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.
Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B
Children's Liturgy and Story
Mark 10:46-52
Janice B. Scott
They said to the blind man, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." Jesus continues to call us today, so in our worship let us take heart, get up and respond to him.
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes we don't hear you when you call.
Lord, have mercy.Jesus, sometimes our hearts are low and we feel fed up and depressed.
Christ, have mercy.Jesus, sometimes you feel so far away that we are unable to respond to you.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
Mark 10:46-52
Children's Story
Mark 10:46-52
Janice B. Scott
This is a story about Greg and his friends, who discover they can't "see" quite as well as they thought.
It was Greg's birthday party, but he was utterly fed up. He'd been looking forward to this day for months and all his friends were coming, but his mother had suddenly dropped on him that she'd invited a girl! That was bad
Sermon
Hebrews 7:23-28
Janice B. Scott
I ended up with a blank sheet of paper, but one person wrote, "I know that Jesus saves me." That led onto an interesting discussion along the lines of: saves you from something? Or for something? How does Jesus save you? What does "Jesus saves me" actually mean? As I recall, nobody had much idea what the words meant, but it was in car-sticker vogue at the time.
Sermon
Mark 10:46-52
Janice B. Scott
Sometimes I feel like that about God; as though I'm doing all the talking, but I don't know whether or not he's listening. I can't get a feel of God's presence, so that prayer becomes a real struggle because I can't detect any response.
I've often wondered why communicating with God should be so difficult. Why do I sometimes feel that I'm talking to myself? Why doesn't God reply? Why
Sermon
Job 42:1-6, 10-17
Janice B. Scott
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