Joseph

My Shepherd - 2018 Ornament

The 2018 “My Shepherd” ornament was inspired by a sobering condition touched upon in the Old Testament story of Joseph that unfolds in Genesis 37-50.

“for all shepherds are detestable* to the Egyptians.” (Genesis 46:34b, NIV)

‘Detestable’ was a prejudicial view of the livelihood of Joseph’s family that Pharaoh used to justify settling them in Goshen, distant from Egyptian society. Such practices are still prevalent, “Pharaohs” brandishing prejudicial views and influence to restrain or shut out those they find unsuitable.

Two thousand years ago, an unlikely player pushed into this fray. Not another Pharaoh but one who embraced the role of shepherd, “My Shepherd,” taking on detestability to find and redeem all who become lost under Pharaoh’s various schemes. Said Jesus,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10: 27-18, ESV)

Oddly, this story hit me as I found myself in a kind of Goshen. Read on. I hope this ornament and its message blesses you.

Glenn Trevisan (Christmas 2018)

My Shepherd - 2018 Ornament

My Shepherd - 2018 Ornament

Detestable shepherds in Goshen…

Joseph’s story is found in Genesis 37-50. Second youngest son of Jacob, Joseph ‘lorded’ his most favored son status over his older brothers until their resentment of him erupted when they sold him to traveling desert traders then lied to their father that he died from an animal attack. (Genesis 37:12-36)

Landing in Egypt, Joseph initially earned favor with his master until he was falsely accused for sexual misconduct and imprisoned. Distinguishing himself as a model inmate, his ability to interpret dreams brought him to interpret Pharaoh’s dream who pardoned than appointed him to guide Egypt through the famine foreseen in the dream. When his brothers journeyed to Egypt for famine relief, Joseph tested them with a series of trials before reconciling with them.

Encouraging them to resettle in Egypt to ride out the famine, Joseph scheduled his brothers for an interview with Pharaoh. Preparing them for their meeting, he counseled them to tell him they are shepherds so Pharaoh will settle them in Goshen “for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”’ (Genesis 46:34b).

Why Goshen? Probably because Goshen was away from Egyptian society in the eastern Delta of the Nile in northern Egypt. Despite that they were not allowed to settle among the Egyptians, they flourished in Goshen, literally becoming the nation of Israel until their “Exodus” many generations later, opening another chapter in God’s grand plan for all humanity.

This story tugged at me all year as I settled into Goshens of my own due to being found unsuitable by certain Pharaohs. Estranged from longstanding havens of familiarity and strength, I made some “adjustments” to move on with my life.

Drawing from the Lord’s assurances in Scripture, learning to swallow my pride and to submit to being lead, like a sheep, has not come easily. Neither has accepting that what is going on with me is not observable or knowable by me or anyone but “My Shepherd,” the Lord.

Recall the history leading up to Joseph’s story; how God formed a people (Israel) who were nomadic shepherds (Genesis 12:1-3 and 13:2), an identity considered ‘detestable’ by societies of those times but that God and Christ readily attribute to themselves, thus the ornament’s anchor verses, Psalm 23:1 and John 10:11, arguably the Bible’s best known shepherd metaphors.

Regarding God the Father, the psalmist David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1, NKJV)

Said Jesus about himself, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11, NIV)

Shepherds also have the distinction of being the first witnesses and heralds of the newborn Savior in the Christmas story as told in Luke 2:8-18 – Christmas Shepherds!

Whatever the causes, including self-inflicted, for the ground caving in beneath us, leaving us displaced in various “Goshens” to find new footholds each day, all who trust in Christ have his solid assurance of rescue and restoration, no matter how dim the view seems to us or others. (See John 6: 38-40 and Matthew 18: 12-14, NIV)

This is the message of Christmas – that Jesus came to rescue and restore all who receive him as Lord and to erase every stain of detestability, no matter its source or cause. The Lord is My Shepherd, your shepherd, the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep, me and you - because we matter so much to him.

Notes:

  • The word translated “detestable” in the NIV is translated abominable or loathsome in other modern translations.

COMMENTS: Are WELCOME and ENCOURAGED here about how the ornament and/or message struck you ESPECIALLY from ornament recipients. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE a 2018 “My Shepherd” ornament, simply request one at RoadReportJournal@gmail.com. My "extras" supply is limited but if I can get one to you, I will - Free unless shipping is required in which case I may ask you to cover those costs.

Daughter, Laura was a welcome painting elf

Daughter, Laura was a welcome painting elf

Acknowledgements:

  1. Helpers - Thanks to our daughter, Laura Trevisan Mosher for painting assistance and to my wive, Cindy for allowing me many uninterrupted hours in my ornament workshop and for patiently editing versions of the ornament copy.

  2. Materials:

    1. Wood figure - Little People Dad 2-3/8 x 7/8 inch from Woodworks, Ltd. at Craftparts.com

    2. Sheep - Bulk 50 Sheep Silver Tone Charms from LorettaBeads on Etsy

    3. Bead for hand - Brown 6x5mm Rondellle Wood Bead from SleepingSpirit on Etsy

    4. Staff - Covered wire #5188412 from Hobby Lobby in Novi, MI

    5. Other supplies:

      1. Hooks, spray paint for hooks, tiny drills bit, sheep hanger brads, etc purchased at Alexander True Value Hardware in Farmington, MI

      2. Paint for figures is Grumbacher, Academy Acrylic from Michaels Crafts in Novi, MI - Raw Sienna (outer cloak), Warm Gray (inner robe), Unbleached Titanium White (Skin) and Mars Black (Hair and beard)

The Making of "My Shepherd"

Kind of like the featurettes on DVDs about "how this movie was made, " I offer this pictorial featurette on the making of the "My Shepherd" ornament for those of you who like that kind of thing.....

Guided Detours

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

Nearly ten years after being dismissed from a 30-year endeavor that, at the time, defined my entire career and much of my calling, my new normal continues to evolve. Somewhat comforting is that setbacks and detours and the sense of having lost my way is a widely shared experience with those I most admire.

In his book, “Detours, the unpredictable path to your destiny,” Tony Evans insists that “Everyone has a destiny and a purpose to fulfill.  Each member of the body of Christ has a unique role to play.”

He cited several of my favorite Bible heroes whose life purposes are virtually indisputable…

  • Abraham, patriarch of Israeli people
  • Joseph, saved Israel from famine
  • Moses, rescued Israel from enslavement
  • and Paul, evangelist to the Gentiles

In none of their stories was the line between purpose and fruition straight or short.  Each endured a series of detours that prepared them for their purpose. Drawing from Joseph’s story and many of his own experiences, Evans offers insight about how the path to purpose may unfold and  factors that may influence the duration and difficulty encountered along the way.

Purpose realization is often influenced by the degree that we trust and obey God and accept and submit to the challenges he allows or leads us to face.  

While no one who knows me well would hesitate to label me stubborn, I find my own stubbornness more than a little frustrating because God has always provided and proven his goodness to me over and over.  What’s with my resistance to “let go and let God?”

I recently prayed about the vagueness I feel about my life purpose.  Several years ago, I developed a personal mission statement to guide my search for a new career.  A Lent project in 2011, version one emerged in April of that year. Since then, I’ve revisited and tweaked it often.  Here is its present form (with footnotes in [brackets]):

“GLENN’S PERSONAL MISSION[1]
“We matter to God”

How God regards human beings[2] informs my calling[3] to engage and exhort people to “know[4]” Him and to convey how much we matter to Him. I acknowledge certain gifts such as creative expression, encouragement, administration, leadership and humor to engage people I encounter along life’s roads.[5]

I labor[6] to responsively encourage people to recognize our world as “God-bathed and God-permeated”[7] while, with fellow believers, I “work out my salvation with fear and trembling.”[8]”
— revised 4/21/2018

For all the effort devoted to developing this mission, my search suffered a series of setbacks before I retreated from mission guidance to simply securing a job to help pay the bills.  Having tweaked our lifestyle to balance our means with our needs, we are doing OK now. Meanwhile, I emotionally vacillate between simply being content and wondering whether God has something more in mind for me.

This “Detours” book was recommended by a friend, prompting me to consider that my personal mission statement may speak more toward my life in general than my career in particular.  Indeed, experiences and detours have altered my perspective.

Noted Evans, “it took forty years in the wilderness to develop Moses” and “Abraham was on a twenty-five year detour...The greatest apostle in the New Testament, Paul, went on a three-year detour to the desert” before launching fully into ministry. Then we have the convoluted story between Joseph’s dream at age 17 and being elevated by Pharaoh to  prepare Egypt for famine…

My latest thought is that all my setbacks including my present “just pay the bills” job is all part of how God is guiding my life.  

I suspect my story is similar to yours, that purpose is more often vague than clear, more meandering through agonizing detours than zooming fast and straight to a stunning destiny..  

Only when I pause, take a slow, deep breath and tend to God’s still, small voice do I recognize and appreciate how his hand is guiding me..

Mission footnotes

[1] This Mission Statement was inspired  by Dan Walker who spoke at a Career Ministry workshop on 2/24/2011 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church.  I began the project on 3/9/11 (during Lent). The first version emerged 4/20/11.

[2]  People engagement is a prominent theme in my life. It is reflected in an idea I’ve titled One Cor36 based on 1 Cor 3:6 “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God makes it grow.” (NIV).  Also, “ the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a human being. (Genesis 2:7).

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare…There are no ordinary people.  You have never met a mere mortal.” (C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, pg 15.)

[3]   I am guided by a conviction that processes and people are the “soul and heart” of all worthy enterprises (organizations, companies).   Jim Collin’s books, “Good to Great” and his companion monograph “Good to Great and the Social Sectors” (read in 2006) articulates ideas that resonated with me along this line.

[4]  To “know” in the “biblical” sense.  My 2006 ornament, “Bride of Christ” expounded on this inspiring principle.

[5] “roads,”  specifically curvy, black-topped “back roads” with a freshly painted yellow centerline. I so enjoy driving roads like these with my wife that I have many road photos taken during these drives. Black-topped road driving inspired the name and banner of this "Road Report" blog, launched in 2012.

[6]  “labor “ as in “my effort in concert with God’s will and empowerment” Vs default to “forget” to engage God as I push into life thus rendering me more critical  than joyful and more guarded than engaging.

[7]   “Jesus’ good news about the kingdom can be an effective guide for our lives only if we share his view of the world in which we live.  To his eyes this is a God-bathed and God-permeated world. It is a world filled with a glorious reality, where every component is within the range of God’s direct knowledge and control—though he obviously permits some of it, for good reasons, to be for a while otherwise than as he wishes.  It is a world that is inconceivably beautiful and good because it is of God and because God is always in it. It is a world in which God is continually at play and over which he constantly rejoices. Until our thoughts of God have found every visible thing and event glorious with his presence, the word of Jesus has not yet fully seized us.” (by Dallas Willard, Divine Conspiracy, page 61)

[8] Philippians 2:12, ESV