Love them Shepherds! (more)

Friday
I started a new/old job this week and am grateful to be back.
I have been pretty busy, reestablishing routines, many new faces, many familiar ones too. It is a busy time here. Lots to be done.
My friend (he thinks he is my boss) who brought me back is pleased as I am since I have the experience, I can come in and pretty much pick right back up where
I started when I left 4 years ago. Experience is a wonderful thing, that cant be taken from you, but you have to have it first.

All that said..I havent been able to post my shepherding reflections, but it occured to me pray for vocations instead.

Heavenly Father:
Please continue to send us good shepherds, shepherds who will tend to us for his/her lifetime. A Shepherd with experience awakening and tending to souls, and touching hearts in the name of Jesus, is a gift not only to his flock but ultimately to the world. I cant imagine a greater calling.
Amen




Tuesday
Last night, in a class for people wanting to learn about joining the church, after the obligatory discussion on levels of ordination...the discussion turned to next Sunday's readings..for Good Shepherd Sunday.

I have a few thoughts to post the rest of this week here, just to collect them, so I will come back to it several times this week.

*******

"When souls meet each other, what truth they can exchange! It is uttered in silence, yet always surely reaches its goal."
Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

There are many ways to be present to eachother. Today in a large city parish, a good shepherd in the human pastoring sense, cant possibly individually work with each person that comes into his fold, cant break the legs of each of his wayward sheep and carry them on his shoulders, but his tending to our hearts, and souls can be imparted by desire to care.

In some pastors this is abundantly felt. I have ben fortunate in the few churches I have attended, the pastors seem to have their flock in their hearts. The church I attend most truly has a pastor like this. It is a gift.

More later gotta go to work.