On Becoming a Shepherd

I am called to be a pastor. The title of my blog, "Becoming a Shepherd," witnesses to the rich Christian heritage of pastoral ministry through the metaphor of a shepherd.

"No image has influenced the practice of pastoral care more than its chief formative metaphor, the good shepherd caring for the vulnerable flock amid a perilous world. This central matrix of imagery has served as the foundation for other images of the pastor—guardian of tradition, guide through hazard, and physician of the flock. It is only on the basis of this axial metaphor that the pastor can reflect rightly upon due authorization to ministry...It constitutes an important link in the correlation of Christ’s shepherding with contemporary shepherding." Thomas C. Oden (1987) Becoming a Minister

I have the privilege of being a pastor at the First Baptist Church of Kewanee, Illinois. Next month will be my tenth anniversary of pastoral ministry in Kewanee (January, 2011). Feeding and leading people through the ministry of First Baptist is the topic of this blog. As I describe the work of shepherding people I hope others can sense that ministry is a work in progress, a creative piece of art in process and a continuing practice of spiritual discernment and skill.

I am a child of God, a man in Christ and called to be a pastor and do the work of a shepherd. I am thankful to God that I have the privilege of living a variety of roles in life: son, nephew, brother, husband, father, neighbor and many others. Among these other roles is the calling of being a pastor and doing the work of a shepherd.

I hope my aspirations to "become" will accurately communicate my desire to be all God has called me to be and effectively do the work of shepherding well.