Sonrise Magazine

   “Shepherds Encounter” By Ann Jackson

Hello, my name is Jenny Anderson, and I am a student in Seattle Bible College, studying to be a Pastor.  The creative Team was asked to write short stories about Christmas, and I chose to write from the perspective of the shepherds and where I am at in my studies.

You see, I am already a shepherd to some because, as I am in Bible college, I do a Bible study every Wednesday with some of the people I live with and, in a way, I am their only shepherd because they are not able to get out to attend church services.  The following is what I have learned about shepherding.

A shepherd knows only one thing in life, and that is to tend the sheep they are responsible for.  They know each one by name and by their personality traits.  When the sheep are playing or doing life, there is little for the shepherd to do but observe and keep watch for approaching danger, which the sheep are unaware of. Then there are the times that one of the sheep has been hurt or needs extra attention. In this case that sheep receives all the attention they need until they are ready to join the flock again.  The shepherd is always spending extra time with some sheep because in the flock there are always those sheep who need the extra attention.  This activity is a never-ending battle because there is always some kind of danger lurking around the corner. 

There are times when the shepherd sees danger and must lead the sheep to greener and safer pasture.  They never take their eyes off the sheep as a whole flock for even a minute.

How well does a shepherd know their flock?  The Bible says that our Heavenly Father knows every hair on our head and has them numbered.  With all the people in this world, that’s a lot of people to keep track of! Yet our Head Shepherd, Jesus, does it well.

Psalms 23 talks about the Good Shepherd, who is Jesus, and lays out what He does on our behalf.  Coming from a student point of view, I don’t think the shepherds’ work is ever done.  There are those in the congregation that require extra help and teaching to understand how doctrine applies to them.  There is the practical side of all the weekly programs to run and carry out as the congregants apply such programs to their daily lives.  Then there are the new members, groups, special events such as holidays, and other such events that keep pastors very busy in their roles as they serve us, the congregants.

As a student I am learning Godly ways to carry out such plans, even dealing with the most difficult of issues and personalities.  I am also learning the financial side of church leadership, knowing what a good expense is or not a good investment of church finances.  There are tough choices that pastors have to make in the positions they are in.

I have gone to many business meetings where there is much antagonism and arguing over simple decisions that were made.  I have seen parishioners leave because of such decisions.  Now that I have been sitting in the classroom learning from a pastor’s point of view, I have much more appreciation for the every-day running of the church and how these decisions get made.

I love the pastors at Sonrise Christian Center, and I appreciate them so much for the hard work and spiritual awakening they must have for the job they do. I for one want to tell them that they are loved and cared for themselves, as the church takes time to honor and give back to the shepherds serving them.

So how does this coincide with the Christmas Season?  The shepherds, the lowliest of people in the world, were the first to see the baby Jesus. The shepherds were the lowly ones, not Jesus. They knew nothing about how to solve the problems of the world, just how to tend their flock.  I think it is quite a compliment to pastors when you think about how they are the first to see the most vulnerable in our society, mainly because as the shepherds that they are. God has wired them that way.  God called the shepherds to watch over the baby Jesus, and He calls todays shepherds to watch over the flock.  Knowing the first shepherds were called to see the baby Jesus and bless Him, what a privilege to be a shepherd of the flock and be available for the congregants within the church body, and especially for the more vulnerable, such as on that day, Christmas. 

When was the last time you thanked our Shepherds – Pastors – for all the weary and lowly work he or she does for you?  This Christmas, as I think of Jesus as a baby and how the shepherds came to see Him and bless Him, I will spend some time reflecting and verbally thanking my Pastors for how they watch over me.