“There Are Others?” – Luke 10:1-17

Tuesday evening the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area cast the deciding vote that changed the constitution of the PCUSA on ordination standards – taking out the chastity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman and replacing it with

 The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003).

Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.

 Background and Rationale

When convictions about important issues are so different, and so firmly-held, our long-standing Presbyterian commitment to freedom of conscience and mutual forbearance is vital to maintaining our fellowship.

 As I was thinking about this sermon I couldn’t help but think about how various pastors, with various views on ordination standards, would use this scripture today to support whatever position they have on this issue.

Some will say that the flock has been stolen and is following the wrong shepherd.

Some will say that the flock has finally seen the light and is following the right shepherd.

Some will say the gate’s been closed.

Others will say the gate has finally been opened.

Some will say that God is appalled

Some will say that God is relieved and joyful.

Some will say the Church is richer

Some will say the Church is poorer.

I say, enough already.  We may all be surprised when God votes, because none of us should be sure we have it right, regardless of our positions on Scripture, biblical interpretation, theology, or anything else for that matter.  We’re all sheep, trying to listen to the voice we believe is the Good Shepherd.

Did you catch that part of scripture that rarely gets read?

 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.  I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.  So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

 At a time when the Church struggles with issue after issue it’s hard to think about who these other sheep might be.

• They have to be Christian – Right?
• They have to be people we’d approve of – Right?
• They have to believe like we do – Right?
• They have to agree with our conclusions and support our causes – Right?
• Those other sheep can’t be too different than we are – or can they?

Think about how those other sheep might look.

• If we’re for ordination of gays, could those other sheep believe they shouldn’t be ordained?
• If we’re for literal biblical interpretation,  could those other sheep be liberal contextual theologians?
• If we’re Christian,  could those other sheep be Muslim, or Hindu, or Atheists?

Just who are those other sheep and why does God want them to be in our flock.  We’ve done a good job of isolating, separating, and purifying the church.  Why muck it up with some of those people?

 Effective Leadership

Once there was an ecumenical crusade with every imaginable denomination.  One afternoon all of a sudden a secretary rushed in shouting, “The building’s on fire! The building’s on fire!” Confusion reigned as each church group came together and did what came natural:

• The Methodists gathered in the corner to pray.
• The Baptists cried, “Where’s the water?”
• The Quakers quietly praised God for the blessings that fire brings.
• The Lutherans posted a notice on the door declaring that the fire was evil.
• The Roman Catholics passed a plate to cover the damages.
• The Unitarians reasoned that the fire would burn itself out if just given the chance.
• The Congregationalists shouted, “Every man for himself.”
• The Fundamentalists proclaimed, “It’s the vengeance of God.”
• The Episcopalians formed a procession and marched out.
• The Christian Scientists concluded that there was no real fire.
• The Presbyterians appointed a chairperson to appoint a committee to look into the matter and make a written report.

 Finally the church secretary grabbed a fire extinguisher and put the fire out.[1]

 We’ve already divided Christianity into small elite denominations with idiosyncrasies.  Why muck it up with other flocks?

It’s easy to identify with people who believe the same as we do.

• It affirms who we are and what we believe.
• But it doesn’t challenge us to go beyond our own understanding of God and the issues in the Church.
• When we look for those people in the “OTHER FLOCKS” we open ourselves to the transforming power of God.
• God never works in isolation.
• God works through invitation.
• God invites us to struggle with issues and people who we would rather NOT have to deal with.

There is a song in the musical, South Pacific, “You’ve Got to Be Taught”

 You’ve got to be taught
To hate and fear
You’ve got to be taught
From year to Year
It’s got to be drummed
in your dear little ear
You’ve got to be carefully taught

You’ve got to be taught
To be Afraid
Of people whose eyes
are oddly made
And people whose skin
Is a different shade
You’ve got to be carefully taught

You’ve got to be taught
Before it’s too late
Before you are 6 or 7 or 8
To hate all the people
your relatives hate
You’ve got to be carefully taught

Most of us believe what we’ve been taught when we were 6, or 7, or 8.

• We don’t want to be taught something different,
  • because it challenges our assumptions and beliefs,
  • and it’s easier to accept hand-me-down beliefs  than to go to the trouble of learning and challenging ourselves to grow and try to understand other perspectives, ideas, and understandings.
  • That’s the easy way out.
    • The road less traveled is the harder road.
    • It’s the logging trail where we walk in the muddy ruts,
    • over the down trees and
    • around the marshy swamps.
    •  It’s the road where we don’t have all the answers.

We want those other sheep to be like us, because it affirms our values, thoughts and faith.  But having those other sheep challenge us to go farther, deeper, and wider than any of us would go without them (whoever they may be).

I’m Not the Shepherd

• A pastor was taking a group of parishioners on a tour of the Holy Land.
• He had just read them the parable of the good shepherd and was explaining they would see shepherds on the hillsides just as in Jesus’ day.
• He wanted to impress the group, so he told them what every good pastor tells his people about shepherds.
• He described how, in the Holy Land, shepherds always lead their sheep, always walking in front to face dangers, always protecting the sheep by going ahead of them.
• He barely got the last word out when, sure enough, they rounded a corner and saw a man and his sheep on the hillside.
• There was only one problem: the man wasn’t leading the sheep as the pastor had said.
• No, he was behind the sheep and seemed to be chasing them.
• The pastor turned red. Flabbergasted, he ran over to the fence and said,
  •  “I always thought shepherds in this region led their sheep out in front.
  •  I told my people that a good shepherd never chases his sheep.”
• The man replied, “That’s absolutely true… you’re absolutely right… but
  • I’m not the shepherd, I’m the butcher!”[2]

I am afraid that often we’re more familiar with the butcher than we are with the Good Shepherd.

• We’re more familiar with fighting for our position than we are with trusting God to work things out.
• We’re more familiar with other people’s “sin” than we are with our own.
• And we’re more familiar with living the past than we are going into the future.

In today’s gospel, Jesus addresses an issue which the churches must deal with.

I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.

I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.

So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

One flock doesn’t mean that there can be only one denomination;

• one way of worshiping;
• one form of ecclesiastical organization;
• or one theology.
• It means that we are all  UNITED BY A COMMON LOYALTY TO JESUS CHRIST.
• We can have diversity, but it doesn’t have to divide.
•  Rather, it can help us to understand and accept each other just as our Jesus understands and accepts us.

The “other sheep that belong to this fold” don’t live in far-away lands, they live right here, in our community.

• They are our neighbors, our family, and our friends.
• They are similar to us and they are different than we are.
•  Jesus chooses who is part of his flock, we don’t.
• We may think we know who should be in his flock, but we don’t get to make that decision.

God’s love is wider and deeper than anything we can comprehend.

• God’s understanding is far beyond ours.
• God sees things in ways that we could never imagine.

Evidently those other flocks are as loved and accepted by God as we are.

Let’s go and do the same.

.

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[1] Effective Leadership, Illustrations, Esermons.com

[2] The Whole Flock, Kennan Kelsey, ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc.