the fourth sunday of easter: all we like sheep

it is not popular to be sheep these days. we seldom use the old confession,

"almight and most merciful father; we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. we have offended against thy holy laws. we have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us. . . ."

the in the gospel for this week (john 10:1-10) jesus suggests we are indeed his sheep, because he is our shepherd. when we so proudly think of ourselves otherwise, we are listening to the voices of those who are thieves and robbers. i was reminded of a hymn from my childhood:

"savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need thy tender care;
in thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use thy folds prepare.
. . .
early let us seek thy favor, early let us do thy will;
blessèd lord and only savior, with thy love our bosoms fill." (dorothy a. thrupp)

but there are times when we, too, are called to act as shepherds. that is when the other image of jesus in this gospel becomes important. he is the door. whenever we would bring anyone into the fold any other way, we fail.

as usual, william temple sums it all up quite well, saying,

"the pastoral office, like all other offices in the church, is a localisation, so to speak, of a function of the whole church and its members. . . . we are called to be christ's witnesses. but by what right do we date to attempt the direction of a neighbour's life, or even of a child's? and . . . the answer is that we approach him through the door.
"i have no right to call men to adopt my traditions or to follow my manner of life. but i may call them to accept the truth and to follow the way which is life." (readings in st. john's gospel (new york: st. martin's press, 1968), p. 159)