Shepherds And Crooks
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
This Sunday is often colloquially referred to as "Good Shepherd Sunday" because of the lectionary texts' focus on the Lord as our shepherd, and their examination of the qualities that define a good shepherd. We often -- especially as pastors -- think of the leadership aspects of shepherding, of being responsible for the safety and security of the flock. But in the next installment of The Immediate Word, team member Mary Austin points out that there is a big difference between mere leadership (a concept our modern culture tends to fetishize) and shepherding as described in this week's Psalm, Epistle, and Gospel readings. Many people aspire to leadership -- but typically what they really desire are the perks of leadership (i.e., power, attention, and financial rewards) rather than the sacrifice required of the shepherd who "lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11). Simply put, it's the difference between looking out for #1 vs. looking out for the flock. When faced with adversity, many "leaders" are more concerned with "minimizing exposure" and "protecting the brand" than with placing themselves in the line of fire. Mary notes that such behavior is not that of the shepherd but of the hired hand, who "sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away" (John 10:12). Of course, Christ the Good Shepherd never deserts us and never runs away. But if we try to depend on human leadership to protect us, we are sure to be disappointed. Mary cites the corner-cutting behavior of BP executives that inevitably led to the Gulf oil spill, and the lack of accountability for their actions, as a prime example in the headlines of selfish leadership... and contrasts it with the sacrificial leadership embodied by the shepherd.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer offers some additional thoughts about the gospel passage and the nature of the sacrifice required of shepherds. Dean points out that when the shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, it's not a passive response to danger but an intentional and proactive one. Sacrificing oneself to protect others is an act of supreme strength, perhaps because it goes against our most deeply ingrained instinct: self-preservation (and for institutions, preservation of the status quo). The shepherd sacrificing himself for the flock is not a matter of laying down on the railroad tracks and waiting for the train to come; instead it's a matter of seeing the wolf coming, grabbing his weapon of choice, and heading out to confront it directly... even if that means losing one's life in the process. Popular culture is full of examples of this seeming paradox, but one that springs to mind is the scene from Star Wars where Obi-Wan intentionally allows himself to be killed in order to facilitate Luke and his band of rebels' ability to escape and complete their mission. On the surface this behavior may seem like a passive response that is not in one's rational self-interest -- but as Dean reminds us, it's really an intentional and courageous action that involves a very different calculus than just one's personal motives.
Shepherds and Crooks
by Mary Austin
John 10:11-18; Psalm 23
In claiming the role of the good shepherd, Jesus draws a distinction between himself and the hired hand, who has little concern for the sheep. Accountable for the lives of the sheep, the good shepherd will do anything necessary to protect them. "The hired hand runs away because the hired hand does not care for the sheep," Jesus announces. Danger quickly separates the hired hand from the good shepherd.
Jesus makes an interesting distinction between shepherding the flock and the kind of hired management we often see in corporations and government. On the two-year anniversary of the giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP has renewed profits, but a less stellar record of accountability for the disaster.
The BP oil spill and the corporation's reaction bring us to think about questions of service, dedication, and accountability in our common life.
THE WORLD
In his April 13, 2012, piece titled "How to Prevent Oil Spills," New York Times columnist Joe Nocera writes: "BP held its annual meeting on Thursday, and, all things considered, the company's shareholders had much to be happy about. Yes, a small percentage voted against the $6.8 million pay package that the board awarded Bob Dudley, the chief executive. And there were plenty of protesters in attendance, including angry Gulf Coast residents and climate change activists. Mainly, though, BP shareholders had to be pleased with the progress the company has made since the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Two years after the spill that cost 11 lives and saw millions of gallons of crude poured into the Gulf of Mexico, the company unveiled 2011 net profits of close to $24 billion. And that's after spending some $22 billion settling claims and paying cleanup costs."
The Washington Post reports, in an article by Steven Mufson, that "two years after a blowout on BP's Macondo well that killed 11 men and triggered the largest oil spill in U.S. history, oil companies are again plying the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Forty-one deep-water rigs are in the gulf." The federal government made some organizational changes in how it manages oil leases and safety reviews, and then started granting oil leases for deep water drilling within a year after the disaster.
The same Washington Post article notes that the environmental impact continues, even two years later, citing a report by the National Wildlife Federation, which counted 523 dolphins that had been stranded on the shore, "four times the historic average; 95% of them were dead." The article adds: "A team of scientists led by Peter Roopnarine of the California Academy of Sciences said oysters collected post-spill contain higher concentrations of heavy metals in their shells, gills, and muscle tissue than those collected before the spill."
Meanwhile, the effort to compensate people whose livelihood was affected by the oil spill has been a bumpy ride. BP has been forced to add an additional $64 million to planned compensation funds, following an independent audit which found errors in the process. An audit authorized by the Justice Department, and done by an outside firm, found that 7,300 people and businesses were not compensated as they should have been. Attorney General Eric Holder ordered the independent audit of the Gulf Coast Compensation Fund after he visited the Gulf Coast last summer and spent time with victims of the spill.
Environmental concerns, flawed compensation, and continuing safety lapses for BP in other places don't look like accountability.
THE WORD
The image of a leader as the shepherd of a flock comes to us from the Hebrew scriptures, and Jesus evokes it for himself in these words from John's gospel. The image seems sweet at first glance, but the shepherd's job was both lonely and dangerous. Flocks of sheep roamed out in the country, exposed to predators. Faced with this kind of danger, the hired hand runs away, and the good shepherd stays to guard the flock. The shepherd was accountable to the owner of the sheep for the very lives of the flock. If a sheep was killed, the shepherd had to present the bloody remains to the owner and explain what happened.
Jesus is not just the good shepherd but the exemplary shepherd, the model shepherd, as the original Greek suggests. The shepherd has a deep concern for the lives of the sheep, and the well-being of sheep and shepherd are connected. The shepherd can't do well if the sheep aren't thriving.
There's a level of connection here and accountability that separates being a true shepherd from being a hired CEO or a paid consultant. In all areas of life, some leaders lead this way and others never rise to this level of sacrifice. Business leaders, educators, community activists, social workers, medical personnel, and many others all face the challenge of learning to lead in this accountable, sacrificial way, or of ending up serving their own interests first.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
As Joe Nocera writes in the New York Times column noted above, money is a substitute in our culture for any true accountability for poor management and faulty safety practices. He adds: "It always has before. As Abrahm Lustgarten brilliantly recounts in his new book Run to Failure: BP and the Making of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster, time after time over the past 15 years, BP put profits over safety and created dangerous conditions for its workers, which resulted in serious industrial accidents that brought criminal investigations. Every time, BP wiggled out of trouble by paying money and promising to do better -- and then went right back to its recidivist ways. The implicit message of Lustgarten's book, which recounts this history in infuriating detail, is that for a multinational like BP, fines and settlements are meaningless punishments. Even a criminal conviction has very little meaning for a faceless corporation. After all, you can't throw a company in prison."
Even before the Deepwater Horizon explosion, BP had a disastrous accident at its refinery in Texas City, killing 15 workers. As Nocera writes about Lustgarten's book, he observes that it was "abundantly clear that the problems at the refinery were well known. Necessary maintenance was deferred. Warning signs were ignored. Managers would plead for money to improve the safety of the plant only to have their budgets savagely cut. Top management in London turned a blind eye to reports recounting problems." Accountability? It seems not, except to the call of making a profit.
Nocera says in his column: "There is another reason corporate executives need to be prosecuted when corporate crimes take place. It sends a signal to every other executive about what is -- and is not -- acceptable behavior. The threat of prison can change a culture faster and more effectively than even the heftiest fine. If, after the Texas City explosion, one BP executive or more had been prosecuted, it seems to me quite likely that the Deepwater Horizon accident would never have happened. A prison sentence would have done the thing that all those fines never did: force the company to begin paying attention to safety. Prison is what makes the difference. Otherwise, it's only money." Writing checks is not the same as being deeply and honorably responsible.
A negative example of prison, Nocera believes, would add to the culture of accountability in corporate life. Until that happens, as people of faith, we have a positive model to follow. Each of us is entrusted with places where we serve one another -- as pastors, as church leaders, as parents, as the children of aging parents who need more help, as businesspeople or teachers or public servants. We are called by our own exemplary shepherd to follow his example with the work and the people entrusted to us, and to serve unselfishly. We are called by our own model shepherd to care for the sheep in our fold. In all of those places, even if our work is not as lofty as being the CEO of a large corporation, we have the chance to act as good shepherds. We are called to live with responsibility for each other, following the Good Shepherd, who is the guardian of us all.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Meeting the Wolf
by Dean Feldmeyer
John 10:11-18; Acts 4:5-12
The role of the good shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep, is not a passive one. He does not run away at the approach of the predator. Neither does he simply lie down and offer himself up as an alternative meal.
The shepherd is proactive. He sees the wolf approaching, takes up his sling, his rod, his staff, and goes out to meet the wolf before it reaches the sheep. That he will suffer wounds in the battle is a given. Whether or not he will return is yet to be determined. But he is armed and prepared for what awaits him. He is not passive. His self-sacrifice is planned, intentional, and rational.
Last week Lt. Richard Nappi, a 17-year veteran of the New York Fire Department (FDNY), entered a burning building as he had done scores of times before. But this time, the 47-year-old husband and father of two was overcome by heat and smoke and suffered a fatal heart attack while fighting the blaze. He was the first FDNY line-of-duty fatality in three years.
Entering burning buildings to save the lives and property of others was hardly new to Nappi. Before he entered the fire department he was a parole officer and a case worker for social services. When not on duty as a fire fighter, Nappi also moonlighted as a deputy chief instructor at the Suffolk County Fire Academy, teaching a new generation of firefighters the tricks of the trade. He spent his life protecting and serving others. It was his choice.
Ayn Rand, the author/philosopher whose work is enjoying a new surge in popularity in our nation's capital, would not understand a man like Richard Nappi. A favorite of Tea Party members, House Speaker John Boehner, and Congressman Paul Ryan, the philosopher/author's seminal work, the 1,000-page novel Atlas Shrugged, which was first published in 1957, has sold over a million copies since President Obama was elected. Her The Virtue of Selfishness, a collection of essays published in 1964, renounced self-sacrifice on principle and argued that altruism must be rejected "if any civilization is to survive." Last year, the DVD of the movie Atlas Shrugged I was released with a blurb on the wrapper calling it "Ayn Rand's timeless novel of courage and self-sacrifice." Atlas Productions LLC, the movie's official blog, felt it necessary to issue an apology to Rand fans and create an online replacement for the wrapper that corrected the description to read "... timeless novel of rational self-interest."
Ayn Rand would probably have been more in tune with those in the corporate world like Addison Search founder Joel Katz, who was accused of using company funds "to pay for travel, rental cars, and cell phones for himself and his wife," according to a 2010 suit filed in Chicago's Cook County Circuit Court. The complaint also said that Katz stole company funds to pay a $441,000 personal tax liability. Meanwhile, the company was going broke and creditors were going unpaid.
John and Eva Apostolou, former owners Giordano's, are denying allegations they looted the deep-dish pizza chain while creditors went unpaid and drove the Chicago-based business into a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in February. They are accused in a lawsuit of giving themselves "large and unjustified" salary increases, as well as payments that covered their personal bills while the company went bankrupt and creditors went unpaid.
Is "corporate looting" by CEOs an example of Rand's "rational self-interest," or is it just more modern-day shepherds running away while the wolf ravages the sheep?
And what then of the golden parachutes paid to CEOs who have failed to do their job? The Huffington Post reports that "Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis got a $125 million payday when he left the smoldering wreckage of a financial company in 2009... Now-ousted Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz got nearly $50 million for her first year on the job before being fired 20 months later -- after accomplishing next to nothing. And she got a plush $10 million severance deal."
When, in Acts 4:5-12, Peter stands before Caiaphas, Annas, and the other high priests, he is fully aware that these are dangerous people. They are the very ones who manipulated the Romans into putting Jesus to death on across. Rational self-interest would advise him to tell them whatever they want to hear and then get out of there as quickly as he can. But he does not.
Instead, he beards the wolf in its own den. He preaches salvation to those who need to hear it most whether they want to hear it or not.
He lays down his life, for the sheep.
ILLUSTRATIONS
We all know the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin -- the German legend about a colorful but mysterious stranger who answered the town fathers' call to rid the population of rats. With a magical musical instrument he led the entire lot of vermin to the river where they dropped in and drowned. When the officials refused to pay the piper as they had promised, the stranger used his magic music to lure away the village children into a mountain where they were never seen again.
Great leaders require no magic of any sort to be effective. They only need to exercise sound moral judgment in all situations and manifest good character. They make others feel safe and secure by their willingness to lay aside their own selfish interests.
These kinds of leaders are rare. There are many who are supposed to lead, but who fail the test when the going gets tough. True leaders have no problem attracting a devoted following who will in turn give of themselves for the cause. They are today's shepherds.
* * *
There is a nagging voice within us that distrusts the idea of sacrifice. Sacrifice seems to run against the grain of our very culture. After all, doesn't the Declaration of Independence promise "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"? (Where does sacrifice fit into that equation?) Didn't all those Depression-era children Tom Brokaw talks about in The Greatest Generation pretty much corner the market on sacrifice? And isn't this the era of self-actualization, of discovering our deepest potential, of nurturing the inner child? Self-sacrifice sounds awfully like that old psychological bogeyman called "co-dependence" -- which we all know is the bane of the human-potential movement.
Sacrifice does not mean trampling individuality under foot, nor does it mean subordinating our every desire to the dreams of another. It most certainly doesn't mean being a doormat. There's such a thing as true, selfless sacrifice, and co-dependence is certainly not an example of it.
There is a healthy kind of self-sacrifice that represents the human spirit at its very best. It's the sort of inner motivation that fuels the most exemplary human lives. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." It could just as well be "I am the good teacher... or the good nurse... or the good parent... or the good spouse... or the good neighbor. I am the one who has taken it upon myself to look out for others: to nurture them, guide them, sustain them with love."
-- Carlos Wilton, Lectionary Preaching Workbook [Series VIII, Cycle B] (CSS Publishing, 2006)
* * *
Jeffrey Pfeffer recently wrote a piece for the Washington Post titled "Inside the Head of an Overpaid CEO". This was one of three articles in a series trying to explain the excessive salaries of CEOs.
Pfeffer began by stating that the salaries "put too much emphasis on one person's contribution." He went on to write "that the high differentiation in pay between the CEO and lower-level staffers hurts organizational performance."
Social psychologists have determined why CEOs are outrageously compensated for their role in a corporation: the CEOs' pay "are a part of their identity," which will "convince themselves" of their importance.
Pfeffer also notes that the "threat of rigidity" plays a role. As a company becomes more financially destitute, the salary of the CEO provides a sense of continuity among the workers.
Salary paid to executives in stock options has been proven not to improve performance, but it does reflect positively on company reports. In addition, pay advisors to corporations are motivated to keep their client -- the CEO -- happy. Moreover, a board of directors who think of themselves and their firm as above average want to pay their CEO an above-average salary, for what corporation wants to be thought of as average?
The conclusion is that in times of growth or decline, the CEO's salary only increases.
When the hireling is paid to watch over the sheep, in times of calmness or distress, his pay is assured. So when the wolf appears, knowing his stock options are secure, he is likely to decide that his best option is to leave. Only the shepherd -- the one who is committed by love and devotion -- remains.
* * *
There are many reality shows on the television airwaves -- particularly ones in which celebrity judges make (sometimes controversial) decisions about the performers who appear before them. So the editors of the New York Times wondered what established judges in other areas thought of their TV counterparts. As a result, they solicited the opinions of several well-known judges, including some with significant courtroom experience and asked them for their personal critique. Here is a sampling of their views:
Steven Tyler of American Idol is "kind of there but not there" on the show. There is a lack of "meaningful insight." One judge wrote, "I look at him and think, 'What am I going to take away from that?' "
Jennifer Lopez of American Idol "doesn't have a lot of credibility." This is because "everybody is the most beautiful and the greatest singing talent she's ever heard."
Randy Jackson of American Idol and Christina Aguilera of The Voice both would not be good judges for the same reason: "A real judge has to take charge... You're judging. Make a decision."
Blake Shelton of The Voice received the best endorsement, as one judge reported: "He speaks well, gets his point across, and is good and fair with everyone."
In teaching the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus noted that the hireling wanted to be a people-pleaser and that when trouble approached he saw as his only option to run up and away over the hill. The volunteer, dedicated to his calling, was able to make decisions.
* * *
Every Sunday, Adam Bryant writes a column for the New York Times titled "Corner Office" in which he interviews CEOs to learn of their leadership style. On April 21, Bryant interviewed Russell Goldsmith, the CEO of City National Bank in Los Angeles.
In the interview, Goldsmith shared that during the hiring process, the last question he asks a candidate is if he has any question of him. Goldsmith said, "Sometimes people don't have a single question. And if you have any curiosity, here is your window. I mean, you are thinking of changing your entire career and you have 40 to 60 minutes with the CEO, and you don't have a single question about the company?"
Outside of the reimbursement for his services, the hired hand had no questions about watching sheep. The dedicated one wanted to know, "If the wolf should come, what is the best way to stand my ground?"
* * *
In the Greek language there are two words for "good." The first, agathos, implies the moral and efficient quality of a person or thing as it performs what it is supposed to do. For example, aspirin is a "good" drug because it relieves a headache and reduces fever. It fulfills its basic function.
The second word is kalos. It describes not only efficiency and fidelity but also includes an attractiveness -- a loveliness -- that draws others into its presence. It is the kind of goodness that makes us feel wanted and secure. This is the word that is used in John's gospel when Jesus says that "I am the good shepherd."
Strength and power are necessary qualities for a Savior. But in addition to those qualities, Christ brings a beauty and a kindness that makes us also want to call him friend.
* * *
Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don't need a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.
-- Martin Luther King Jr.
* * *
Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams is greedy for immediate action, rapidly performed, and in sight of all. Men will give their lives if only the ordeal does not last long but is soon over, with all looking on and applauding as if on the stage. But active love is labor and fortitude.
-- Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: God is our shepherd,
People: We shall be satisfied.
Leader: God restores our souls and leads us in right paths.
People: Even though we walk through the darkest valley, we fear no evil.
Leader: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all our days.
People: We shall dwell in the house of our God forever.
OR
Leader: Come to the Good Shepherd.
People: We come to find food and refreshment for our souls.
Leader: Come and learn from the Good Shepherd.
People: We come to learn where we can find all we need.
Leader: No! Learn to lead others to all they need!
People: Yes! That is our calling. We will learn to lead as Jesus led.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"For the Beauty of the Earth"
found in:
UMH: 92
H82: 416
PH: 473
NNBH: 8
NCH: 28
CH: 56
LBW: 561
ELW: 879
"The Care the Eagle Gives Her Young"
found in:
UMH: 118
NCH: 468
CH: 76
"The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want"
found in:
UMH: 136
NNBH: 237/238
CH: 78
LBW: 451
ELW: 778
"The King of Love My Shepherd Is"
found in:
UMH: 138
H82: 645/646
PH: 171
NCH: 248
LBW: 456
ELW: 502
Renew: 106
"Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"
found in:
UMH: 127
H82: 690
PH: 281
AAHH: 138/140
NNBH: 232
NCH: 18/19
CH: 622
LBW: 343
ELW: 618
"There's a Wideness in God's Mercy"
found in:
UMH: 121
H82: 469/470
PH: 298
NCH: 23
CH: 73
LBW: 290
ELW: 587/588
"Make Me a Captive, Lord"
found in:
UMH: 421
PH: 378
"O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee"
found in:
UMH: 430
H82: 659/660
PH: 357
NNBH: 445
NCH: 503
CH: 602
LBW: 492
ELW: 818
"Make Me a Servant"
found in:
CCB: 90
"God Is So Good"
found in:
CCB: 75
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who is our Good Shepherd: Grant us the faith to follow the model of Jesus that we may share in his work of making a place of safety for all your children; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We come to worship you, O God, because you are the faithful shepherd who watches over us no matter what the cost. Help us to follow the model of Jesus and to invite others into the fold of safety that we work to establish as we work with Jesus for your coming reign. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our unwillingness to risk ourselves for the good of others.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have given us stewardship over creation and you have made us the body of Christ for the world. Yet we have not taken our position seriously because it would be costly for us to do so. We prefer luxury and waste over conservation and responsible action. We prefer to let others suffer rather than join in solidarity with their cause. We do not act in the name of the Good Shepherd, but rather we act as hired hands looking out only for ourselves. Forgive us and call us again to follow the only shepherd worthy of the name so that we might bring glory to your name and salvation to your creation. Amen.
Leader: God desires to save all of the flock, us included. God welcomes us back into the fold and grants us the power of the Spirit to enable us to live in ways that lead to eternal life.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We worship and adore you, O God, because you are the faithful shepherd who seeks to bring us to lush pastures and refreshing waters.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have given us stewardship over creation and you have made us the body of Christ for the world. Yet we have not taken our position seriously because it would be costly for us to do so. We prefer luxury and waste over conservation and responsible action. We prefer to let others suffer rather than join in solidarity with their cause. We do not act in the name of the Good Shepherd, but rather we act as hired hands looking out only for ourselves. Forgive us and call us again to follow the only shepherd worthy of the name so that we might bring glory to your name and salvation to your creation.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you have led us to salvation and wholeness. We thank you for those who have faithfully served you and us so that we learned of your love and care.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your flock wherever they may be. We pray for those harassed by wolves and those deserted by shepherds who have turned out to be only hired hands. We pray for ourselves that we may truly be followers of Jesus who live as true shepherds.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father... Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children's Sermon Starter
Few children probably have a good sense of what it means to be a shepherd. Rather than teach the example, try using a parallel example. A shepherd is someone who takes care of sheep, just like many of us take care of a pet. Talk about how it is important to care for a pet -- to feed, water, and shelter it. Jesus takes care of us like that. We are to take care of each other.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
The Good Shepherd
John 10:11-18
Object: a stuffed toy sheep or a picture of a sheep
Good morning, boys and girls! How many of you have ever gone to the fair? (let the children answer) When you go to the fair, do you go in the animal barns? (let them answer) Which animal is your favorite? How many like the goats? How many like the cows? How many like the pigs? How many like the horses? How many like the sheep? (let them answer these questions)
My favorite is the sheep and the lambs. (show the sheep or picture) I like all of the animals, but I think sheep are special. Maybe it is because Jesus said that he was the Good Shepherd and he watched over the sheep.
When you go into the barns where they keep the animals, do you ever see wolves? (let them answer) Wolves are beautiful animals, but I have never seen them at a fair. I wonder why? Does anyone know why there are no wolves at the fair? (let them answer) Would the wolves eat the other animals? (let them answer) If I had four or five sheep, do you think they could fight off a wolf? (let them answer) Wolves are pretty dangerous, even if they are beautiful.
If I am going to have a sheep ranch then I better have someone stay with the sheep, day and night. What do you think? Does anyone know someone that will take care of sheep both day and night? (let them answer) Maybe I could just go downtown and hire someone to watch my sheep. If a wolf came and growled really fiercely at the person I hired to watch the sheep, what do you think he would do? (let them answer) What would you do if a wolf came after you? (let them answer) You would run away as fast as you can run. I think the person I hired would run away too.
If I had a sheep ranch, I would have to be the shepherd. The sheep would belong to me and I would belong to the sheep. If a wolf came after my sheep, I would defend them because I was their shepherd. I would not want any hurt sheep.
Jesus called himself a shepherd and all of us his sheep. Jesus said that if he had to, he would die for his sheep. That is real love.
This is another way Jesus teaches us how important we are to him. We need to believe that Jesus will do everything to protect us from evil. I love Jesus as my shepherd. I feel safe wherever I am because Jesus is with me.
The next time you see sheep, I want you to remember how much Jesus loves you and that he gave his life for you and me and everyone that believes that he is the Good Shepherd.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, April 29, 2012, issue.
Copyright 2012 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer offers some additional thoughts about the gospel passage and the nature of the sacrifice required of shepherds. Dean points out that when the shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, it's not a passive response to danger but an intentional and proactive one. Sacrificing oneself to protect others is an act of supreme strength, perhaps because it goes against our most deeply ingrained instinct: self-preservation (and for institutions, preservation of the status quo). The shepherd sacrificing himself for the flock is not a matter of laying down on the railroad tracks and waiting for the train to come; instead it's a matter of seeing the wolf coming, grabbing his weapon of choice, and heading out to confront it directly... even if that means losing one's life in the process. Popular culture is full of examples of this seeming paradox, but one that springs to mind is the scene from Star Wars where Obi-Wan intentionally allows himself to be killed in order to facilitate Luke and his band of rebels' ability to escape and complete their mission. On the surface this behavior may seem like a passive response that is not in one's rational self-interest -- but as Dean reminds us, it's really an intentional and courageous action that involves a very different calculus than just one's personal motives.
Shepherds and Crooks
by Mary Austin
John 10:11-18; Psalm 23
In claiming the role of the good shepherd, Jesus draws a distinction between himself and the hired hand, who has little concern for the sheep. Accountable for the lives of the sheep, the good shepherd will do anything necessary to protect them. "The hired hand runs away because the hired hand does not care for the sheep," Jesus announces. Danger quickly separates the hired hand from the good shepherd.
Jesus makes an interesting distinction between shepherding the flock and the kind of hired management we often see in corporations and government. On the two-year anniversary of the giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP has renewed profits, but a less stellar record of accountability for the disaster.
The BP oil spill and the corporation's reaction bring us to think about questions of service, dedication, and accountability in our common life.
THE WORLD
In his April 13, 2012, piece titled "How to Prevent Oil Spills," New York Times columnist Joe Nocera writes: "BP held its annual meeting on Thursday, and, all things considered, the company's shareholders had much to be happy about. Yes, a small percentage voted against the $6.8 million pay package that the board awarded Bob Dudley, the chief executive. And there were plenty of protesters in attendance, including angry Gulf Coast residents and climate change activists. Mainly, though, BP shareholders had to be pleased with the progress the company has made since the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Two years after the spill that cost 11 lives and saw millions of gallons of crude poured into the Gulf of Mexico, the company unveiled 2011 net profits of close to $24 billion. And that's after spending some $22 billion settling claims and paying cleanup costs."
The Washington Post reports, in an article by Steven Mufson, that "two years after a blowout on BP's Macondo well that killed 11 men and triggered the largest oil spill in U.S. history, oil companies are again plying the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Forty-one deep-water rigs are in the gulf." The federal government made some organizational changes in how it manages oil leases and safety reviews, and then started granting oil leases for deep water drilling within a year after the disaster.
The same Washington Post article notes that the environmental impact continues, even two years later, citing a report by the National Wildlife Federation, which counted 523 dolphins that had been stranded on the shore, "four times the historic average; 95% of them were dead." The article adds: "A team of scientists led by Peter Roopnarine of the California Academy of Sciences said oysters collected post-spill contain higher concentrations of heavy metals in their shells, gills, and muscle tissue than those collected before the spill."
Meanwhile, the effort to compensate people whose livelihood was affected by the oil spill has been a bumpy ride. BP has been forced to add an additional $64 million to planned compensation funds, following an independent audit which found errors in the process. An audit authorized by the Justice Department, and done by an outside firm, found that 7,300 people and businesses were not compensated as they should have been. Attorney General Eric Holder ordered the independent audit of the Gulf Coast Compensation Fund after he visited the Gulf Coast last summer and spent time with victims of the spill.
Environmental concerns, flawed compensation, and continuing safety lapses for BP in other places don't look like accountability.
THE WORD
The image of a leader as the shepherd of a flock comes to us from the Hebrew scriptures, and Jesus evokes it for himself in these words from John's gospel. The image seems sweet at first glance, but the shepherd's job was both lonely and dangerous. Flocks of sheep roamed out in the country, exposed to predators. Faced with this kind of danger, the hired hand runs away, and the good shepherd stays to guard the flock. The shepherd was accountable to the owner of the sheep for the very lives of the flock. If a sheep was killed, the shepherd had to present the bloody remains to the owner and explain what happened.
Jesus is not just the good shepherd but the exemplary shepherd, the model shepherd, as the original Greek suggests. The shepherd has a deep concern for the lives of the sheep, and the well-being of sheep and shepherd are connected. The shepherd can't do well if the sheep aren't thriving.
There's a level of connection here and accountability that separates being a true shepherd from being a hired CEO or a paid consultant. In all areas of life, some leaders lead this way and others never rise to this level of sacrifice. Business leaders, educators, community activists, social workers, medical personnel, and many others all face the challenge of learning to lead in this accountable, sacrificial way, or of ending up serving their own interests first.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
As Joe Nocera writes in the New York Times column noted above, money is a substitute in our culture for any true accountability for poor management and faulty safety practices. He adds: "It always has before. As Abrahm Lustgarten brilliantly recounts in his new book Run to Failure: BP and the Making of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster, time after time over the past 15 years, BP put profits over safety and created dangerous conditions for its workers, which resulted in serious industrial accidents that brought criminal investigations. Every time, BP wiggled out of trouble by paying money and promising to do better -- and then went right back to its recidivist ways. The implicit message of Lustgarten's book, which recounts this history in infuriating detail, is that for a multinational like BP, fines and settlements are meaningless punishments. Even a criminal conviction has very little meaning for a faceless corporation. After all, you can't throw a company in prison."
Even before the Deepwater Horizon explosion, BP had a disastrous accident at its refinery in Texas City, killing 15 workers. As Nocera writes about Lustgarten's book, he observes that it was "abundantly clear that the problems at the refinery were well known. Necessary maintenance was deferred. Warning signs were ignored. Managers would plead for money to improve the safety of the plant only to have their budgets savagely cut. Top management in London turned a blind eye to reports recounting problems." Accountability? It seems not, except to the call of making a profit.
Nocera says in his column: "There is another reason corporate executives need to be prosecuted when corporate crimes take place. It sends a signal to every other executive about what is -- and is not -- acceptable behavior. The threat of prison can change a culture faster and more effectively than even the heftiest fine. If, after the Texas City explosion, one BP executive or more had been prosecuted, it seems to me quite likely that the Deepwater Horizon accident would never have happened. A prison sentence would have done the thing that all those fines never did: force the company to begin paying attention to safety. Prison is what makes the difference. Otherwise, it's only money." Writing checks is not the same as being deeply and honorably responsible.
A negative example of prison, Nocera believes, would add to the culture of accountability in corporate life. Until that happens, as people of faith, we have a positive model to follow. Each of us is entrusted with places where we serve one another -- as pastors, as church leaders, as parents, as the children of aging parents who need more help, as businesspeople or teachers or public servants. We are called by our own exemplary shepherd to follow his example with the work and the people entrusted to us, and to serve unselfishly. We are called by our own model shepherd to care for the sheep in our fold. In all of those places, even if our work is not as lofty as being the CEO of a large corporation, we have the chance to act as good shepherds. We are called to live with responsibility for each other, following the Good Shepherd, who is the guardian of us all.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Meeting the Wolf
by Dean Feldmeyer
John 10:11-18; Acts 4:5-12
The role of the good shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep, is not a passive one. He does not run away at the approach of the predator. Neither does he simply lie down and offer himself up as an alternative meal.
The shepherd is proactive. He sees the wolf approaching, takes up his sling, his rod, his staff, and goes out to meet the wolf before it reaches the sheep. That he will suffer wounds in the battle is a given. Whether or not he will return is yet to be determined. But he is armed and prepared for what awaits him. He is not passive. His self-sacrifice is planned, intentional, and rational.
Last week Lt. Richard Nappi, a 17-year veteran of the New York Fire Department (FDNY), entered a burning building as he had done scores of times before. But this time, the 47-year-old husband and father of two was overcome by heat and smoke and suffered a fatal heart attack while fighting the blaze. He was the first FDNY line-of-duty fatality in three years.
Entering burning buildings to save the lives and property of others was hardly new to Nappi. Before he entered the fire department he was a parole officer and a case worker for social services. When not on duty as a fire fighter, Nappi also moonlighted as a deputy chief instructor at the Suffolk County Fire Academy, teaching a new generation of firefighters the tricks of the trade. He spent his life protecting and serving others. It was his choice.
Ayn Rand, the author/philosopher whose work is enjoying a new surge in popularity in our nation's capital, would not understand a man like Richard Nappi. A favorite of Tea Party members, House Speaker John Boehner, and Congressman Paul Ryan, the philosopher/author's seminal work, the 1,000-page novel Atlas Shrugged, which was first published in 1957, has sold over a million copies since President Obama was elected. Her The Virtue of Selfishness, a collection of essays published in 1964, renounced self-sacrifice on principle and argued that altruism must be rejected "if any civilization is to survive." Last year, the DVD of the movie Atlas Shrugged I was released with a blurb on the wrapper calling it "Ayn Rand's timeless novel of courage and self-sacrifice." Atlas Productions LLC, the movie's official blog, felt it necessary to issue an apology to Rand fans and create an online replacement for the wrapper that corrected the description to read "... timeless novel of rational self-interest."
Ayn Rand would probably have been more in tune with those in the corporate world like Addison Search founder Joel Katz, who was accused of using company funds "to pay for travel, rental cars, and cell phones for himself and his wife," according to a 2010 suit filed in Chicago's Cook County Circuit Court. The complaint also said that Katz stole company funds to pay a $441,000 personal tax liability. Meanwhile, the company was going broke and creditors were going unpaid.
John and Eva Apostolou, former owners Giordano's, are denying allegations they looted the deep-dish pizza chain while creditors went unpaid and drove the Chicago-based business into a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in February. They are accused in a lawsuit of giving themselves "large and unjustified" salary increases, as well as payments that covered their personal bills while the company went bankrupt and creditors went unpaid.
Is "corporate looting" by CEOs an example of Rand's "rational self-interest," or is it just more modern-day shepherds running away while the wolf ravages the sheep?
And what then of the golden parachutes paid to CEOs who have failed to do their job? The Huffington Post reports that "Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis got a $125 million payday when he left the smoldering wreckage of a financial company in 2009... Now-ousted Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz got nearly $50 million for her first year on the job before being fired 20 months later -- after accomplishing next to nothing. And she got a plush $10 million severance deal."
When, in Acts 4:5-12, Peter stands before Caiaphas, Annas, and the other high priests, he is fully aware that these are dangerous people. They are the very ones who manipulated the Romans into putting Jesus to death on across. Rational self-interest would advise him to tell them whatever they want to hear and then get out of there as quickly as he can. But he does not.
Instead, he beards the wolf in its own den. He preaches salvation to those who need to hear it most whether they want to hear it or not.
He lays down his life, for the sheep.
ILLUSTRATIONS
We all know the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin -- the German legend about a colorful but mysterious stranger who answered the town fathers' call to rid the population of rats. With a magical musical instrument he led the entire lot of vermin to the river where they dropped in and drowned. When the officials refused to pay the piper as they had promised, the stranger used his magic music to lure away the village children into a mountain where they were never seen again.
Great leaders require no magic of any sort to be effective. They only need to exercise sound moral judgment in all situations and manifest good character. They make others feel safe and secure by their willingness to lay aside their own selfish interests.
These kinds of leaders are rare. There are many who are supposed to lead, but who fail the test when the going gets tough. True leaders have no problem attracting a devoted following who will in turn give of themselves for the cause. They are today's shepherds.
* * *
There is a nagging voice within us that distrusts the idea of sacrifice. Sacrifice seems to run against the grain of our very culture. After all, doesn't the Declaration of Independence promise "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"? (Where does sacrifice fit into that equation?) Didn't all those Depression-era children Tom Brokaw talks about in The Greatest Generation pretty much corner the market on sacrifice? And isn't this the era of self-actualization, of discovering our deepest potential, of nurturing the inner child? Self-sacrifice sounds awfully like that old psychological bogeyman called "co-dependence" -- which we all know is the bane of the human-potential movement.
Sacrifice does not mean trampling individuality under foot, nor does it mean subordinating our every desire to the dreams of another. It most certainly doesn't mean being a doormat. There's such a thing as true, selfless sacrifice, and co-dependence is certainly not an example of it.
There is a healthy kind of self-sacrifice that represents the human spirit at its very best. It's the sort of inner motivation that fuels the most exemplary human lives. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." It could just as well be "I am the good teacher... or the good nurse... or the good parent... or the good spouse... or the good neighbor. I am the one who has taken it upon myself to look out for others: to nurture them, guide them, sustain them with love."
-- Carlos Wilton, Lectionary Preaching Workbook [Series VIII, Cycle B] (CSS Publishing, 2006)
* * *
Jeffrey Pfeffer recently wrote a piece for the Washington Post titled "Inside the Head of an Overpaid CEO". This was one of three articles in a series trying to explain the excessive salaries of CEOs.
Pfeffer began by stating that the salaries "put too much emphasis on one person's contribution." He went on to write "that the high differentiation in pay between the CEO and lower-level staffers hurts organizational performance."
Social psychologists have determined why CEOs are outrageously compensated for their role in a corporation: the CEOs' pay "are a part of their identity," which will "convince themselves" of their importance.
Pfeffer also notes that the "threat of rigidity" plays a role. As a company becomes more financially destitute, the salary of the CEO provides a sense of continuity among the workers.
Salary paid to executives in stock options has been proven not to improve performance, but it does reflect positively on company reports. In addition, pay advisors to corporations are motivated to keep their client -- the CEO -- happy. Moreover, a board of directors who think of themselves and their firm as above average want to pay their CEO an above-average salary, for what corporation wants to be thought of as average?
The conclusion is that in times of growth or decline, the CEO's salary only increases.
When the hireling is paid to watch over the sheep, in times of calmness or distress, his pay is assured. So when the wolf appears, knowing his stock options are secure, he is likely to decide that his best option is to leave. Only the shepherd -- the one who is committed by love and devotion -- remains.
* * *
There are many reality shows on the television airwaves -- particularly ones in which celebrity judges make (sometimes controversial) decisions about the performers who appear before them. So the editors of the New York Times wondered what established judges in other areas thought of their TV counterparts. As a result, they solicited the opinions of several well-known judges, including some with significant courtroom experience and asked them for their personal critique. Here is a sampling of their views:
Steven Tyler of American Idol is "kind of there but not there" on the show. There is a lack of "meaningful insight." One judge wrote, "I look at him and think, 'What am I going to take away from that?' "
Jennifer Lopez of American Idol "doesn't have a lot of credibility." This is because "everybody is the most beautiful and the greatest singing talent she's ever heard."
Randy Jackson of American Idol and Christina Aguilera of The Voice both would not be good judges for the same reason: "A real judge has to take charge... You're judging. Make a decision."
Blake Shelton of The Voice received the best endorsement, as one judge reported: "He speaks well, gets his point across, and is good and fair with everyone."
In teaching the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus noted that the hireling wanted to be a people-pleaser and that when trouble approached he saw as his only option to run up and away over the hill. The volunteer, dedicated to his calling, was able to make decisions.
* * *
Every Sunday, Adam Bryant writes a column for the New York Times titled "Corner Office" in which he interviews CEOs to learn of their leadership style. On April 21, Bryant interviewed Russell Goldsmith, the CEO of City National Bank in Los Angeles.
In the interview, Goldsmith shared that during the hiring process, the last question he asks a candidate is if he has any question of him. Goldsmith said, "Sometimes people don't have a single question. And if you have any curiosity, here is your window. I mean, you are thinking of changing your entire career and you have 40 to 60 minutes with the CEO, and you don't have a single question about the company?"
Outside of the reimbursement for his services, the hired hand had no questions about watching sheep. The dedicated one wanted to know, "If the wolf should come, what is the best way to stand my ground?"
* * *
In the Greek language there are two words for "good." The first, agathos, implies the moral and efficient quality of a person or thing as it performs what it is supposed to do. For example, aspirin is a "good" drug because it relieves a headache and reduces fever. It fulfills its basic function.
The second word is kalos. It describes not only efficiency and fidelity but also includes an attractiveness -- a loveliness -- that draws others into its presence. It is the kind of goodness that makes us feel wanted and secure. This is the word that is used in John's gospel when Jesus says that "I am the good shepherd."
Strength and power are necessary qualities for a Savior. But in addition to those qualities, Christ brings a beauty and a kindness that makes us also want to call him friend.
* * *
Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don't need a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.
-- Martin Luther King Jr.
* * *
Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams is greedy for immediate action, rapidly performed, and in sight of all. Men will give their lives if only the ordeal does not last long but is soon over, with all looking on and applauding as if on the stage. But active love is labor and fortitude.
-- Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: God is our shepherd,
People: We shall be satisfied.
Leader: God restores our souls and leads us in right paths.
People: Even though we walk through the darkest valley, we fear no evil.
Leader: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all our days.
People: We shall dwell in the house of our God forever.
OR
Leader: Come to the Good Shepherd.
People: We come to find food and refreshment for our souls.
Leader: Come and learn from the Good Shepherd.
People: We come to learn where we can find all we need.
Leader: No! Learn to lead others to all they need!
People: Yes! That is our calling. We will learn to lead as Jesus led.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"For the Beauty of the Earth"
found in:
UMH: 92
H82: 416
PH: 473
NNBH: 8
NCH: 28
CH: 56
LBW: 561
ELW: 879
"The Care the Eagle Gives Her Young"
found in:
UMH: 118
NCH: 468
CH: 76
"The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want"
found in:
UMH: 136
NNBH: 237/238
CH: 78
LBW: 451
ELW: 778
"The King of Love My Shepherd Is"
found in:
UMH: 138
H82: 645/646
PH: 171
NCH: 248
LBW: 456
ELW: 502
Renew: 106
"Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"
found in:
UMH: 127
H82: 690
PH: 281
AAHH: 138/140
NNBH: 232
NCH: 18/19
CH: 622
LBW: 343
ELW: 618
"There's a Wideness in God's Mercy"
found in:
UMH: 121
H82: 469/470
PH: 298
NCH: 23
CH: 73
LBW: 290
ELW: 587/588
"Make Me a Captive, Lord"
found in:
UMH: 421
PH: 378
"O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee"
found in:
UMH: 430
H82: 659/660
PH: 357
NNBH: 445
NCH: 503
CH: 602
LBW: 492
ELW: 818
"Make Me a Servant"
found in:
CCB: 90
"God Is So Good"
found in:
CCB: 75
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who is our Good Shepherd: Grant us the faith to follow the model of Jesus that we may share in his work of making a place of safety for all your children; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We come to worship you, O God, because you are the faithful shepherd who watches over us no matter what the cost. Help us to follow the model of Jesus and to invite others into the fold of safety that we work to establish as we work with Jesus for your coming reign. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our unwillingness to risk ourselves for the good of others.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have given us stewardship over creation and you have made us the body of Christ for the world. Yet we have not taken our position seriously because it would be costly for us to do so. We prefer luxury and waste over conservation and responsible action. We prefer to let others suffer rather than join in solidarity with their cause. We do not act in the name of the Good Shepherd, but rather we act as hired hands looking out only for ourselves. Forgive us and call us again to follow the only shepherd worthy of the name so that we might bring glory to your name and salvation to your creation. Amen.
Leader: God desires to save all of the flock, us included. God welcomes us back into the fold and grants us the power of the Spirit to enable us to live in ways that lead to eternal life.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We worship and adore you, O God, because you are the faithful shepherd who seeks to bring us to lush pastures and refreshing waters.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have given us stewardship over creation and you have made us the body of Christ for the world. Yet we have not taken our position seriously because it would be costly for us to do so. We prefer luxury and waste over conservation and responsible action. We prefer to let others suffer rather than join in solidarity with their cause. We do not act in the name of the Good Shepherd, but rather we act as hired hands looking out only for ourselves. Forgive us and call us again to follow the only shepherd worthy of the name so that we might bring glory to your name and salvation to your creation.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you have led us to salvation and wholeness. We thank you for those who have faithfully served you and us so that we learned of your love and care.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your flock wherever they may be. We pray for those harassed by wolves and those deserted by shepherds who have turned out to be only hired hands. We pray for ourselves that we may truly be followers of Jesus who live as true shepherds.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father... Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children's Sermon Starter
Few children probably have a good sense of what it means to be a shepherd. Rather than teach the example, try using a parallel example. A shepherd is someone who takes care of sheep, just like many of us take care of a pet. Talk about how it is important to care for a pet -- to feed, water, and shelter it. Jesus takes care of us like that. We are to take care of each other.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
The Good Shepherd
John 10:11-18
Object: a stuffed toy sheep or a picture of a sheep
Good morning, boys and girls! How many of you have ever gone to the fair? (let the children answer) When you go to the fair, do you go in the animal barns? (let them answer) Which animal is your favorite? How many like the goats? How many like the cows? How many like the pigs? How many like the horses? How many like the sheep? (let them answer these questions)
My favorite is the sheep and the lambs. (show the sheep or picture) I like all of the animals, but I think sheep are special. Maybe it is because Jesus said that he was the Good Shepherd and he watched over the sheep.
When you go into the barns where they keep the animals, do you ever see wolves? (let them answer) Wolves are beautiful animals, but I have never seen them at a fair. I wonder why? Does anyone know why there are no wolves at the fair? (let them answer) Would the wolves eat the other animals? (let them answer) If I had four or five sheep, do you think they could fight off a wolf? (let them answer) Wolves are pretty dangerous, even if they are beautiful.
If I am going to have a sheep ranch then I better have someone stay with the sheep, day and night. What do you think? Does anyone know someone that will take care of sheep both day and night? (let them answer) Maybe I could just go downtown and hire someone to watch my sheep. If a wolf came and growled really fiercely at the person I hired to watch the sheep, what do you think he would do? (let them answer) What would you do if a wolf came after you? (let them answer) You would run away as fast as you can run. I think the person I hired would run away too.
If I had a sheep ranch, I would have to be the shepherd. The sheep would belong to me and I would belong to the sheep. If a wolf came after my sheep, I would defend them because I was their shepherd. I would not want any hurt sheep.
Jesus called himself a shepherd and all of us his sheep. Jesus said that if he had to, he would die for his sheep. That is real love.
This is another way Jesus teaches us how important we are to him. We need to believe that Jesus will do everything to protect us from evil. I love Jesus as my shepherd. I feel safe wherever I am because Jesus is with me.
The next time you see sheep, I want you to remember how much Jesus loves you and that he gave his life for you and me and everyone that believes that he is the Good Shepherd.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, April 29, 2012, issue.
Copyright 2012 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
