Whose voice do you hear?

     No, I'm not suggesting we're all hearing voices in our head.  The question is a real one: whose voice(s) do you hear and listen to?  Whose opinions matter most?  To whom do you go for advice or counsel?  If you really stop to think about it, there are lots of voices out there, each trying to be louder than the other, and the messages those voices tell us aren't always the most helpful.
     Think of the last commercial you saw.  What is that voice telling you?  Most likely the voice is telling you that your life won't be complete until you buy whatever product they're trying to sell you.  Whether it's a car that will make you look good and will make your children behave, or whether it's a pair of shorts, or even the kind of trash bag you use, the voice is telling you that you're not quite good enough until you have their item.  Or perhaps the voice you hear is the voice from the corporate world telling you that if you only work a little harder and spend less time with your family you will advance in your career and it will all be worth it when you get that pay raise. 
     In this week's gospel lesson, John 10.1-10, we hear Jesus tell his disciples that sheep will follow the voice of their shepherd because they recognize him when the shepherd calls them by name and leads them.  I've always assumed that Jesus is talking about himself - that Jesus is the shepherd and he calls us by name.  But the images are mixed because the disciples don't understand (and they're in good company, since I think these verses can be a bit confusing) and in the next breath Jesus is the gate.  However, even with these mixed images, I have been thinking about the shepherd and the sheep.  I often listen to many voices, the voices in books I read, the voices of colleagues, friends, and family, and sad as it is, even sometimes the voices of the advertisements.  Those are often the first and loudest voices that I hear, but unfortunately they are not always the most helpful or healthy voices to listen to.
     In this season of Easter as we remember that we are joined to Jesus' death and resurrection through our baptism, we also remember that Jesus' voice is important above all others.  In the waters of baptism Jesus names and claims us, and speaks to us promises of resurrection and eternal life.  These are promises that we are already good enough without the newest or latest fashions and gadgets.  These are the promises that we are valuable no matter how many hours we work, or how productive that work is.  These are the promises that no matter how many times we make mistakes or fail to do what is right, we are still God's children, called by name and loved regardless.
     As you go about this week, I want you to take time to listen.  Whose voice do you year?