Looking back at my younger years, it seems that I was always ‘in the clouds.’ My mind whirled far beyond the day-to-day crazy of growing up in a very busy family of six.
When the world seemed too overwhelming to step any further into the swirl of daily living, I would find a place where I could sit quietly in my own dreamland.
My mind moved outside the spinning world but I was never too far from mom’s voice. I took comfort in this awesome quiet space but I was also aware of the voice that called out to all of us kids scattered about the yard, “Time for lunch!”
Little did I know that, because of my grandmother’s prayers for each of us, the hand of the Lord was always upon me. When I was mature enough to make my own decisions I explored every aspect of life as it presented itself to me. My inquiring mind drove me into the fires of life. I experienced every curiosity until I was fully satisfied and then moved on to the next challenge.
It never occurred to me to think that being filled with the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of Holy Baptism as a baby made me receptive to others’ prayers that guided me through many challenging experiences all over the world. Not until the age of thirty was I even aware of that inner voice that had, for many years, kept me from being devoured by those pesky foxes and wolves who can consume innocence.
As it says in Isaiah [56:6] “We, like sheep, have gone astray each to our own way . . . but the Lord took on the iniquity of us all.” I’d received excellent teaching in Sunday school and had memorized verses I still refer to but I was unaware of God’s whispers. The voice of the Lord was on disconnect as others prayed for my soul. I heard nothing as the Holy Spirit planted echos of others’ prayers inside my heart.
We, like sheep, have gone astray, each to our own way. Just like sheep, we are interested in our own needs. We graze until satisfied and then move to better meadows.
Sheep rarely look up as they concentrate on finding the best thistle, their favorite food. They are so myopic and pre-occupied that they are unaware that they can get stuck in thick bushes or wander off a nearby cliff. They wander beyond safe parameters as they focus on their own desire for satisfaction. Life is good. Not a care in the world . . . until they get in trouble.
That’s where the shepherd is a major asset to the life of sheep. Without a shepherd the sheep will surely die.
From the moment a lamb is born the shepherd grabs that new life, cradles it in his arms and speaks. The voice of the shepherd is one of the most important imprints for that new lamb. The timber and cadence of the shepherd’s voice, nestled into the mind of that little one, will last a lifetime. The lamb feels the tender embrace, hears assuring words and trusts this new voice. For the rest of its life it will know that voice and respond to its call.
Sheep may be myopic and self focused but they never forget a voice they trust. The challenge for the shepherd is to make sure every single one under his care knows his voice. In fact, during each day’s grazing the shepherd may sing songs to remind his sheep that he is there. The sheep will know when they wander too far and cannot hear the shepherd’s voice. At that time, they will let their own voice be known to the shepherd, “Baaaaa” . . . “I am over here, come rescue me!”
We, like sheep have gone astray, each to our own way.
We are the sheep of God’s pasture.
We are invited to come through His gate.
Yet, do we actually know which gate belongs to God and which does not?
How do we know the difference?
How do we understand God’s whispers?
What if the evil one mimics the voice of our Shepherd?
How do we discern?
Where do we hear this voice of the Shepherd?
I have often state that reading scripture out loud serves several purposes. First, God’s word scatters unwelcome voices that satan may bring our way.
Singing scripture, especially the Psalms, clears the air and, at the same time, tunes us in to God’s voice.
God speaks through God’s Word.
Reading scripture silently is wonderful but saying the words out loud sends waves of sound well into the atmosphere around us. No other voice can be heard at that time.
That is why coming together in worship and praying out loud together is so powerful. To speak to God in one voice as we do when we say the Creed in unison or when we respond to scripture in unison or when we pray in unison or when we repeat a psalm in unison. The one voice of community is glorious and powerful and further implants the voice of the Shepherd in our hearts.
But, for us humans, a few moments of weekly worship is not enough to sustain us throughout the week. We need to keep the Shepherd’s words in our hearts, ready to use at any given moment. We must digest the Shepherd’s voice daily, like taking heart medicine. We may skip a day here and there but over a period of time without our ‘medicine’ our soul will shrivel up like a prune.
We, like sheep may go astray but the Shepherd’s voice draws us back into the fold. When we daily hear, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the words that draw us into our Lord’s presence, when we embrace the Shepherd through word and sacrament, we are more greatly assured of protection from the evil one who prowls at our heals at every turn.
When we chew on God’s word and chew on the sacrament of his body and blood, our Good Shepherd draws us closer into the presence of the Divine. The more we are in the presence of the Divine Shepherd, the more familiar the voice. Just as the sheep graze in green pastures of thistle, we, like sheep, graze in green pastures of our Divine Presence.
We, like sheep, may go astray, but we know the Shepherd’s voice and are able to come running when he opens his gate for us. The closer we are to the Shepherd, the louder we hear those divine whispers that touch the heart at any given moment.
We, like sheep, can embrace the Shepherd’s voice and never choose to stray.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise, be thankful unto him and bless his name for the Lord is good and his mercy endures to all generations.
The Lord is our Shepherd.
Scripture reference is John 10:1-10 Note: The old Jerusalem Sheep gate: Where sheep entered for sale and slaughter. Later know as the Tower Gate which is a 100 ft. high fortress that protected that part of the temple from the enemy. Just as the tower protected the temple from invaders so does going through the sheep gate protect the sheep from predators.
