Following is the sermon outline of Rev. Dr. Lillian C. Smith upon her installation as the Altoona District Superintendent, on Sunday, October 13, 2024, held at St. Paul UMC in Chambersburg. View the service here. (Sermon begins at 1:11:30)
By Rev. Dr. Lillian C. Smith, Altoona District Superintendent
John 10:11-16 NIV
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So, when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep 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 are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”
Acts 10: 44-48
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
This evening, we stand in the steps of those who have gone before us. We have inherited the faith and congregations of people who have gone before us. We stand in the legacy of faith of those who worked in mines, those who worked on the railroads, those who were teachers, those who were farmers, and those who served in the military. We worship in congregations that were started by individuals who sacrificed land and resources so that people in our generation could have a place to worship the Lord.
I, like you, stand on the shoulders of those giants of faith who have gone before me. So, I call the roll of family members who were in this Methodist tradition of Christianity: I call Rosetta and Francis Asbury Webb. I call Leah and Edward Poole. Tonight, I remember Eula and Charlie Smith. I remember Lillie and Hayward Webb, and I remember my parents, the late Doris and Rev. C. Jasper Smith. All of them passed on a vibrant understanding and witness of Christianity in the Methodist movement.
I call the roll of churches from which I descend: New Hope, Mount Elon, Cumberland, Asbury in Easton MD, Wattsville VA, Mount Calvary and Asbury in Washington, DC.
I am truly thankful for those who passed on a faith which has held me and kept me to this day.
I am going to talk on the topic of following the Good Shepherd.
In the gospel of John, Jesus identifies himself as the Good Shepherd. It is Jesus who not only protects the sheep but also protects the door to the sheepfold. The sheepfold is an open area that was surrounded in some way, such as by stones that were built up like a little wall and sometimes would be topped with thistles and thorns, and it had one door by which the sheep could go in and out. It was the Good Shepherd who stood in front of the door to make sure that the enemies, the predators—those things that wanted to destroy the sheep—could not come in.
An interesting thing about sheep is that sheep are not too smart. They are vulnerable and are easily attacked and destroyed by wolves, cougars, bears, foxes and other animals.
Humans are very like sheep, in that we have an enemy of our soul that is trying to destroy us. People are very vulnerable and they need protection.
There’s a story of Shrek the sheep that became famous several years ago when he was found after hiding out in caves for six years. Of course, during this time his fleece grew without anyone having shorn it. When he was finally shorn, his fleece weighed an amazing 60lbs—50 lbs more than normal and enough to make twenty men’s suits.
Shrek carried six times the regular weight of his fleece simply because he was away from his shepherd. It took a professional sheerer less than a half hour to rid him of his burden. We can get weighed down with the effects of sin and the attacks of the enemy, but if we follow the Good Shepherd, he will take care of us.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the savior of our souls. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through him.
The passage in John reminds us also that Jesus said that he has other sheep who are not a part of this fold; people in our communities that are vulnerable and need protection. There are people today who need to be freed from the weight of sin and pain. They need the Good Shepherd.
In these times in which we find ourselves, we need to follow the Good Shepherd, and we need to bring others with us.
We will soon be the Freedom Trail District. In this district, freedom was fought for at the Gettysburg Battlefield. In this district, President Abraham Lincoln shared the Gettysburg Address. In this district, people sought freedom through the Underground Railroad.
From Raystown Lake to Gettysburg Battlefield, we are going to reach more people for Jesus Christ. In the boroughs, towns, cities, mountains, valleys, and farmlands of Adams, Bedford, Blair, Franklin, Fulton, and Huntingdon Counties let’s go and tell lost sheep about the Shepherd from Galilee. Let’s usher them into a relationship with the good shepherd. We are called to share God’s love and the good news of the gospel with our neighbors, our family members, friends, and associates.
In these perilous times, people need the Lord. We need to get past our arguing. We need to put our eyes back on Jesus and do what he calls us to do.
We are called to reclaim an understanding of the mission of the church. Every congregation is called by God to make disciples of all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them all that Jesus taught us.
A lot of what we talk and bicker about takes our attention off our mission. There are sheep in our neighborhoods who need to come into the sheepfold of our God.
Beloved, it’s about Jesus, it’s not about us.
In this district, one congregation provided a gift bag for 600 students of their neighborhood and provided a back-to-school meal to the teachers. Another congregation provides a middle-of-the-day kids club at their church so that children can come to know, love, and follow Jesus.
The scripture passage for the District Conference was Matthew 9:35-38. In our charge conferences we share in a Lectio Divina to reflect on the passage, and it is reminding us to go to the least and the lost—regardless of whether we agree or not—and love who God loves.
Every congregation, every congregation, is called to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. To make disciples, we need to be disciples, spending time with Jesus to learn more of Him. Disciples imitate Jesus in ministry. Disciples invite others on the journey.
One of the on-boarding questions for me was, “What are your missional priorities?” My missional priorities are to:
- Increase the level of prayer in the churches of the new Freedom Trail District.
- Help congregations grow in their discipleship. Bible study, small groups, and other gatherings that help us grow in our faith.
- Help congregations engage or re-engage their neighbors.
- Increase outreach and evangelism.
We cannot combat the Enemy on our own, through programs or slogans. It is only by the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit that we will be able to contend with powers and principalities as we pray and fight for our families, communities, and our nation.
The following things are needed:
- Reclamation of God’s Kingdom mandate.
- Renew and Strengthen relationship with God -Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- Engage our communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Get to know our neighbors.
- Get past our fear of sharing our faith.
- Intentionally cultivate relationships with others outside our churches
- Embrace the Christian understanding of what it means to be in ministry with our communities, following the direction of and yielding to the Holy Spirit.
What would it look like? It would look like the kingdom of God on earth.
It is my prayer and expectation that God will move in mighty ways in this district, conference, and entire area.
Holy Spirit, do it again. Holy Spirit, have your way. Holy Spirit we’re asking for fresh wind and fresh fire. Lead us where you want to, not where we want to. Holy Spirit, have your way! Amen.
