Pastors as True Shepherds


This past Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, has traditionally been known also as "Good Shepherd Sunday" due to the normally scheduled Gospel reading of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. It is clear from the John 10 reading that our Lord also addressed those who should have been shepherds to Israel but instead became the very opposite: thieves and robbers. Instead of caring for the sheep by leading them to the calm waters and green pastures of God's grace, they instead straight-jacketed them in burdensome legal mandates of their own interpretation.

And the shepherds today? Martin Luther, in reflecting on John 10, once stated that all who do not preach Christ are thieves and robbers. Unfortunately many a would-be shepherd preaches eloquently and passionately, waving his Bible in the air, yet fails to truly proclaim Christ and the free grace and salvation He won for us in His death. How easy it is to substitute legalistic expectations for grace! How tempting to attempt to inspire people by convincing them that they can make a difference if only they try a little harder. How seemingly Christian it is to turn the Gospel into Law, and rob God's people of their gifts in Christ by dominating the golden moment in the pulpit to talk of little but felt needs and techniques for happy living without breaking their sinful pride and healing with the blessed forgiveness of Christ.

The word "pastor" actually means "shepherd" and is an appropriate title for any Minister of the Word. Yet it is also a reminder to those of us who have this call to be faithful as shepherds, and not relinquish our vocation to be CEO's, religious coaches, or as some have called the ministers of the mega churches: ranchers. We lead sheep to still waters and green pastures where they can be nourished and fed. We do not leave the sheep to find their own food, but weekly lead them to the pastures of God's Word and the bounty of His Table. And if we faithfully lead them here, indeed as the psalmist said, they will not be wanting.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Firefighter's Cross

Image
[Note: A similar article to this will be shared with my department at their next meeting. During this Lenten season when we are meditating on the significance and meaning of the Passion of our Lord and the Cross at Golgotha, it seemed like one way to offer a witness to the department that captured their interest and yet was not too heavy.] [Editorial Note: In response to a recent comment on this article I have made some changes to the original version of this article especially in regard to references to the so-called St. Florian's Cross. For any confusion the previous unreferenced information may have caused I apologize. I hope that the changes are satisfactory.] THE STORY OF THE MALTESE CROSS In many ways the familiar symbol to the right requires no explanation. It is the universal insignia of firefighting nationwide. Yet the precise origins of this symbol are less clear. The most popular explanation proposes its beginning in the far distant past of medieval Crusaders fi...
Read more

Historical Roots of the Warham Guild Hood

Image
In doing just a little checking on the internet, it's interesting to see how the Warham Guild hood, which I have as part of my STM degree attire, is actually a throwback to the Medieval hood. One article notes "the work of the Warham Guild in its imaginative renderings of medieval hoods" (reference is from here ). Again, here is my hood: The Medieval hood, which was originally a very practical outer garment to cover a person's head and shoulders, protecting both from the elements, bears striking resemblance to this revived form: This hood was also a part of the garb of monks in that era. The Medieval hood, in some cases, also had what is known as a "liripipe," a long tail hanging from the back of a hood. You can see the modern stylized version of this on my own hood. From an article on "Academic hood development" we read that "By 1463 the favourite dress of doctors was the hood with round bell-shaped cape, and the lir...
Read more

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Image
According to a recent documentary, for all the talk about academic freedom in the world of the large American university system, it would seem that it extends only as far as the system defines it - especially with regards to the subject of origins and science. Noted speechwriter Ben Stein stars as host of the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. Dr. Angus Menuge, professor of philosophy at CUW, highlights the film in an article included in the Concordia University - Wisconsin magazine Concordian , including some seemingly revealing details about the expulsion of talented scientists who apparently were ‘expelled‘ from their positions for mentioning the theory of Intelligent Design: “In the current climate, even when academicians have a relevant doctorate and a track-record of peer-reviewed publication, their careers suffer if they argue that the scientific evidence points to an intelligent source involved in the creation of the world. In 1992, Dean Kenyon, a biology professor at ...
Read more