I’ve been involved in full-time congregational ministry for nearly 27 years. Over that period of time, I’ve served under the leadership of some incredible shepherds. Sometimes we call them “elders” or “overseers.” But at the core, they are shepherds. They tend to God’s flock with tenderness and care. I’ve seen these shepherds pray over hundreds and hundreds of people, myself included. I’ve been the recipient of their gentle but firm nudges, even when this sheep had different ideas about where he should head. I’ve benefitted from their wise counsel and their steady deliberations. Above all, I’ve felt the love of Christ flowing through these good-hearted men.
Here are two pictures I captured on successive days, pictures of two of my shepherds at work tending the flock.
The first picture is one of my shepherds teaching at our church. He’s been studying the Psalms recently and he is so excited to share what the Lord has been teaching him! There’s such a hunger in Denton’s voice whenever he talks about the insights he is gleaning from this study. On this particular Wednesday night, after a period of worship, Denton challenged us to dive deeper into the treasure trove of the Psalms to receive these same blessings from God for ourselves. And this is a picture of the heart of a shepherd — teaching boldly from the word of the Lord, teaching passionately in the name of the Lord. I love that my shepherds love the word of God and that they seek to cultivate that same hunger in our church.
The second picture is another one of my shepherds speaking at the funeral service for one of our members. Dudley and his wife, Jan, were so faithful to stand beside this particular individual as she faced the rapid onset of what turned out to be a terminal illness. They showed up at the hospital and they showed up at their home. They made phone calls and sent text messages daily — never intrusive, always in tenderness. And when the end came, they were there for that, too. At her memorial service, Dudley shared some moving words of tribute — which was all the more powerful to me because I know Dudley doesn’t think of himself as a “public speaker.” But I had to snap this picture because it captures the heart of this shepherd so well. “It’s not about me,” I can hear Dudley saying. And here he is, in a moment of sorrow, pointing people to Jesus.
For these moments — and a thousand more — I am thankful. Lord, you have given me so many avenues toward a deeper understanding of your heart by observing the hearts of these good men. Thank you for the hearts of my shepherds.
