I don’t know if I should say this or not, but in the past few years I’ve learned more about God’s love for sinners like me through the lives of disabled children, and their parents and carers, than from all the books I’ve read, sermons I’ve preached, and lectures I’ve delivered in that period.
Through ministries like Peacehaven and The Elisha Foundation, and through various families (like these dear friends, the Dederts, and also Greg Lucas’s blog and book), I’ve re-discovered with humble awe the infinite dimensions of God’s incarnate love to broken sinners like me. Then, this morning, Margaret Heemskerk of Peacehaven sent me a link to this deeply moving video about Carly Fleishman, an autistic child who spent the first 11 years or so of her life unable to speak or communicate to the world. Then everything changed, when she typed on a computer screen: “I am autistic, but that is not who I am.” Watch this video to learn more about autism, more about the valuable work of psychologists and therapists, and, above all, more about God’s incarnate love. The most moving exchange for me was at 8.26: Carly: Dear Dad, I love when you read to me, and I love that you believe in me. I know I’m not the easiest kid in the world. However you are always there for me, holding my hand and picking me up. I love you. Father: I’ll go through many sleepless nights to hear that. I’ll spend every penny we have to hear that. Interviewer: Was there one writing in particular that left a lump in your throat? Father: In this writing where she says, “You’ve never been in my body, I wish for one day you could be in my body…….” At that point I was just longing for someone to step into the film and read Hebrews 2:14-18. More on the Carly Fleishman story here.Sheep: “This time it’s personal”
Throughout Scripture, sinners in general, and God’s people in particular, are described as sheep. And those God sends to lead them are equally frequently called shepherds. Today we will look at the character of the sheep, and tomorrow at the character of the shepherd. We start with the sheep because the key to leading as a shepherd is in understanding the nature of sheep.
I pastored for 12 years in the Scottish Highlands. During that time, I was surrounded by sheep: sheep on the roads, sheep on the mountains, sheep on the beeches, sheep in my yard. O, yes, and sometimes sheep in the shepherds’ fields. My study on the Isle of Lewis was 12 inches away from a field full of sheep. Sometimes at night I would look up from my computer and see many pairs of luminous green eyes staring at me through my window! I got to know sheep pretty well. What did I learn?1. Sheep are foolish
I don’t know what sheep would score in an animal IQ, but I think they would be close to the bottom of the scale. They seem to only know how to do one thing well – eat grass (and produce more grass-eating sheep).
It’s possible to know little, yet not be foolish; but not if you are a sheep. They are so irrational. You watch them as they pause in front of a stream. They know they can’t jump it or swim it. So what do they do? They jump in anyway!
2. Sheep are slow to learnEvery shepherd will tell you countless stories about how sheep can be taught a very painful lesson, and yet fail to learn the painful lesson. A sheep may get caught in barbed wire trying to break through a fence. And the next day it will try it again, and again,… 3. Sheep are unattractive
Some animals may not be very bright, but make up for it with grace and elegance in their movement and actions. But sheep are so awkward, so lacking in agility and dignity. Although some shepherds may tell you differently, to most outside observers sheep are dirty, smelly, and ugly. 4. Sheep are demanding
Ever watch a lamb suckle its mother? Almost as soon as it is born, it is violently sucking its mother’s udders. And that insatiable demand never leaves them. They demand grass, grass, and more grass; day after day, and night after night. (Do they ever sleep?) And when snow is on the ground, they aggressively demand food from the shepherd. Just listen to them bleat if their troughs are empty even for a short time. And watch the life-or-death stampede when the shepherd appears. 5. Sheep are stubborn
Have you ever tried to move a sheep? It’s like trying to move an elephant. Ever watched a shepherd try to manoeuvre a sheep into a fold or a dip-tank. It’s like trying to wrestle with a devil. Half a dozen sheep invaded my garden once. I thought it would be easy to hustle them out the wide gate again. But it was as if an electric shield (visible only to sheep) stretched across the gap. I could get them to go anywhere and everywhere, but through that gate. 6. Sheep are strong
I’ve watched the most macho of men beaten by sheep. You look at their skinny “arms” and “legs” and think “easy.” Next thing you are flat on your back or face down in the dirt. I’ve been flattened by running sheep. It was like getting run over by a tank. 7. Sheep are straying
Perhaps the main reason Scripture chooses sheep to characterize us, more than any other animal, is because of its well-deserved reputation for straying (Isa. 53:6) and getting lost (Lk. 15:3ff). So many times I was out in the middle of nowhere when I would come across a sheep – miles from anyone and anything – and totally unconcerned. I would look up on a cliff and there was a sheep out on a lethal ledge. Other times, when fishing miles from anywhere, I would come across ditches and bogs with the decaying remains of a wandering sheep, and I’d think, “How did that get out here?” 8. Sheep are unpredictable
If you travel along the roads of the Scottish Highlands you will soon learn to expect the unexpected. You look ahead on a quiet piece of long straight road with no cars. You spy sheep in the distance on the side of the road. They watch you driving along towards them. Hundreds of yards pass. You are almost level. Well, they aren’t going to cross the road now, are they? Screeeeeech! Well, what do you know! 9. Sheep are copycats
OK, bit of a mix of metaphors here, but I think you get my point. When one sheep decides to start running, they all decide to start running. If you were able to ask one, “Why did you start running?” it would say, “Well, because he started running.” The next would say the same. And the next one. And when you got to the last sheep he would just say, “I dunno.” 10. Sheep are restless
It always puzzled me how little sheep slept. I would be in my study at midnight, look out, and there they were still eating grass. And no matter what time I arose in the morning – 3am or 5am – they would still be eating grass. Other times, there would be a beautiful summer evening when everything was still and quiet and you would come across a field full of sprinting sheep (usually due to the Scottish midges – look it up on Google). I once heard that for sheep to lie down they need freedom from fear, freedom from friction with others, freedom from hunger, and freedom from pests and parasites. From what I’ve seen, that combination is very rare. 11. Sheep are dependent
Some animals can cope and thrive without any close supervision. Not sheep. They are very dependent on their shepherd. They cannot live without him (or her). 12. Sheep are the same everywhere
I’ve been in a number of different countries in my life and enjoyed the many cultural differences. But sheep are the one constant – in character if not in looks. The American sheep is the same as the African sheep (see 1-11 above), which is the same as the Asian sheep, which is the same as… The shepherd is a sheep
Well, of course, this is not a zoology lecture, nor an agricultural seminar. The sheep metaphor reveals the nature of the sinner, even the saved sinner, and hence the difficulty of the task facing the shepherd. And the greatest difficulty of all stems from the fact that the shepherd is also a sheep! It might be easy for pastors to read this post and say, “Hey that sounds like my congregation!” But it also sounds uncomfortably too much like you (and me) as well doesn’t it! So how does a sheep-like-shepherd shepherd sheep? That’s one for tomorrow.
A Counseling Policy for your Church?
“Pastor, I need counseling. Can you help?”
This is the question every pastor loves….and dreads. We love it because it gives us an opportunity to bring God’s Word in life-changing ways to needy souls. We dread it because we realize our limitations in the skillful use of God’s Word; and also because of the time-consuming, mind-scrambling, emotion-draining complexity of so many personal problems. There are so many challenging questions that surround these situations. What problems can I competently deal with? How do I distinguish between purely spiritual problems and others that have at least some physical dimension? Do I have the expertise to decide? Should I ask another pastor or professional for help and advice? At what point do I refer some of these issues to someone else – a financial adviser, a doctor, a psychiatrist, a family conflict specialist? Can I retain any control or supervision if I do refer? How do I encourage people to come to me with their problems, rather than turn to non-Christian “professionals” first? How do I assure my congregation that I will not harm them by attempting to deal with problems beyond my competence and experience? etc. Into the fray steps Danny Hyde, Th.M. graduate of PRTS, and church-planter/pastor of Oceanside United Reformed Church, Oceanside, California. In consultation with his elders, Danny has drawn up a document to guide him, his fellow-elders, and his congregation through the counseling minefield. You can download it here, or read it below. It is clear, courageous, caring, and wise – one of the best such statements I’ve come across – and I hope it can guide other pastors and congregations as they seek to shepherd their flocks in a troubled and complicated world. I’d be glad to hear your feedback on it, as I know Danny would too.Danny Hyde is not only a pastor and church planter. He is the author of numerous books, including Welcome to a Reformed Church. He contributes to the Meet the Puritans blog and you can listen to his sermons here.
Eternity
When I was a young boy, one word often tormented me – Eternity. I could hear sermons about God, about sin, about judgment, or even about the devil, and it didn’t put me up nor down. But when the pastor started preaching on eternity, that rocked my world. It didn’t matter if he spoke of the foreverness of heaven or the foreverness of hell, it was the concept of foreverness that deeply disturbed me for days – and nights.
I think it was because the idea of eternity is so different to our experience of life in this earth where everything has an end; both good things and bad things eventually come to an end. But eternity brought me into a dimension, a realm, where nothing ever ended. I believe God used that one word, eternity, (and its siblings like everlasting, forever, etc.) to convict me of my spiritual need and to cultivate spiritual concern. And now that I am a preacher myself, I find myself often returning to the same theme, hoping and praying that it will have the same effect on others as it did on me. As one year ends and another begins, it’s a good time to consider what is “everlasting.” Bad things that will last forever Everlasting Punishment (Matthew 25:46): Implies infinite crime Everlasting Destruction (2 Thess.1 :9): Destruction not of being but of well-being Everlasting Darkness (Jude 10) – A night with no moon, no stars, and no morning Everlasting Fire (Matthew 18:8): Causes everlasting weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth Everlasting Contempt (Daniel 12:2): Despised, belittled, and disregarded Everlasting Confusion (Jer.20: 11): Disorder, disorganization, chaos, unpredictability Everlasting Chains (Jude 6): Bondage, limitation, oppression, powerlessness Everlasting Worm (Mark 9:44): Worm of conscience gnawing and chewing away forever Good things that will last forever Everlasting Kindness (Isa.54: 8): Not sporadic and spasmodic Everlasting Salvation (Isa.45: 17): Not just physical/temporary deliverances, but spiritual/eternal Everlasting Light (lsa.60: 19): A morning with no cloud, no sunset, and no night Everlasting Consolation (2 Thess.2:16): Healing, comfort, warmth, peace, relaxation Everlasting Love (Jer. 31:3): A love with no beginning or end Everlasting Kingdom (Dan. 4:3): Because of an everlasting King Everlasting Arms (Dt.33:27): Arms = defense, protection, support, strength Everlasting Joy (Isa. 51:11): Unending smiles, laughter, delight, happiness Everlasting Covenant (Isa. 55:3): Promises that will never be broken, no matter the circumstancesEverlasting Name (Isa. 56:5): How can you get a better name than a son or daughter of God?
Everlasting Life (Matt. 19:29): Infinite in quantity and quality
Children’s Bible Reading Plan (14)
Download here. Click on “Bible Reading Plan” tag below for previous posts.
Reformed Robots
Who cares?
Not college students apparently.
Scientific American reports that “college students’ self-reported empathy has declined since 1980, with an especially steep drop in the past 10 years. To make matters worse, during this same period students’ self-reported narcissism has reached new heights.” “How can they measure empathy?” you may ask.The Interpersonal Reactivity Index, a well-known questionnaire, taps empathy by asking whether responders agree to statements such as “I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me” and “I try to look at everybody’s side of a disagreement before I make a decision.”
After analyzing 14,000 students, University of Michigan researchers conclude: “75 percent of students today rate themselves as less empathic than the average student 30 years ago.”
More honest?Well, we all know students who buck this trend. I certainly do. And, of course, the stats may be interpreted more favorably – maybe today’s students are simply more honest! Or maybe the figures reflect a societal rather than a generational trend. The latter seems to be the conclusion of the researchers who have linked the decline in empathy with the increase in social isolation, with today’s Americans much more likely to live alone and much less likely to join groups. In a fascinating paragraph, they also trace the decline in empathy to a decline in reading.
The number of adults who read literature for pleasure sank below 50 percent for the first time ever in the past 10 years, with the decrease occurring most sharply among college-age adults. And reading may be linked to empathy. In a study published earlier this year psychologist Raymond A. Mar of York University in Toronto and others demonstrated that the number of stories preschoolers read predicts their ability to understand the emotions of others. Mar has also shown that adults who read less fiction report themselves to be less empathic.
I’m sure that the fast and frequent electronic communication that passes for friendship today has also taken a huge toll on inter-personal relationship skills.
Ominous directionThe authors share their fears “that the American personality is shifting in an ominous direction” and offer some suggestions to change this – but you have to pay $5.99 for the rest of their article! So here are my thoughts for free. This research certainly has worrying implications for the church and for those of us who are involved in training future pastors. The last thing we need is more Reformed Robots wreaking havoc on the church of Christ. But taking off my Scottish pessimist hat and putting on my optimistic American hat, this problem also presents the church with a great opportunity. Here is a way for Christians in general, and pastors in particular, to distinguish themselves from the rest of this fallen world. Surely isolated and suffering people will gladly welcome contact with Christians and pastors who have imbibed the comforting Spirit of our sympathetic and empathetic Lord Jesus. He was/is moved with compassion at sheep without a shepherd; he was/is touched with the feeling of our infirmities; and he was/is acquainted with our grief. He’s given us a vivid example of interaction, involvement, and immersion in the lives of needy sinners. What a difference it would make to see waves of pastors with the Shepherd’s heart sweeping across the nations.
Reformed Recovery
I rejoice in the recovery of some Reformed doctrines in the past decade. As I look forward to the next decade I want that Reformation to continue, deepen, and widen. But I would also love to see much more tenderizing of Reformed preachers’ spirits, much more connection with people in preaching, much more pastoral visitation, much more ability to apply the doctrine to people’s deepest needs. I pray all that for myself as well.