Sermon preached at the Sung Eucharist on the Fourth Sunday of Easter 2026

On 1st April 2026, the world watched with fascination, awe and joy as the crew of Artemis II launched into space from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, eventually travelling further into the unknown than any other astronauts have done before. The images sent back to Earth over the next ten days were extraordinary, the interviews from the crew were so inspiring. In a news cycle which feeds us so much horror on a daily basis, this was a story we could all get on board with, albeit metaphorically!

The crew spoke again and again in interviews, both during orbit and back on land, of their camaraderie and shared mission. One of them, Christina Koch, described what she saw as the key characteristics of a crew. She said: "A crew is a group that is in it all the time, no matter what… that is willing to sacrifice silently for each other; that gives grace; that holds accountable. … A crew is inescapably, beautifully, dutifully, linked." Her sincerity and emotion were clear in her speech, as her crewmates gave earnest nods of agreement. They understood each other, trusted each other, knew each other. This kind of camaraderie is precious. Relationships which go deep enough to endure challenge and sacrifice are the ones we need to hold on to, and I think this level of connection inspires the same in others, too.

We see a similar kind of 'all in' attitude amongst the early believers in the book of Acts. They had everything in common, shared all that they had, gave to those in need, and spent much time together. It is an idyllic image of Christian community. They had a common purpose, and they were ready to do all they could to enable it to flourish.

Fast forward a few hundred years and the cracks begin to show. There are disagreements, dissentions, protests, schisms. The beautiful image of Christ's Church as one unified body becomes like a lovely but rather unrealistic dream. In our own times, we see a lamentable lack of unity in the worldwide Church. There is much to be done to heal wounds, to seek understanding, to show genuine love to one another. And the world outside of the Church is fighting against itself too. A few people with too much power have agendas which seek only to demonstrate their strength and impenetrability, breeding fear and violence for so many.

If we are to find our way out of conflict or hostility of any kind, whether political, military or even domestic, we must listen closely to the words of Christ, who is the gate and the good shepherd. Jesus explained to his listeners that the sheep hear his voice, that he calls them by name, that they follow him because they know his voice. He was referring to the shepherds of his time and culture, who protected the creatures in their care with their lives, who lay across the entrance of the sheep pen to create a barrier against thieves, who led the sheep to pasture walking at the front of the flock, because the sheep knew and trusted them enough to follow them. Crucially, Jesus said, they will not follow a stranger.

Strangeness begets fear and mistrust. Distancing oneself from another builds walls. And the only way to dismantle mistrust and fear is to choose proximity. To get to know the other. To build a relationship where one is known.

Later in John's gospel, Jesus says, "I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father." Now there are worlds of meaning in that one sentence which we can ponder upon for the rest of our days, but let's just consider the essence. To know and to be known – that is the central element of Christ's relationship with his sheep, that is, with us. To know and to be known builds trust, creates bonds, creates community, creates the image of Christian life which the apostles were building in those early post-resurrection days. 

Jesus says that the sheep trust the shepherd, and this is only possible because of the bonds built over time. Trust is something which is becoming increasingly stretched in our own times. It seems there are new revelations almost every other day about influential figures who have abused their power, destroying our trust. AI images and advanced filters are increasingly sophisticated, deceiving viewers, making it almost impossible to discern what is real. How can we trust anyone or anything nowadays? Perhaps it is becoming difficult even to trust ourselves sometimes.

So, to trust takes effort and courage for those who have been let down by the world. But this is what Christ asks of us. To trust him. If we are to be Christ's sheep, following him, listening to him, forging bonds, we must learn to recognise his voice. The only way we can learn to trust him is to know him. 

Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch watchmaker, who helped many Jewish people escape the Holocaust in WWII, and who herself was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, wrote extensively on the grace and love of God in Christ, particularly in light of her harrowing experiences. So, she was well-qualified, I think, to write, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." She understood that trusting God means knowing God, that when life is difficult or painful, drawing closer to God brings peace.

In the midst of the uncertainty and fear of this world, we are called by Christ to follow him, to know him and to trust him, and in so doing, find abundant life.