<html><body><div>The second part ... 8 - )</div><div><br></div><div>Blessings for your work!</div><div><br></div><div>Bob</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2"> This is something that’s become foreign to us, though. We prize individuality; being seen and heard apart from and above everyone else, striving to get ahead by ourselves, rather than forming a glorious whole. And just as we expect to find ourselves noted for being such individuals, so we find ourselves in rivalry between communities – West Albany or South Albany; Albany or North Albany, or Millersburg; Albany or Corvallis; Beavers or Ducks – you can take this as far as you like. The thing is that the flock should only be seen as separate sheep when one gets in trouble. Then the rest come together, they react to try to assure safety for the one who has become separated. As a fascinating article about sheep points out – and as the caption mentions beside one of the photos in this morning’s bulletin – “there is surprising intelligence behind those eyes” and “</font><span style="margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><font face="Arial" size="2">Sheep are one of the most unfairly stereotyped animals on the planet. Almost </font></span><br><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>everything we believe about them is wrong.” <sup>1</sup></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:15.5pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:
0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Think of the reputation of sheep: They’re<em><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'> “</span></em><em><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-style: normal;'>stupid, defenceless and harmless creatures that mope about on hillsides doing not very much. They are good for two things: being eaten and producing wool.”</span></em></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:15.5pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:
0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><em><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Now check the reality. “Sheep are actually surprisingly intelligent, with impressive memory and recognition skills. They build friendships, stick up for one another in fights, and feel sad when their friends are sent to slaughter.” </span></em><sup><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>2</span></sup><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> <em><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-style: normal;'>And Jesus called us sheep!</span></em></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:15.5pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:
0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><em><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So when one sheep <u>DOES</u> become separated, by accident or design, it finds salvation when it becomes one with the flock again – and by the initiative of the flock. It’s the shepherd’s role, then, first and foremost, to ensure that salvation is offered to all, and to offer correction, when necessary, because, as that article points out, sheep “are also one of the most destructive creatures on the planet.” Maybe Jesus <u>REALLY</u> knows us!!</span></em></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><em><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Through the care and concern of the shepherd, then, the whole flock has this ethos of compassion, of openness to the needs of both the individual and as the individual works within the whole; the whole flock has this ethos imprinted upon it so that all may respond to the needs of the one who has been separated; or has become ill or injured; or can’t find food or shelter. And all the while, the nature of the sheep to become so destructive is gradually transformed through the shepherd’s constant attention, and through the work of the community.</span></em></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><em><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There’s an old saying that goes back to a theologian’s writing in the third century. “Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus - </span></em><span style='background: white; margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>outside the Church there is no salvation”. I heard it mostly regarding dogma in the Roman Catholic Church, but it’s not unique to that branch of Christianity. In their minds, this meant that the Roman Catholic Church was the repository of all correct dogma and efficacious Sacraments. That statement used to make me smile or grimace, depending on my mood or the way in which the comment was made on any particular day.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style='background: white; margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A bishop in the Orthodox tradition, however, while pointing out that this is not unique to one branch or another, is gentler and more thought provoking. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“‘</span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>Outside the Church there is no salvation, because salvation is the Church’ <sup>3 </sup>Does it therefore follow that anyone who is not visibly within the Church is necessarily damned? Of course not; still less does it follow that everyone who is visibly within the Church is necessarily saved. As Augustine wisely remarked: ‘How many sheep there are without, how many wolves within!’ <sup>4</sup> While there is no division between a ‘visible’ and an ‘invisible Church’, yet there may be members of the Church who are not visibly such, but whose membership is known to God alone. If anyone is saved, he must in <u>SOME</u> sense be a member of the Church; in <u>WHAT</u> sense, we cannot always say.” <sup>5</sup></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><em><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So, there are two things, at least, to consider. One, <u>WE</u> don’t know who will be in the community, the flock, or not. Jesus simply called everyone, and only God knows. We have to look, then, and listen, and sense, to become aware that, all the time, someone needs, both literally and metaphorically, to be brought in, to be bandaged, to be given food, drink and shelter – to discover that we are all part of God’s salvation.</span></em></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><em><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The second thing is to remember the incredible love that God has for everyone, and the wonderful lengths to which Jesus goes to ensure our safety. Every day, Jesus checks in on us. Every day, Jesus leaves notes and signs about where we can find what we need. Every day, Jesus is prepared to go looking for us, to bring us to where we need to be.</span></em></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><em><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>On second thoughts, that opening question is <u>NOT</u> unimportant to us.</span></em></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Maybe I shouldn’t, maybe we shouldn’t, be put off, or worried, about being asked, “Are you saved?” after all. Maybe all I need to do, we need to do, is to understand what the question really means. Am I, are you, are each of us, doing everything we possibly can, every day, to make sure that others – often the strangest of others, the supposedly placid, but actually highly intelligent “other sheep”; am I, are you, doing everything we possibly can to include absolutely everybody within the flock that is Jesus’ family?</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we are, or are at least putting all of our effort into trying to reach that goal, then we <u>ARE</u> being saved.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span><br></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>NOTES:</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><h1 style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;'><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>[1]</span></span></span></span></span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal"><span style='margin: 0px; color: black; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;'>Sheep are one of the most unfairly stereotyped animals on the planet. Almost everything we believe about them is wrong”</span></i><span style='margin: 0px; color: black; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: black; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;'>By Harriet Constable </span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: black; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;'>19 April 2017 </span></span><em><span style='margin: 0px; color: black; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;'><a href="http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170418-sheep-are-not-stupid-and-they-are-not-helpless-either"><span style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal;"><font color="#0000ff">http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170418-sheep-are-not-stupid-and-they-are-not-helpless-either</font></span></a></span></em><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span></h1><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'><font size="2">2</font></span></span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'><span style="margin: 0px;"><font size="2"> </font></span><font size="2">Harriet Constable, Op. cit.</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'><font size="2">3</font></span></span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'><span style="margin: 0px;"><font size="2"> </font></span><span style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><font size="2">G. Florovsky, </font><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><font size="2">"Sobornost: the Catholicity of the Church",</font></i><font size="2"> in</font><span style="margin: 0px;"><font size="2"> “</font></span><i><font size="2">The Church of God”</font></i><font size="2"> p. 53.</font></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'><font size="2">4</font></span></span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'><span style="margin: 0px;"><font size="2"> </font></span><span style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><font size="2">Augustine: Homilies on John, 45, 12.</font></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'><font size="2"> </font></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>5</span></span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="background: white; margin: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> Kallistos </span></span><cite><span style='background: white; margin: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-style: normal;'>Ware (1993) in </span></cite><cite><span style='background: white; margin: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Q2Z8bVDVMLEC&pg=PT303&lpg=PT303&dq=%22Extra+Ecclesiam+nulla+salus.+All+the+categorical+strength+and+point+of+this+aphorism+lies+in+its+tautology%22&source=bl&ots=_FUWRWBd8a&sig=NMRfWZsQal_6u24SsHO7p1cJIAg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NcodVeuNBMuVatLDgYgD&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAw"><span style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(102, 51, 102);">The Orthodox Church</span></a>. </span></cite><cite><span style='background: white; margin: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-style: normal;'>Penguin. p. 247–248.</span></cite><span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="background: white; margin: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> </span></i></span><cite><span style='background: white; margin: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-style: normal;'><a title="International Standard Book Number" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number"><i><span style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">ISBN</span></i></a> <a title="Special:BookSources/9780140146561" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780140146561"><i><span style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(11, 0, 128);">9780140146561</span></i></a>. Quoted in </span></cite><cite><span style='background: white; margin: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'>“Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus” – Wikipedia – emphasis added<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extra_Ecclesiam_nulla_salus"><span style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal;"><font color="#0000ff">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extra_Ecclesiam_nulla_salus</font></span></a></span></cite></span></p></div><div><br></div></body></html>