A Shepherd's Duties

[DMHanke71]

I appreciate that Dr. Laniak started with a general job description, of the typical shepherd, in the region of Israel. Knowing ‘what most shepherds do’ laid a great foundation for the way the image is used in the Scriptures as a measuring stick for leadership that is done well and done poorly. “The condition and growth of a flock depends greatly on the care, attentiveness and skill of the shepherd.” (53) In other words, we always measure the quality of the shepherd by the health of the flock. That is a challenging rubric. It can feel ‘unfair’ for my pastoral effectiveness to be evaluated by something so seemingly out of my control as a congregation’s spiritual health. But it is also a rubric that provides laser focus on the task options that are before me each week: Will this help me care for my sheep?

Sheep care requires a variety of jobs: “One of the pressing challenges for shepherds is to provide food and water for animals in environments that frequently withhold these essential elements…” (54) The shepherd is always looking for nutritional sustenance- things that will help the sheep grow. In order to get the sheep to a variety of vegetation, the shepherd must move them several times a day. He leads from the front and occasionally drives them from behind. The pastor also is constantly looking for things to feed his people. He or she needs to be out in front of the group, sharing with them what they have learned and experienced, inviting them to go deeper in their faithful following of Jesus.

Sheep also need rest. Driving them too hard can cause fatalities. (55) So the Shepherd must choose to make them secure by providing his presence. This allows the sheep to relax. And the shepherd must take care to not press them beyond what they can handle. The pastor also provides security by being present in a way that he or she both knows the congregation and restrains them from doing more than they can handle. The pastor should never drive them for the sake of his or her personal gain.

The Shepherd will protect the sheep from menacing threats: animals, thieves, even the wilderness itself. And so it is with the pastor, who is always vigilant to encourage the congregation to believe what is true, to keep reaching out in love (and avoid the threat of insularity), and to nourish oneself in the study of Scripture and corporate worship. This requires a sensitivity to dangers that others may not see, but nevertheless have the potential to harm.

Dr. Laniak suggested that, ‘All of these elements— the movement, the isolation, the variety, the adjustments, the demand- contributed to a knowledge base and ‘skill set’ that distinguished shepherds as remarkably and broadly capable persons.’ (57) I love the variety of being a pastor and how challenged I am by the different skills I need to care for my congregation. Like a shepherd, I must cultivate ‘resourcefulness, adaptability, courage, and vigilance.’ (57) It is a joy and privilege to pursue this calling.