It’s been a week of grace, joy in serving communion services, standing at the bedside of a dear friend as she passed into God’s mercy, and holding the new life of a grandchild. In one breath, I have witnessed the full arc of life; beginning, ending, and the sacred moments in between. Alongside this, I’ve walked with brothers who lost parents and prayed with a Deacon with a long-suffering wife; hearts stretched between sorrow and hope. And in all of it, the words of the Gospel echo with striking clarity: from John 10:10 - “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

But what is this “abundant life” Christ promises?

In a world filled with noise, countless voices compete for our attention. Some promise happiness through wealth, fulfillment through pleasure, freedom through answering to no one. They are loud, persuasive, and often hollow. Meanwhile, the voice of Christ remains steady and unchanged: Give. Love. Be faithful. Serve. Surrender. This is the world to which we are sent.

The challenge is not that Christ is silent, it’s that we often choose not to listen.

Yet there are moments when we hear Him clearly. A newborn child calms at the sound of a loving voice. And at life’s end, I saw it again this week, a familiar voice bringing peace to one preparing to meet the Lord. In grief, too, I’ve watched it unfold: the quiet strength given to those mourning parents, the sustaining grace in a widowed Deacon and a widowed wife. These are not just human moments; they are sacred signs. They reveal how deeply we are made to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd.

Christ’s promise of abundant life is not about avoiding suffering or death. It is about living and dying, in relationship with Him. It is learning, day by day, to tune our ears to His voice above the noise.

Because in the end, when all other voices fade, His voice will remain, steady, familiar, full of peace.

And our deepest hope is this: that we will do then what we have practiced all our lives;

Lift our heads…Turn toward Him…And walk straight into His voice.

That is life.  That is abundant life.

In Christ the Servant + Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Receive + Believe + Teach + Practice