SERMON:
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…. These words are so beloved and well-known. They are quoted to Memorials, weddings, baptisms, and confirmations.
They are part of a bedside ritual when we pray with our children and part of the parting prayer at the bedside when despair and death are close.
The Lord is my shepherd, is an old psalm from the OT. It is an old promise to us as believers, that God is indeed with us, through the days filled with sunshine and success, where we hardly notice his presence, to the days of darkness, despair, and death where we call his name and notice his presence or silence.
The Lord is my shepherd.
There are indeed so many beautiful images and metaphors in the Old Psalm.
The Shepherd. The good shepherd, leads and protects, staying with his flock even when darkness is all we experience and all we fear. To the listeners in the Jewish communities when the old sacred hymns were collected and to the listeners in the Jewish communities when Jesus was stirring up a sense of security and unity, this image of the shepherd woke these very specific images of the Shepherd in the fields and hills, the shepherd all of them knew from the countryside and many had worked as a shepherd. It was a comforting image – and they literally all knew how a good shepherd acted and protected his herd.
We don’t really see shepherds in our countryside, only if we go on vacation in different countries, - and we have a rather romantic image from old songs about these shepherds sitting on the hills looking after their sheep and dreaming big about the big wide world and the possibilities that may lay on the other side of the ocean.
Danes and especially Danish Immigrants love the song about Ole, the young shepherd singing as he watched his sheep, tra la lal lal la…. And how his mind went over the seven seas as the clouds adrift.
Turning swiftly away we ran/
saw the ocean, so vast, so grand.
Now he felt he, at last, was free,/
Free to roam over land and sea.
Over the ocean, the shepherd fared, /
numb and dumb stood the sheep and stared.
Man to sheep is a mystery, /
Yearning for what no sheep can see.
We clearly prefer looking at ourselves as independent shepherds, not as numb and dumb sheep, who just stand and stare and wait for the shepherds’ directions.
We don’t like to be compared to dumb sheep, clueless chickens, or caught fish.
The Lord is my Shepherd.
And thus, we are the sheep.
The Lord is my God. And thus, we are humans. And both sheep and humans need guidance and directions. We need to listen and listen to a good voice. The voice that fills us with hope and love; the voice that makes our faith grow and deepen; the voice that is honest and yet comforting; the voice that leads us through life’s hills and valleys, light and darkness, blessing and burdens.
The Lord is my Shepherd.
Who stays with us and gives us directions, hope, and faith. The good voice that can lead s to gene green pastures and still water as we might have witnessed this week through earthly beauty that feeds our souls: the brilliant green of the budding trees, the glowing in the morning sun, the delicate symphony of birds in the morning, the caress of the warm sun on our upraised cheeks, or the fragrance of lilacs, roses or lilies.
You have provided for our basic needs this week, the daily food we’ve eaten, the sharing among families and friends, the joy of cooking,
And the daily blessing of clean water that comes out of our taps.
The Lord is my Shepherd.
Some of us might have walked through dark valleys this week, and all of us know somebody in a dark valley: valleys of sickness, grief, uncertainty, or fear. And there we believe God is as the good shepherd. Meeting us in the darkness, protecting us, speaking to us about green pastures, still waters, and comfort.
The Lord is my Shepherd.
This is God’s promise, and this is our prayer. So, we call out and we pray; guide us carefully. Anoint us with oil and gift us with grace, provide us with unexpected blessings over and over; encourage us and grant us new strength when we falter, and tender compassion when we are spent and worn.
Goodness and mercy is following us.
all the days of our lives.
We give thanks for this good life,
for life and breath this day,
a day to praise and thank you,
we want to stay in your Presence forever.
The Lord is my Shepherd.
Oh, how these words fill us with hope. Even, yes even, when we are in the darkest of valleys.
Today our readings all have images of shepherding but from 3 different perspectives: the one being shepherded Psalm 23; the one doing the shepherding John 10 and as a community that shepherds as well Act 2.
Psalm 23 beautifully and bountiful recounts the experience of being cared for., comforted, and guided by the spirit of God.
In John 10, Jesus describes what it is like to be the one doing the shepherding: calling forth his sheep with his voice and giving life abundantly. The shepherd is generous, and as we know in this Easter season, he loves deeply and sacrifices his own life.
And then the short reading of Acts. 2.
It is interesting to consider that one of the outcomes of the resurrection of Christ, and of the miraculous glory of Pentecost, one of the truly amazing foundations of the first church, - is actually care and compassion: a story of a community that shepherds.
This communal shepherding, this society of shepherds, this first church fellowship, involved economic generosity, a culture of hospitality, the gathering around worship, and rejoicing in togetherness.
We so often think of pastoral shepherding as a one-on-one relationship. The lone shepherd takes care of the lost sheep. There is nothing wrong with this image: on the contrary, some of our most significant and deep emotional experiences are spent with people who are spiritual caregivers, teachers, mentors, or pastors/shepherds in our individual lives.
Acts 2 broadens this image of the lone shepherds, the one pastor, the one leader, to a wonderful image for the community and especially for the church: that as a group with our functions, culture, practices, and environment —we are indeed shepherding the flock together.
As a pastor, who is called to be a shepherd, I am daily reminded of how vital communal shepherding is for our church and congregation: how we meet one another; care for one another, see one another, and greet one another. How we walk with each other through the darkest valleys of despair and sickness and grief, how we sit in the still waters in compassion, how we feed each other, physically and mentally, how we fill each other’s cups up, and at the same time my own. How we are intertwined in compassion, care, commitment, faith, hope, and love.
My Lord is my Shepherd.
In the wonderful translation by Eugene Peterson, “The Message” the beloved words from Psalm 23 sounds like this:
1-3 God, my shepherd!
I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.
4 Even when the way goes through Death Valley,
I’m not afraid when you walk at my side.
6 Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I’m back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life.
The Lord is my Shepherd. You let me catch my breath and lead me in the right direction. What a wonderful translation…. As we often need to catch our breath, pause, relax, listen, and be quiet and then we can be led forward. And how often, too often, don’t we give ourselves time to catch our breaths, pause, relax, listen, be silent, and be lead….
Often we want to be the shepherds of our own lives and others too! Too often we are like Ole sitting on the hill watching his clock and leaving the others behind because we only have eyes on our own way, the highway over oceans, highways, and valleys.
The Lord is my Shepherd. The Lord is our soul shepherd.
For a moment, catch your breath and pause and listen to how The Lord Jesus is our soul Shepherd:
The Lord Jesus is my Soul Shepherd
who meets all my needs and makes me live and smile
He gets me to stop working and to relax.
with him in his Father’s loving arms
He takes me into a quiet place.
to be still and know that he is God, and I am loved.
He heals and rejuvenates my whole being.
with his grace from the inside out
He holds my hand at the crossroads.
and walks me onto the path of life.
Even though I go through dark and difficult times.
I don’t fear anything bad because you are with me.
You discipline me in love and converse patiently with me to bring out the best in me
You prepare a celebration to bless and honor me. right in front of my enemies
You anoint me with your Spirit to minister to others. Out of the overflow of your love to me
I can count on your generous favor and tender mercy. Coming to me wherever I go
I will live in the presence of God as his beloved.
in all things and at all times.
The Lord is our Shepherd. Amen.