Today was the story of the good shepherds.
We celebrated Cornelius Hill, Episcopal priest and the last hereditary chief of the Oneida nation, who used his Christian faith to help his people deal with the changes they faced and the authority of his ordination to be a bridge between the Oneida and white culture.
The Rev. Cathlena Plummer of Navajoland told the powerful story of her family raising sheep and hearing the voice of her deceased father call to her by her Navajo name to save the sheep. That call to save the sheep also led her to become a priest, combining her Christian and Navajo spiritual identity.
Jesus tells us in the gospel of John today that the good shepherd not only gives his or her all to save the sheep of the fold, but also to gather up the sheep that do not belong to the fold, so there will be one flock, and that all will be saved.
The service began and ended with Native American music of flute and drums.
