For May 15, 2011 -- 4th Sunday Of Easter

CALL TO WORSHIP/OPENING PRAYER
Listen! Do you hear the Voice?
A Voice that is familiar. A Voice calling us out. A Voice that we trust.
We hear the Voice. We know the Voice. And so we come.
Trusting that we will be led to green pastures and clear waters. Trusting that the Voice will stay with us to comfort and protect.
Shepherding God, always beside us,
lead us in paths of righteousness. Guide us on the daily journeys of life.
And way the way grows dark,
protect us with your rod and staff, help us find the path back into the light.
In our time of worship this morning,
remind us that we can trust in the Good Shepherd who leads us. Remind us also that we who have been led by the shepherd are also called to lead others.
May this time of song and prayer and reflection,
empower and embolden us as we go out to feed and tend those of your flock who share our lives. Amen.

COMMISSIONING:
The Risen Christ asks us: Do you love me?
And calls us to feed his lambs, to feed his sheep.
As people who have been fed, who follow the Good Shepherd,
we go into the world where we live and serve, a world where so many need feeding, comforting, who need to know they are loved.
We go to share the love of the Shepherd, to help people find the path through valleys of darkness, to work together to find green pastures and clear water.
As we go out to serve the Shepherd may we always remember that we are not alone, that the Shepherd never abandons the flock.
Thanks be to God!
Amen