As Jesus went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd....

"If you love your job," as the saying goes, "you never have to work a day in your life." By that definition, for thirty-five years I haven't worked a day. I'm not by nature lazy, but for thirty-five years, I haven't worked a day. You can see why it doesn't bother me: the comments about working one day a week. Occasionally I get a serious question from a Sunday School student, "Pastor, do you have a real job." Most pastors enjoy what they get to do. They don't have to visit people in the hospital; They get to. They don't have to visit folks in the nursing home: They get to. They don't have to share faith in grief situations; they get to.

I'm not saying that being a pastor is always fun. But, if it's always fun, then I've been having way too much fun these past few weeks. So many of our brothers and sisters here at Grace are ill; some newly bedridden; two who have passed through Death Valley - or in the more familiar phrasing of our psalm this day, the valley of the shadow of death. And beginning tomorrow I get to take a breather. When you're emotionally out-of-breath, as well as physically, well sometimes you just need a breather.

Our text this morning is one of the few times the bible tells us that Jesus was going to take a breather. He had the need to get away ... to go to a lonely place. We all need that at times. Even when our formal working days are over. It's a rare person who has retired that doesn't say something like this: "I don't know how I managed to get things done when I was working; I've never been busier than since I retired. Being busy can be a very good thing - as long as there are opportunities for a breather. Mine comes tomorrow and the "lonely place" to which I travel is New Orleans. A lonely place with twenty good friends, and 35,000 additional teens and chaperones.

Sometimes it's good to get away from the crowds - to go to a lonely place. But these 35,000 make for a very special crowd, and lives are going to be changed for the better. I'm banking on one life being changed in particular - my own. Maybe not dramatically, but as I head into the homestretch of not working a day in my career, what an opportunity offered in the week ahead. 35,000 of us will get to listen to inspirational speakers from all walks of life. 35,000 will be serving in different quarters of New Orleans .... doing our part to rebuild a waterlogged town. 35,000 will Commune together. And our own Grace group will conclude each day with Bible reading and devotions in one of our rooms. It's going be great. There will be other times for lonely places; now is the time for the crowds!

In our Gospel text for this morning, Jesus the Shepherd is searching. Not searching for lost sheep. That's another story for another time. No, with his disciples, Jesus is searching for that elusive "breather" time - a few hours, maybe ... but time to catch his breath. Mark tells us that "with many coming and going they had no time even to eat." So they set off by boat to a remote place ... but they had no control over the remote. People saw him leave and skirted the land at the northwest corner of Galilee and they told their friends and neighbors and by the time the little boat landed at that remote place ... it was no longer remotely remote. The same people who yelled bon voyage were there to shout welcome ashore at his destination.

No doubt the collective hearts of the disciples drop like an anchor. They, after all, need a breather! But if their hearts drop, the heart of Jesus goes out - to the crowd, "because they were like sheep without a shepherd." The disciples might say, "Lord, give it a rest!" And of course, Jesus would reply, "Later. I am needed. I will kneel to their needs."

And this is what makes the whole scene even more meaningful. There are a lot of people in the crowd seeking Jesus: not out of love for him, nor respect for him, nor concern for him. They may not even know Jesus from Adam! But there they are, hoping-against-hope that somehow Jesus might care for them in some tangible way. And Jesus obliges. Saviors are not picky about whom they save.

It was during our first days in Sunday School, for most of us, that we learned about the Shepherd. For some youngsters, their first introduction to Jesus just may have occurred two weeks ago at Vacation Bible School - when our sanctuary was transformed into a bit of Bayou shoreline. The energy and the excitement each day was marvelous. And through songs and games and art projects and story telling, students met Jesus. God willing, the introduction will lead to a life-long friendship.

I am positive some 35,000 teens and chaperones are going to encounter Jesus near the real swamps and bayous of a city still in recovery. I've read that our service effort in New Orleans is likely to be the largest servant ministry ever attempted in a three-day period of time. We have 300 buses taking 35,000 youth and chaperones to 154 service sites, organized around six interest areas: housing, environment, wealth and poverty, health and wellness, the arts and culture, and literacy."

I'm almost out-of-breath just thinking about it. Already I need a breather. I'm no longer a spring chicken pastor, more like an autumn bird of "pray." And I've got to do this! Wait - praise God, I get to do this. I get to partner with 35,000 Christians, each modeling Jesus who, when he saw the great crowd, "had compassion."

One final thought - totally out of context - and maybe not. Henry Weber. A few of you knew him, I suppose. I'm guessing that most of you don't know Henry from Adam. But - he was your brother in Christ. Now, I'm thinking Clark Funeral Home tonight could be a very lonely place. Especially so for Eleanore. She and Henry had no children. They have no living relatives. They had each other, and of course, they had Jesus. Now Jesus has Henry; in fact, I would contend that Henry and Jesus walked together through Death Valley to the far side. So If any of you don't have plans for a Sunday evening, why not come to the funeral? Eleanore would never expect you to - which would make your presence all the more meaningful. Of course, you don't have to. But, empowered with the compassion of Jesus, you get to!