Under Shepherds

Under Shepherds and that right properly Copyright Doug Blair, Waterloo ON, 2019 With Salvation

I will clothe your priests With Salvation Not innovation Or lifestyle Or anecdotes End time observation Or summer vacation.

Yes, clothed with it

Reminiscent of it Fragrant with it And little else.

For there is the joy Discovering plenteous redemption Not earned Not learned But graciously laid out For wearing and sharing.

New clothes, righteous.

In this shall saints Loudly shout, laugh And marvel.

Ever thankful.

Fueled for the Master Purchased, begotten And blessed.

Then doors of praise And manifestation And all the rest.

Psalm 132: 16

Candidacy Sermon This was an interesting development. Glenn was a university student who had attended their fellowship during five years at the college. Served an additional three in a distant city as understudy.

He was now a new preacher looking for a pulpit‌

“What a pleasure to be in your midst under these circumstances.

May there be some food and light brought to you this morning by the grace of God. Open the Bibles before you to Luke chapter seven…”

Glenn proceeded to read the ENTIRE CHAPTER without pause.

Part way through some of the parishioners exchanged glances with raised eyebrows.

“I hope to have opportunity to bring before you something of Moses, of Daniel, Isaiah, David, Amos, John the Revelator. But what are crumpets when compared with the Living Bread, Jesus?

I will not be unto you a Bible teacher. I respect you too much for that. I will not bring you books about the Bible, or anecdotes, or light-hearted wanderings. I seek to be the facilitator of an atmosphere of worship, of a habit of waiting upon the arrival of the Living God. There will be much of prayer around the room and of heartfelt personal testimony and triumph as the Holy Spirit is given His way. You will find that I have a dread of ethics and rules. They stifle Life – real Life that is intended to be imparted and not taught.

You all have your Bibles and ample commentaries, concordances and dictionaries. The Church library is full of them as well. I expect you to prepare yourselves with the weight-lifting of independent study. From time to time I will canvas the Body for requests for topics giving particular difficulty. I will labour through those knotty points with the light given me to bring us all up another rung in the ladder. We are going to grow together.

Perhaps God will reward us with some breathtaking revelations and His personal presence.

Teaching will not be the main purpose of this worship hour; rather worship itself and ambitious prayer. I believe that this will

make us an effective force for righteousness, peace and joy in the community, although God will not pamper our pride by revealing the how and the why. I will not become a Providence for any man, woman or child; rather I will undergird each individual who asks, as God leads him through the valleys and heights of individual destiny.

I will marry. I will bury. Baptise. Comfort. Co-labour. Call to the Table of Remembrance.

Please understand that it will not be my intention to address the lowest common denominator in any message. I expect us to grow and not to stew in the status quo. Healthy growth of course requires exercise. That will include programs to involve the larger community and to bear witness to this marvelous gift of Good News which we possess in earthen vessels. We have been bought with a great price. We are not our own. Our mandate is to take His peace and assurance OUT THERE. Let us pray…”

(That which followed contained the thanksgiving and the pleadings of a man broken by the image of Calvary, by the hurts and challenges of his fellows, by the revelation of his own shortcomings and by the shortness of the hour until return of the Bridegroom, Jesus – in short, these were the prayers of a good shepherd.)

Shine

On the Monday following Easter weekend, and upon Karl’s insistence, Ted went out for coffee and a talk. The old German parishioner had sensed that Ted was tired and a little discouraged.

Perhaps a lot discouraged.

“Zo da message yestaday had been goot, ant hit all da main points. But vat’s up Ted? You sheem down.”

Ted really trusted this old fellow. There had been prayer vigils and many house visitations together. He was tired. He felt that so often the people of the church just needed to be weaned off his supply. Did they spend their own time and quiet moments in the means of Grace? Prayer. Scripture. Heartfelt discussion. And don’t forget simply waiting upon God for His input.

He felt that he would burst if he had to attend one more fellowship meal or social night.

Sometimes he would breeze by a broadcast of one of the American mega-churches on television. They had the numbers, the happy

faces, the publishing and recording branches. But you know it was largely ear-tickling and he knew it.

Forget the infatuation with the do’s and dont’s of Christian Living.

Let’s just draw closer to Jesus and His Gospels, and receive as if by absorption, His life, love and sense of mission to lost, hurting ones. When might the River flow with Ted’s bunch? And where were the youth? And where were the anxious new faces on any Sunday morning? And where the brokenness in the flock?

Ted really didn’t know where to begin, but he took a stab at it. …Forty-five minutes later Karl put his withered old carpenter’s hand on the Pastor’s on the coffee table.

“Zo, mein friend. Rezolve dat it ishn’t up to you. No, you are not anybotty’s canal horse here. Ztay close to da Mashta. Shine. In da goot report tank God. In da bat report pray to God. Use da name ov Jesus mit joy and fear, often use it. Ant da people vill draw closer. Ant da people vill pick up da reins. Amen.”

Well-meaning, but...

How can I change you Re-arrange you To grasp for good Spiritual understanding And the mind of Christ As we all should.

To see things no longer After the flesh

Or carnal calculation.

To enter the Heavenlies And orb of Triune Love Agape’s Nation.

Yes we are citizens of Heaven And hear of whispers And of ken beyond sense-men.

I think of Paul’s Ephesian letter And of his hopes that friends Would grasp their Redeemed purpose and prospect.

Seated already with Christ.

In triumph In compassion In solid assurance and unity.

Escaped me always before.

But think on Psalm 37:4 And know there’s more.

The power… not mine Neither the needful chore.

God bless you all and may the Holy Spirit bring these realities to your understanding and delightful practise.