The Good Shepherd

I'm having an argument (I suppose debate would be a better word) with a friend who is doing his thesis on shepherding in a biblical sense. I should probably give up becasue he is doing the research and I'm doing the very dangerous activity of thinking off the top of my head. Unfortunately, I can't help myself.

My argument is that the life of an oriental shepherd was a lonely one. That is they spent much of their time alone with their sheep leading (not herding) them to food and water. At night they would return to permanent folds near home or temporary ones built near the pastures they were currently using. Only at these times did they come together with other shepherds and cooperate with others to protect the sheep. (I also assume that this was a great time for building friendships, sharing ideas and learning new things.)

My friend rejects this lonely aspect and believes that they worked together much more than that. Therefore we apply it differently to our work as pastors. I say that pastoring is a lonely vocation and pastors should expect it. He says pastors should work together with other pastors in their congregation, even though those "other pastors" are not official and are basically lay leaders, to shepherd the flock. I say that while they should work together there is still a difference and that even pastors of multistaff churches should expect loneliness. He says that there is no difference between multistaff churches and single staff churches except the lay leaders in one are official in the other.

Which ever way I end up going on this I am grateful that the Good Shepherd has entrusted me with a portion of His flock not as a hireling but has His child. On the other hand that means that I must be een more dedicated to my flock and not runaway when it faces danger.

By the way, I also think we don't do enough of the shepherds getting together thing.