We might just run like the hired hand if the only stake we have is in preserving our position. I learned through that the freedom to disagree meant I didn't have to check my brain at the door of the church. I felt the saving grace of being able to disagree with people and still be able to walk up to the table with them to praise and thank God for the power of the Spirit in our lives. If we knew the answers to those questions, all this would be so much easier. Everything in rocket science is ultimately about provable right and wrong answers.
Church is about feeling and nuance and mystery and power.
It's about leading and being led. It's about seeing the beauty in the wolf AND the danger in never leaving the flock to seek that greener pasture. We can do this if we've pledged to protect each other the way the Good Shepherd and Easter teaches us. This is what you've all taught me here.