The Lost Sheep’s Perspective
January 8, 2007
Dear Friends,
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p class=”contentItalic”>When I left the sheepfold, I was surprised at what a sense of relief it was to leave. For years, I had endured the constant bickering amongst the other sheep. The pen had grown more fetid over time. By the time I left, when things really got heated, it was an unbearable stench. Sometimes the sheep didn’t even act like sheep but more like the wild goats or, even worse, wolves. It made me question why I was staying in the pen. Nevertheless, even though it had been a less than ideal situation for years, I stayed in there because that is what sheep are supposed to do. My heart wasn’t really in it, but I could tell easily enough that this was the case for many of my fellow sheep and yet they stayed in the pen.
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p class=”contentItalic”>For many years, the call of leaving the pen became louder and louder. My wild goat friends seemed to be having a blast on the treacherous slopes. They could come and go as they pleased. They were not hemmed in by the fence or the shepherd’s staff. Sure, a couple of them had been eaten by wild animals or hurt themselves with no one to care from them, but it was very few so far as I could tell.
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p class=”contentItalic”>The reaction from the pen when I left was varied. A few of my old friends begged me not to go. My mother cried. Others just glared at me as if I was the lowest form of life on the face of the earth. Most didn’t seem to notice I was gone. They didn’t really know me anyway. I was just a face to them.
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p class=”contentItalic”>Life with the goats has been tough. It gets so tough that sometimes I think about going back to the pen. The trouble is that the problems in the pen don’t seem any better and I am really not sure how I will be treated once I get back. I remember some other sheep trying to go back to the pen a while ago. It seemed like they had to climb fence after fence, barrier after barrier, just to get back. Once they were back in the pen, they were treated like black sheep. I am so weak now, I am not sure I could make it anyway without some help.
Is this how our lost sheep feel? There are probably as many different experiences out there as there are lost sheep out there. However, there are a few questions we would like to consider.
- Are we doing all we can to retain our sheep? It is far easier to retain sheep than it is to recover them. This means we should be very proactive to help “at risk†brethren before they leave rather than after. By design, my ecclesial board deals with “at risk†and “lost sheep†issues at each board meeting first before any other business is considered. As shepherds of the ecclesia, we don’t feel that there is anything more important to discuss and therefore always put it first on the agenda.
- Is our current ecclesial environment conducive to retaining our sheep or is it giving them one more reason to leave? If our lost sheep are glad to be out of our dysfunctional ecclesia rather than missing the sweet and loving fellowship they once enjoyed, we are part of the problem rather than part of the solution.
- Is our current ecclesial environment one that erects barriers to lost sheep returning? Obviously the Bible requires repentance. What else are we requiring? Are we more like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son or like the older brother?
- Are we, as individuals, doing all we can to recover lost sheep? Are we living our lives in such a manner that the lost sheep cannot reasonably accuse us of hypocrisy? Are we letting people know that we care and want them back?
- Is there a difference enough between our ecclesia and the world that the lost sheep can tell the difference? Is our ecclesia characterized by discord, jealousy, factions, politics, domineering individuals, anger, bitterness or backbiting? If there isn’t a difference between our ecclesia and the world, what compelling reason can we offer them to come back?
“My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.†(Ezek. 34:6)
Have a great week,
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