I've never tried to herd sheep, but apparently its not as easy as it looks in the paintings of Jesus with his little lambs. Just for fun, I plugged "herding sheep" into Google.
One of the hits led me to a blog written by a woman learning to herd sheep.
It's great that God is the shepherd. God keeps us moving to the places where we can find water and food. God keeps us on track through the hard parts to the place where there is a table overflowing with goodness.
Even though the word pastor means shepherd, most of us know that we still just follow the main shepherd and we're more like the sheepdogs - still beholden to the shepherd's direction.
This psalm has special significance for me because a women's choir sang Bobby McFerrin's version of it at my ordination. Listen here. In times when I lose sight of the shepherd and worry that I'm alone in finding my way forward, the melody and words flood me with peace. The lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.One of the hits led me to a blog written by a woman learning to herd sheep.
I recently had to manage a sheep farm for 10 days and let me tell you, you cannot care for stock without a good stock dog. At least not naturally reared stock that is out on pasture. I could have gone out to the field with a pail of grain and lured in the sheep, but trying to get them to go specifically where I wanted would have been impossible without Hannah’s (the dog's) help. Especially the little lambs, who were constantly escaping and running willy nilly in fields they were supposed to be kept out of...I've never thought of how hard it would be to be my shepherd, never mind the other billions of people. I'm sure I run willy-nilly like the other little lambs. Or if I'm not running willy-nilly, I'm walking kind of slowly, or getting terrified in the scary valley and stopping.Hannah (the dog) and I have been training to herd sheep for about 18 months. Prior to that I spent another roughly 18 months learning about sheep. After three years, I finally knew enough to babysit the farm for 10 days, and that’s not saying very much! There is just so much to know, and it’s not something that comes instinctively. At least it didn’t to me. Despite my passion for animals and my many pets, stock are a whole other ball game. The learning curve to dealing with them has been (and continues to be) very steep!
It's great that God is the shepherd. God keeps us moving to the places where we can find water and food. God keeps us on track through the hard parts to the place where there is a table overflowing with goodness.
Even though the word pastor means shepherd, most of us know that we still just follow the main shepherd and we're more like the sheepdogs - still beholden to the shepherd's direction.
This psalm has special significance for me because a women's choir sang Bobby McFerrin's version of it at my ordination. Listen here. In times when I lose sight of the shepherd and worry that I'm alone in finding my way forward, the melody and words flood me with peace. The lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.
Psalm 23
2He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name's sake.
4Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff —
they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
my whole life long.
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