“A Voice for the Sheep”

Fourth Sunday of Easter

April 26, 2026

‍Acts 2:42-47

John 10:1-10

Children’s Message:

Our dog, Chase, is a German Shepherd. He likes to hang out on our deck and patrol the backyard. Anytime he sees a person or animal approaching the fence, he leaps into action, running toward the fence and barking maniacally. As long as the offender keeps walking and moves past our yard, Chase will settle back down.

But there are a couple of foxes that live nearby and a cat next door, and they always come out in the morning and hang around the neighborhood. They don’t just pass by. They sit. And watch. And meander around. And this drives Chase wild. He can’t stand it. So, he barks. Not maniacally, but like a metronome. Woof. Woof. Woof. And it can go on for several minutes.

The only way to get him to stop is to call at him from the door. But he often can hear my voice because it’s drowned out by his barks. So, instead, I whistle. He can hear it and recognize, and he knows it means that it’s time to shut up and come inside.

Today, Jesus talks about being a good shepherd for the sheep. The sheep recognize his voice and know he is safe to follow. But I wonder if sometimes, we make so much noise that we can’t always hear Jesus’ voice. You know, we’re so noisy with all the things we’re doing—our activities, our friends, our worries, our music, our busy schedules—that Jesus could be calling our names, and we don’t even know it.

I wonder, what kinds of things in your life keep you from hearing Jesus? What kinds of things take up the most space in your brain and your day? And what does Jesus have to do to get your attention?

Let’s pray. Dear God, help us hear your voice when you call. And when we can’t hear, please whistle. Amen.

Message:

Today’s text doesn’t just talk about Jesus as the good shepherd and the gate for the sheep. It tells us WHY this matters. Because God wants us to have abundant life. And not just us—as in Christians, or Americans, or Lutherans. God wants all of creation to live into abundance. But what does that mean?

Abundance is having plenty. Plenty of food so that no one goes hungry. Plenty of water so that no one goes thirsty. Plenty of hope. Plenty of love. Plenty of friends. Plenty of safety. What it does NOT mean is having everything we want. It is having everything we need. Our daily bread.

In his explanation of the Lord’s Prayer in the Small Catechism, Martin Luther describes our daily bread as “everything included in the necessities and nourishment for our bodies, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, farm, fields, livestock, money, property, an upright spouse, upright children, upright members of the household, upright and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, decency, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.” What is not included in this list is room for greed or fear. Everyone has what is needed—nothing more, but nothing less.

When we pray for daily bread, we’re praying for abundant life—life promised by Christ, himself. But we know that this abundance only happens when we all work for the benefit of each other. And often, that is very hard work. This is the desire of Justice in Action—that all have their daily bread—both literally and metaphorically.

One of the issues we’ve been working on this year is food insecurity. Food deserts and lack of transportation are real problems in Lincoln and Lancaster County. And more mercy ministries like food pantries and free meals will not solve an ever-growing problem in our community. Another issue we are still working on is criminal justice—specifically the expanded use of problem-solving programs for those awaiting trial. These will be the negotiations happening this Thursday at our Nehemiah Action.

If you attended last year, you are well aware of the tension that will likely be present again as we negotiate with our elected officials. Some of the people there were less than pleased at how we—I, specifically—handled County Attorney Pat Condon. Many felt I was rude. Many heard the things he said and felt that we were being unreasonable. So, let me clear some things up as we prepare for another round with Condon, the other candidate for his position Randy Ritnour, the County Commissioners and, hopefully, our city Mayor.

Justice in Action, the people gathered at the action on Thursday, and the negotiators represent the vulnerable when we gather in that space. We bring the tension of hungry bellies, people facing eviction, and folks struggling with mental health and substance abuse to the gathering. We don’t create it. It already exists in our community. And we are not there to be liked. Which is a bit antithetical to our Nebraska Nice mindset. Our tendency is to give great deference to people in authority.

But don’t forget that these folks are not only politicians; they were elected to serve our community. What we are asking is not only in service to our community, but it is also an effort to help our elected officials move forward. We all know how easy it is to sit in meetings and talk about problems…and talk about solutions…and then go home and never actually make any changes. The people we will be talking to on Thursday have all talked about these various solutions. Frequently. But nothing ever seems to happen. There are goals and strategic plans, but no actual movement. No changes. And so things keep falling further into disrepair.

It’s like telling yourself you’ll work out tomorrow. And when tomorrow comes, you say the same thing, making promises to yourself but never following up on those promises. Maybe, occasionally, you go for a walk. And you feel like you’ve been successful. But imagine having an accountability partner—someone who checks in with you, challenging you to do better, not because you’re bad but because they know you have the potential for a healthier lifestyle, but that life often gets in the way.

That is what we’ll be doing on Thursday. We are the accountability partners, challenging our officials to do what they’ve been charged to do as a function of their offices. If it feels tense, remember the people you are representing. Bring your bulletin insert along—the one that has the 7 D’s. And when it feels like the negotiators are being rude, look to those D’s to see what’s really happening.

This insert comes directly from our parent organization, DART (Direct Action and Research Training). But if you came last year, you’ll recognize many of these statements as things Pat Condon used to derail the negotiation and get the audience on his side. We aren’t against him or the other officials. We simply want our community to have life, and have it abundantly.

So, as you sit and listen on Thursday, allow yourself to take a step back. Listen for the voice of the shepherd. Listen for a whistle when the noise of false promises gets too loud. Pay attention to tactics used to divert our attention elsewhere. And remember who we represent—the vulnerable in our community who are longing to be heard—who are longing for abundant life. We are their voice that day. And justice, while not always Nebraska Nice, is always kind. Always compassionate. And always seeking abundance.

Pastor Tobi White

Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church

Lincoln, NE