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NAKED FAITH

Former American Press staff writer Sunny Brown Farley writes "Naked Faith," a look at faith in its natural form: lived out in the day-to-day lives of ordinary people.

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Bleat, poop, faint

Posted August 4, 2009 at 11:38 am
Filed Under Faith & Religion | Leave a Comment

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I heard a compelling sermon Sunday. It was on the subject of Jesus telling Peter to “feed my sheep.”

You remember the scripture – the one in which the risen Christ asks the apostle Peter if Peter loves him. The last time Peter had seen his Lord, he denied him. Now, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him and each time then says to Peter, “Feed my sheep.”

In the Sunday sermon, the preacher recounted a story of a live nativity scene involving a sheep that startled easily. The wise men came out and the sheep responded with “a bleat a poop and a faint.”

The poor sheep bleated, pooped and fainted many times during the holiday production.

Sheep are just not the most admirable of animals, I reckon.

So why does Jesus refer to us, the people of God, as sheep? Not a flattering concept.

And, as leaders in the Church, we are charged with caring for these metaphorical animals.

In the Sunday sermon, the preacher posed a valuable question to us. It is the question posed by Christ to Peter. Do we love him? Do we love Christ?

It is a question we all must consider.

Tears filled my eyes as I thought about my love for the Lord. I can remember so many times basking in the grace of God.

I remember as a child singing Amazing Grace at the top of my lungs as I watched the sunrise and waited for the school bus to arrive.

I remember so many times driving in my car and praying and singing as an adult. I remember belting out the Apostle’s Creed and the Lord’s prayer in worship and being touched by the Word in sermons, in scripture and in the hearts of my Christian brothers and sisters. I remember the day my son was baptized. He was embraced by the Holy Spirit and surrounded by the love of the Church.

God is so good. Do I love Jesus? YES!! AMEN!!!

And so, will I feed his sheep? Oh yes.

I know I am just a sheep, inclined to bleat and poop and faint from time to time.

And I know God has called me to feed bleating, pooping and fainting fellow sheep. But, the thing is, when you love Christ, it is a joy to feed his sheep.

I want them to know the love of the shepherd – the Shepherd I love and the Shepherd who loves me.

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