Our Shepherd of Love

It is the fourth Sunday of Advent.  We light the candle of LOVE.

     I was writing this when I took a break to pick up lunch for my colleague, Gretchen and me.  The saying on the bag was about - LOVE.

 Timely.

     One of my Advent disciplines has been a daily reading from The Wonder of Advent, Experiencing the Love and Glory of the Christmas Season by Chris Tiegreen.

     The Scripture reference for December 23 is Luke 2:8  "That night there were shepherds n the fields nearby guarding their flocks of sheep." 

     "Of course,  there were shepherds in the fields", said Tiegreen at the beginning of his devotional.  Shepherds were ALWAYS in the field. Where else would they be?  That's where the sheep were.  And sheep are not that smart.  They need someone to care for them - day and night.

     Have you seen a job description for a shepherd?  Only one requirement

     "Know your sheep".

     I was in the fourth grade when the theme for Vacation Bible School was "Jesus is our Shepherd".  I remember that my great aunt, Lila Newton, dressed as a shepherd and taught us the 23rd Psalm, Isaiah 53 and John 10.  "The Lord is my shepherd"; "All we like sheep have gone astray. . ."; and "I know my sheep and my sheep know my voice".  (Psalm 23;1; Isaiah 53:6 and John 10:14).  She taught us that shepherds were known to be people who did their job.   They care about their sheep.

     I'll always remember with love the afternoon Rev. Kevin Pound personalized the 23rd Psalm when our daddy was dying "You are Earl's shepherd," his pastor repeated.  Daddy did not respond - he didn't have to.  We knew that he knew that to be true.

     Yep.  Shepherds are a good thing.  Even poet Christina Rosetti knew that when she wrote: "if I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb".  Shepherds are caring.

     That's why we have a group at our church who are the shepherds of different groups of our congregation. They care; they share; they love!

     And that Baby whose birth we are celebrating - loved - and more He is love!

So although I think Carrabba's food is delicious, I must disagree with the words on the bag.

     There is no love more sincere than that of our Shepherd of Love!

May your life be filled with enough sunshine

 to make you appreciate the shadows