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The Village Shepherd

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.

The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C

Children's Liturgy and Story

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

 God said to Jesus, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." As we worship him today, let us offer him ourselves, so that he may be well pleased with us, for we too are his beloved children.

Invitation to Confession:

 Jesus, when we fail to notice your Holy Spirit in our lives or the lives of others, Lord, have mercy.

 Jesus, when we ignore your Holy Spirit in our lives or the lives of others, Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, when we reject your Holy Spirit in our lives or in the lives of others, Lord, have mercy.

 Reading:

 Luke 3:15-17 and 21-22

Children's Story

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Janice B. Scott
John the Baptist told his followers that the Messiah (Jesus) would baptise with fire. But fire can be dangerous; people can get burnt if fire is not controlled and channelled. This is a story about a young princess with a fiery temper, who only found happiness when her temper was properly controlled.

Intercession

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

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 fire and earth and sea,

Sermon

Acts 8:14-17

Janice B. Scott
I was very disturbed to read in the papers recently about those two teenage girls who both died, apparently in a suicide pact, just before Christmas.

I was even more disturbed to learn that one of the girls had developed a deep interest in things spiritual. The implication was that it was partly due to her unshakeable belief in the eternal nature of the soul and the continuation of life after death, that had encouraged her to take this terrible path.

Any religion which is so intense that it can encourage its young people to take their own lives, is distorted. Sometimes the observance of Christianity is indeed distorted, and that distortion moves Christianity away from the truth.

Sermon

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Janice B. Scott
Many years ago, when Ian and I were first married, we lived in a house without central heating. I remember struggling one day to light the fire in the lounge, but however I laid the sticks and the screwed-up newspaper and the coal, I couldn't get the fire to catch. So I did something I'd seen my mother do many times, during my childhood. I held a double spread of broadsheet newspaper across the chimneybreast, over the front of the open grate, to catch the draught and 'draw' the fire. The fire caught, all right. But unfortunately, it caught the paper I was holding, which instantly roared into flame. I quickly dropped the paper into the grate and no harm was done, but it was a nasty moment. I was more careful with fire after that.

Sermon

Isaiah 43:1-7

Janice B. Scott
I was once in a group for something or other where we were offered a pile of photographs. We were each invited to choose the photo which we liked the most and the photo which we liked the least. Then, of course, being group work, we were asked to reveal the reasons for our choices.

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...
Advent 3
31 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Advent 4
36 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
19 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
3 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Christmas!
27 – Sermons
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
3 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

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John Jamison
Object: A garbage bag.

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The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For January 12, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the logic of the church year, we have spent four weeks anticipating the coming of the Lord, followed by two that celebrate his arrival. Now, with the liturgical and seasonal remembrances of his birth and epiphany completed, we fast forward to his baptism. That is essentially what the gospels do, and we follow their lead.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Isaiah 43:1-7

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
Ted looked out over the field behind his grandparent’s house and sighed. He tried to ignore the noise from the family gathering inside and concentrate on the trees next to the house. What was wrong with him? He had been so excited to be baptized, so enthusiastic about becoming a Christian and part of the church, and now that it was over all of that excitement seemed to evaporate. Had he made a mistake?

“What are you doing out here?” Sam asked from behind him.

Ted shrugged as his older brother joined him at the railing on the deck. “I just needed some air.”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
I was very disturbed to read in the papers recently about those two teenage girls who both died, apparently in a suicide pact, just before Christmas.

I was even more disturbed to learn that one of the girls had developed a deep interest in things spiritual. The implication was that it was partly due to her unshakeable belief in the eternal nature of the soul and the continuation of life after death, that had encouraged her to take this terrible path.

SermonStudio

James Evans
The references in this psalm to God's appearance in the storm are strongly reminiscent of the creation narrative. The idea of the "Lord enthroned over the flood" (v. 10), connects with the image of God's presence "brooding over the waters."

Raising these images in connection with the baptism of Jesus, however, provides an opportunity to not only expand our thinking about baptism, but about creation as well.

Harold C. Warlick, Jr.
A certain physician started to practice medicine in a large city. His ambitions were strong and opportunities seemed plentiful there. Success was his right from the start. His practice became almost too large for him to handle. Fame and praise were heaped on him to overflowing. But he forgot that a doctor should do more than heal sick bodies. For this physician, a patient was only interesting if the sickness was interesting and then only as a stimulus to further his fame.
William G. Carter
One Saturday when I was seventeen or eighteen, I had an unusual religious experience. I was serving on my church's board of deacons, and one of the middle-aged members of the board was driving me around so we could drop in and visit some older members of our church.

This was during the late seventies, at a time when our congregation was going through some turmoil. A number of people had been caught up in the charismatic movement that was going through a numbexound that day was very involved in the movement.
Steven E. Albertin
I'm glad to see that so many of you are wearing your nametags this morning. We have been struggling for some time to get you to wear them and it seems as though our latest solution is working. Putting the nametag table right next to the greeters so that you can't miss them as you walk into the church seems to do the job. Having everyone wear nametags is important to us because at Christ Church we don't want people to feel anonymous, disconnected, alone. In this church relationships matter. Relationships are at the heart of what we are about.

Special Occasion

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