ShepherdLeader.com

As Laniak closes his biblical survey of shepherding with observations in the book of Revelation, I found my own sense of greater revelation concerning the shepherd metaphor for leadership in Scripture. As Laniak observes, our Savior is depicted as "a conquering royal Lion-Shepherd who is, ironi...

In discussing leadership during the times of the exile and destruction of Jerusalem, Laniak observed, ". . .both prophets [Jeremiah and Ezekiel] explained the devastation as God's deliberate judgment on Judah's shepherd leaders" (145). It is sobering to realize that the judgments of God ca...

In 1 Peter the same call that Peter was given by Jesus is transmitted to "fellow elders" of the early church. Peter was called to feed Jesus' sheep and to eventually follow Jesus all the way to Peter's ultimate sacrifice of his life. Likewise Peter counsels the elders addressed to "Be...

In the sixth chapter of Mark's gospel Jesus views with compassion a large crowd of people describing them as "sheep without a shepherd (6:34). By the end of the gospel Jesus promises to lead his regathered flock by going "ahead of you into Galilee." (14:28). Laniak notes that Matthew ...

I have appreciated the concerted effort of this book to explore the shepherd metaphor in ancient culture and scripture, and how this term informs the work of leadership from a biblical perspective. Laniak notes, "Time after time, text after text, the shepherd is called back to serve as a frame ...