The Church
of the Ascension
Fifth Avenue at Tenth Street
New York City, New York

Mailing address:
12 W. 11th St
New York, NY 10011

v: 212-254-8620
f: 212-254-6520

Worship schedule
Sundays: 9am, 11am
Monday–Friday: 6pm

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Thursday in the Third Week of Lent

Psalm 95:6-11
Jeremiah 7:23-28
Luke 11:14-23

A few years ago, I was watching a television program featuring herding dogs and how they innately work to organize their flock of sheep while obediently following the commands of their master. The tournament of sheepdogs and their masters took place in the beautiful rolling hills of Scotland and the winning sheepdog/shepherd team was presented with a ribbon and trophy. The winners beamed with pride at their accomplishment.

Over the years, my husband and I have had two Old English Sheepdog pets and our family members and friends have been amused with their unique traits. Our last sheepdog bravely moved with my husband and me from the Western Reserve region of Ohio during her senior years of life to Manhattan. She enjoyed life in the country during her first ten years running freely on the grounds of Squire Valley. We loved to see her beautiful coat of hair flowing in the wind as she practiced herding anything real or imagined that might cross her path. While living in Manhattan we watched her adapt and were certain that she enjoyed trying to round up the neighborhood dogs in the Washington Square Park dog run. She indeed must have enjoyed living as a pampered city dog while having a lift/elevator to ease the burden of stair climbing when her legs were becoming lame.

Just this past year, my father, a retired United States Army Officer who worked in the South Pacific Security Commission in Korea and now serves as a Methodist Minister, sent me an article from a Military Journal featuring the analogy of the Old English Sheepdog to our American Army. The article described the admirable and brave duty of the men and women serving in the US Army to protect the citizens of this nation and that these men and women have a special calling in that they are the "sheepdogs of our nation." They are the leaders that bravely go to battle to fight for justice and peace under their commander, just as the sheepdog obeys his or her master and keeps out the wolves and leads the herd to safe grounds while risking death. One very recent example of this noble trait was brought to our nations' attention when in New York City, a man retired from the military, jumped onto the subway tracks and used his own body to shield and protect a man that had fallen onto the subway tracks just moments before the train drove over them both with only a miraculously small space secured between them to allow them both to survive unharmed.

In our own ways, we all hold the ability to become sheepdogs and to serve faithfully and obediently to the calling of our Lord. We can reach within our hearts and run with our unique abilities to round up our prayers and send them off faithfully, obediently and abundantly to ward off evil nature and to believe in the miracle of building a future filled with world peace.

Cathleen Dehn

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