The shepherd

Haiku for sheep

Good Shepherd, Jesus,

putting his flock’s needs before

everything else.

He lays down his life

for his sheep, those who he loves;

gives his all for them.

The hired hands retreat

when the wolves come; sad shepherds,

there for the money.

Many pretenders;

enjoying the rewards, but

not really caring.

From the PM down

there are those who claim to care,

but fail to come through.

Vote for me, they say,

we’ll look after you; but still

serve only themselves.

We must be shepherds,

reaching out with costly love,

just like our Master.

One flock, one shepherd.

Followers everywhere

joined by Jesus’ love.

Jesus gives himself

in love; laying his life down,

then he takes it up.

© Ken Rookes 2021

Responsive Prayer on Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;

We believe in the goodness of God.

We believe God hears and responds to our needs.

We believe God responds to all people everywhere.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul.

We are grateful that we’ve been blessed with enough water.

But we know that many do not have enough.

Not enough water, not enough food, not enough peace.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Too many people do not see God’s righteousness.

Too many children watch violence, taste hunger, feel fear.

Too many children cry from the unspeakable horror of war.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

To become involved is risky. Pain is often contagious.

Our hearts may be broken and our lives may be threatened.

Yet we hear God calling and we can no longer hide.

Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of my enemies;

thou annointest me head with oil, my cup overflows.

Our steps may be small and timid.

We may read a book, write a letter, or make a gift.

But each tiny step is blessed by God and multiplies.

Surely goodness and mercy

shall follow me all the days of my life;

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

God is more relentless than war.

God is more pervasive than hatred.

God is more insistent than despair.

Amen. Amen.

Based on Psalm 23. Written for the Union Church UCC of Tekonsha, 1994.

Katherine Hawker

Good shepherd Jesus

haiku for sheep

Good shepherd Jesus

looks with love upon his sheep,

gives himself for them.

No paid employee;

his commitment to his flock

is deep and caring.

He won’t run away

when things get tough and scary,

like when the wolves come.

A fine metaphor,

this shepherd-sheep partnership.

Jesus and his friends.

I know my own well,

and they know me; listening

to the things I say.

Lots of diff’rent sheep

in lots of diff’rent places:

all belong to me.

There will be one flock,

there will be one shepherd, too.

God’s love will shape us.

I lay down my life

for my sheep, then take it up,

to share risen life.

© Ken Rookes 2018

The good shepherd cartoon

He comes through the gate

Haiku of selfless leadership

He comes through the gate,

the shepherd; so we trust him

to protect the sheep.

Up front, transparent,

one who goes ahead of us;

we will follow him.

Some leaders pretend:

Follow me, I'll care for you!

In it for themselves.

Thieves, crooks and bandits,

these come to steal and destroy.

Jesus is no thief.

The good shepherd comes

to give his all for the flock.

The sheep know his voice

Jesus is the gate.

Through this man we enter life,

abundant and true.

© Ken Rookes 2017

Other sheep

Taking heed of Jesus’ teaching,

listening for his voice;
looking out for others,
unafraid to make love’s choice.
 
The shepherd calls them by their name;
he’ll keep them safe from threat.
Come join him in the fold and know
his work’s not finished yet.
 
Some sheep have different colouring,
might feed on different grass;
they trust in hope and justice,
never fear what comes to pass.
 
Some speak with foreign accents,
step out in robes or veils,
make peace their golden standard
and weep when loving fails.
 
They may not pray like we do,
or sing our sacred songs;
but the flock, it comes together
when it stands against the wrongs.
 
Their doctrines might not be the same,
but one thing they agree:
love is the thing that matters,
forgiveness is the key.
 
Joined in freedom’s family-flock,
because that’s where they belong:
their differences won’t stop them
as they sing the shepherd’s song.
 
 

© Ken Rookes 2015

The way we see God

Two readings set for today are about the way we see God and therefore the way we may see ourselves and others. The writer of the Psalm said, “The Lord is my shepherd”. This is probably the best known psalm in our culture. In John 10:7, Jesus said, “I am the gate for the sheep.”

Most people who love this Psalm have never seen a shepherd. It is popular because of what is offered to the reader. It says that the writer believes God will look after him and provide for him generously. He sees God as offering rest, relaxation and restoration, protection, comfort, support and esteem, reassurance, hope and contentment. We get words like “pastor” and “pastoral care” from this image. It is good to be taken care of when we need care. It is not so good if we rely on such care when we could be taking care of ourselves and others.

We could equally see the things listed as being offered by a Mother to her children, or by anyone who cares. It is what the image represents that is more important than the image itself.

The image of “The Lord is my shepherd” may imply we are sheep to be led and fed and kept safely in a shed. But life in all its fullness that Jesus spoke about is more than that. When Jesus said, “I am the Gate’, He wasn’t implying that we live in a gated community, safe and secure from the poor of the world.

Images of God are not statements of all God is. God is so much more than we can ever imagine. On this Mother’s Day, you may like to reflect on the Wisdom of God and the Spirit of God which in Hebrew Scripture are always feminine. In Isaiah 54:5 is the image of God being a husband to widows and deserted women. In Hosea God is likened to a mother.

We are invited to ponder how we see God and how that impacts on the way we live and behave towards God, others and ourselves.

Rev Julianne Parker

Good shepherd coloring

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=21bc9fbee98db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=f4766934b34bb010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____

The darker realities of Sheep

"...The biblical imagery of sheep and their shepherd does not quite match our assumptions--be they positive or negative assumptions. None of our metaphors of sheep quite matches the picture of Psalm 23 that we admired in Sunday school. Certainly, faith in God as provider and protector is there--but so are the shadowed valleys, surrounding enemies, potential lynch mobs, ordeals and even crucifixion.
These sheep are not the blindly obedient animals that we find unsuitable models for children. Rather, the images of sheep are put together with darker realities. These passages give every evidence of being crafted by thoughtful and deeply experienced writers who are trying to communicate what it means to live by a radical trust in God in the midst of terror, pain and death--some of the greatest challenges to faith.
Finally, these readings are not what we call “allegory”, drawing out every analogy to sheep that can be made and offering sheep as a model for Christian life. Sheep in the fullness of their animal existence are neither a good model for Christian life nor any other kind of human life. Rather, this is a metaphor that shows us a part of faith that carries us through our darkest hours. This trust, like the ways of a sheep with its shepherd, is a radical trust that empowers us to believe that life has Christian meaning, even though our immediate experience may be telling us otherwise."  

---

Mary Schertz is professor of New Testament at Associate Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana, 

A prayer of confession

Unison Prayer of Confession
Taught by our culture to want everything, Comfort of the righteous, we confess that emptiness that sends us searching for still more. Our constant desire for greener pastures fills us with every lust and envy. Our belief that still waters are stagnant sends us thirsting for whitewater thrills and adventures. Our trust in the promises of the world turns us away from the shelter you offer.

Forgive us, Source of goodness and mercy. Call us back from our wayward lives, that we might find rest in your heart, healing from your hands, and unity in life together as disciples of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Hear God's voice: I will walk with you in every moment; I fill you with my grace and hope; I know you and love you.
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.
(c) 2007 Thom M. Shuman

God is more insistent than despair

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;

We believe in the goodness of God.

We believe God hears and responds to our needs.

We believe God responds to all people everywhere.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul.

We are grateful that we’ve been blessed with enough water.

But we know that many do not have enough.

Not enough water, not enough food, not enough peace.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Too many people do not see God’s righteousness.

Too many children watch violence, taste hunger, feel fear.

Too many children cry from the unspeakable horror of war.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

To become involved is risky. Pain is often contagious.

Our hearts may be broken and our lives may be threatened.

Yet we hear God calling and we can no longer hide.

Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of my enemies;

thou annointest me head with oil, my cup overflows.

Our steps may be small and timid.

We may read a book, write a letter, or make a gift.

But each tiny step is blessed by God and multiplies.

Surely goodness and mercy

shall follow me all the days of my life;

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

God is more relentless than war.

God is more pervasive than hatred.

God is more insistent than despair.

Amen. Amen.

Based on Psalm 23. Written for the Union Church UCC of Tekonsha, 1994. Copyright Katherine Hawker.

The good shepherd

Gospel writer John

loved a good agricultural metaphor;

(were there many other kinds

in a pre-industrial age?)

Jesus, lover of people,

welcomer of ratbags

and friend of troubled souls;

likens himself to a shepherd

who cares only for the welfare of his sheep.

Animal rights proponents would love him

because he reckons the life of the human shepherd

to be more expendable

than those of his ovine flock.

But we all know that it’s not about sheep.

It is about people,

individuals like you and me,

who, we are assured,

are loved and valued,

watched over and cared for

by the one he calls Father.

Furthermore, the metaphor implies,

we are all part of something bigger,

joined into one huge flock

of disparate humankind;

each member of which

is also loved and respected,

cared for and wept over

by that same Father;

and expected to do the same

© 2012 Ken Rookes