Rabbit Stealers?

From time to time, other pastors in our community have accused me of sheep stealing.

Now, that is truly an unfair accusation. I have never snuck into another church service and snatched unwitting congregants. I've never hired thugs to zoom into a church parking lot and capture surprised parishoners. I've never stood at a church entrance, and handed out fliers bribing them to my church. It's not that way at all.

Our target has always been unchurched people. Any sheep who come to us from other folds, do so by their own choice and legpower.

We don't steal sheep -- we just grow green grass.

Whenever somebody leaves our church for another, we don't get mad and call the other preacher a sheep stealer -- we examine our own pasture.

That reminds me of a children's poem I've read to my kids:

Contented Rabbit

I have a white rabbit
who had the bad habit
of leaving his hutch
and of running away.

I gave him some meat
and some cookies to eat;
but he just didn't like them,
and still wouldn't stay.

So, I gave him a bunch
of fat carrots for lunch,
and a head of green lettuce --
oh my, how he ate!

Now, he stays in his hutch,
which he likes very much,
and waits for another
fresh vegetable plate

-- Marjorie Allen Anderson