Little-Lamb-Leader

[JRogersCooper]

(p.151) Laniak begins a discussion regarding the introduction to Ezekiel 34, and the tragic picture of sheep abusing other sheep. It is difficult to reconcile the image of “Mary’s little lamb” and the nursery rhyme I heard as a child representing someone who abuses others. A concern I have that is directly linked to pastoral identity is that of the abusive leader of the flock—how do we carve out the sin of our own lives so that we do not become abusers of Christ’s precious flock? We live in a world that is continually dominated by sin. Pastors are not exempt from the lures of sinful pleasures and can fall into the deadly trap of sin in their interaction with their flock. We all know pastors who have abused the financial wellbeing of their flock; other have abused select individuals, others abused their position by expecting special treatment or favors simply because they are the pastor of the congregation. A myriad of ways exist where the shepherds, who are to behave like Christ for their congregation, become the embodiment of sin to their congregation. These moral failures in pastoral leadership undermine the message of the Christian faith. The responsibility for averting moral failure falls squarely on the shoulders of the one who would lead; that s/he would lead as a little lamb and not as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
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Jennifer Rogers-Cooper is a Chaplain in the US Army. She is currently pursuing a DMin from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.