Leading the Assembly Is Pastoral

(Excerpt) I should begin, I think, by explaining a bit about what I mean by pastoral when we speak about leading the assembly. We got a phone call once at the National Association of Pastoral Musicians from a scholar who was researching the folk music of Greek shepherds, and he thought that we might be of some help, since we are also interested in things pastoral. That isn\u27t the pastoral that I have in mind! Instead, my vision of pastoral leadership is rooted in the story at the end of John\u27s gospel where Jesus asks Peter three times, Simon, son of Jolm, do you love me? Each time, when Peter answers in the affirmative, Jesus responds, Then feed my lambs .... Tend my sheep .... Feed my sheep (John 21:15-17)