I thought Coyotes were only in movies and cartoons. In fact I needed spell- check to help me. But we have Coyotes in our sub-division.

We can now recognize their night-time cackle or scream or whine, or sarcastic insult. Then they set the dogs off. I assume the dog owners are deaf or immune to their own dog. I have not yet heard a sound like “Fido be quite”. That would help a little. We have both had disturbed sleep this week.

Next thought. I have been reading Acts 20 with care for some days. It is one of the “par excellence” passages on pastoral leadership. Paul is training the leaders to watch out for coyotes, or actually wolves who are actually humans, claim to be Christians, want to be leaders, but they are coyotes. These self- appointed leaders will “arise”. They have no legitimate claim. Their concern is not the vulnerable flock but themselves. They want power; they have no comprehension of leadership without themselves at the center. They are always a mess deep down but they act like they have all the answers. So they disturb the flock and feed their egos in their desire to be appreciated and recognized.

There will be some coyote followers, usually the naïve or the like-minded. Like attracts like. Some just enjoy the aura of the pseudo-leader who flatters to deceive. The coyote will not hesitate to harm the Ephesian elders. For they are the one thing that will stop the coyote. Hence the leaders are the target. But that is not the end of the story.

The coyote must be chased away; so Paul prepares this young leadership team with a plan:

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.” v28

“Be shepherds of the church of God” v28

“So be on your guard!” v31

He teaches them to shoo-away the wolf-men, or wolverine.

There is no one way to deal with the problem. No rule book but His Word and His Spirit. Sometimes the coyote will flee at the first sign of opposition; bullies are insecure. Others are more stubborn. Some utterly persistent to the point of self destruction. Their identity is wrapped up with the latest fix. The appetite is ravenous. But they are never satisfied.

Sometimes you ignore it and leave, or wait, and then like Paul in Acts 16 decide that enough is enough and in one word end the folly.

I told a few friends about the coyotes. Some have offered to bring a shotgun suggesting that it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission!

We are praying for the nights to be quiet again. As a pastor I know that wild animals were a threat in bible times, as to David and our Lord. But we are warned of the enemy and of “wolves” As a shepherd I am ready to watch the sheep, on a well-taught state of alert, and must be ready to lay down one’s life for the sheep, unlike the hired hand or the wolf that devours.

Pray for leaders today and the Lord’s true flock and don’t feel sorry for the coyote.