Faith is born in the waiting. It’s how we learn to believe. When the promised son is sacrificed, or the reward for righteousness is opposition. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep […]
Hopelessness and waiting
I have expectations. They go unmet. I have a will. It gets crossed. Circumstances. Decisions. Other people. I can’t control any of it. Pride is involved. My sense of worth. What people think of me. And the whole matter of waiting. Waiting to find out. Waiting to move. Waiting to get. Waiting to do. Waiting […]
Hopeless.
Abraham, walking for three straight days to reach the place where his son would die. Three days with nothing to do but think about losing his son, whom he loved (Genesis 22). Jesus, the Messiah, seized, tortured, and killed by His enemies. Loved by His Father. Dead, buried, and gone (John 18-19). The burdens we […]
What shepherds do
The Bible uses shepherding as a metaphor for pastoral work. Shepherds take care of sheep, and spiritual shepherds take care of people. It’s a straightforward metaphor — but what does it look like? Here’s a description pulled from Ezekiel 34. Scan the list and note the impression it makes. Then, reread each point and ask […]
Five assumptions about shepherding
We’ve made four assumptions so far, and here I’ve added a fifth. 1. Wherever believers gather, some are accountable for the well-being and protection of the group. Specifically, of their souls. 2. The metaphor most often used to describe this accountability is shepherding — an activity rich in analogy and example. 3. Shepherding is a […]
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