'Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.' Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away-and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.'
When a Bishop is consecrated and ordained one of the symbols of a Bishop's office is the crosier. The crosier is a symbol that reminds the Bishop and the people that Christ is the good shepherd. The Bishop is an ordained minister who serves Jesus Christ the shepherd while helping to tend to Christ's flock. This is a terrific reminder that all of us are led by Jesus, and that lay people, bishops, priests and deacons are all orders of ministry with the responsibility of representing Christ and the Church. (See pages 855 and 856 of the Book of Common Prayer). Within the Church are diverse groups of people, all of whom are called to share the ministry of hospitality and reconciliation in whatever order of ministry we find ourselves.
How are we in the Church doing with representing Christ and the Church? Are we representatives of a Church that is a shepherd so that all people can find themselves welcomed, to be reconciled and find peace with God? Or are we deceiving people and instead behaving like thieves and wolves looking to welcome people only so that we can be destructive? Are we willing to look at our behaviors and attitudes towards those who come to the Church looking for an open hands, arms, minds and hearts will find those things?
The challenge for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning and queer people is finding a church home that will accept us as we are. So many of us have wandered into the "sheep folds" of church communities hoping to find peace with God, only to find ourselves coerced by Pastors who wish to exploit and change our sexual orientation and/or gender expression/identity by committing us to ex-gay ministries. LGBTQ couples have been welcomed into church communities only to find Pastors and church members attempting to destroy loving relationships, or keep them out of the choir, from teaching Sunday school or participating in the supper club. We don't think of such attitudes and behaviors as stealing, but when people are so prejudiced that they cannot leave individuals to God so that God can do God's work with them, it is as if we are thieves or wolves looking to steel sheep from Christ's sheepfold so that they can be devoured with "Christian Values used as Weapons of Mass Destruction" (Rev. Susan Russell),
How about American Evangelicals embarking as missionaries of hate to Uganda so that their country may write bill that if passed will mean life in prison or death by hanging for known homosexuals? Parents in that country now have the attitude that they would rather their lesbian and gay children die by hanging than be openly or actively who they are. Is this the work of thieves and wolves, appearing as shepherds?
We might like to leave such descriptions to Evangelical and/or Fundamentalist church communities, but what about Roman Catholic or Anglican communities? When the Archbishop of Canterbury threatens to lower the Episcopal Church on the tier of the Anglican Communion because of the election and ordination of Suffragan Bishop Mary Glasspool, isn't even Archbishop Rowan Williams behaving more like a ravenous wolf than a shepherd? Or how about an Anglican Covenant that is designed to shut down the conversations that lead to the further exclusion of LGBTQ people? Is this really a better example of the Church leading us to "greener pastures"?
Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Bishop Paul Jones who was Bishop of Utah. Bishop Jones spoke out against war during the days before and after World War I. The House of Bishops as well as many people within the flock of Utah protested Bishop Jones' statements against war. He later resigned due to pressure against his position. Even after he left the office of Bishop, Jones continued to speak out against the injustices of war. He died at the beginning of World War II in 1941.
During his farewell address to the Missionary District of Utah in 1918 Bishop Jones said: "Where I serve the Church is of small importance, so as long as I can make my life count in the cause of Christ.... Expediency may make necessary the resignation of a Bishop at this time, but no expedience can ever justify the degradation of the ideals of the episcopate which these conclusions seem to involve." (Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, page 560).
Yet here is the Church in the Year 2010 and we have spoken against the outrage of war. Will the Church by 2020 finally realize that all the schisms over the ordination of Bishop Gene Robinson and Bishop Mary Glasspool were just as wrong as opposing Bishop Jones' opposition to war? Will the Church look back and realize that those who have been splitting the Episcopal Church and the ELCA over LGBTQ equality and realize that they have been acting like thieves and wolves rather than wise shepherds? Will they realize that the Holy Spirit was already at work, and they just misjudged her? What then will the Church do to help the souls who turned away from the Church not wanting to bother, and finding safer sheepfolds elsewhere?
How can we in 2010 help the Church to understand our role as shepherds? How can we better represent Christ and the Church as we support LGBTQ equality and inclusion? How can we be that voice for people who are confused or resentful of the Church because we appear more like thieves and wolves?
The point of Christ the Good Shepherd is that Jesus wants to lead us by his voice of love and compassion. The Holy Spirit is not about violence, hate, cruelty and exclusion. The Holy Spirit who leads "us into all truth" (Jn 16: 12) wants to lead us into the truth that there are no children of God that are not important to God. Heterosexism that fuels the fire of homophobia is not of God. Any "ism" that leads us to condescend any of God's people is not shepherding them into truth. Any "ism" that deprives any of God's people of the dignity that is theirs by virtue of being created, redeemed and sanctified by God, is not shepherding God's people. The voice that God's people are searching for is the voice that leads us to safety and wholeness where we find God's gracious mercy and unconditional love. When we find God's salvation in the cross of Jesus, we are being guided by the Holy Spirit into all truth.
All of us are called to be part of the solution as we work with the Holy Spirit to address our faults and shortcomings, so that she can turn them into opportunities for ministry. How are we answering that call? There are so many in our local communities who are lost trying to find their way through the complicated pastures of life. The Church has answers, but if they we are to be understood as shepherds, we must also understand and change where we appear more like thieves and wolves.
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 17, Book of Common Prayer, page 233).
Merciful God, you sent your beloved Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Raise up in this and every land witnesses who, after the example of your servant Paul Jones, will stand firm in proclaiming the Gospel of the Prince of Peace, our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for Bishop Jones, Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, page 561).
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