Just a Sheep V – The Scattered and the Gathered

I’ve been taking a slow stroll through John 10, pausing frequently to digest the richness and depth of meaning behind the initial reading. Told at a moment when the Pharisees were in a flurry of tense and defensive tempers, I can imagine how they looked with postures of arms crossed and shoulders hunched in the body language of dissent. Jesus speaks with authority to them, confronting and teaching, challenging and storytelling; using a culturally familiar account of a shepherd, a wolf and a flock of sheep.

Three dogs bound out of the door each morning. One runs to the bushes, searching with great enthusiasm for a rabbit or squirrel to chase. Another ambles up the driveway at her own pace looking for butterflies to hop after. The third waits at the door for her owner to appear, like a permanent attendance taker who wants her paw held. When all three are running at full speed, and in opposite trajectories, it can be challenging to capture their attention and regroup them to move in the same direction again. A slight distraction appears and off they go, scattered across the yard.

Animals grouped into flocks, herds or schools all have their own instinctual response to the presence and attack of a predator. In the case of the sheep in John 10, we are told that the wolf scatters them. If it can take considerable effort to return three happy dogs to one spot, I would imagine it would be very difficult to recall many scared sheep running in terror. Hold that thought for a moment, allow your senses to play a role in taking in the scene. Imagine the vibration in the earth as hooves hit the ground, the stinging smell of adrenaline and dust heavy in the air, hearing the low growl of the wolf and the panicked bleating of the runners. It is a scene of chaos, where on top of it all, the employee who has been hired to care for the sheep decides to make a run for it to find a safer job. 

The Pharisees are not happy, they have just been compared to ones who are part of scattering the flock with fear and not protecting them as leaders are called to do. Middle class businessmen, trying to uphold the strictest interpretation of the Old Testament laws and traditions; I can understand why they were perturbed. It is easy to hold onto something that we feel is concrete and correct, something that is safe and steady to guide ourselves and others by. However, when we let tradition become law, become an idol in and of itself, we run a risk of scattering and causing serious wounds. 

Standing there insulted, they now hear Jesus telling them that not only is he known by and knows his sheep, but he will gather them to Him. The image takes a drastic change. Instead of creatures running in terror, we are comforted with the true shepherd who does not abandon the sheep in time of trouble and does not bring about predatory attacks, laying down his life for the sheep instead. Just like a big smile appears on my face when I speak to a dear friend whose familiar voice I love to hear, there is comfort for the gathered sheep in hearing the voice of the shepherd, it is not that of a stranger.

Then, Jesus goes one step further. He speaks of more sheep in a different pen who are going to be gathered to him as well. A different pen? More sheep? Where are these sheep coming from? What is he talking about? Can’t you imagine the questions flying through the minds of those listening? They might have drawn two different assumptions. As this was coming on the heels of the man who was just ostracized from the synagogue (and now a large part of his social and spiritual world) due to an act of healing, some might have thought the reference was to him and others like him. Some may have grasped that this could have referenced a group other than the Jews, the gathering of the Gentiles. Thoughts are churning, it is not a comfortable moment to be listening to these words.

In the hindsight of a vast amount of time I still find the thought of scattering and gathering very relevant today. We need to consider if we are part of the scattering or the gathering. Are we so reliant on tradition and social assumptions that we turn out sheep that do not meet our self-imposed prerequisites and niceties? Do we follow employees who run and look for safer jobs when the wolf comes around or the shepherd who will defend his sheep? Are we so caught up in law that we forget the true heart and voice of the law, instead making up our own imprisoning interpretations as we go? The questions can pinch any who look at them honestly. But, after taking that long look, I would encourage us to focus on the ending of this part of John 10, at the second part of verse 16, “… and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” The gathering is happening – exciting times!

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." ~ John 10:11-16

Big People Music & Little People Music

Leading worship is a big responsibility and a great joy. Leading worship while teaching children in this charge is an even greater responsibility and a greater joy; purposefully instructing and building future leaders. In a recent experience, one child joined us at rehearsal and heard the adults talking about the need to incorporate the children’s songs from Sunday School. Hearing the discussion, the child quickly spoke up about being able to sing “the big people music.” I loved that spur of the moment response; a beautiful, open hearted and intuitive answer that is worshipful in and of itself.

The thing about leading worship is that it is not really about whose music (i.e. big and little) is being sung or played. It is an act of sacrificial joy noted for leading ministry, armies and nations. These are the players of cymbals, harps and trumpets, amongst other instruments, specifically mentioned in the Bible. The singers conducted services of song and ministered with music, some even having their names added to the text. Yet, I think even with these details, it is important to note that there is not one word about style, personal preference or music wars.

Worship is done to honor God. It is not about what music I like, don’t like, prefer and don’t prefer. It is not about my mood, my circumstances or my particular activities on a given day. I may have to move past morning sleepiness, arrangements I love or don’t particularly care for, the need for many rehearsals, growing skill sets as we all seek to improve and technical difficulties. When I step up with a team to lead worship on any given day, you could see me after a morning of smooth sailing or it may be everything I can do to keep it together while on stage. The gist of this, is that worship is not about me or you. And that, that was what was contained in those words, “I can sing the big people music.”

“…when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying:

‘For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever,’”

2 Chronicles 5:13a

The end of the week approaches. People will be practicing for Sunday, preparing music once again. As we prepare our own hearts to worship, on Sunday and each day, I want to encourage you to reach out past the moment and circumstances, to worship the Lord because you love him. Maybe you can even learn the “little people’s” Sunday School music.

Point and Counterpoint

I haven’t thought about the theories of point and counterpoint, as in musical structure, in a long time. If those are unfamiliar terms, think of a song's melody. The counterpoint occurs when musically a juxtaposition of a new melody is woven into and on top of the first. Without going into the weeds of canons, fourths and fugues; these two independent melody lines play together in a piece of music, each complimenting the other.

Yesterday evening out for a walk in this still deliciously cool June weather, I was enjoying the beautiful sky and the forming sunset. The shoots of pink and orange caught my attention as big audacious brushes of color fanned across the sky to create mammoth rays. It wasn’t for some time after admiring those bands of color that I noticed that there were much more subtle lines of blue crossing the rays. Independently there and yet part of the whole picture.

That was when it hit me - it is point and counterpoint! Two melodic views have been joined together to create one whole, each complimenting the other in an artistic God created vision of beauty. 

Family – Global and Eternal

It’s been a while since I have written.  Busy times here; and there are places to go, people to see, gardens to weed, dogs to pet, songs to sing and work to do.  Last week I was ending a wonderful trip to see family.  Again much was packed in, busy times and all!  A few quiet moments slipped in though, making themselves welcome amongst morning coffee and beautiful morning skies.  Quiet moments lead to time to think, and my thoughts were full of thankfulness for a global and eternal family.

Since I was traveling, I wasn’t home to go to the church in my community.  Instead, I had the opportunity to worship with my Church family in a different location.  Standing in a room full of strangers, I loved to think how we were all worshipping the same God together, even when we don’t know about each other.  God knows, and we will have eternity to get to know each other.  

Being Still When the Lights Go Out

It was a dark and stormy night when the lightning flashed, the thunder clapped, and the lights flickered twice before fading into a vacuum of darkness…

Okay, that didn’t actually happen.  It is cloudy, and the evening is late and becoming dim.  But the night has not really settled in yet, and there were no dramatic moments – the lights went out in the blink of an eye.  The why and how long of the power outage is still to be determined; in the meanwhile sitting in a quiet and darkening house surrounded by wonderful smelling candles and sleeping dogs is not a terrible interruption to the constantly connected electrical world we live in.  This gives me a chance to put pen to paper, sit in the glow of a pine candle (my favorite scent), and write on what paper I could find using my phone as a flash light.  The paper could be gray or maybe lavender, it’s hard to tell with the low light fading the colors out.  But, in the midst of this outage, I think it would be an ideal time to be still. 

When I have an opportunity to be still, I realize afresh how I crave this more than my routine indicates.  After coming back from a time that involved stillness, I find myself wanting this more frequently.  In the presence of everyday life, my sense of mental equilibrium can apparently settle into something not entirely good because stillness tends to leave me falling into an exhausted sleep.  When I do get a period of quiet, enforced by a power outage though it may be, it can draw attention to the need to be still and regain balance.

“Be still and know that I am God” you say.  Be still.  Still. Still.  Still moving.  Still squirming.  Still yacking about irrelevant things.  Still having conversations in my head.  Still not focused.  Still not listening.  Still not having a mental slow down.  Still trying.  Still straining to listen.  Still settling.  Still need to add that last item to my list.  Still, be still. That is generally when the phone rings, the e-mail arrives, the dog barks, the calendared event starts, or I just fall asleep.  Be still I say to myself!  You are supposed to be still and know.  Can’t I know that God is God while moving about?  This still thing is awfully difficult.  I tend toward curiosity and I wonder why be still?  Why not be quiet and know or be noisy and know – I could probably accomplish that a lot better than being still. 

The lights just came back on.  My thanks to the power crew that is working tonight.  I do like our electrical conveniences.  In the growing darkness though, I did have a moment when stillness started.  After one of the moments the dogs of insisted we go out, I tried to be still.  When I’m still, I don’t hear myself moving about.  I hear the patter of a gentle rain starting to fall.  I hear night sounds as frogs and crickets perform virtuoso lullabies.  I smell the awakening smell of spring warmed earth, new leaves, and the beginnings of spring blooms.  Be still and know. 

Be still is not the easiest thing for me, but I can understand why I need to be still.  I need to hear God and readjust my direction to move forward.  My direction right now is to be still a little more often – it’s like a vacation for the soul.  

Standing in the Gap for Me

A horrible thing happened today in Boston, one or two or a small number decided to attack a much larger number through explosives and through fear.  On a day celebrating the patriots of Massachusetts, at an event that inspires many around the globe to strive for a lofty goal, this terrible thing occurred.  We don’t even really know the details yet.  We don’t really know yet what the fall-out will be, who will be held responsible, or what attempts to legislate a stop of evil intent this will inspire. 

What we do know is that it is in this, this war where the front line is anywhere and everywhere, that we all must take a stand.  We must all stand up and realize that though our methods and philosophies may not agree, we are not accepting this behavior.   Even more, we must not lose hope.  We are not alone in this, and this is not something unique in our time. 

Ezekiel wrote of how God, angered at the decisions that Israel was making, finally had had enough.  Intent on pouring out just anger against the terrible things that were occurring, in effect saying “stop” I have had enough.  Even then, at the moment of anger, God looked for someone among the Israelites who could “stand before him in the gap.”  He was looking for a way to save them.

Today, we have someone to stand in the gap.  Jesus stands in the gap!  So that even when horrors occur, terrible tragedies; we do not have to lose hope.  Someone stands in the gap for me and wants to for you as well.  In the everyday neighborhood trenches, in the meeting rooms, classrooms, and commuter trains; in the births, marriages, and deaths; in the tragedies and in the triumphs.  

Ezekiel 22

In the Valley, On the Mountain, In the Pen

    I’m once again sitting in the puppy pen, with the dog. Poor pup, she had one internal suture that just wouldn’t dissolve and had to be removed. So, here we are again - in the pen, with her paw sitting on top of my foot. A knee brace is on my knee and I’m tired. It’s been a long day. Running here, running there – I admit that I was close to tears this morning. Poke me and I won’t bleed, I’ll just melt into a hot salty mess of tears making a great big puddle in the floor. What caused all of that though? Well, I got up early to take the dog to the vet to have the suture removed. I always hate leaving her, but especially hated it this time because I knew she really just had her ACL fixed about a month and a half ago. Reopen part of the incision, it seems like a really awful thing, especially when I can’t explain why or what for or really reassure that this is for her good and I am coming back. So, leaving there, I headed to the knee doctor. I have reached the point, six months after originally injuring it, where I just want it fixed. Really folks, it’s been long enough. I’ve tried to be a good sport with physical therapy, repeated appointments, etc… but today I felt like we were back at the beginning. Well, it could be… or it could be… or …. Oh my goodness, just fix it! So, I tried to pull it all together and get to work. Only to have to leave a few hours later for an MRI and then to pick up the pup from the vet, did I mention I did a lot of going from place to place today.
   So, sitting here in the pen I could quite easily feel pretty sorry for myself. I hurt and am tired, the pup has a wound that is seeping a bit still, and I still don’t have an answer for my knee. But instead of dissolving and melting, which is still a possibility because that’s life, I’m trying my best to remember that God is in control and is good. He is good on the mountain when things are calm and beautiful. He is in the valley, when things are dark and you want to just go back to bed and crawl in for the remainder of however long it’s going to take for the remaining problem to dissipate. He is good when you are sitting in the puppy pen with the dog licking your pajama pant leg as she is commencing her nightly bathing ritual. He is good regardless. Regardless of the place, the situation, the mood, the weather, the economy, the politics, the environment, regardless of my hopes or dreams or failures – God is good. He is good when there are valleys and storms. He is good when joints hurt or sutures don’t dissolve. God is good when lupine is blooming and spring winds are carrying sounds of mountain goats. God is good when skies are blue, clouds are fluffy and everything is going just right. God is good when dogs are hurt, when we are hurt and when we are contained in puppy pens.
   I may just spend some time dissolving into a pile of tears soon, especially if I don’t have an answer of something that is wrong with my knee in the next week. But, God will still be good.

Cardinal Spots

   We had beautiful big snowflakes falling yesterday, so big that they looked like feathers falling out of the sky. On the branches of the trees sat brilliant red cardinals, tucked in amongst the twigs and bark for shelter. They were brilliant red, showing up as crimson feathered spots in the white and brown lines of snow covered trees. With all of that flying snow about, it is easy to focus on the mass of the motion and not on the one flakes movement or what else is going on. The snowflakes are beautiful and I do love to watch them come down. They can also be very distracting.

   There are other distractions I face, some beautiful and some not so, that distract me from those wondrous moments of life. Distractions, those little diversions and commotions that interrupt and serve to either disturb or amuse; they can upset our days with great joy or great frustration. But good or bad, distractions can interrupt our time with God. I was reminded of how precious that time is when remembering a recent time of quiet and solitude. It was just for a few moments, at a January bonfire when I remembered in the quiet the lovely peace of solitude with God. It is not something that has been lost on me, just in the haze of cold medicine and recovering my energy from the cold it was something that was a bit lost on me.
   Maybe I need January bonfires more often, maybe I just need to remember to look past the flurries of distraction to the cardinals perched in the trees.

God Sighting

   A news report several days ago told of how social networking software is making celebrity sightings more like celebrity stalking. The reporter was questioning if the fans of a movie star really needed to know what coffee they are having or if they stopped in at the grocery store to get a loaf of bread. It hit me that we may be spending a lot of time tracking down these people who are good at projecting different ideas and personalities through scripts. But, what if we were working on using social media for God Sightings instead?

   Did you see God today? I did! I saw him in a little girl walking to school, book bag in hand and skipping her way down the sidewalk. I heard him yesterday in the music, laughter, and discussion of a group of people seeking to build and grow each other. I saw him in a hospital, holding a scared patient’s hand. I saw him in a celebration, singing along.
   I don’t really care what type of coffee the movie star drinks or what type of bread they get at the grocery store. But, I do care about God being there. Take a look, do you see any God sightings?

Nursery Tales

You never quite know what kids are going to say in the nursery at church. This latest time in the church nursery was no exception. I found one of the little ones lining up pint sized chairs.

  “Are you making a train?”
  “No, I’m making a shuttle.”
  “Wow! That’s cool! Are you going to fly to space?”
  “Yes, I’m going to the moon. I want to see God.”
  “And God is on the moon?”
  “Yes, God lives in the moon.”
  “Oh, where else does God live?”
  “In my heart. But, I can’t stick my whole face in my heart to see God, so I’m going to the moon.”
Well, I can hardly argue with his logic, so we had a pretend shuttle ride to the moon. So we could see God.
Yes, the munchkins were cute in their pretend and play. But, their reasoning is not so different than what you or I might use. We try to contain God, not in the moon, but in our little boxes of familiarity and understanding. Then, we travel and traverse to God forgetting that he is already here, already with us. Thank heavens that we don’t have to go to the moon!

Just Enough – Is it Enough?

It was a frustrating week. I was trying to pull together something involving a group of people and it seemed that the biggest inclination was to avoid eye contact and hope they didn’t get called on. Others tried to provide encouragement, “well, that’s better than if nothing was done.” I know they really meant to encourage and I thank them for that. However, my frustration was and is still there. Then, just like a seesaw, I find myself bouncing over to the other view point – how often have I fallen short of what I should or could have done? Many times. So I hold my tongue a while longer.

I think the thing that bothers me about that statement though is, is it really acceptable to put forth only good enough in front of God? Isn’t that a bit like taking the best sacrifice lamb and holding it back only to put something a little less forth? Part of me just wants to fume, to fuss and complain. Part of me wants to throw it all up in the air and toss the paper and files to someone else – you deal with them! Part of me wants to fall to my knees and plead for forgiveness for the times I have driven someone else to this frustration.
At the end of the day, God is able to take this less than and use it as if it were the best. I pray he does.

I wrote this and then a few hours later - someone called and that took care of another piece of the puzzle.  God really does take care of all the parts and pieces, even when we can't offer our best.

Shadows and Freedom

Have you ever noticed how two thoughts which seem unrelated can wind themselves together, twining this way and that to form a vine? I had two thoughts and over the last few days, they have sort of twined together.

I live in a small town; it’s a nice little town on the river and home to several large companies. It’s a typical small town with typical small town structures. There are restaurants and a fire department, homes and schools. I enjoy during the school year watching children walk to the elementary school as I drive to work. In the summer, it is replaced with afternoon skateboard and bicycles. An ice cream truck can be heard often during this hot time. I know my neighbors names and they are lovely neighbors. It’s not a perfect town; there are problems inherent in every area. There is crime and poverty which I wish wasn’t there. It is the longest I have ever lived anywhere, over 12 years! It is the longest by far (by over 8 years). So, I have lived here long enough to know that if I go straight at that one road and turn at another, that I will pass a patch of beautiful black-eyed-susans. And, it is an odd reassurance to know that my pharmacist, who knows my name, can also quote Shakespeare. I know that there are many who feel stifled here, they look around and see the limits. One such asked me not to long ago why I didn’t just take off and declare “freedom”. But, I’m not sure that that is what freedom looks like to me.
The other was just a moment, just a few seconds. On my way home from work, I needed to stop and run an errand. I drove up the street and the city jail was directly in front of me. I saw a shadow of a large bird move across the small high panes of glass in the jail. I wondered in that ephemeral moment if that was a sad reminder to the men and women in the jail. If that shadow passed through the window, the shadow of a bird epitomizing freedom, passed through the window, would it be something that rips their heart a bit?
The freedom of a bird, the freedom of choices, freedom to be and do and live and love – what is freedom? Is freedom the bird that flies from spot to spot? The sparrow which alights outside my window and splashes in the water with great abandon has a type of freedom. When my dog gets up she has a day full of naps and playtime and running, a different kind of freedom. I do have freedom. I have freedom to make a go of my job or not, to make a friend or not, to be pleasant or have an attitude, to work hard or hardly work. I also have a freedom to be what I was meant to be. Not the meant to be of romantic Victorian novels and the fates. But, meant to be as in the gifts and tasks and plans God has for me that are just for me, and those for you that are just for you. When I spurn those gifts, I feel more like the prisoner watching the bird out the window. Instead, I want to be more like the sparrow, splashing about with joy and abandon in the water. Thus, the two thoughts twine together and form something a bit more coherent, a bit stronger, as I define freedom for me.

Pillar Road signs and Protectors

I have been reading in Exodus recently, getting caught up in the story of Joseph. Then, as it progresses, I just can’t put this down as the people’s story is told. Something struck me the other day as I was reading. Exodus 13 and 14 refer to the Lord moving in front of the Israelites as a pillar of fire and pillar of cloud. If you aren’t familiar with that, this is the part where the plagues have occurred in Egypt. There has been severe impact on the land, and Pharaoh has finally reached the point where he wants the Israelites out.

The people were slaves for a period of time in Egypt, long enough that those were living probably didn’t experience being something other than slaves. They were now moving out in a different direction. If can be frightening to move into something new, to make changes. For them, I would imagine it would be doubly difficult as they also had enormous psychological baggage to overcome. So, it strikes me as so interesting that God went ahead of the people, “in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light.” I wonder how much heat a pillar of fire puts off or how much shade a pillar of cloud offers. Either way, it would be a comfort to see such a prominent road sign in front. “Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” The Lord provided a clear sign of where to go, and then stayed there leading the people. By staying in front of them, he provided a visual reminder of his presence, that they were to literally follow him.
I love that vision! How many times have I wondered if I should turn right or left, so caught up in the possibilities around me that I have forgotten to look at the pillar of fire and cloud right in front of me. I’m so thankful that God provides us direction. A pillar of fire, that would provide light, but I don’t know how much light it would cast over a distance, how bright it was in the dark of a desert in night. It reminds me when things seem dim and dark to look for that pillar of fire to light the way, letting me see one step at a time.
Things changed as the Israelites traveled. Pharaoh changed his mind, and started pursuing the people with the force of his army. The pillar that had been in front of the people moved “from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other; so neither went near the other all night long.” The people had their way set before them. They had their direction, they knew the way they were supposed to go. But, there was a threat coming behind them and the Lord moved to protect them from that threat. It would be easy to become distracted at that point, to focus on what is going on behind you instead of front of you. Their protector was now behind, guarding, which meant that the people needed to be brave enough to set out on the direction they had been given. Sometimes, we need to do the same. We have something which we need protected from and it may feel that God is doing just that, but not standing in front of us as well. Perhaps the way has already been given, we now need the courage to move forward, knowing we are protected.

Wooly

Last weekend, while visiting a park, I stopped to watch the sheep as they were eating from their pan. The sheep were still covered with their thick winter wool. Covering them from wooly head to tail, the wool that had provided the thick covering of warmth through the winter, will not suit them over the summer.

I was reminded how the wool served as a protection for them as they most needed it, and then they need care for the spring and summer. There are times when I have needed an extra layer of wool. As there are difficulties or when life feels cold, that warmth is just what is needed. The wool of the sheep conforms to them perfectly, fitting their needs in a way that is designed specifically for them.
At other times, there are warmths and things to celebrate. The race that is being ran would be much to sweltering in a wooly blanket. At that time, the shepherd is needed to come and care for the sheep, removing the wool.
As God provides me a wooly blanket and also sheers it off – his timing and provision is always perfect.