SHEPHERDS AND SHEEP DOGS [T, 3-22-22]

CHRIST IN WINTER: Reflections on Faith & Life for the Years of Winter

When I started as a clergyperson, we were called preachers, even if we were in church leadership positions that did not include preaching. That’s what the bishop asked, what the Board of Ministry asked, what Aunt Nora asked, “Are you called by God to preach?”

I loved the preacher jokes, especially the one about the preacher who was getting wound up on the social sins. “If you cheat, you’ll go to hell,” he yelled. An old man in the front row yelled back, “Tell it preacher!” “If you drink whiskey you’ll go to hell!” “Tell it, preacher!” “If you chew tobacco you’ll go to hell!” “Now you’re quit preachin’ and gone to meddlin’.” 

During my career, people switched over to calling us pastors. I guess they didn’t want us to “get preachy” or “go to meddlin’.”

It’s the job of a preacher to get people “under conviction,” to convince them of the error of their ways, so that they will accept God’s grace and straighten up and get “justified.” Nobody likes a person who “convicts them of sin,” who tells them they have to change.

[Justification means to get all your parts in harmony. Old time auto mechanics used to talk of their job as “justifying” a motor, getting all the parts to work together the way they are supposed to.”]

 

Pastor is a much less dangerous and intrusive designation than preacher. It means “shepherd.” Shepherds don’t challenge those in their flock to be better sheep, they just take care of them, lead them to green pastures and still waters [sheep don’t like to drink out of running waters, like streams]. Shepherds fight off coyotes and jackals and other sheep-stealers.

 

I think pastor as shepherd is a mis-designation, for there is only one shepherd for the Christian flock, The Great Shepherd. The so-called pastor is more like the sheep dog that assists the shepherd—running in circles trying to keep the flock together and headed in the correct direction, nipping at the heels of the stragglers, barking out instructions that the sheep ignore in favor of just going the way all the others are, staying up all night to watch for predators…

 

It’s too late now to change my title, since I no longer have a flock, but I should have eschewed “The Rev. Dr. McFarland” for “The Rev. K9 McFarland.”

 

I miss nipping at heels.

The Rev. K9 John Robert McFarland, Retired

“Retired” for a sheep dog means on the last ride to the vet’s. Hmm, I’ll bet I could make a country song out of that…