Thought for the Week The fourth Week of Easter.

Easter Blessing

How beautiful is the blossom
Spilling from the tree
The hidden primrose
and the bluebell
ringing out the news.
He is risen,
He is alive,
we shall live for evermore.
The dark winter is past
the slow, cold foggy days are over
May the warmth of your resurrection
touch our hearts and minds
as the warmth of the sun
blesses our bodies.
Kate Mcllhagga

John. (10.11–18)

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away – and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.
I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.
I have received this command from my Father.’