Shepherding Your Flock
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care… (1 Peter 5:2)
The view from one of my bird-watching perches, shown above, overlooks the fields in front of the school. Now, in the southern winter, with most of the crops harvested, the fields are frequented by herd boys and their animals. The work of a shepherd was the theme for the sermon this past Sunday at the Lesotho Evangelical Church (LEC) at Masitise. Several of the men in the congregation spoke on the text taken from I Peter 5:2-3. Most men in Lesotho, at some point in their youth, have taken on the job of being a shepherd. Lesotho is mostly a land without fences so the herd boys are a necessity to keep the animals from mischief.
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care… (1 Peter 5:2)
The view from one of my bird-watching perches, shown above, overlooks the fields in front of the school. Now, in the southern winter, with most of the crops harvested, the fields are frequented by herd boys and their animals. The work of a shepherd was the theme for the sermon this past Sunday at the Lesotho Evangelical Church (LEC) at Masitise. Several of the men in the congregation spoke on the text taken from I Peter 5:2-3. Most men in Lesotho, at some point in their youth, have taken on the job of being a shepherd. Lesotho is mostly a land without fences so the herd boys are a necessity to keep the animals from mischief.
In the summer many animals are taken up into the mountains to graze. The herd boys will live on their own in small huts while looking after the animals each day. The flocks and herds can graze more freely in the mountains and the herd boys have time to while away, like these young boys playing a harmonica and home-made guitar.
Hearing the men speak at church made me think about my “flocks”. At my age, not being married is quite unusual, to say the least, in Lesotho. I’ve grown used to the surprise from people who cannot believe I don’t have a wife and children somewhere; if not in Lesotho, surely they must be back in America! I’ve adapted the position that my students are my children. They are the ones I try to look after.
One of these flocks has been the boys’ basketball team. Our season has not been quite as successful as we had hoped. Our record currently stands at 7-5 with a 3-game losing streak. Those losses came by a combined 8 points, so we just haven’t been able to close out some possible victories. We still might qualify for further competition in August. Meanwhile, the girls’ team, coached by a former player of mine, is doing very well. They have an 11-3 record, finished 2nd in one tournament, and will represent our district at another tournament in August.
Three of my classes this year are for Form C math. These classes have a total of 155 students. They are actually small classes. Overall, Masitise has 1175 students in 18 classes which average out to 65 students per class. There are roughly equal numbers of boys and girls. 45% are boarders; the others come on foot or public transportation. Form C is the third of the five years of high school. In October all Form C students will be writing national exams. Their performance will determine whether they will advance to Form D next year. I’ve had extra class sessions to help them prepare. We still have two months of school left (August and September) to get them ready before they begin these exams.
I also continue to shepherd the Scripture Union group, Friends of God. It is an all-girls group this year. From around 15 attending early in the year we now have 25-30 coming on Sunday afternoons. There are some great kids who help me lead the meetings. One of these is Lindiwe Nameko. She’s great at shepherding a small group Bible study and in sharing her faith. Lindiwe is one of those youths who are always ready to serve.
For many years Mr. Masemene has been a shepherd for Masitise students. He is a long-time elder of the church and for many years he has usually led the students’ church services on Sunday mornings. As you can see in the photo at left, the students fill the entire sanctuary. They go to church at 9 am while the regular LEC service usually starts at 11 am. In May, on their own initiative, they asked to have a joint service so they could express their appreciation for Mr. Masemene’s years of service. They all contributed money to purchase gifts for him, including a traditional Basotho blanket which he is wearing in the photo at right.
The challenging part about being a shepherd in I Peter 5:2-3 is doing the work “not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be…eager to serve…being examples to the flock.” As we each care for the sheep God has entrusted to our care, may we strive to follow in the steps of Jesus so that “…when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” (1 Peter 5:4)
Yours in Christ,
Mark Behle
Mark Behle is a missionary with the Lesotho Evangelical Church. He is a Mathematics teacher at Masitise High School, Lesotho.
