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Why do we have shepherds and sheep in a church? Why
not cowboys and cattle?
--Being from Texas, that makes sense,
doesn’t it? Well, not really. A cowboys and a shepherd are very
different; you cannot ever mistake one for the other.
Cowboys drive their cattle; they
coerce them, sometimes by roping them. Have you ever tried to get a
few cattle who are blocking the road to move? Almost impossible.
(By the way, never-never get in the way of a buffalo!) You might
yell at the bovines, use a large stick. You have to play the bully,
show them who is the boss. Cowboys are goal oriented; they want to
keep the herd moving in the right direction. Speed is important.
Prod the slow ones to get moving. He or she is always thinking
about reaching the goal. Results are what count. The cowboy is a
visionary. If some cows stray off the path, he or she gets them
quickly back on it.
Sheep are more amenable than cattle.
They will move to the side slowly out of your way if you are
patient. But you cannot force them. They will listen to your voice.
If they recognize your voice, they will follow you as their
shepherdd sheep dogs. It is a matter of trust, it is relational, not
physical. Speed is not important; goals are secondary. What comes
first is pastoral care and the needs of your flock. It is a matter
of presence. Good shepherds and sheep dogs build relationships,
they are mentors and helpers, encouragers. They lead the way.
Sheep have to catch your “vision,” even if they do not see too
well. Have you ever been on a trip and see cattle standing in the
middle of the highway? Good luck! They will just stand there and
stare you down. And those buffalo are even worse, particularly a
mother buffalo with her calves.
Cattle are more independent, especially
if there is a bull around. But sheep need each other. They are
badly near-sighted. They cannot swim and if they fall in a river or
pond they could drown from the weight of their wet coat. Sheep are
not self-motivated; they are followers. They have good instincts.
Without a leader, they will just stand around. There is safety in
numbers for sheep; they enjoy each other’s company. Yes, at times
they can be pretty smelly. And they might butt heads, too.
A cowboy will go off and leave his herd
of cattle grazing. The true shepherd never leaves his flock; He
is with them all day. He or she takes them out before sun-up and
brings them in at night.
Cowboys swagger and boast about how good
they are. They wear big silver belt buckles, and huge 10-gallon hats
to fit their swelled-up heads! Shepherds are usually humble, wear
practical work clothes. They carry a staff, which is a helping
tool. They do not wear gloves like cowboys; their hands are
calloused and tough, but gentle to the touch. I have seen a
sheep-owner on a large sheep ranch in southern New Zealand use his
long staff as a tool of love to cull out a lost lamb and return her
to her mother, or carefully separate a male from a female.
A traditional lesson for the Sunday
immediately following Easter is this well-known lesson in John 21.
The resurrected Jesus goes out of his way to find Peter and takes
him aside. We all know why he asked his No. 1 disciple three times,
“’Do you love me?’”. This man who was to become the Shepherd of
Christ’s new church. Peter had also denied Jesus three times when
Jesus needed him most. Now with each of his protestations of love
comes a specific command: “’Feed my lambs’”… “’Tend my
sheep.’” … “’Feed my sheep.’” So we are not just
Shepherds. More than anything else we are to be sheep-feeders! Once
as a new pastor about to be installed, I was charged “Don’t flog
your flock; teach them to follow you; and don’t fleece your flock;
but feed them.”
I am glad we have shepherds in Central
Church, and not cowboys and cattle. And that’s no bull!
Dave Schneider 4-19-09
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