Above the Noise: The Sounds of Summer

In their small book, The Way of the Shepherd (Zondervan, 2004), authors Kevin Leman and Bill Pentak make an interesting statement when they state, "The first principle of the way of the Shepherd is to always know the condition of your sheep" (p. 25). You only get to know the condition of the sheep by spending time with them. The same principle applies to anyone who leads others in some capacity. When you spend time with the sheep, you get to know them individually, not just as a group. They also get to know you: your voice, posture, and care for them.

As we move into the warmer summer months, livestock are often moved to other fields to graze, further from the farm, and the shepherd's voice becomes even more important, as does spending time with the sheep. It is often during the summer months that other voices become louder, vacations, backyard BBQs, the beach or cottage, they all have a distinctive voice, and that's not all bad. After all, who doesn't like a good BBQ?

However, these other voices can also lead the sheep in different directions. It's easy to get preoccupied with warm weather events, a lighter schedule, kids on summer vacation, etc. As shepherds, this is preciously the time to help the sheep hear the shepherd's voice. For those of us in vocational ministry, the shepherd's voice is not just the Sunday message, the Bible study, or the small group. Those one-on-one times over coffee and other informal times let us get to know the sheep individually, their condition, and they in turn learn to hear the shepherd's voice above all. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). There is an interesting relationship aspect to the words of Jesus in this verse. The sheep know His voice above other voices, and Jesus knows them, having spent time with them, and they follow Him. They aren’t distracted by the call of other voices.

Spending time with the sheep can be messy. It can mean inconvenient meeting times, seemingly unsolvable problems, and situations that need clear answers. Spending time with the sheep has a cost, and it is a sacrifice. However, when you spend time with the sheep, you get to know their condition, healthy, hurting, sick - the real "them," not just the Sunday or small group version. And they get to know you!

Summer is a time for lighter schedules, family fun, vacations, and backyard BBQs. But, as shepherds, let us be intentional about knowing the condition of our sheep by spending time with them as individuals, listening to them, hearing their stories of victory and grief, praying with them, and encouraging them. And for those of us who are sheep, let us learn to listen to the shepherd's voice above all others and follow Him!

Hearing the voice of the Chief Shepherd!

Rev. Bill Allan
AGC President