shepherding the shepherd
from PreachingToday.com
Dying Well Now
The three interwoven strands of discipleship—self-denial, cross-bearing, and Christ-following—are a blessed death sentence, shot through with resurrection life. We are called to die daily, putting to death our old nature, and sometimes sharing in the sufferings of Christ.
Sign Language
Disciples fail when we don’t see meanings. The manger was a sign to be interpreted. When Jesus turned water to wine at a wedding, that was a sign. When he fed huge crowds from small lunches, with specific basketsful left over, those were signs. When disciples miss what these miracles signify, blind hearts are the problem. That’s where pastors come in.
Interventionists
The Holy Spirit regularly dispatches pastors to a counseling session, a panicky phone call, a hospital visit, or whispered worry in the church foyer. We are sent so that their faith doesn’t fail.
Head Waiter
For the good of his flock, God schools his pastors in the rigors of waiting. That standard image of a shepherd standing patiently, staff in hand, while their flock munches contentedly on grass isn’t really what pastoral waiting is like. Our waiting can be nerve-wracking, frustrating, bewildering, or heartbreaking.
Oil and Prayer
The best gifts pastors get don’t come under the Christmas tree or during Pastor Appreciation Month. These came with oil and prayer.
The Unexpected Prayer
I was sitting in the back row of the choir that Friday evening. I’d been in the back row, so to speak, throughout most of Kim’s journey but the steady witness of our church and finding a lost sheep was a gift I’ll never forget.