Login / Signup

The Village Shepherd

Advent Sale - Save $131!

Janice Scott ... The Village Shepherd

After being ordained in 1994 with the first wave of women priests, Janice became curate in a large city centre parish in Norwich and from there, moved to South Norfolk in 1999 as Rector of a rural benefice of six parishes. After completing her MA in Pastoral Theology with the Cambridge Theological Foundation in 2008 she was appointed Honorary Canon of Norwich Cathedral. Janice now lives with her husband Ian just outside Norwich. In addition to her diocesan work and writing "The Village Shepherd," she is a freelance writer for Redemptorist Publications in the UK. She has also written and broadcasts "Pause For Thought" on a local radio station and has written several novels, all with a church background.

Christ The King (Proper 29) - C

Children's Liturgy and Story

Luke 23:33-43

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

A thief asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus came into his kingdom. In our worship today, let us explore those qualities which make Jesus a king.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes I fail to worship you as king.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I'm not interested in any kind of royalty.

Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Lord, have mercy.


Reading:

Luke 23:33-43


Story:

Children's Story

Luke 23:33-43

Janice B. Scott
King Agadir was a good and wise King. Sometimes it seemed he was too wise, for occasionally one of the courtiers or the young princes would challenge him. They seemed to think that being a King was all about riding on a shining white charger and using a sword. They would often show off their fencing skills, especially in front of the prettier princesses.

King Agadir would just laugh. He remembered the times when he had been a young and brash Prince himself. He too had had no idea of the real qualities needed by a King. His father had sent him on a time journey to find out for himself the qualities required to be a King. He tried to tell the young princes something of his story.

" I found a King," said Agadir, " riding on a - "

Intercession

Luke 23:33-43

Janice B. Scott
Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.


God of the heart as well as the mind,

I'm sometimes confused by all the different Christian stances. Some people say one thing, some people say something entirely different, yet they're all Christians. How can I know the truth?

Sermon

Colossians 1:11-20

Janice B. Scott
It's very interesting to be in the local school when children and parents are there together. Some children resemble their parents so closely that the relationship, even with the age gap, is unmistakable. Other children have some slight resemblance but nothing marked, until perhaps you see them walk or listen to their pattern of speech or watch their movements. Then the relationship becomes much more apparent. Other children are very like one or other parent in character, so that you hear such things as, "She's her father's daughter all right!" But yet other children are so utterly unlike either parent that you wonder how on earth they all belong to the same family.

Sermon

Luke 23:33-43

Janice B. Scott
A week or two ago, there was a brief clip in the news about children of courage. A number of different children were featured. Some had spent their childhood tending sick or injured parents at home. Some had shown great courage in rescuing other children, mostly from drowning. Some had been seriously ill themselves but had tackled that illness with impressive bravery.

Those I remember best, were a couple of nine-year old boys who witnessed a mugging and then chased the mugger. With no thought for their own safety, these two lads tackled the mugger, who dropped the handbag he had stolen. The boys returned the handbag to its rightful owner, and the thief was arrested.

Sermon

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10

Janice B. Scott
As Newton's Third Law of Motion tells us, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This seems to be true in the field of human relationships as well as in the field of physics, although in the field of relationships sometimes the reaction may be a little more than equal. Thus there are always tragic cases in the media where those who have been spurned by their lovers murder the lovers in revenge, a reaction that seems somewhat over the top.

What is The Village Shepherd?

The Village Shepherd offers sermons, bible stories, children's stories and prayers based on the Revised Common Lectionary. These inspirational sermons, stories, and prayers are sure to touch your heart, because they reflect the simple virtues and tranquil serenity that characterize Reverend Scott's English countryside pastorate. The questions "Where is God in this particular situation?" and "Where does the Gospel story cross our own human story?" are always at the heart of these meditations -- but rather than finding overt answers, instead you will be gently led to make your own connections and discover the powerful ways in which God works. Janice Scott has the unique ability to find interesting details in ordinary life that illuminate scripture, while still challenging even the most intellectual reader. And that gift is precisely what also makes her an outstanding communicator with children.

Most weeks include:

  • Sermon based on the Gospel reading
  • Sermon based on the Epistle reading
  • Sermon based on the First reading
  • Children's stories linked with the Gospel readings
  • Children's liturgy and story (a different story than mentioned above)
  • An intercessory prayer
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Christ the King Sunday
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Thanksgiving
14 – Sermons
80+ – Illustrations / Stories
18 – Children's Sermons / Resources
10 – Worship Resources
18 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Advent 1
30 – Sermons
90+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
George Reed
Christopher Keating
For November 23, 2025:

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
In 2014 Hannah Cotton, professor emerita of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was volunteering her time at the Israel Antiquities Authority’s scrolls laboratory, looking through some ancient documents written in Nabatean, a form of ancient Arabic. It was one of many documents which have been discovered in the desert caves of Judea, where people stashed valuables both during the Jewish War of 67-70 AD (in which the temple was destroyed), as well as the Bar Kokhba Rebellion of 132-135 AD.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 23:1-6 and Luke 1:68-79
Frank Ramirez
God reigns, now and always, but that is not always immediately apparent. Jeremiah warns the false shepherds, earthly rulers who plunder the flock, that God is watching, and someday the true Shepherd will be revealed! Paul reveals to the Colossians, who have no idea that the geological clock is ticking and an earthquake will devastate their city, that the man on the cross is the head of the body, the beginning and the end, and the first-born of the dead. And in Luke’s gospel we see that Jesus reigns, even from the cross, dispensing mercy and reward to a fellow sufferer.

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A simple gift for each child. Depending on your group, this could be a piece of candy, a cookie, a simple toy or book, or any other object you choose to give. Have them in a bag or box.

* * *

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

A thief asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus came into his kingdom. In our worship today, let us explore those qualities which make Jesus a king.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes I fail to worship you as king.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I'm not interested in any kind of royalty.

Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Lord, have mercy.


Reading:

SermonStudio

Constance Berg
I admit I like it when people are articulate. I like a leader to show a wealth of knowledge on a certain subject. Many people feel the same way. We like the flamboyant skater with a glittery costume and dramatic moves. We like the politician who shakes hands, has good debates, and shows up in the right photos. We admire the celebrity who gives selflessly.

So then, why have we been attracted to Jesus as our authority? Jesus was born in a barn. His father could not hold a job and was therefore demoted to the lowest trade at that time: carpenter. His mother was a teenager.
Schuyler Rhodes
"Be still and know that I am God."

How difficult it is to be still. The world in which we live conspires to make of us a blur as we rush about doing all the things we feel called to do. Indeed, it is difficult to be still. Today, the average worker in the American work force puts in fifteen to twenty more hours a week than a worker did a generation ago. Today, the demands of parenting and community are overwhelming as many find themselves also caring for aging parents. Being still? Sounds nice, but when would that happen? During sleep?
John W. Clarke
Although we are going to concentrate on Jeremiah 23:1-6, it is important to note that these verses are a part of a larger section that is best understood in its entirety. This section contains a collection of prophecies concerning the Davidic kings. It is not important that it be broken down verse by verse, but rather theme by theme.
Scott Suskovic
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created ... in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell...
-- Colossians 1:15-16, 19

Julia Ross Strope
If we love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, and strength,
we are going to have to stretch our hearts, open our minds,
and strengthen our souls ... God cannot lodge in a narrow mind;
God cannot lodge in a small heart. To accommodate God they must be palatial.
-- William Sloan Coffin, Credo

Call To Worship (Leader)

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL