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 recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

*********************************************************************************** A letter from Dennis Smith – Argentina

A Symbol of Hope

Dear friends:

We never met Pedro, but a chill fell over us when we learned of his death. As we heard the news our hearts reached out to Lucía, who had shared with us some of Pedro’s story.

We were leading a retreat for a congregation of the Reformed Churches of Argentina, a PC(USA) mission partner. Evangelism is one of this denomination’s core concerns, and these folks wanted to spend the weekend thinking and praying together about their role as witnesses to Jesus’ love and justice in their community. Mary and I had planned several exercises and a Bible study to motivate their reflection.

The second day of the retreat Lucía distributed handmade paper butterflies to the participants. She is completing her studies as a social worker and spends much of her time working with young offenders and at-risk youth. Pedro, she told us, was only 17. From a broken home, he had a long history of addictions and trouble with the law. But he was a sweet kid, and when he heard that Lucía was going to this church retreat he agreed to make these butterflies. He understood they were a symbol of hope, a sign that transformation is possible.

It was only a month later that we heard that Pedro had taken his own life.

As it is in so many other countries, growing up in Argentina can be tough. Families can be fragile, support networks are weak and underfunded, the pressure to escape life’s pain through drugs and alcohol is ever present, jobs are hard to find.

Folks like Lucia are committed to helping kids like Pedro and making sure that social services are available to the vulnerable. And folks like Lucia understand that such work bears testimony to Jesus, and to the hope of abundant life. But it never stops hurting when someone like Pedro ends it all.

Pray for Lucia and the many other young professionals working in our partner churches. Pray that they might be able to hold on to the hope, strength and vulnerability that are rooted in their personal faith in Jesus Christ. Pray that they will be able to deal with stress and the pain of loss. Pray that they will have the energy to challenge established ways of doing things, and the vision to imagine alternatives for the common good. Pray that they will have courage and wisdom to build societies in which it is easier for the most vulnerable among us to live fulfilling lives.

Under the Mercy,

Dennis Smith