Intercession from Undershepherd

[corinthpastorbob]

I relate this chapter to my calling as an evangelical pastor in a mainline church. Not everyone understands or values that calling. Some believe we should just declare declare “Ichabod� and abandon this great heritage to its own self-chosen demise.

Not long ago I was reading Psalm 80 and praying that psalmist’s prayers for the UCC –
• “Awaken you might; come and save us.�
• “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.� (refrain repeated several times)
• “Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted.�

What I had forgotten until I turned back to the psalm after reading Tim's chapter on "The Other Lion" was its pastoral opening sentence –“Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock.�

Intercession for restoration of God’s people – for the Lion to turn from judgment to mercy – is truly a “pastoral prayer� – undershepherd to the Great Shepherd.