Arise and Listen
John 10:22-30
April 28, 29, 2007

You may have heard the story about a shepherd who was taking care of his flock in a remote pasture. Suddenly a brand-new sports-car appeared out of nowhere! A cloud of dust followed the vehicle as it roared down the country lane. Coming to a quick stop near the flock, a young man decked out in an expensive suit and shoes and a "John Edwards" haircut hopped out of his car. He took off his Ray-Ban sunglasses and asked the shepherd, "If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?" The shepherd looked at the man. Then he gazed out upon his peacefully grazing flock. The shepherd calmly said, "Sure, why not?" The young man got back in his car, grabbed his cell phone, hooked up to a GPS satellite navigation system, scanned the area, did a few more calculations with all of his computer gadgets, and proudly popped back out of his car. "Here it is!" "You have exactly 1586 sheep." The shepherd was impressed. He said, "That is correct, take one of the sheep." He watched the young man select one of the animals and bundle it into his car. Then the shepherd said: "If I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me my animal back?" The young man said, "Sure, why not?" The shepherd said, "Clearly, you are a consultant." The man was astounded! "That's correct-but how did you guess that?" The shepherd said: "No guessing required." "You showed up here although nobody called you." "You want to get paid for the answer to a question I already knew." "And you don't know anything about my business." "Now, please, give me back my dog!"

UNLIKE THE YOUNG MAN, WE DO HAVE A CONSULTANT WHO KNOWS A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE BUSINESS. When Jesus speaks about people, one of the main metaphors he uses is "sheep." These wooly mammals were the staple livestock of his day. They were as common as dogs are around family homes today. Shepherds clearly understand the "language" of the sheep in their care. Sheep are gregarious-in other words, generally the flock that will graze together, stays together. They are social animals-not necessarily because they like each other-but because there is security in numbers. One of the primary shepherding principles is: "Get one to go-and they'll all go." Separation from the flock causes extreme stress. How do you know if your sheep is stressed out? The de-flocked fellow will keep repeating some high-pitched bleating! Does that sound like anybody you know?

There was a member of a church in the Chicago area. After worship one week, he caught the minister off guard. With an agitated voice, he said: "You know-this church has been insulting me for years, and I did not know it until last week." The stunned pastor wondered, "Excuse me-what in the world are you talking about?" The man said, "Every week our call to worship ends with the words, 'We are the people of God's pasture and the sheep of God's hand.'" "Last week I visited the Chicago stockyards-and I discovered that sheep are just about the dumbest animals God ever created." "They are so stupid that they just follow each another-right into the slaughterhouse." The man bleated on, "Even pigs are smarter than sheep-and I would certainly be upset if my church called me a pig!" I'm not sure what the pastor called the man the following week…

I suppose the perturbed parishioner had a point. But whether we like it or not, the Bible is full of shepherding imagery. We may argue that this metaphor has lost its meaning in today's busy, urban society… But I wonder? What is your favorite psalm? Does it begin with the words, the Lord is my shepherd?What is some of your favorite Christmas and Easter music? Do any of you recall Isaiah's words in Handel's Messiah, "We like sheep have gone astray?"

What is your favorite way to describe members of the clergy? I know I better not open up the floor for this question-but I know a lot of people who prefer the name "pastor," rather than "minister" or "reverend." In last week's Gospel lesson, Jesus asked Peter for proof of his love-what did Jesus want Peter to do? Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep. Perhaps the metaphor is meaningless…but I wonder?

In today's text, when Jesus is asked whether he is the Messiah, it is a question of belonging and of security.
The Messiah was to be the one who would bring the whole "flock" together and provide protection for them. But Jesus rocks the flock concept! He suggests that it may be more inclusive than they think! As the story expands and unfolds, so does the fold! Jesus doesn't try to pull the wool over their eyes! There is a word of caution here… The Shepherd knows the sheep. We might be surprised to discover just how many variations and breeds there are in the flock we call the Church! My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.

AND HERE IS SOMETHING WE DON'T HEAR TOO OFTEN-SO HEAR HERE-SHEEP ARE INTELLIGENT. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that sheep are stupid animals, sheep rank just below the pig and are on par with cattle in terms of farm animal IQ. A study by Dr. Keith Kendrick in Cambridge, England, showed that sheep have remarkable memories-maybe even better than that of Alberto Gonzalez? Many are able to pick out a particular face in a line of pictures, if that face is associated with a food reward. Some of the sheep in the study could remember up to 50 images for as long as two years. Sheep also have keen hearing. This makes it possible for them to discern the voice of their shepherd from among other voices. They will always move toward the person they perceive to be a friend, particularly if food is involved! Sheep aren't as dumb as we think-unless they are scared.Dr. Kendrick believes that their reputation for stupidity comes from the fact that they are afraid of just about everything. But, he says, "Most animals, including humans-once they are frightened-don't tend to show signs of intelligent behavior." Fear causes a flock to disintegrate, and when sheep are driven apart they are most vulnerable to predators. Again, does this sound like anybody you know?

In her book The Preaching Life, Barbara Brown Taylor shares a conversation she had with a friend who grew up on a sheep farm. According to him, sheep are not dumb at all. He said, "It's the cattle ranchers who spread that ugly rumor-just because sheep don't behave like cattle." "Cattle are herded from the rear by hooting cowboys with cracking whips, but that will not work with sheep at all. "Stand behind sheep making loud noises-and all they will do is run around behind you-because they prefer to be led." Her friend said, "You push cattle-but you lead sheep." "They will not go anywhere that someone else does not go first." "And that would be their shepherd, who goes ahead of them to show them that everything is all right."

My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. ARE WE LISTENING? DO WE RECOGNIZE THE LANGUAGE?

One day an airline pilot was passing over an airport and he contacted the air traffic controller to ask what time it was. The controller wondered, "What airline are you flying?" The pilot asked, "What possible difference does that make?" The controller replied patiently: "Well, sir, it makes all the difference in the world." "If you are with British Airways, it is 1500 hours." "If you are with American, it's 3 p.m. "If you are with Continental, the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the three. "And if you are with Jet Blue, it's Tuesday."

Knowing the language is important! Sometimes the problem is not that we, the sheep of his pasture, do not recognize the voice of the Shepherd. In fact, many of you are extremely tuned into that Voice. God calls, you hear, and you follow-you get it. Some of you are very, very good at this. But at times, we recognize it and refuse to listen. Or sometimes we listen selectively. Or sometimes we are paying attention to the cacophony of other voices around us that are competing for our loyalty and devotion. Or sometimes we listen for the Shepherd and forget the rest of the flock-and that's part of the deal, as we recall from last week's lesson. Oh, we are usually "all ears" when the voice of the Shepherd is offering comfort and reassurance. When life is tough, when we're hammered by horrible headlines, when we're overwhelmed… Oh, how we are eager, hungry to hear the words, "I am the Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep."

When I was getting started in ministry, one of my mentors shocked me after preaching at a very difficult funeral for a young person. I told him that I appreciated his words and wondered how he could keep it all together. He said, "I would much rather preach at a funeral than a wedding." "The people are much more willing to listen."

But are we willing to listen when the Good Shepherd calls us to follow him? Will we follow him through the valley of the shadow of death, or self-denial, or obedience, or self-sacrifice, or unconditional love? Can you hear me now?

In the newsletter I made a reference to Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. With all of our Derby preparations in progress, this story hits close to home for me. In one of the better-known scenes from the novel, Charles Swann visits some of his friends, the Duke and Duchess of Guermantes. They are preparing to leave for an evening of entertainment. Always looking for future diversions, the duchess insists that Swann, who she admits does not look at all well, accompany them on their next trip to Venice. After a moment, the gentlemanly Swann replies, "But, my dear lady, I shall then have been dead for several months." The duchess' carriage is waiting; her husband begs her to hurry. Caught between the demands of her social life and the confession of a dying man, the duchess chooses not to hear. She says, "You must be joking," and steps toward her carriage. At that moment, the duke sees that his wife has committed one of the gravest errors a fashionable society woman can make. Her black shoes do not match her red dress! He insists: "Go upstairs quickly and put on red shoes!" There is no time to comfort a dying man, but the carriage can wait while the woman changes her shoes.

Diane Cole reflects on this scene in an article titled The Responsibility to Respond: What One Friend Owes Another. She talks about a growing number of people for whom "only their own lives matter." "Other people's suffering lies beyond their awareness and beyond their care." "Out of fear, ignorance, or sheer indifference," these people seek to escape the demands made by friendship or love. "Their hearts remain closed; their imaginations refuse to reach outside narrow limits." Another person described this condition as "moral deafness."

Are we listening? Or are we too busy "changing our shoes," looking for the next diversion, planning our next party, considering our next purchase? Are we listening? My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.