How do we hear Jesus?

     For the third week in the worship assessment, the 4th Sunday in Easter, we are once again in John's gospel.  This particular Sunday, no matter the year in the lectionary, is known as 'Good Shepherd Sunday' because the text is from John 10 where Jesus is using the metaphor of him as the shepherd and we as the sheep.  This year, year C in our rotation, the text is John 10.22-30.  There is one reference to sheep, and it is at the point when Jesus is claiming his followers as his own.
     Jesus and his followers are in Jerusalem for the Festival of Dedication.  They come across some Jews who wish to know if Jesus is the messiah: Please, tell us plainly! is their cry.  Jesus' response is interesting because in his he reveals that he's already told them and they just don't believe.  And not only that, but they don't believe because they are not one of his sheep.

My sheep hear my voice.  I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹What my Father has given me is greater than all else...

     My sheep hear my voice.  This statement ties right in with our theme for worship this week, "Means of Grace - The Word Preached and Proclaimed."  Many faith traditions put much emphasis on the weekly sermon, and rightly so.  However, even with much emphasis sermons in different places look very different.  As Lutherans, we believe that  the purpose of a sermon is to proclaim Christ.  Not to teach Christ, not to talk about Christ, but to actually proclaim Christ.  In other words, we believe that Christ is transmuted from the mouth of the preacher into the ears, minds, and hearts of those who hear.  That through the Holy Spirit's work, the words of the sermon are means by which Jesus' sheep hear his voice, follow him, and come to believe that they have eternal life.
     This is quite the audacious claim, and I know of not one preacher who doesn't take seriously the task of preparing and delivering a sermon which will connect with the listeners, in order to share Christ with them.  As we said before, this takes on different characteristics in different places - some sermons are 40-50 minutes in length and take a look at a single subject in many places in scripture.  Some are much shorter and only look at a single verse in scripture. Others take into account a single story and flesh out meaning and  Christ's voice in that.  Whatever the sermon looks like, it is the means by which God's grace is given to the hearers.
     As we think about what this means for our worship, and for our worship assessment,  wonder about how you hear Christ in worship each week.  The sermon is not the only place where words are spoken.  We have prayers, songs, creeds, confession and forgiveness.  We have peace and greetings and blessings.  Words are plentiful in our worship.  And the promise we hear from  Christ in John 10 are all about the sheep hearing Jesus' voice.
     How do you hear Jesus' voice?  How do you come to believe?  And what comfort do we get when we know that Christ has claimed us and that no one can snatch us out of his hand!