God is our Shepherd and guide
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series V, Cycle A
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Acts 2:42--47 (C); Acts 2:14, 36--41 (RC)
(Look at Lesson 1 for Easter 3)
Lesson 1: Acts 6:1--9; 7:2a, 51--60 (E, L)
The idealistic picture of the Jerusalem Church is beginning to show a crack or two. The Hellenistic Jews complain that the needs of their people are being neglected. The apostles decide to appoint seven men to tend the physical needs of the community. These are the undershepherds of the apostles. Among the seven is Stephen, noted for his demonstration of the power of God, who becomes embroiled in a dispute with Jews from abroad. Stephen hits hard as he points to their ancestors' record of having rejected and killed the prophets of old. In a great outpouring of anger, they drag him outside the city and stone him. As he is dying, Stephen reports that he sees Jesus at the right hand of God, which increases the vehemence of his enemies. Stephen falls to the ground pleading that God might forgive his murderers.
Lesson 2: 1 Peter 2:19--25 (C, E, L); 1 Peter 2:20--25 (RC)
The church is experiencing real persecution that severely tests the faith of the fledgling believers. Peter reminds his audience that the innocent suffering of the faithful will earn the approval of God. He recalls the example of the Lord Jesus, who suffered persecution and scorn, but took it patiently. Christ is likened to the sacrificial or Passover lamb. He bore our sins on the cross that we might die to sin and rise to newness of life (v. 24). His bruises produce salve for our wounded souls. In verse 25, Peter switches the metaphor. Now, the Lamb becomes the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls.
Gospel: John 10:1--10 (C, RC, E, L)
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. In verses 1--6, Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who enters the sheepfold by the door, in contrast to the thieves who sneak in some other way. He calls to his sheep and they respond to his voice and follow him. In verses 7--10, Jesus uses a related metaphor. He is the door to the sheep. To understand this figure of speech, picture a walled enclosure where the sheep are kept at night. The shepherd lays down in the doorway
of the enclosure so that any thief or marauder would have to first pass over his body. Jesus pictures himself as that shepherd and door of the sheep, who is willing to protect the sheep from their enemies even at the cost of his life.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 23 (C, E, L) - ''The Lord is my shepherd ....''
Prayer Of The Day
Dear Jesus, our shepherd and guide, when we wander from the safety of the flock that is called by your name, bring us back and protect us from the perils that threaten us from every side. Give us the discernment to hear and the wisdom to heed your voice. In your name we are bold to pray. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Acts 2:42--47; Acts 2:14, 36--41
(See Easter 3)
Lesson 1: Acts 6:1--9; 7:2a, 51--60
Leadership in the church is the key issue in the first six verses of this lesson. Just as the father--in--law of Moses advised him to select qualified people to share the burden of leadership for the people of Israel, so, too, the apostles hit on the same strategy for the church. The church was no longer an informal band of believers; they were becoming an institution. The demands of growth necessitated a division of labor structure and organization. We have here the first distinction between the ministry of Word and Sacrament and the Diaconia, the ministry of service (v. 2). Certain people are called to the ministry of Word and sacrament, while others are called to different ministries. The ministry of the Word and sacrament is the progenitor of all other ministries in the church but this is not to say that those who perform the former are more exalted than the latter. All leadership roles in the church are pastoral ministries. There are merely different fields of service and different styles of shepherding. If the needs of the church are to be met, there must be a division of labor.
Who is qualified to lead the church? Like other institutions, politics is often the prominent factor in deciding who leads the contemporary church. In choosing deacons, council representatives, elders and the like, all too often, the candidate's spiritual qualities are overlooked. It is noted in our text that Stephen, among the first deacons, was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit (v. 5). These are among the kind of qualities that were paramount for the pristine Church of Christ, not family connections, social standing and the like.
Proclaiming law and gospel. In seminary, many of us learned that preaching ought to contain law and gospel. The law convicts of sin and the gospel declares God's gracious forgiveness. We don't have Stephen's entire sermon but what we do have is mostly law. What he said was true but more than they could take. We might ask: Where is the gospel in Stephen's sermon? It is the conclusion. ''Lord, do not hold this sin against them'' (v. 60). The gospel ought to be clearly visible in the conclusion of every sermon and at the end of every life. The word that we hear last is often the one that reverberates in our hearts. The gospel was primarily revealed in Stephen's gracious and forgiving spirit toward his enemies. The words that issued from this pure spirit reflect those of our Lord as he breathed his last on the cross (vv. 59--60). This left an indelible impression on a man who held the garments for Stephen's executioners. We know his name was Paul, the apostle of God's grace.
Lesson 2: 1 Peter 2:19--25
Suffering that saves. Secular people scorn the idea that suffering can have meaning or be redemptive. Yet, the gospel is founded on the veracity of this claim. What kind of suffering
qualifies as redemptive? Suffering which is not the result of sin: the suffering of the innocent. Also, it is suffering that is offering to God as a sacrifice or worship. Peter makes the distinction that the sufferer must be ''aware of God,'' while suffering unjustly, if his suffering is to be redemptive.
The Wounded Healer. Christ has been referred to as the Wounded Healer. He suffered and died due to humankind's deadly malady, sin. In tones reminiscent of Isaiah 53, Peter states: ''By his wounds you have been healed'' (v. 24). A psychiatrist struggled with a very difficult patient. ''I've done everything I know how to do but you are still the same,'' she sobbed. ''I have failed to get through to you.'' From that moment, the patient began to show a dramatic improvement. She was moved by the depth of her therapist's love for her. The shared wounds of the healer and the afflicted person proved therapeutic for both. Healing for the soul can only come from the hand of those who have been wounded.
Gospel: John 10:1--10
Christians are doors to eternal life. Jesus speaks of himself as the door for the sheep. He is the entrance into the kingdom of God, the family of faith. As we follow him into a personal relationship with God, we begin to experience the dimension of eternal life. When we exhale our last breath, we will enter heaven through that same door. When we are in Christ, we too are doors through which others come to know the joys of being members of the flock redeemed by Christ. Persons, not places, are the portal to eternal life.
Lead by example. Albert Schweitzer, I believe it was, said that ''example was not the main thing, it was the only thing.'' Jesus said when the shepherd brings out his flock, ''he goes before them.'' The shepherd did not merely point out the way for the sheep, he showed them the way. That's the way parents teach children, teachers instruct their pupils, pastors lead deacons and deacons lead the congregation.
PREACHING APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Acts 42--47; Acts 2:14, 36--41
(See Easter 3)
Lesson 1: Acts 6:1--9; 7:2a, 51--60
Sermon Title: Growing Pains
Sermon Angle: The church was greatly increasing in number, a sign of vitality, but with growth comes problems and pains. With new people, there was more diversity and cultural conflict. The Hellenistic Jews felt that their widows were being neglected. Plus, the greater size meant that the church leaders couldn't personally tend to the needs of all the people. The apostles wisely decided that they needed to share the leadership of the church. They delegated the diaconal aspects of the ministry to seven men chosen by the church at large and this helped alleviate some of the growing pains.
Sermon Title: The Church - Charistmatic Institutionalism
Sermon Angle: The church was originally a charismatic community but the growth necessitated greater institutionalism. We might say that the church was, at this stage, a charismatic institution. This is what the church must strive for in any age. If the church is only charismatic, it cannot perpetuate itself and is likely to get carried away by excess. If the church is only institutional, it is dry as dead men's bones. Charismatic institutionalism suggests Spirit led, yet disciplined communal life.
Outline:
1. The growth of the church led to new demands
2. The leadership task was too large for the disciples
- they realized that they must share the burden
- the church picked seven men and the apostles ordained them
3. The church was becoming institutional as well as charistmatic
- charismatic (Spirit led, free, flexible)
- institutional (division of labor, well ordered, traditions, procedures)
4. The church must guard against the dangers of being only charismatic or only institutional and become a charismatic institution.
Sermon Title: The Legacy Of Leadership
Sermon Angle: The effectiveness of leadership can be discerned from the legacy it leaves behind. Back in the mid--1970s, Richard Nixon, mired in the Watergate scandal, left a legacy of cynicism and mistrust. Other national leaders, concerned only with their selfish interests, have left the same legacy. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, left a legacy of fearless faith and forgiveness. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all church leaders left such a legacy?
Lesson 2: 1 Peter 2:19--25
Sermon Title: The Ecstasy Of Agony
Sermon Angle: No, the title above was not crafted by a sadist. Suffering and pain are no fun but they can transport us into ecstasy. That is, they can enable us to transcend ourselves. Likewise, the ecstasy of love can raise us out of ourselves and into the soul of the one we love. Our lesson reminds us that suffering for the sake of God or others can be redemptive, lifting us out of ourselves. It merits the Lord's approval (v. 19). Christ's suffering is the prime example of the ecstasy of agony. From the heightened perspective of the cross we can see our God, ourselves and our neighbor.
Sermon Title: The Wounded Healer
Sermon Angle: ''By his wounds you have been healed'' (v. 2). Father Damien ministered for years to a leper colony on one of the Hawaiian islands, but without much success. That changed after he contracted the terrible disease and became one of them. Since he carried their sickness, he now knew what they felt and faced. He was now able to be a healing agent, because of his own wounds. If the church is to minister to the sickness of our society, we must do so not from a position above or below, but along side of.
Sermon Title: The Rock Proclaims The Good Shepherd
Sermon Angle: The epistle proclaims that believers are not alone in their suffering and pain. Christ, the shepherd of their souls, has brought back the strays into the God's fold (v. 25). He will protect and keep us until the end. Unlike the Gospel, Peter does not use the adjective ''Good'' in front of Shepherd but would heartily agree. You might want to employ the Psalm and the Gospel to help make the following points.
Outline:
1. Christ is the Good Shepherd because he suffered and died for the sheep
2. Christ is the Good Shepherd because he died for our sins
3. Christ is the Good Shepherd because he forgave us our sins
4. Christ is the Good Shepherd because he guides and guards us (v. 25)
Gospel: John 10:1--10
Sermon Title: Windows And Doors
Sermon Angle: Christians might be compared to windows and doors. A little boy was transfixed by the stained glass windows in the magnificent cathedral. As the light cast its illuminating glow, he asked: ''Mom, who are those people that the light shines through?'' Her reply, ''They are the saints, my son.'' The people of God are those whom the light of the divine shines through. In the reading from Acts 6, we see the light shining through Stephen as he breathed his last.
172
He shared what he saw, ''I see the Son of Man at the right hand of God ....'' The light of God's love glowed through his being as he pleaded for God to forgive his executioners.
In the second part of the Gospel Lesson (vv. 7--10), Jesus describes himself as the door to the sheepfold. By faith in him, we enter into the family of God. Some will try to climb in, says Jesus, but they are thieves and robbers (v. 1). We may try to climb in through respectability or by attaining a leadership position in the church or some other way. There is no way other than the door of Christ's forgiving grace. Christ, our door to eternal life, also shuts out those whose aim is to lay waste to God's sheep. We too are doors by which others enter into the fold of faith. How widely is it open?
Outline:
1. Stephen was a window to God's forgiving grace (What the Apostle Paul witnessed may have led to his conversion)
2. We are windows to the eternal. How much light shines through?
3. Christ is the door to the family of God. Have we entered by faith?
4. We are Christ's door for others. Are we open?
During the 1960s civil rights era, a number of pastors became committed to the cause of social and racial justice. They joined protest marches and sit--ins, as well as preaching and teaching on the topic. In some cases, activist pastors of white congregations alienated their congregations, but in other instances they did not. What made for the difference? Studies have shone that a key factor was pastors. Those pastors who had not established a strong pastoral bond with their congregations, soon found themselves in trouble with their flocks. Other pastors who were equally committed to the cause of racial equality had little trouble. While many of their parishioners may have disagreed with them, they still respected their pastors because they had shown care and concern for them as individuals. They had called in their homes and been there for them in times of grief and trouble. Through their actions, they had revealed themselves to be the good shepherds. The sheep were ready to listen to the voice of their shepherd.
Leslie Newbigen, in his little book, The Good Shepherd, tells of a gathering of bishops which he attended. They were discussing the nature of the office of bishop and the various styles in which that office is lived out. One bishop voiced a rather traditional view of the bishop as Father. Another said that he viewed his job in light of Ephesians 4, that of equipping the saints for ministry. An American bishop cut through all the theological jargon. I just say, ''Come on, let's go,'' and they follow. Another participant commented on that remark. That's all right if you understand the context in which our Lord said it. It was, as you recall, in the Garden of Gethsemane when he said, ''Arise, let us be going,'' and he went to his passion.
173
Lesson 1: Acts 2:42--47 (C); Acts 2:14, 36--41 (RC)
(Look at Lesson 1 for Easter 3)
Lesson 1: Acts 6:1--9; 7:2a, 51--60 (E, L)
The idealistic picture of the Jerusalem Church is beginning to show a crack or two. The Hellenistic Jews complain that the needs of their people are being neglected. The apostles decide to appoint seven men to tend the physical needs of the community. These are the undershepherds of the apostles. Among the seven is Stephen, noted for his demonstration of the power of God, who becomes embroiled in a dispute with Jews from abroad. Stephen hits hard as he points to their ancestors' record of having rejected and killed the prophets of old. In a great outpouring of anger, they drag him outside the city and stone him. As he is dying, Stephen reports that he sees Jesus at the right hand of God, which increases the vehemence of his enemies. Stephen falls to the ground pleading that God might forgive his murderers.
Lesson 2: 1 Peter 2:19--25 (C, E, L); 1 Peter 2:20--25 (RC)
The church is experiencing real persecution that severely tests the faith of the fledgling believers. Peter reminds his audience that the innocent suffering of the faithful will earn the approval of God. He recalls the example of the Lord Jesus, who suffered persecution and scorn, but took it patiently. Christ is likened to the sacrificial or Passover lamb. He bore our sins on the cross that we might die to sin and rise to newness of life (v. 24). His bruises produce salve for our wounded souls. In verse 25, Peter switches the metaphor. Now, the Lamb becomes the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls.
Gospel: John 10:1--10 (C, RC, E, L)
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. In verses 1--6, Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who enters the sheepfold by the door, in contrast to the thieves who sneak in some other way. He calls to his sheep and they respond to his voice and follow him. In verses 7--10, Jesus uses a related metaphor. He is the door to the sheep. To understand this figure of speech, picture a walled enclosure where the sheep are kept at night. The shepherd lays down in the doorway
of the enclosure so that any thief or marauder would have to first pass over his body. Jesus pictures himself as that shepherd and door of the sheep, who is willing to protect the sheep from their enemies even at the cost of his life.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 23 (C, E, L) - ''The Lord is my shepherd ....''
Prayer Of The Day
Dear Jesus, our shepherd and guide, when we wander from the safety of the flock that is called by your name, bring us back and protect us from the perils that threaten us from every side. Give us the discernment to hear and the wisdom to heed your voice. In your name we are bold to pray. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Acts 2:42--47; Acts 2:14, 36--41
(See Easter 3)
Lesson 1: Acts 6:1--9; 7:2a, 51--60
Leadership in the church is the key issue in the first six verses of this lesson. Just as the father--in--law of Moses advised him to select qualified people to share the burden of leadership for the people of Israel, so, too, the apostles hit on the same strategy for the church. The church was no longer an informal band of believers; they were becoming an institution. The demands of growth necessitated a division of labor structure and organization. We have here the first distinction between the ministry of Word and Sacrament and the Diaconia, the ministry of service (v. 2). Certain people are called to the ministry of Word and sacrament, while others are called to different ministries. The ministry of the Word and sacrament is the progenitor of all other ministries in the church but this is not to say that those who perform the former are more exalted than the latter. All leadership roles in the church are pastoral ministries. There are merely different fields of service and different styles of shepherding. If the needs of the church are to be met, there must be a division of labor.
Who is qualified to lead the church? Like other institutions, politics is often the prominent factor in deciding who leads the contemporary church. In choosing deacons, council representatives, elders and the like, all too often, the candidate's spiritual qualities are overlooked. It is noted in our text that Stephen, among the first deacons, was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit (v. 5). These are among the kind of qualities that were paramount for the pristine Church of Christ, not family connections, social standing and the like.
Proclaiming law and gospel. In seminary, many of us learned that preaching ought to contain law and gospel. The law convicts of sin and the gospel declares God's gracious forgiveness. We don't have Stephen's entire sermon but what we do have is mostly law. What he said was true but more than they could take. We might ask: Where is the gospel in Stephen's sermon? It is the conclusion. ''Lord, do not hold this sin against them'' (v. 60). The gospel ought to be clearly visible in the conclusion of every sermon and at the end of every life. The word that we hear last is often the one that reverberates in our hearts. The gospel was primarily revealed in Stephen's gracious and forgiving spirit toward his enemies. The words that issued from this pure spirit reflect those of our Lord as he breathed his last on the cross (vv. 59--60). This left an indelible impression on a man who held the garments for Stephen's executioners. We know his name was Paul, the apostle of God's grace.
Lesson 2: 1 Peter 2:19--25
Suffering that saves. Secular people scorn the idea that suffering can have meaning or be redemptive. Yet, the gospel is founded on the veracity of this claim. What kind of suffering
qualifies as redemptive? Suffering which is not the result of sin: the suffering of the innocent. Also, it is suffering that is offering to God as a sacrifice or worship. Peter makes the distinction that the sufferer must be ''aware of God,'' while suffering unjustly, if his suffering is to be redemptive.
The Wounded Healer. Christ has been referred to as the Wounded Healer. He suffered and died due to humankind's deadly malady, sin. In tones reminiscent of Isaiah 53, Peter states: ''By his wounds you have been healed'' (v. 24). A psychiatrist struggled with a very difficult patient. ''I've done everything I know how to do but you are still the same,'' she sobbed. ''I have failed to get through to you.'' From that moment, the patient began to show a dramatic improvement. She was moved by the depth of her therapist's love for her. The shared wounds of the healer and the afflicted person proved therapeutic for both. Healing for the soul can only come from the hand of those who have been wounded.
Gospel: John 10:1--10
Christians are doors to eternal life. Jesus speaks of himself as the door for the sheep. He is the entrance into the kingdom of God, the family of faith. As we follow him into a personal relationship with God, we begin to experience the dimension of eternal life. When we exhale our last breath, we will enter heaven through that same door. When we are in Christ, we too are doors through which others come to know the joys of being members of the flock redeemed by Christ. Persons, not places, are the portal to eternal life.
Lead by example. Albert Schweitzer, I believe it was, said that ''example was not the main thing, it was the only thing.'' Jesus said when the shepherd brings out his flock, ''he goes before them.'' The shepherd did not merely point out the way for the sheep, he showed them the way. That's the way parents teach children, teachers instruct their pupils, pastors lead deacons and deacons lead the congregation.
PREACHING APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Acts 42--47; Acts 2:14, 36--41
(See Easter 3)
Lesson 1: Acts 6:1--9; 7:2a, 51--60
Sermon Title: Growing Pains
Sermon Angle: The church was greatly increasing in number, a sign of vitality, but with growth comes problems and pains. With new people, there was more diversity and cultural conflict. The Hellenistic Jews felt that their widows were being neglected. Plus, the greater size meant that the church leaders couldn't personally tend to the needs of all the people. The apostles wisely decided that they needed to share the leadership of the church. They delegated the diaconal aspects of the ministry to seven men chosen by the church at large and this helped alleviate some of the growing pains.
Sermon Title: The Church - Charistmatic Institutionalism
Sermon Angle: The church was originally a charismatic community but the growth necessitated greater institutionalism. We might say that the church was, at this stage, a charismatic institution. This is what the church must strive for in any age. If the church is only charismatic, it cannot perpetuate itself and is likely to get carried away by excess. If the church is only institutional, it is dry as dead men's bones. Charismatic institutionalism suggests Spirit led, yet disciplined communal life.
Outline:
1. The growth of the church led to new demands
2. The leadership task was too large for the disciples
- they realized that they must share the burden
- the church picked seven men and the apostles ordained them
3. The church was becoming institutional as well as charistmatic
- charismatic (Spirit led, free, flexible)
- institutional (division of labor, well ordered, traditions, procedures)
4. The church must guard against the dangers of being only charismatic or only institutional and become a charismatic institution.
Sermon Title: The Legacy Of Leadership
Sermon Angle: The effectiveness of leadership can be discerned from the legacy it leaves behind. Back in the mid--1970s, Richard Nixon, mired in the Watergate scandal, left a legacy of cynicism and mistrust. Other national leaders, concerned only with their selfish interests, have left the same legacy. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, left a legacy of fearless faith and forgiveness. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all church leaders left such a legacy?
Lesson 2: 1 Peter 2:19--25
Sermon Title: The Ecstasy Of Agony
Sermon Angle: No, the title above was not crafted by a sadist. Suffering and pain are no fun but they can transport us into ecstasy. That is, they can enable us to transcend ourselves. Likewise, the ecstasy of love can raise us out of ourselves and into the soul of the one we love. Our lesson reminds us that suffering for the sake of God or others can be redemptive, lifting us out of ourselves. It merits the Lord's approval (v. 19). Christ's suffering is the prime example of the ecstasy of agony. From the heightened perspective of the cross we can see our God, ourselves and our neighbor.
Sermon Title: The Wounded Healer
Sermon Angle: ''By his wounds you have been healed'' (v. 2). Father Damien ministered for years to a leper colony on one of the Hawaiian islands, but without much success. That changed after he contracted the terrible disease and became one of them. Since he carried their sickness, he now knew what they felt and faced. He was now able to be a healing agent, because of his own wounds. If the church is to minister to the sickness of our society, we must do so not from a position above or below, but along side of.
Sermon Title: The Rock Proclaims The Good Shepherd
Sermon Angle: The epistle proclaims that believers are not alone in their suffering and pain. Christ, the shepherd of their souls, has brought back the strays into the God's fold (v. 25). He will protect and keep us until the end. Unlike the Gospel, Peter does not use the adjective ''Good'' in front of Shepherd but would heartily agree. You might want to employ the Psalm and the Gospel to help make the following points.
Outline:
1. Christ is the Good Shepherd because he suffered and died for the sheep
2. Christ is the Good Shepherd because he died for our sins
3. Christ is the Good Shepherd because he forgave us our sins
4. Christ is the Good Shepherd because he guides and guards us (v. 25)
Gospel: John 10:1--10
Sermon Title: Windows And Doors
Sermon Angle: Christians might be compared to windows and doors. A little boy was transfixed by the stained glass windows in the magnificent cathedral. As the light cast its illuminating glow, he asked: ''Mom, who are those people that the light shines through?'' Her reply, ''They are the saints, my son.'' The people of God are those whom the light of the divine shines through. In the reading from Acts 6, we see the light shining through Stephen as he breathed his last.
172
He shared what he saw, ''I see the Son of Man at the right hand of God ....'' The light of God's love glowed through his being as he pleaded for God to forgive his executioners.
In the second part of the Gospel Lesson (vv. 7--10), Jesus describes himself as the door to the sheepfold. By faith in him, we enter into the family of God. Some will try to climb in, says Jesus, but they are thieves and robbers (v. 1). We may try to climb in through respectability or by attaining a leadership position in the church or some other way. There is no way other than the door of Christ's forgiving grace. Christ, our door to eternal life, also shuts out those whose aim is to lay waste to God's sheep. We too are doors by which others enter into the fold of faith. How widely is it open?
Outline:
1. Stephen was a window to God's forgiving grace (What the Apostle Paul witnessed may have led to his conversion)
2. We are windows to the eternal. How much light shines through?
3. Christ is the door to the family of God. Have we entered by faith?
4. We are Christ's door for others. Are we open?
During the 1960s civil rights era, a number of pastors became committed to the cause of social and racial justice. They joined protest marches and sit--ins, as well as preaching and teaching on the topic. In some cases, activist pastors of white congregations alienated their congregations, but in other instances they did not. What made for the difference? Studies have shone that a key factor was pastors. Those pastors who had not established a strong pastoral bond with their congregations, soon found themselves in trouble with their flocks. Other pastors who were equally committed to the cause of racial equality had little trouble. While many of their parishioners may have disagreed with them, they still respected their pastors because they had shown care and concern for them as individuals. They had called in their homes and been there for them in times of grief and trouble. Through their actions, they had revealed themselves to be the good shepherds. The sheep were ready to listen to the voice of their shepherd.
Leslie Newbigen, in his little book, The Good Shepherd, tells of a gathering of bishops which he attended. They were discussing the nature of the office of bishop and the various styles in which that office is lived out. One bishop voiced a rather traditional view of the bishop as Father. Another said that he viewed his job in light of Ephesians 4, that of equipping the saints for ministry. An American bishop cut through all the theological jargon. I just say, ''Come on, let's go,'' and they follow. Another participant commented on that remark. That's all right if you understand the context in which our Lord said it. It was, as you recall, in the Garden of Gethsemane when he said, ''Arise, let us be going,'' and he went to his passion.
173
