Holy Land Tour

A pastor was taking a group of parishioners on a tour of the Holy Land. He had just read them the parable of the good shepherd and was explaining to them that, as they continued their tour, they would see shepherds on the hillsides just as in Jesus' day.

He wanted to impress the group, so he told them what every good pastor tells his people about shepherds. He described how, in the Holy Land, shepherds always lead their sheep, always walking in front to face dangers, always protecting the sheep by going ahead of them.

He barely got the last word out when, sure enough, they rounded a corner and saw a man and his sheep on the hillside.

There was only one problem: the man wasn't leading the sheep as the good pastor had said. No, he was behind the sheep and seemed to be chasing them. The pastor turned red.

Flabbergasted, he ran over to the fence and said, "I always thought shepherds in this region led their sheep — out in front. And I told my people that a good shepherd never chases his sheep." The man replied, "That's absolutely true... you're absolutely right... but I'm not the shepherd, I'm the butcher!"

By Rev. Keenan Kelsey Quoted from www.wfa.org/newsletter/archive/2003/0320_030516/0320_030516.html

Sheep follow the tune

During the Palestinian uprising in the late 1980s the Israel army decided to punish a village near Bethlehem for not paying its taxes (which, the village claimed, simply financed their occupation). The officer in command rounded up all of the village animals and placed them in a large barbed-wire pen. Later in the week he was approached by a woman who begged him to release her flock, arguing that since her husband was dead the animals were her only source of livelihood. He pointed to the pen containing hundreds of animals and humorously quipped that it was impossible because he couldn’t find her animals. She asked that if she could in fact separate them herself, would he be willing to let her take them? He agreed. A soldier opened the gate and the woman's son produced a small reed flute. He played a simple tune again and again-and soon sheep heads began popping up across the pen. The young boy continued his music and walked home, followed by his flock of twenty-five sheep.

Gary M Burge, NIV Application Commentary on John p302

When do sheep lie down?

"The Lord makes me Lie Down in Green Pastures"...

There are two times when sheep actually will be comfortable enough to lie down...

when they feel safe...

and when they are full

Crafty sheep conquer cattle grids

Hungry sheep on the Yorkshire moors have taught themselves to roll 8ft (3m) across hoof-proof metal cattle grids - and raid villagers' valley gardens. The crafty animals have also perfected the skill of hurdling 5ft (1.5m) fences and squeezing through 8in (20cm) gaps. They have destroyed several gardens and even graze on the village park, bowling green, cricket field and graveyard. The grids were installed 10 years ago after a gardener in Marsden, near Huddersfield, held stray sheep hostage. Dorothy Lindley, a Conservative councillor in the former textile town on the edge of the Pennine uplands in West Yorkshire, said: "They lie down on their side, or sometimes their back, and just roll over and over the grids until they are clear. "I've seen them doing it. It is quite clever but they are a big nuisance to villagers. "They eat plants, flowers and vegetables in gardens. "It is soul destroying. "Registered commoners", who can claim rights of open grazing going back to medieval times, pasture the sheep on moorland owned by the National Trust. Mrs Lindley added: "What amazes us is they are not frightened. "When you try to move them on they look at you as if to say it is their patch and you are not right in the head. "You can shout at them and even if they see a dog they are not frightened. "Several drivers have had to swerve to avoid hitting the animals and damaged their cars or been given a terrible shock. "What we really need is more fencing to stop them. But they would probably find another way out before long. "They must find more tastier morsels down here." A National Farmers' Union spokeswoman in York said: "We have never seen anything like it. "We have looked at ways of improving the situation but it is very difficult. The grids are substantial bits of kit." A National Sheep Association spokeswoman said: "Sheep are quite intelligent creatures and have more brainpower than people are willing to give them credit for."

BBC News 30th July 2004: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3938591.stm