In the Fold

 

Has the experience of church sometimes not met your expectations?

Do you have to go to Church to be a Christian?

Maybe the following will help:

 

If you are a Shepherd who has a field, a fold, and some sheep and you see a wolf prowling around the edge, where do you want the sheep?
In the fold.
Where do you want your best sheep?
In the fold.
Where do you want your worst sheep?
In the fold.
Where do you want your lazy, lame or stupid sheep?
In the fold.
Where do you want your strongest and most loyal sheep?
In the fold.
So, if you are a sheep, where should you be?
In the fold.
 
Some most excellent sheep object to this because they look around at the sheep surrounding them, the lazy, silly, stupid, unloyal and rubbish sheep.  They think ‘Why on earth would the Shepherd want me in here with them?  They are stopping me being the sheep I should be.  It would be better if I left the fold to eat grass and grow big and strong on my own, or at least with other sheep like me.’
 
But wait!  The Shepherd puts the sheep together in folds for a reason:

Let me put it another way:

Does the wolf want the sheep in the fold?
No.
Does the wolf ever stop prowling around looking for sheep to devour?
No.
Will the wolf care whether a sheep in the field is a good sheep or a bad sheep?
No.
Can a sheep fight the wolf on its own?
No.
Therefore should a sheep risk being on its own?
No.
Will a sheep on its own go unnoticed by the wolf?
No.
Therefore is a sheep on its own likely to get eaten?
Yes!

 

Some most excellent sheep object to this because they have great faith in the Shepherd to protect them from the wolf.  They think ‘Why on earth would the protection from the Shepherd be less in the field than it is in the fold?  My fear of the wolf is stopping me being the sheep I should be.  It would be better if I left the fold to stand up against the wolf on my own, or at least with other sheep like me.’

 

But wait!  The wolf wants sheep to leave their folds for a reason:

Let me put it another way:

To whom do the sheep belong?
The Good Shepherd.
So to whom should good sheep go?
The Good Shepherd.
And where can the good sheep find him?
With the other sheep!
To whom do the sheep listen?
The Good Shepherd.
So who will good sheep obey?
The Good Shepherd.
And where does he tell the good sheep to be?
With the other sheep!

 

Some most excellent sheep object to this because they reason that being a part of the whole flock is surely just the same as being in a fold.  They think ‘Why on earth would the Shepherd see a difference between his whole flock and one fold?  This belief that folds are necessary is stopping me being the sheep I should be.  It would be better if I left my fold to show the others that being part of the whole flock is what matters, and besides, there are lots of other sheep like me.’

 

You find good sheep in folds for a reason:

My advice:  Be a good sheep, find a good fold and stay there!  The Good Shepherd knows if, when and where to move you.