I want to start by not making my acknowledgments to the birds of Alfred Hitchcock's infamous movie and to thank God that we don't live in that film!!!
There are two animals in the plural tense to which the word 'flock' belongs. Sheep and birds. Towards the end of last year and the start of this year I've been noticing the birds in their flocks and it's a nice treat when you see a LARGE flock of birds. I've particularly enjoyed watching them when taking my twenty minute walk to work if they're flying around. Whenever I see them I always think about church. - About all the people represented. Sometimes I see one or two birds flying off on their own little tangent and sometimes wonder 'Have I ever gone off on my own tangent at church?' When you watch a flock it moves and flows swiftly and as they turn to fly elsewhere every birds moves in sync. Their unison makes watching them pleasing to the eye.
In the Bible followers of Christ are sometimes referred to as a flock (specifically, sheep). And it's mainly Jesus who refers to us as in this way. The parable of the lost sheep for example. Jesus says, 'I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me' (John 10 v 14).
Let's assume for a moment that the birds I've been talking about that soar in unison together know Jesus. This is why they fly together in an effortless fashion. Now let's imagine a flock that doesn't know Jesus. (Insert least favourite bird here _____.) Now this flock is all over the place. There are one or two who are flying in unison but there's one who's flying in and out of the flock back and forth back and forth! There's another bird who's nowhere to be found! One bird is kind of in unison with the few in the flock but is dawdling slowly behind! Another bird is flying in circles around a tree! Another is even flying in the wrong flock! Watching this flock is exhausting... Because these birds don't know Jesus they're out of sync. Out of sync with one another. Out of sync with what's good. Out of sync with Jesus.
I wouldn't like to make an unfair generalization like 'the church of today is like a flock of birds out of unison because it doesn't know Jesus!' I think that a statement like that would be 1. Completely unfair. 2. Completely untrue. and 3. Downright defeatist! But at the same time I know that churches aren't flying in a place of complete ease and trust.
What I love are the wonderful ways that God shows us how to be a church like the birds who are easy to watch. I want to look at three factors.
1. Individual Contribution One of the things that I believe is most important is the need that the church has for you individually to contribute all that you have however you need to. I really enjoy doing this. - Looking for spaces in conversations where I can add something - Looking for ways that I can do something or say something on the spur of the moment - by faith.
2. One Flock, One Shepherd I play drums in our worship team and sing and play guitar sometimes as well and one of the things I love about the times we worship together is that when we are really feeling what is happening in the song, lyrically, musically, and spiritually, we sometimes know where something is going. Jesus explains this unison. 'They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.' - John 10 v 16. The secret ingredient of the unified flock is its trust in one another that is reliable through the one shepherd that they have in common.
3. I've got your back 'Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.' - 1 Peter 5 v 2. Just to give a little background here, Peter when he said this was talking to the elders of the churches. Although he was specifically speaking to leaders, I think that all of us should apply this scripture to our lives as well - to the way that we treat the people in our churches. Do we act out of fear or bitterness (grudgingly) or are we doing what we do with joy and love (willingly). Caring for the flock is one of the greatest joys that we can possibly know in this life because what we do to help could be the difference between life and death for the person on the receiving end. Knowing that you've saved someones life really is worth your effort. I'll finish with the lyrics of a song by a band called Sanctus Real. This song was the anthem of our car on the way home from the Ultimate Event, May 2009 and it goes like this:
Oh oh we need each other
So what's the fighting for?
Oh oh we need each other
Please don't close the door
Oh oh we need each other
Through all the highs and lows
Oh oh we need each other
Cuz no one's meant to live alone
God Bless
The best is yet to come
Elkman out
...
Bible Translation: New Living Translation
