shepherding the shepherd
from PreachingToday.com
‘With Prayer and Fasting’
Our churches face more danger than we and our fellow elders probably realize. In recent years, our churches have started security teams who quietly keep watch at the doors, in the halls, and around the parking lot. Perhaps elders should be given walkie-talkies some Sundays and take a turn to help us imagine our spiritual vulnerability. We would pray more urgently for one another and our flock.
‘To Continue in the Faith’
To help Christian pilgrims in their progress toward the Celestial City God gives them shepherds, which is where we come in. It is sweet work indeed when we can lead someone up the hill to the Cross and watch with them as the burden of their sin rolls away. But most of our shepherding helps the pilgrim after that, with what Bunyan called in the subtitle of his book, “His Dangerous Journey.”
Strong Medicine
Whenever I get to spend a day with a small group of pastors I begin by asking, “How is shepherding good for your soul and how is it hard on your soul?” How would you answer that?
‘What I Do Have I Give You’
I suspect none of us have a line in our job description stating, “Prioritize interruptions,” or “Stop, whenever the Spirit leads, to do acts of kindness in Jesus’ name.” Can you imagine that coming up in your annual job review? “On a scale of one to ten how would you rate yourself on spontaneous acts of kindness? Give examples.”
Roses
The bouquet of red roses caught my attention. Just before Christmas two women and a little girl found seats near the fireplace in the coffee shop where I hang out. They brought the roses. One of the women, a pastor’s wife, recognized me, and we chatted for a moment. “Who are the roses for?” I asked. “We don’t know yet,” she replied. “We’re going to ask God who we should give them to.”
‘Myrrh Is Mine’
There is a sacred fragrance to our calling. Pastors handle holy treasures, lay our hands upon the warm outside walls of eternity, dwell on God’s mystery finally made known, and outfit saints for eternity with Christ. It is like working in a perfumery. “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved ….”