SERMON for MAY 3, 2020
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SHEPHERDING
Text: Psalm 23; I Peter 2: 19-25; John 10: 1-10
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“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23: 1-3
Whenever the 23rd Psalm is the text for a Sunday, I wonder if there is more that I can say about this most beloved psalm than I have said before. Then, when I stop and reflect on the words and what they mean, once again I am amazed by the power and truth of what this psalm conveys – which, of course, explains why it is the most familiar and memorized of all the 150 psalms.
The Good Shepherd “maketh me to lie down in green pastures.” If we are sheep in His flock, for our own good, He makes us do things that are in our best interest, whether or not we recognize the wisdom and necessity of doing so.
Stop working – lie down – rest – in a green pasture – in nature. Stop – and smell the roses – that is how others have said it.
There is a reason why the Lord of the universe commands us to take a day for Sabbath rest. Left to our own devices, we would work and work and work – seven days a week – to the brink of exhaustion – and to our self-destruction. We need rest – deep rest – to survive – spiritually and physically – in order to fulfill God’s purposes while we yet live – which is to be led in paths of righteousness – which means – to be led in ways of justice and truth - for the Lord’s sake.
Notice how the Psalm phrases it: “He maketh me to lie down.” Whether or not we want to stop and rest, even if we believe that it is in our best interest to go – go – go – the Lord God makes the great King David stop and rest. King David knows only too well how easy it is to veer off the path of God’s truth and justice and plunge headlong down a path of sin. Perhaps as the mighty king reflects on the unrighteous detour in his life journey that resulted in an adulterous affair and orchestrating the death of an innocent man - he is thinking – if only I had taken time to rest and be restored – by the natural world – in green pastures, by still waters, created for God’s glory and our survival.
Scientists and poets, doctors and artists, have been telling us for years that being in nature contributes to our emotional and spiritual health in profound, immeasurable ways. Lying back in a pasture or field and looking up at the sky, or walking along a still pond or rushing river, communing with nature restores our soul. One silver lining of the pandemic is that people are getting out in nature more – where they notice that the skies are clearer in industrial areas and the earth seems greener. Greater stewardship of the natural world, of the environment, could be a positive outcome from this current unforeseen and unwanted time when we have all been made to take a break from life as it used to be before the pandemic. Renewed interest in nature conservation and preservation might come from these pandemic times.
What will be the outcome of this disruption of life as we knew it? Many are rethinking what is most important in life and reordering their priorities. For many, the most pressing priority is survival – literally – because they have lost their jobs, their income, and their hopes for getting ahead. The survival of many people is at stake because of limited access to medical treatment and fear of contagion if they go to the emergency room, hospitals, and medical facilities. The priority for first responders and medical teams in hospitals is staying alive and disease-free. In our prayers, let us never forget the sacrifices being made by helpers on the front lines.
Even for them, as it is for everyone, this pandemic is compelling us to think about survival and priorities. Already evident from numerous news reports and personal stories are the ways that people are reflecting their priorities:
In the Risen Lord, God provides for us – for eternity. When the pandemic is behind us and our own days on this earth are over, we will be restored – completely – in the resurrection life that God provides for us in Jesus Christ. Even before then, we can begin to partake of the restoration of our souls.
The sacred meal of Holy Communion that the Lord prepares for us is one of the ways that God provides for our needs. Whether we partake symbolically, with physical elements or without, this day the Good Shepherd invites us to stop, rest, feast, and be restored – for these pandemic days and for the life to come.
Thanks be to God for the Good Shepherd’s eternal provision, guidance, and protection. Amen.
Text: Psalm 23; I Peter 2: 19-25; John 10: 1-10
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“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23: 1-3
Whenever the 23rd Psalm is the text for a Sunday, I wonder if there is more that I can say about this most beloved psalm than I have said before. Then, when I stop and reflect on the words and what they mean, once again I am amazed by the power and truth of what this psalm conveys – which, of course, explains why it is the most familiar and memorized of all the 150 psalms.
The Good Shepherd “maketh me to lie down in green pastures.” If we are sheep in His flock, for our own good, He makes us do things that are in our best interest, whether or not we recognize the wisdom and necessity of doing so.
Stop working – lie down – rest – in a green pasture – in nature. Stop – and smell the roses – that is how others have said it.
There is a reason why the Lord of the universe commands us to take a day for Sabbath rest. Left to our own devices, we would work and work and work – seven days a week – to the brink of exhaustion – and to our self-destruction. We need rest – deep rest – to survive – spiritually and physically – in order to fulfill God’s purposes while we yet live – which is to be led in paths of righteousness – which means – to be led in ways of justice and truth - for the Lord’s sake.
Notice how the Psalm phrases it: “He maketh me to lie down.” Whether or not we want to stop and rest, even if we believe that it is in our best interest to go – go – go – the Lord God makes the great King David stop and rest. King David knows only too well how easy it is to veer off the path of God’s truth and justice and plunge headlong down a path of sin. Perhaps as the mighty king reflects on the unrighteous detour in his life journey that resulted in an adulterous affair and orchestrating the death of an innocent man - he is thinking – if only I had taken time to rest and be restored – by the natural world – in green pastures, by still waters, created for God’s glory and our survival.
Scientists and poets, doctors and artists, have been telling us for years that being in nature contributes to our emotional and spiritual health in profound, immeasurable ways. Lying back in a pasture or field and looking up at the sky, or walking along a still pond or rushing river, communing with nature restores our soul. One silver lining of the pandemic is that people are getting out in nature more – where they notice that the skies are clearer in industrial areas and the earth seems greener. Greater stewardship of the natural world, of the environment, could be a positive outcome from this current unforeseen and unwanted time when we have all been made to take a break from life as it used to be before the pandemic. Renewed interest in nature conservation and preservation might come from these pandemic times.
What will be the outcome of this disruption of life as we knew it? Many are rethinking what is most important in life and reordering their priorities. For many, the most pressing priority is survival – literally – because they have lost their jobs, their income, and their hopes for getting ahead. The survival of many people is at stake because of limited access to medical treatment and fear of contagion if they go to the emergency room, hospitals, and medical facilities. The priority for first responders and medical teams in hospitals is staying alive and disease-free. In our prayers, let us never forget the sacrifices being made by helpers on the front lines.
Even for them, as it is for everyone, this pandemic is compelling us to think about survival and priorities. Already evident from numerous news reports and personal stories are the ways that people are reflecting their priorities:
- Strengthening relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and the community;
- Communing with nature;
- Connecting with God and pursuing spiritual growth;
- Learning new skills and studying subjects of interest;
- Getting healthier – spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally.
In the Risen Lord, God provides for us – for eternity. When the pandemic is behind us and our own days on this earth are over, we will be restored – completely – in the resurrection life that God provides for us in Jesus Christ. Even before then, we can begin to partake of the restoration of our souls.
The sacred meal of Holy Communion that the Lord prepares for us is one of the ways that God provides for our needs. Whether we partake symbolically, with physical elements or without, this day the Good Shepherd invites us to stop, rest, feast, and be restored – for these pandemic days and for the life to come.
Thanks be to God for the Good Shepherd’s eternal provision, guidance, and protection. Amen.