The difficulty is not solely in understanding their content, but in understanding their desired conduct to affect that obedience how I am to obey them – feeding and shepherding the sheep in God’s flock. These words of Christ to Peter in John 21:15-18 are still an unfathomable conundrum to me. “Tend my lambs,” “Shepherd my sheep,” “Tend my sheep.” Taken to heart, these are some of the most sobering words of pastoral commission to fall upon any shepherd’s ears. I have been reminded of that commission more than once, that it is my privilege as under-shepherd to move God’s sheep, a little closer to the Chief Shepherd. Half of the time, I don’t think all those creatures even realized she was very intentional to bring everything around closer to the shepherd of the home, but she did. That was her task, and she took it seriously. I remember she even tried to herd me closer to Laura. As Laura would walk, or even when she sat Lydia herded chickens, pheasants, cattle, other dogs and yes, even toddlers closer and closer to her master. As a shepherding dog with shepherding in her DNA, and being around livestock it was her routine to surround and motivate all able parties in her scope of influence to move toward the shepherd of the home, my friend Laura. I think of a Shepherd dog, Lydia, here in Bishop. A shepherd shepherds.Ĭongregants are not simply components of a church equation, they are people whom God has placed under our care, custody and authority – to love, nurture, and grow into the image of Christ. I am not saying those gifts aren’t useful, or that they may not eventually translate into effective shepherding, but they are not in themselves, shepherding. He was not looking for a “strategist to conceptualize, implement and assign analytically synthesized congregational components conducive to systematic holiness paradigms” – once again, he was looking for a shepherd to foster a love of God and others. He was not looking for a great communicator, speaker, or an orator, catalyst, strategist, CEO type who has been a part of Fortune 500, or facilitator or even a teacher. He was looking for a pastor who could effectively handle the word of God in his communication, and walk alongside the sheep for the journey. When God called me to be a shepherd, I believe he was not looking simply for a “leader” he was looking for a shepherd.

It is a sober alert of the ever-present threat upon the body of Christ in our post-Christian culture, to protect the flock, from the outside, from the inside, and even from themselves.

It is a reminder of the calling God has placed upon me to be an under-shepherd to the flock of Christ. Fox entitled “A Reliable Guardian.” So, why would a picture like this affect me so? The sheep are intently gazing to the north, the setting sun falling behind the outcropping of trees in the distance. It is a picture by R.A.

You see it is a simple picture, perhaps from the early 1920’s of a sheepdog, perched upon a rock formation intently monitoring a flock of sheep, perhaps forty or so in number, in the dell below. It is a reminder as I leave for the day, and as I return from the battle in which I am engaged – a battle which is consuming, in time and energy, and at times, in casualties. It serves as a sober reminder of the privileged call which God has placed upon my life.

In my office upon the wall, near the door hangs a picture it is a gift I received from a friend shortly after entering the pastorate.

Find the shepherd .com