Seeds For Thinking

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Scripture: I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek your servant, For I do not forget your commandments. Psalm 119:176, NKJV

The diner inquired, “What is this in my soup?” The waiter cautioned, “Shhh! Everyone will be wanting one.”
It is not by accident that we are bombarded by images of other people using and enjoying something, nor all of the eye-catching displays and goodies located at the check-out counter. We are creatures of impulse and imitation. Monkey see, monkey do! Hey! Try it; you will like it. All we, like sheep, follow the leader.
Jesus made a parabolic reference to the man who sought out one lost sheep, leaving the ninety and nine until he found the stray. I can attest to another scenario: one sheep going astray will entice the other ninety and nine to follow. How many times, Lord, how many? We have the sheep all lined up, moving to a different location, when one old dingbat bolts back from whence they came, the place from which we labored to remove them.
Chances are, all the rest of the ninety and nine will turn, look, and choose the path the other has taken. Patience, Lord, patience!
Forget about will power; we need a lot of ‘won’t’ power to resist impulse. Not only birds, but sheep and people flock to where others of a like kind are found. Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder - fonder of those enjoying the golf course, the guy mowing his lawn, the crowds hitting the mall.
Sheep, bird or worshipper, we are more attracted to, and inclined to join, that which we can see rather than that which we can not see. It is not without reason that the Psalmist seems to live as an alien in the land (Psalm 119:19.) Skim through this Psalm, looking for the distracting pressures from the sheep gone astray. (Yes, it is long, but there are some real gems to be found here.) Note the references to the arrogant, the insolent who wander from the commandments, their scorn and contempt for those who have kept the decrees of God.
Note also that the psalmist fixes his eyes on the commandments of the Lord, turns his eyes from looking at vanities, and remembers the Name of the Lord day and night. God’s Word is a lamp to his feet and a light to his path. (vs. 105) The cure for absence is presence - walking in the presence of God, day and night.
The casual worshipper spends an hour or two a week in “God’s house.” Absence! Miss one service, and you chip away even more at the ties that bind you to His precepts. Don’t just ‘visit’ God weekly (or weakly!) - immerse yourself in the omni-presence of God at all times;
Turn your eyes upon Jesus; Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. . . . Lemmel
April 15, 2007

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Scripture: ” . . . at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Collect the weeds first and bind them into bundles to be burned.’”
Matthew 13:30, NRSV

Many of the types of animals mentioned in the Biblical writings are classified as being “herbivores;” that is, they eat plants. People who keep herds of sheep, cattle and goats are on a constant search for adequate pastures for their livestock. Unfortunately, the most desirable forage grasses and legumes do not grow the entire year ‘round in many climates where livestock are raised.
The discovery that some grasses and legumes could be cut at the lush of their season, dried in the sun, and preserved for an indefinite period revolutionized the husbandry of livestock. The dried plants, or hay, could be fed when the field plants were dormant.
Unfortunately, the same field conditions that promote the growth of desirable grasses and legumes also appeal to noxious weeds, thistles and briars. They could be detected and discarded during the cutting when the harvesting was done by the centuries-old method of manual labor, using a scythe or sickle.
Machinery replaced hand labor in the 19th century in mechanized countries. Everything growing in the field is cut and harvested together, and usually compacted into bales, which are stored until needed for the livestock.
The day the bale is opened for feeding becomes judgment day. The quality of the hay is readily apparent. Further, any weeds that were swept up during the harvesting are now exposed. It is not uncommon to find trash as well - cups and soft drink containers, plastic bags, and papers that have blown into the field.
It reminds me of another judgment day, and another Judge, only this time we will be the ‘bale.’
Everything that is in the ‘field’ at the time of harvest (death) is swept up, gathered together, and brought before the Judge - everything! The good and the bad, including the noxious weeds, briars, and trash (we call them sins) - everything!
Too late now; no going back, the harvest time is over.
There is a different possible scenario, however. Remember that old-fashioned method where the workers separated the good stuff from the bad? See Matthew 13: 24-30.
We need to examine our fields (lives) and determine what is growing there. Find the bad stuff (sin,) dig it out, cut it down. Umm - more commonly known as repentance. Ask The Lord for forgiveness, and stop ‘growing’ it.
You do not know at what day or hour the Master Harvester will come.
Keep your fields clean and unspotted from the world. (James 1:27) Be vigilant. Be always ready. Remember - at the Judgment Day, all lives will be opened to the scrutiny of the Judge, and everything will be plainly shown -
Everything!
March 18, 2007

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* The Lambs Finally Got It!
* Scripture: Jesus said to Peter, "Feed my lambs;" "Tend my sheep;" "Feed my sheep." (from John 21:15-17)

O Happy Day! The lambs finally got it! They all stayed with the rest of the flock when it came time to move.
We practice a system of grazing that requires frequent moves from one section of the pasture to another. Once we have the portable fences set up for the next paddock, we open the fence and let the sheep move onto fresh grass.
The older sheep know the routine, and stand waiting whenever they see us getting ready. The lambs, though, are so full of life and vigor that they seem to lose track of where mama is and what the rest of the flock is doing.
"Lambie-Lambie-Lambie-SHEEP!" Heads pop up, grazing stops, and the sheep move toward the shepherd. It takes a while for lambs to associate the shepherd's call with a move to a better pasture, though. Running and leaping is such fun that it takes some of them a while to notice that they have been left behind. Then they are apt to panic and try to go through the fence rather than the open gate. They may also turn and run the opposite way, away from safety, away from nourishment.
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs, tend my sheep." What if the Shepherd is willing, but the lambs won't cooperate?
Thinking about this gives me a new appreciation of the task Jesus gave Peter:
I can just imagine Peter praying about it. "Lord, about these sheep of yours: Some never seem to catch on. They don't associate the Good Shepherd's call with a better life ahead. They are having such a good time that they don't gather with the rest of the flock."
"They seem to prefer pleasure and comfort above the Word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Mt. 4:4)
"I call them to come to Your gate in the sheepfold, Lord, but they either do not hear me, or ignore my call. They seem to have no problems hearing the call of the evil one, though. I am not an hireling who leaves the sheep. I would be willing to lay down my life for the sheep, just as you did for all of us. I fear that some of them will be left behind and lost forever."
We, as Christians, find ourselves in Peter's shoes. We are both sheep and shepherds, in the tradition of Matthew Chapter 10.
As sheep, we need to listen to the call of The Good Shepherd.
As shepherds, we need to share with the sheep 'out there' that Jesus is indeed the door, the way to salvation, and lead the lambs to find the pasture of eternal life.
June 18, 2006

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Scripture: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11. NKJV)

Oh!
“Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey”(1)

But I’d rather they didn’t - eat ivy, that is. I think that they would do much better on their provided rations of hay and grain. One of the responsibilities of a herder is to provide nourishing food and water for the livestock.
Given the need, any vegetation is fair game, even ivy. Sheep are grazers, mostly looking down for their diet of grasses. They are noted for eating plants right down to the roots, a source of friction between cattlemen and shepherds on the range.
Sheep literally eat on the run, quickly grabbing, chewing and swallowing their food, then regurgitating the semi-digested mass, now known as cud, and chewing it again. As with other ruminants, the front teeth in the lower jaw bite against a hard, toothless pad in the upper jaw. These are used to pick off vegetation, then the rear teeth grind it before it is swallowed. There are eight lower front teeth in ruminants. The cloven-hoofed, cud chewing animals meet the Mosaic dietary laws of Deuteronomy 14:4-6.
It is important to see that the mothers are getting a nutritious diet during the time when they are nursing lambs. The good shepherd knows the sheep, (John 10:14) cares for the sheep, (as in the 23rd Psalm) leading them to green pastures and clean water, and is considerate of their needs. (See Genesis 33:13)
As livestock, sheep are most-often associated with pastoral imagery. Sheep figure in many religions, especially the Abrahamic traditions. Being a key animal in the history of farming, sheep have a deeply entrenched place in human culture, and find representation in the language and symbology of both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
The patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - were herders. Job possessed thousands of sheep and camels, and hundreds of oxen and donkeys.
Yet, sheep and shepherds were not always welcome. Pharaoh’s clean-shaven court looked down on the rugged shepherd sons of Jacob. Joseph matter-of-factly informed his brothers, “Every shepherd is detestable to the Egyptians” (Genesis 46:34).
Jacob’s descendants became accustomed to a settled lifestyle and forgot their nomadic roots after spending 400 years in Egypt. When Israel later settled in Canaan, the few tribes still retaining a fondness for pastoral life chose to live in the Trans-Jordan (Numbers 32:1 ff).
After the settling in Palestine, shepherding ceased to hold its prominent position. As the Israelites acquired more farmland, pasturing decreased. Shepherding became a menial vocation for the laboring class. Shepherds were despised in everyday life. In general, they were considered second-class and untrustworthy.
However, Isaiah prophesied,“The Lord God shall come like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.” (Isaiah 40:11) The good tidings of great joy at Jesus’ birth were announced to shepherds, “living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.” (Luke 2:8-20) Jesus Himself stated that He is the good shepherd; “The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
John the Baptist called Jesus “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) Sinners are redeemed “with precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:19)
Jesus said, “I am the door to the sheepfold; if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”

(1) Sing "Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy."
1943 by Milton Drake, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston.

A kiddley divey too . . .
Although sheep and goats are related, their dietary preferences are somewhat different, if they can choose.
Goats are primarily browsers, like deer, and strip the leaves and bark off trees and woody plants, sometimes standing on their hind legs to reach as high as they can.

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Scripture: “I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also he has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” Ecc 3:10-11

"Take time to smell the roses"
There were no roses blooming anywhere nearby, not even multiflora roses in the fence rows, but I did spend some time to take in the view spread out before me.
I had a few moments during the evening of a beautiful day in late spring to contemplate the majesty of God's wonders in a pastoral setting that could have been straight out of the 23rd Psalm. The succulent grass was green with the fullness of spring rains. I watched our sheep grazing in the pasture as I replenished their drinking water from a tank on my truck. The lambs were now confident enough to leave their mommas for group races around the pasture, leaping and twisting in midair, filled with the joy of life and the security of their surroundings. "For you are with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me," I thought - (Psalm 23:4b) and I in turn comfort my sheep.
Our two livestock guardian dogs wandered through the flock, pausing now and then to sniff and listen to assure that nothing dangerous had crept in. At one point they trotted over to the fence line and began to bark, looking at the field to the south. What did they detect? I could not tell, but some creature undoubtedly learned that they were alert and on duty.
"Red sky at night . . . ." The forecast was for fair weather on the morrow, and the thin, high-altitude clouds glowed in affirmation.
I shifted my gaze from the western skies, across the pastures, toward our neighbors to the east - the township cemetery. The tombstones glowed in the fading light, marking the final resting place of many people that I knew, including the former owners of this land upon which I now stood. A memorial marker etched with their names and the span of their lives sits just over the fence, as close as they could get to the land they once walked.
"One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever." Ecclesiastes 1:4, NKJV
I trust that my family and I will be found to be good stewards of this land that they so much enjoyed and cared for in their time. Our children, and already our children's children, come to this place to share in the task which we have undertaken to carry on.
Hopefully, we can instill an awareness of eternity in their hearts, much as some now lying there in such silent repose have instilled that knowledge into our own hearts.
"Where are they now?" I wonder, those souls whose earthly shells rest in the silence of the ages. Rich or poor, mighty or meek in their earthly time, that brief span determined their status for eternity. Neither I nor any mortal can find out that final work of God. I ponder the words of "The Preacher." the author of Ecclesiastes:
"I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before him.
That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past. (Ecc. 3:14-15)
Like the dying embers of a giant fire, the glow in the west slowly faded, the sky darkened, and, as if mirroring life itself, the memorials dimmed and disappeared into the enveloping cloak of night.
May 28, 2006

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Scripture: Warnings against Folly: “Go to the ant, thou sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise.” Proverbs 6:6

There are many myths and traditions about animals talking. The Biblical account of Balaam and his talking donkey is given in Numbers 22. The donkey saw the angel of the Lord, which Balaam could not see, and turned aside. Balaam struck him. After this happened three times, the donkey spoke to defend his actions. Then, Balaam’s eyes were opened and he, too, saw the angel with a sword barring his way.
Aesop wove many of his fables around talking animals, and in the process, taught truths to us supposedly superior humans. Animals, like puppets, allow us to say things that we would like to say, but don’t have the nerve to say in our own personna. Look at the things a ventriloquist can get away with!
Sometimes people imitate or impersonate animals, but more often, we give the animals human attributes. They are a staple of movie and print cartoons. Look what a talking mouse did for Walt Disney.
Stories about talking parrots are numerous; many take the form of the pious, dignified elderly woman who suffers with a parrot who learned to speak by listening to sailors.
There is a cartoon in the book Holy Humor, where the parrot is sitting on a pulpit, stating that the pastor has laryngitis, but fortunately, he (the parrot) was listening as the preacher rehearsed his sermon. . . .
Oh! Wouldn’t this be an interesting world if animals really could talk! Would they lie? I bet it would be more interesting then having little people with big ears and the innocence to tell all they hear around the house.
There is a tradition, if I remember it correctly, that animals talk on Christmas Eve. Such is the story behind the song, The Friendly Beasts. Each tells what they did for the Christ Child.
The cow gave Him her manger for a cradle; the sheep , wool for a blanket. The doves cooed Him to sleep, and the donkey, of course, carried His mother, “up hill and down,” to Bethlehem Town.

Like the widow, who gave of what she had, ( two mites; Mk. 12:41-44) the animals, fabled or not, gave of what they had.
We have so much: how do we compare?
December 24, 2000

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Scripture: “The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1, KJV)

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, the seas, and all that live in and upon the earth. Including people. Man and woman were placed in the Garden of Eden, to tend and keep it. Nothing was said about a transfer of ownership. Everything belonged to the LORD.
Some might argue that the earth still belongs to the LORD, and we are merely tenants, but millions of people will dispute that idea, claiming ownership of their tract of land. Worse, like two-year olds, proclaiming, “What’s mine is mine; what’s yours is also mine, if I can take it from you!” battles have ebbed and flowed through the millennia to claim possession, title and deed to a chunk of the earth.
It takes only four chapters of the Bible to recount the movement from the Garden to the citified life. From hunter-gather, to nomadic herders, to farmers, and to urban dwellers. Here are the parallels that I find in Genesis:
Adam and Eve apparently lived the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, subsisting off of the plentiful supply of fruits and herbs, pleasant to the sight and good for food. (Genesis 2:9) They grew no crops, raised no livestock, nor had a need for clothing. Perhaps they could be called horticulturists - people who tend stands of natural plants, as the LORD had ordained (Genesis 2:15).
They were also under covenant to refrain from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. With a little coaxing from the serpent, they gave in to temptation, ate, thereby sinned, and were cast out of the garden.
Once outside of The Garden of Eden, three new societal structures evolved: the herders (Abel), the agriculturalists (Adam and Cain), and the urbanizers (Cain).
Able was a keeper of sheep, no doubt a nomadic herder, moving the flocks with the seasons, roaming the countryside in search of grass and water. As with the hunter/gatherer lifestyle, nomadic herders did not depend on ownership, but freely shared what the LORD had provided.
Adam and his son, Cain, became tillers of the ground, earning their bread by the sweat of their brow, engaged in a never-ending struggle against thorns and thistles - weeds!. Plant today for harvest tomorrow - agriculturalists carve out field and farm in a lifestyle rooted to the land. (Genesis 3:17-19)
Unlike the nomadic lifestyles, permanent possession becomes a necessity. People began to build a social structure based on ownership of the land. “This is MY land; these are MY crops! You can not gather, you can not graze here.”
We read in Chapter 4 that Cain and Abel brought of their produce as an offering to the LORD. The LORD respected the offering of Abel’s firstborn of the flock, but did not respect the fruit of Cain’s farm. Was this symbolism, or reality?
One further societal development brought the death-knell to the practice of free roaming gatherers and herders: Urbanization. Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden, and built a city. (Genesis 4:16-17) The building of cities leads to the building of roads and supporting utilities. Cities require water resources, large supplies of food, and depositories for the refuse created by the multitudes.
The process continues even into the 21st. century. Few representatives of those ancient nomadic traditions remain.
In reality, just as Cain slew Abel, agriculturalists and urbanizers ‘slew’ the free roaming hunter/gatherers and herders.
December 13, 2009