Counting Sheep

Music has an incredible ability to affect our state of mind. It is such a powerful thing that the writers of the Bible included 150 of them in the book. In music there are lyrics but there are also notes, sharps, flats, clefts and this incredible little symbol on the lines of music. Kids can look through the hymnals and find them. They look like a little squiggle. If you want to see one, look at hymn 4 in our Hymnal. Right in the middle of the page is this little squiggle on the lines of music. It’s called a “rest”. It’s not in every song but it exists. They create a space or pause between notes. It keeps the song from getting off rhythm and running away with itself.

In today’s reading Jesus had sent the disciples out to drive out demons, heal the sick, and preach the good news. They had done a great job and were returning to him but the crowd that had seen them do incredible things had followed them back to the shore with Jesus. And it was growing. Now Jesus has an opportunity to teach, heal, or perform and instead he notices that the disciples have not even had time to eat and tells his disciples to get in the boat and come away to a deserted place for a while.

(Psalm 23 a)

Jesus and his disciples get into a boat and try to get away to a deserted shore. Meanwhile the people see what he is doing and travel by foot through towns building the crowd bigger and bigger so that when he arrives there are more people than before. The only time they had to rest was on the boat.

I have two children. There was a time when I could have gone home from work and found some time to be alone but now there is always someone calling for me. Potty breaks and Tea parties, feedings and changes. Someone needing attention and it does not end. Even when Bedtime comes, that’s the moment when my chores begin. Some days The only time I have to rest is in the car between day care and work and home.

How many of you feel that way? That the only rest you can get is between the shores. Between the noises. Sometimes we fill that time with more work.

Jesus sees this. The people on the shore see where Jesus is going and gather a larger crowd to meet him on the other shore. They never stop. Here is when Jesus looks out from the boat and sees the crowd as “sheep without a shepherd”. This line has Old Testament roots.

Before Moses dies he uses it to describe the Israelites if God does not appoint a new leader to take the people to the Promised Land. Joshua is chosen and leads a military takeover of the Promised Land.

In 2 Kings, Malaiah uses it to describe the people in a prophecy about how King Ahab will die in battle “and the soldiers and people will be like sheep without a shepherd.”

Jeremiah uses similar language when describing the leaders of Israel who have lead the people astray and are about to be over thrown by the Babylonians. God is going to take out the trash and replace the shepherds with ones that will lead the people to pasture.

In every example it describes sheep without a shepherd as “lambs to the slaughter.”
Matthew tells this same story we just read he says they were,

harassed and helpless
or
despised and dispirited

(psalm 23 b)

Hi My Name is Joe. Its a kids song. it goes

HI, My name is Joe and I work in a button factory I have a wife, three kids, we’re a family. One day my boss comes to me and says “Joe are you busy” I said no, “so turn that button with your right hand!” and so on. The song continues until Joe has his hands, feet, tongue, head, and bottom all in constant motion before he says YES! He allows every part to be filled with motion.

We do this don’t we! We will fill every second; say yes to everything because we want our boss, friends, coworkers, families to see us at work. In other words, we want the celebrity of it. No rest, always in the public eye. Loved by everyone. Maybe we feel that if we stop we are being selfish and not sharing our great gifts with the world.

Jesus makes his disciples stop. he demands it a lets and then lets them watch as “sheep without a shepherd” search for their celebrity. Jesus never sends the people away, he leaves. He knows when it is time to disconnect and he does.

(Psalm 23 c)

I want to try a little exercise with you all. I learned this from some theatre friends and it may be of some use to you. Take one hand and put it in the air, shape your hand into a fist, now extend your pointer finger to the sky. With the other hand reach into your pocket or purse and pull out your cell phone. Now with the finger that you have pointed to the sky I want you to turn it towards the phone that is in your hand and find the off button with that hand i want you to press that button and hold it until your phone is no longer available to you.

How do you feel? For some of us we feel fine. For others this creates a bit of anxiety. See we are so accustomed to being available 24/7 that to unplug is really difficult. We don’t know how to be alone an unavailable. The cell phone is the most intimate piece of technology known to humanity. It has created incredible capabilities for all of us to be available to everyone in the world all the time.

Some of you feel fine. The phone doesn’t call to you or you are too young to have one or whatever. Here is a real practice to try. Sit still for 10 minutes and when something comes into your head (Your job, your friends, your email, your pets. Acknowledge that it is there as you breathe in. Then as you breathe out, let that breath blow it out of your mind leaving a blank canvas again. Do it any time something comes to your mind. It’s a centering prayer.

(Psalm 23 final)

Are Goodness and Mercy following you all the days of your life because you can’t slow down and let them catch up?

Shepherds have an interesting job. They stand by while the sheep eat and watch over them. Then they lead them to another pasture where the sheep can rest. The traveling to a new field is work but it’s only so the sheep can find rest somewhere else. Shepherds move a flock from rest to rest. Are our lives any different? We fill our days going from work to work to work. And Jesus, the good shepherd reworks our lives to run from rest to rest to rest.

God has called us to write rest into our life’s music. Because life without rest is just noise and the song Jesus is writing with your life is full of rest.