"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood." (Acts 20:28 NIV)
Paul always manages to wow me. He is the author of this text about pastoring and if we take a wide view, we find that it is nestled amidst a description of the last leg of his journeys. Paul was making his way toward Jerusalem, determined to be there to celebrate Pentecost, which had apparently eclipsed Passover in the hearts of first century believers.
In this chapter of Acts, Paul lets the reader know, it’s been rough. Persecution had abounded. Plots and threats were made and carried out with regularity. Paul described shepherding as humbling, tearful and testing. (Acts 20:19) He spoke of wolves at the door, ready to devour the flock. He knew that in church, truth and unity were rare and hard-won. His body bore the scars of his ministerial efforts. Paul had been supernaturally warned of prison and hardship awaiting him in the holy city, and still he was compelled to heed the Spirit’s leading. In tears, Paul pushed through personal feelings and set his face toward the city: obedient like His Savior before him. His account of ministry is daunting, but not unfamiliar. Pastoring is brutal business, but the retirement plan is out of this world. 🙂
I’ve spent the past few days preparing for tomorrow’s pastoral retreat. The local clergy association is getting together without a formal agenda. This is highly unusual. We typically convene over a boardroom lunch: discussing business between bites, as our monthly meeting is both efficient and brief. This time, though, we are driving to an out-of-town establishment. A change in scenery invites a more leisurely meal and fellowship. Prayerfully, we’ll set aside any notions of competition and pick up camaraderie. With this in mind, it’s been my privilege to prepare icebreakers, decor and door prizes for our time together.
An overall concept is a helpful tool in party planning. For this event, I’ve embraced a sheep theme, since we are all shepherds. There will be sheep on the name tags, sheep on the tablescapes, sheep by the podium and in the prizes, too. When I pick a muse, I go all in. 🙂 If I could have arranged a petting zoo situation, I definitely would have.
This text is my theme verse for the event. My hope is that each minister is reminded of our holy calling and divine privilege as pastors. It is of critical importance that we tend to our flock, but also ourselves. This morning, it occurs to me that the unruliest sheep in our fold might very well be us.
Some of this unruliness is due to first person limitations. The rest of our flock is seen in third person: as an outsider, we can spot the hazard they are rushing toward. We can address the mattering around their eyes. We can easily discern: are they sick or injured? Their need for shearing is obvious from across the pasture. A third person view easily allows us to see and attend to the needs of our sheep.
First person is far more subtle. We may feel ‘off’ or upset, but still struggle to identify causation. Our vision may be hindered, but we have a hard time removing the debris from our own line of sight. We may be careening toward a gulch or cliff, but how could we know apart from third person perspective? It is difficult to reign in our own heart because we are, in fact, quite wrapped around it.
We may not all be shepherds, but we each suffer from first person limitation. Thankfully, there is a cure for our handicap. God has mercifully set us in flocks. The sheep we share the pasture with can discern what is happening to us. They can warn us. They can give critical information and feedback. Of course, we remember that they, too, are flesh and subject to bias.
Recall, though, that Good Shepherd superintends each and every flock. He sees and knows all. What’s more, He’s good. He’s trustworthy. He’s faithful and true. He is not limited by first person or third person perspective. He’s actually what the literary world calls ‘third person, omniscient’. He sees within and without with equal clarity. We can trust our Holy Herdsman to lead us Home safe and sound.
"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know Me -- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father -- and I lay down My life for the sheep." (John 10:14 NIV)
Lord, help us keep watch of our own heart. First person is difficult because we can’t see ourselves accurately. Send us sheep who speak truth. And help us heed the leading of Your Spirit. Attend to us in life and ministry as we labor to make You known. We want to serve You faithfully all the way to the last gate. Amen.