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Back when I was in large animal practice one of the issues we had to deal with were “Crypt” horses. Those are male horses with hormone producing tissue in their abdominal cavity. “Crypt” horses behave like Stallions and are barely manageable.
The treatment is surgery which has some risk involved. You can imagine laying down a 1000 horse behind your clinic with less than perfect anesthesia and going in to find that hormone producing tissue. Clients usually ask if there is any risk involved. Yes, your horse might die. An old time Veterinarian told me he would tell clients… “If he dies, you don’t really have a horse anyway do you?”
Often in congregations we have those members who wander away from our services. As Shepherds we have the responsibility to try to herd those sheep back to the flock. Usually that means a phone call or two, sending a card/note, texting, messaging on Facebook or trying to set up an appointment to go visit.
Many times those things don’t work. As a last resort I try to just go knock on their door. Some people aren’t comfortable with that and feel like it’s an invasion of privacy or it just goes too far.
I know this, that God is going to hold me personally responsible for the sheep in our flock and I’d better have a good answer for Him when he asks me about what I did to take care of His sheep when I meet up with Him on the Judgment Day.
Those wayward members may never respond to any of our efforts but let’s try everything we can possibly do and if the “surgery” is a success then it’s worth whatever risk it took. Because after all… we don’t really have a horse any how do we.
I participate (most years) in a Career Day at one of the local High Schools. Of course I am there to promote Veterinary Medicine. Along the way, I have told them that they are at a point in their lives where they are going to be making some really momentous and life changing decisions at a time when they are perhaps the least qualified to do so. Things like getting married, furthering their education, freedom to drink alcohol, etc.
Then I tell them that the career they choose can shape them as a person. For instance, as a Veterinarian, wherever I go people want to talk and visit with me and thank me, etc. Why? Because I have helped them with what is sometimes the most precious thing they have… their pets. That kind of continual positive reinforcement has a shaping effect.
On the other hand there are careers that can be less fulfilling. Consider what it would be like to be a divorce lawyer and day after day see people at their worst. Or a prison guard or working in the tobacco industry. Think how that might negativity shape you.
Another thing to consider is that some careers have a high suicide rate, other careers are hard on families and have a high divorce rate.
Christianity has a shaping effect as well. Leading a good life, a life-long commitment to a spouse, sober living, treating others kindly no matter how they mistreat you has a tremendous shaping affect. As I look back at my life with Julie I see that many extra-ordinary blessings have been showered upon us. I can’t take credit for any of them… they came from God.
Choose to serve God at an early age, never doubt him and live by faith. He will shape you and bless you and when you’re a little further down the road you too can look back and see that God was with you every step of the way.
In Ezekiel 34, God chastises the leaders of his nation Israel by comparing them to bad shepherds. Let’s look at their inactions and actions.
They neglected to…
- Strengthen the weak
- Heal the sick
- Treat the injured
- Bring back the strays
- Search for the lost
Instead they…
- Ate curds
- Clothed selves with wool
- Ate the choice animals
- Ruled harshly and brutally
As a result the flock was scattered and ravaged by wolves. God promised to punish the leaders of Israel and take care of the flock personally. He also promised to provide a true shepherd after the lineage of King David who was and is, Jesus Christ.
Jesus is still the chief shepherd of his people but he has ordained minor shepherds over each local flock of Christians. God expects these human shepherds to strengthen the weak, heal the sick, treat the injured, bring back the strays, search for the lost and rule gently and with kindness.
God loves and highly values his flock of people and expects the same from his shepherds.
All of the congregations I have attended have been very careful about the use of the church building. The rationale goes something like this… the church building, property, etc. was purchased with the Lord’s money and therefore can only be used for spiritual purposes. Then a distinction is made between spiritual things and social things making them mutually exclusive.
This is primarily done to prohibit eating in the building but would also include any other so-called social activity such as weddings, funerals, selling girl-scout cookies, recreation (a kid throwing a football, etc.) and such like. In fact, in many congregations announcements of a social nature… like congregational picnics or other types of get-togethers are prohibited.
Consider Ephesians 2: 10… “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them (good works)
What are these good works? Frequently in the scriptures good works would include taking care of widows and orphans, enjoying meals together, sharing possessions, various forms of hospitality and even the sewing and making of garments for each other. Make no mistake each of these scriptural examples are social and as such would be prohibited activities in many of the congregations I have attended.
What kind of sense does this make? In the church building we are to teach one another responsibilities and encourage each other to have strong social relationships and yet the performance of these activities are forbidden in the building? It makes no sense… none.
The church and all its resources, including its building, should be used to help Christians grow spiritually and we cannot grow spiritually without socially interacting with each other inside the building and outside the building.
