shepherding the shepherd
from PreachingToday.com
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.
Hospital Gifts
I was stunned when one of the young adults in the group I pastored called to tell me she’d had herself admitted to a psychiatric hospital because she was suicidal. I knew I needed to visit her, but I was a rookie assistant pastor and I’d never faced anything like that.
The Gift of Fellow Shepherds
I treasure the fellowship of other pastors. There is this look that passes between us that says, “I know.” I’m so grateful that God opened my heart to fellow shepherds whose traditions are different from my own but who clearly love the Lord, his Word, and his people as deeply as I do.