Rev. Sandy Lacey
April 26, 2026
As many of you know, I like to meet with some clergy friends for conversation and lectionary study most weeks. This week I was unable to do so but I remember a gathering in KY in which we discussed these two passages. As I recall, it was one of those rare times that we argued about the passages for the week. We did agree that the Acts passage was challenging because of the culture in which we live, and that there are very few examples of Christians being willing to sell their possessions and use the proceeds for the common good of the community. All of us agreed that we do want to help others and care for those who have less than us but few of us readily agreed to give everything up in order to do so!
It is my observation, however, that my Cameroon friends in Kentucky share their resources for the common good a bit easier than I do. Many of them may have two or three families living together in the same house and they pool their income for household expenses. Also, many work 2 or more jobs so that they can send money to help support family members still in Cameroon who need help. The American ideal of rugged individualism is a little foreign to my Cameroon friends. They seem to embody what we find in the Acts passage and we could probably learn a thing or two from them.
There are also others who embody the Acts passage well. The Koinonia community in Americus, GA is an example. Founded in the 1940’s by NT scholar, Clarence Jordan, this community of people live in separate houses on the large farm. They eat their meals together every day, worship together every day, work together in various capacities every day, and pool their resources. You may remember some of the famous members of this community – Millard Fuller and his wife – who sold their business and possessions, moved to the farm, and eventually began the Habitat for Humanity mission back in the 1970’s.
I suspect that we, who claim to be followers of Christ, must necessarily feel the tension between Jesus’ call and what we are willing to do. It’s true that in our country we like being independent and “pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps,” earning our way, making a name for ourselves, building up a nest egg so that we can do what we want when we want. And so it is challenging, maybe even a bit irksome, to hear a text that celebrates the opposite: that we are asked to work to benefit (not ourselves) but the community as a whole. The Ubuntu philosophy that Bishop Desmond Tutu talks about in South Africa is similar to the Acts passage in that the community can only do as well as each individual person in the community does well. In our culture it is common for people, once they gain power and wealth, to forget about those less fortunate, to not think twice about slashing benefits to the marginalized as long as their own benefits remain secure; here, it is each individual for himself or herself and the words, “common good” are usually accompanied by an eye roll at least (if not a curse or a name like “socialism.”)
The Acts passage describes what the early Christian community was like – a community of people who were, it says, devoted to Biblical teaching and fellowship; they celebrated communion together and prayed together; they held all things in common and distributed their wealth to the poor in their community; they worshiped and praised their creator together; they were glad and generous together. It was asking a lot for that time, and we think it is asking a lot of us in our time too. But the interesting thing is that the people were joyful and new people were joining regularly.
While we squirm in our seats, maybe we should consider the other two texts of the day. Fortunately, the other two are about shepherding and sheep. That sounds a little more palatable. Well, what do we know about sheep and shepherding? One of the interesting things about sheep, other than they will absolutely stick together for protection from predators, is that they can identify their leader’s voice from other voices. I am told that if you put several herds into the same large pen and then have the different shepherds/leaders call out their particular herd in the morning, the appropriate herd will follow their designated shepherd or leader. They know that voice and will follow that voice. I have also been told that sheep will follow and not have to be pushed by their shepherd (unlike cattle and many times, unlike us!) So sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd and they follow where their shepherd leads.
The metaphor for shepherding and sheep breaks down a little when we apply it to ourselves. Unlike sheep, I think we sometimes get confused and listen to the wrong voice. John’s Gospel calls those voices “thieves and robbers” because they do not use the appropriate gate. So, what is the appropriate gate? Or more specifically, who is the appropriate gate? There are lots of competing voices in our world, most of whom are not life-giving. Sometimes I listen to the voice of “there is not enough” and I end up hoarding my resources and not sharing with others. Sometimes I listen to the voice of “the world is going to hell in a handbasket” and I end up being anxious and isolated. Sometimes I listen to the voice that I am right, and God is on my side, and definitely not on your side. And if God is not on your side, then I can easily dismiss you, ridicule you, even demonize you. I would then never listen to you or try to understand you. It has been my experience that it is rather easy to listen to the wrong voice. Jesus’ voice is the one to follow.
If Jesus is the Good Shepherd and the Gate toward abundant life and living – don’t you think that life is meant for all people? We are not the guardians of abundant life. We have no gate to guard. It is not our job. It is our job to adequately describe and clearly demonstrate the kind of abundant life that Jesus gives. Over the years I have heard “the gate” in John’s passage interpreted to mean a certain belief that one has to have, but I wonder if its meaning has more to do with how one lives rather than what one believes. I might believe that Jesus is the way to real life and real living, for instance, but then live my life cheating and mistreating people, not caring for the poor, not being generous with my resources, and just generally spending my time in selfish pursuits. If my actions do not match my words and what I say I believe, then I am not following Jesus, but instead, following someone or something else – a thief or a robber.
I wonder if in pairing John’s Gospel passage with today’s Acts passage, we could surmise that the gate could be represented by the action the writer describes: communal glad and generous hearts together praising God, learning Scripture, praying, holding possessions in common and giving generously to those in need. What if that is the gate for which we are to pass through to follow our Shepherd’s voice?
Or what if, as one of my clergy friends suggests, the gate is a larger metaphor for any kind of spiritual transformation that we go through in life? Are we listening to the shepherd’s voice to grow deeper in love with God, with our fellow human beings, and with the rest of God’s good creation? Are we being daily transformed into who God created us to be? Or, are we foolishly not listening to Jesus and attempting to bypass or go around the gate?
Friends, the question is, who are we listening to these days? And more importantly, who are we following? This is not some sort of exclusive club like we typically think of with a gated community; it is a covenant community that is in the business of tuning our heart to Jesus’ voice and life. It is a community that celebrates gladness and generosity, education and fellowship, mission and service. And those of us who are part of this community represent all kinds of sheep – black and white, highly educated and not so much, young and old, life-long Presbyterians and brand new Presbyterians, Republicans and Democrats, gay and straight, certain people and skeptical people. What we have in common is that all of us are on a journey and are imperfect – sinners – being formed into the people God created us to be. In this community, we celebrate God’s love and care for us and we seek to demonstrate that love to others. There’s room in the community for at least one more. Won’t you join us?