The Lord is our shepherd… And we are his flock. Often when we call people sheep, we mean to say that they are following the crowd, stuck in a group of people with similar beliefs. But when we “find God,” are on good terms with God, are being pious, or whatever we want to call it, we aren’t stuck with a group of likeminded people. In this cathedral there are no likeminded people. We all come from different backgrounds, all have different beliefs. In this church there are many people in different places…
But we are all on the same faith journey, trying to get back to the same general herd. This place, where God is trying to herd us back to, is where we are in our relationship and understanding of God. This is our faith journey. When the Lord, our shepherd does herd us, he takes us back onto this path. So being a sheep isn’t being likeminded at all. When we are “with the flock,” we are trying to get to the same place, a deeper understanding of Christ or a stronger recognition of Christ’s presence. Reasoning, one of the cornerstones of the Episcopal Faith tradition is what makes us all unique in this flock. We pick apart what we hear in church, take a few morals from people we meet, and take a bit from our gut to form what our beliefs are and how we will relay them to others. I have attended Christian Brothers High School for four years. I was excited for the change and meeting new people, but not so sure about the Catholicism part. I had grown up in an Agnostic tradition. The one consensus my parents had about spirituality was that “God is love,” and that everyone should be treated equally and humanely. Other than snippets I got from Christmas and Easter mass, all my morals derived out of the one truth that we are all called to love each other. So I didn’t think classes about Catholic Church history and Saints and praying seven times a day were going to be a walk in the park because they sounded so strict and mathematical. That was until I became acquainted with the Socratic Method, where I was able to talk with my classmates about my beliefs and write them on test essays. My classes started asking me what I thought about the churches stance on x dogma or what I thought about y bible passage. What? I was being asked to think? Previously, I thought I was going to be herded into brainwash and recitation of facts. I was soon aware of the diversity of my class, that we weren’t a flock of sheep and that our different beliefs and lives were what made Christianity so important to me. Like my upbringing I was called to appreciate diversity and love everyone, but it was Christ asking me to do these things. The Lord became my shepherd.
The only common part of our flock is that we are Christians; that we believe God sent Christ as our savior. So here we are at square one again: God is our shepherd. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine God talking to us directly and telling us where to go. We can’t use a GPS to help us get to our next spiritual destination… but often He uses shepherds on earth to guide us. The most famous shepherd was Christ; he gathered a group of followers, us Christians, to follow God’s will. Christ left us the Holy Spirit, but that’s sometimes tough to decipher. That’s why we have each other.
The people we meet are our shepherds. It is odd comparing our lives to the One that gave His life for us. But it is not impossible. The people we meet give their life to many different ministries. These could range from priesthood, being hospitable, lending a helping hand every once in a while or even flashing a smile at a stranger. These ministries help touch others, and bring us all closer to our Spiritual awakening. Two ministerial people I have encountered are my Godmother and Aunt, Gail DeGroff and my campus minister at Christian Brothers. My godmother has “herded” me into church for the past year—because of this she has been my physical shepherd. She has taken me where I feel called to be and Carpooled where we both feel at home. She is living out the promise she made for me when I chose to be baptized. We have woken up most Sundays, and gone to church, admiring the Choirs and partaking in coffee hour bliss. She even waits for me while I attend youth group. Having the ability to attend services at Trinity has given me numerous opportunities. I have learned so much from sitting in these pews and meeting people here. The other shepherd I have encountered is my campus minister Susannah Nelson. I first met her when I applied for a different ministry, to become a Retreat Leader at my school. I noticed she had a distinct aura about her, one of peace and reverence. Mrs. Nelson reaches out to students through liturgies and retreats, and her doors are always open. When I went on my senior retreat, I was exposed to a world of love, and a call to further my relationship with God. Both my Godmother and my campus minister have been called to be shepherds by providing others with the opportunity to experience Christ’s presence. They allow others to “ask and receive.”
Trinity lives the mantra “ask and you shall receive.” It is impossible to participate in every kin group and community service activity, but each one is unique in its own way and has its own special qualities. It is easy to find your “ministry niche.” This Easter Sunday, my mom and I took a leap on our faith journey by deciding to receive the sacrament of confirmation. Attending catechism classes opened my eyes again to the diversity of our flock. During lent, candidates for Baptism, Confirmation, Reaffirmation and reception gathered weekly. There we were given guides, or sponsors that walked a special journey with us. I had the privilege of walking with a seminarian, Anne McKeever. It was interesting that I was matched up with her because I have been discerning the idea of becoming an Episcopal priest later in life. She shared many insights that helped me reflect on my spirituality and relationship with God. But During the catechism journey, I had been under a constant stress. I was in the midst of college decisions and applications, essays, projects, and school activities. One of the most memorable nights was when I had too many projects on my plate. It was one of those nights where I had signed up for too much stuff, had an essay to write and thought I didn’t have enough seconds in the day. The wolf in the gospel had come to visit. Sometimes the wolves in our life are our own vices, pulling us away from the flock, making something else seem more important than our journey. Sometimes it takes a clear voice from a recognizable shepherd to help us remember. Kathleen Kelly found me in the downstairs hallway, and she told me “We are here for you.”
She was right. Trinity Cathedral and the Episcopal Church have welcomed me with open arms. I have felt nothing but love in this wonderful community. This moment was a signal to me that that class was where I belonged, and the Episcopal Church was where I was called to be.
But we are called to be shepherds as well. We never know how our actions may affect others, but there is a great chance that they will. So we are asked to keep an open mind and participate in a ministry that we can fall in love with. These ministries can include a helping hand through community service, or something as simple as a smile at a stranger. There are a vast number of ministries that only you can imagine.
I hope to live this call to be a shepherd by attending Gonzaga University, a Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington this fall. When I am there I would like to participate in community service and spiritual activities. I can hardly wait to see where God will call me to serve in the future.
We are all called to be shepherds. We are not a likeminded flock. We are, however, called to live and serve Christ by being shepherds for others.
So where is your ministry, and where do you feel people are ministering to you? It is up to you to figure out who or what is calling you back to the flock, and it is up to you to live out that journey by giving others the chance to join. We need to baa up the courage and become outstanding sheep in the flock of our spiritual path.