Track 1: Bad Shepherd Blues

Lily Cathcart November 23, 2025 2 1

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Jeremiah 23: 1-6 (NIVUK)

1“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord. 3 “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

5  “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.

6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Saviour.

Jesus spent so much of his life on the road, travelling, roughed up from the dust of it. I can just imagine him now, a vagabond God with a guitar strung across his back waving at passing cars/donkeys/camper-vans. He has a way with words that others can’t help but listen to, and over this week I’m going to imagine his eclectic concept album embracing many genres and using our readings to help me.

Today I can picture Jesus swaying slowly as he walks, and plucking away at his battered guitar strings singing Jeremiah to the tune of some acoustic blues.

This verse fits well into the habit of blues to make beautiful music of sadness and grief. We listen to the mournful guitar telling of God’s sadness that the shepherds chosen to guide all the people had not looked after the flock. God’s grief that the people have been scattered and left disconnected and alone. Jesus would be in a unique position to be able to sing that feeling, having God’s heart as one with his own.

But the mournful sounds do not last forever, before the track is through there is hope in the strings of the wandering man, because after all Jesus cannot help but bring people hope. ‘The days are coming’ he would sing, over and over, knowing full well that they were talking about him. Then with a flourish of string work and a smile that his followers would know well he would sing out his hope, and that of God’s heart: ‘they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing.’

What a way to start an album!

Prayer:

Dear God who knows our sadness and grief

Thank you that you feel for us and care for us

Help us when we mourn and when we cry

Lift our spirits please God and sing to our hearts

Amen