The Rev. Kate Sefton

The Rev. Christy Laborda Harris

The Rev. Christy Laborda Harris

The Rev. Christy Laborda Harris

This Sunday is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. We are treated to the 23^rd Psalm where we declare that the Lord is our shepherd and cares for us, God’s sheep, and to the 10^th chapter of John’s Gospel where Jesus declares himself the Good Shepherd and us his sheep.

Commentator Nancy Blakely advises, “…consider the tricky issue of being called a sheep. Some parishioners bristle at the idea of being thought of as dumb and mindless.” Another commentator described these fluffy creatures as, “at turns affectionate, stubborn, stupid, aimless, passive, easily startled, and always hungry [I resemble that remark!]. Sheep are prone to wander off and become easily vulnerable” (Kent French).

But more seriously, the 23^rd Psalm with this image of God or Jesus as the shepherd who cares for and protects us resonates deeply with many of us as individuals and with the Church at large. Psalm 23 is one of those pieces of scripture that even the most unchurched person probably recognizes and might even be able to recite a few words.

The power of this psalm lies in it naming the darkness of our… Continue reading →

The Rev. Kate Sefton

The Rev. Christy Laborda Harris

The evening I met my now husband for the first time, he dropped a pick up line only an Episcopal priest could appreciate. Somehow we were discussing the Myers Briggs Indicator. This is a personality test that reports how the test taker interacts with the world. If you haven’t taken the actual one, you’ve probably seen mini tests on Facebook based off the Myers Briggs. The Episcopal Church requires its candidates for ordination to take this test as part of their psychological evaluation. And as a result, it is often a topic of conversation among clergy. So this young man, my now husband, drops the line that the Myers Briggs is the astrology of the Episcopal Church. And he’s not wrong, I didn’t much discuss being a Taurus in seminary but the fact that I am extroverted was quite commonly known. 

The tests fourth category reports on whether someone lives a lifestyle that is “well-structured” (this is a J for judgment) or a life style that “goes with the flow” (a P for Perception). The P “go with the flow” type tend to be dreamers who come up with new ideas and visions. The J “structured type” like to… Continue reading →

The Rev. Christy Laborda Harris

The Rev. Christy Laborda Harris

The Rev. Christy Laborda Harris