Today’s devotion inl Advent Journeys demonstrates how good shepherds care for their sheep. Each sheep is important to the shepherd: first, because they are counted by the owner, second because the shepherd grows to know their personality through the long hours spent together in the field. The shepherd wants the best for each sheep.
The church is instructed by the Lord to pay attention to the flock of God even as good shepherds take care of each individual sheep. Jesus told Peter to “feed my sheep.” Peter told elders of the early church “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:2-3)
Some in today’s world have lost the intended concept of caring for the church as shepherds care for their sheep. Some congregations design an experience called a worship service for clients to attend and enjoy. Pastors and leaders have been led to think the church is in competition with the entertainment industry, and we must reach the world’s one-upmanship standards of excellence. Each week we desire people to walk away with a positive experience, and to desire to return (hopefully with a friend) to experience the gospel also.
This thought process misses the point of what both the church and what worship are all about. The New Testament word for church is ἐκκλησία, which means “an assembly of people.” As one reads the epistles of Paul we discover this is not just a gathering in an auditorium, but a people who come together to pray, care for others, and receive encouragement to live the Christian life in a pagan world. Paul spends a great deal of time talking of personal relationships and at the end of each letter he greets people by name.
The church, ἐκκλησία, is to be a place of involvement. We are to be active in our care for one another. The pastor is to know his sheep by name. He is also to train under-shepherds; and the flock to share for one another. This care is a standard of excellence which brings health and vibrancy to the congregation. If one person is hurting, others help. If a person is in trouble, friends come together to see how the problem can be solved. We help the sick get well, bind up the brokenhearted, and help people walk out of darkness into light.
We are also to be active in our worship. Paul tells us to “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” (Eph 5:18-21)
The shepherd in today’s entry of Advent Journeys says, ”Through observation in the field and processing each animal as an individual we can catch problems in the early stages.” We must take the same care in our churches. People are more important than sheep. We must listen to each other each time we come together in order to hear of any needs. If an individual is not present, we should call (how often does that happen today!) in order to know if the individual is well. We must be attentive to God’s flock in order to “catch any problems in the early stages.”
God desires churches which are healthy because they make sure their members enjoy intellectual, physical, social and mental health. Healthy churches are encouraging churches. They are places broken people go to become whole. They become known in the community for the miracles worked in individual lives. And these miracles become contagious. These churches take full-time dedicated shepherds, who give beyond the normal because of God's love.
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