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Shepherding the Shepherd: Devotions for a Pastor's Soul
Letters of Encouragement for God’s Good Shepherds In Shepherding the Shepherd , retired pastor Lee Eclov offers 52 weekly letters from the perspective of a friend and fellow shepherd to encourage and inspire you. He knows that while shepherds are frequently pictured as calm, their work is hard. Seldom do outsiders see a shepherd fend off sheep who’ve turned on him, or care for one bloodied by wolves. Or even share some laughs with other shepherds about the antics and foibles of the sheep in their care. Pastor Eclov comes along side as a trusted confidant who understands the joy pastors experience in loving and feeding their flocks. His letters read like a friend-to-friend chat—refreshingly not glib about the realities of pastoring, nor another lecture on what to do.
- GenresNonfiction
111 pages, Paperback
Published August 31, 2021
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5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 5, 2022
David Brooks, featured Opinion Columnist for the New York Times, said in his article on Friday April 29 “We are living in an age of fear, insecurity and disorder on a number of fronts.” (NYTimes, Opinion Page, “7 lessons Democrats need to learn – fast” 4 29 22.) Shepherds who pastor in Christian churches, and even Rabbis in temples in the US, provide care for their people in the midst of this context. The professional title for the head of a church is traditionally called a minister in some circles, a pastor in others. The Greek word for pastor means literally to shepherd. Hence Eclov’s desire to provide food for the souls of all those who shepherd others.
His book of devotions begins each of the 52 chapters with “My dear Shepherds; each devotions ends with “Be ye glad.” Those titles alone show Eclov’s heart. In fact, each devotion springs from his empathic understanding and gentle encouragement, his evident love for pastors and his appreciation of the love true pastors have for their people. However, that love is not expressed as a mushy sentimentalism. It is laced with humor, keen Biblical insight, a very healthy dose of reality, occasional rebukes and personal lessons he has learned in his 40 years of pastoral ministry.
An example from his Introduction gives a taste of his writing style:
Shepherds in pictures are invariably calm. They stand relaxed while their sheep munch away.
They stroll at an easy pace while their flock follows along agreeably. No one ever paints a shepherd
in tears or about ready to clobber some recalcitrant sheep with their crook. You never see one trying to fend off sheep who’ve turned on them nor one bloodied by wolves. They always look brave and tireless” (Lee Eclov, Shepherding the Shepherd , Devotions for a pastor’s soul, Christianity Today, 2021, p.7)
Eclov knows the statistics that over 250 pastors in the US leave their vocation every month. (Some put that number over 1000.) He knows the battles and the triumphs. He knows that caring for people is a marvelous and draining vocation. His devotions provide deep drinks of water for pastors’ thirsty souls. However, the numbers of those who care for others’ souls greatly expands the audience for this book. So, Shepherding the Shepherd is an invaluable resource for all those who shepherd others.
Reviewed by M.L. Codman-Wilson, PhD, Pastoral Psychology, Psychological Anthropology, Buddhism, Christian Education
His book of devotions begins each of the 52 chapters with “My dear Shepherds; each devotions ends with “Be ye glad.” Those titles alone show Eclov’s heart. In fact, each devotion springs from his empathic understanding and gentle encouragement, his evident love for pastors and his appreciation of the love true pastors have for their people. However, that love is not expressed as a mushy sentimentalism. It is laced with humor, keen Biblical insight, a very healthy dose of reality, occasional rebukes and personal lessons he has learned in his 40 years of pastoral ministry.
An example from his Introduction gives a taste of his writing style:
Shepherds in pictures are invariably calm. They stand relaxed while their sheep munch away.
They stroll at an easy pace while their flock follows along agreeably. No one ever paints a shepherd
in tears or about ready to clobber some recalcitrant sheep with their crook. You never see one trying to fend off sheep who’ve turned on them nor one bloodied by wolves. They always look brave and tireless” (Lee Eclov, Shepherding the Shepherd , Devotions for a pastor’s soul, Christianity Today, 2021, p.7)
Eclov knows the statistics that over 250 pastors in the US leave their vocation every month. (Some put that number over 1000.) He knows the battles and the triumphs. He knows that caring for people is a marvelous and draining vocation. His devotions provide deep drinks of water for pastors’ thirsty souls. However, the numbers of those who care for others’ souls greatly expands the audience for this book. So, Shepherding the Shepherd is an invaluable resource for all those who shepherd others.
Reviewed by M.L. Codman-Wilson, PhD, Pastoral Psychology, Psychological Anthropology, Buddhism, Christian Education
August 24, 2022
Eclov’s personal warmth and pastoral touch come through the prose, and he reminds ministers over and over again that God sees what they do, and values it. A great encouragement and reminder that pastoral ministry is a privilege.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews