When I was made a deacon in 1996 Bishop
David Sheppard presided at the service. It was the last
deaconing before he retired. When we were looking
at the order of service he happened to comment; “I don’t
normally let them choose that hymn for a service in the
Cathedral, but it’s my last one and I quite like it, so
I didn’t say anything”. The hymn was 'Faithful Shepherd
feed me'. It’s listed under Holy Communion hymns
in the old A&M, but has the feel of a Edwardian
children’s hymn. It speaks of a reliance on Jesus, the
ultimate Good Shepherd, firstly for sustenance and
secondly for guidance and a reassuring presence “in the
narrow way.” It’s the classic very rural, very
English, pastoral view of the Good Shepherd. The one who
seeks the lost sheep, the one who is pictured in stained
glass in many English churches.
The Good shepherd in Johns Gospel cares for the
sheep, and is willing to lay down his life for them. He
is contrasted with the hired hand who in the final
analysis, given a dangerous situation with a wolf
chooses his life above the flock’s welfare.
There is in this passage a sideways glance at
past kings and rulers of the Jewish people. They
were known as Shepherds, and sadly as we see today, the
welfare of all the sheep in the flock or the people of
the nation is not always the top priority in
governing. And given that all are Gods people,
then through the prophets God’s anger is directed to bad
shepherds who fail to live up to the care the flock
deserve.
It is said in the Holy Lland that when two flocks
of sheep meet at a watering place, the Shepherd will
always leave with all the sheep he comes with. Unlike
our country where the shepherd walks behind the sheep
assisted by one or two dogs, the middle eastern shepherd
walks ahead of his sheep and calls them like we would
call a dog. The sheep know his voice and that is
why the shepherd always leaves with the same sheep he
arrived at the watering place with. It all begs
the question in this life do we know the voice of the
Good Shepherd in the midst of the many and competing
demands of this world. The sheep learn the shepherds
voice, a voice that brings them through danger to food
and water. It is about dependence and the
knowledge that there is only Shepherd who can do this.
Sheep that stay in a sheep pen will eventually starve,
so do not crave for a safe existence following the Good
Shepherd. We would all love to be sheep No. 100
from the story of the lost sheep safely held in the
shepherd's arms.
As Peter and the disciples found before the
temple authorities, God in sending Jesus to die upon the
cross as the one who saves, literally turns the world
upside down. The rejected stone of the temple is
now the corner stone, the most important stone which the
new creation is built on. The path before them was
not easy and we should not expect ours to be.
The ordination service talks about keeping the
example of the Good Shepherd before our eyes. I
think Bishop David Sheppard, although loving the hymn
'Faithful Shepherd', was aware that others might focus
on him rather than the true Shepherd. It was a
mark of his humility. Any honest minister would say that
while we strive to be like Jesus, we have long way to
go.
Today is vocations Sunday; obviously we need more
priests to faithfully lead the church, but from our
baptisms we all have vocations to be disciples.
Disciples with jobs, children, grandchildren, great
grandchildren, relatives who need extra care, members of
voluntary groups that provide important things to others
in our community and members of a worshipping community
at St. Faiths, with all the responsibilities that go
with it. You don’t get to opt out of being a
disciple because you have other responsibilities.
You work out your discipleship in the context of all
those things. Putting clergy on a vocational pedestal
cannot absolve you of playing your part in the life of
God's people.
It would be great if vocation was clear cut, if
like Moses we all heard God speak through a burning
bush, or like St. Paul had a dramatic Damascus road
experience. But it doesn’t work that way for many.
Kathy Galloway in “TheCall” writes
Yes I shall seek to find
what only I can do.
But sometimes ‘can’
Is only known through ‘must’.S
Yes I shall ask to receive
Clear directions.
But sometimes all that’s left to do
is to take the first step
and the next step and the next
because the way ahead is dark
and the map does not go beyond this point.
Yes I shall knock on the door of certainties.
But it remains resolutely closed.
The only door for which I have the key
Is the one on which somebody is hammering
For me to let them in,
Perhaps (who knows?) to ask me
To do the thing that only I can do.
May the Good Shepherd lead us along the narrow way that
leads to life for the whole flock.