Monday, August 31, 2020

Sermon (August 30) by Rev. Robert McDowell



     Don’t tell anyone, but I’m sneaking Psalm 23 into our Psummer of Psalms series. This is actually not the designated Psalm reading for this Sunday of the year, but today seemed like the best day to include it.

     Psalm 23 is the appointed Psalm reading during the spring on what is called “Good Shepherd” Sunday. On that Sunday, Psalm 23 is paired with the Gospel reading for that day which is where Jesus says that he is the good shepherd who cares for his sheep. 

     I just had to include this psalm during this series because it is a favorite psalm for many of us. We have often seen this psalm as a peaceful psalm with it’s image of still waters and green pastures, but it’s actually more of a psalm about protection and security. The psalmist is writing this psalm with danger close at hand.

     We can divide the psalm into two main sections. And by the way, this is a very short psalm, just six verses long. 

     The first section, verses one through three, give us the beautiful image of the Lord as our shepherd. The psalmist tells us that this shepherd is able to lead us, restore us and provide for us even in the darkest situations we face in life because he is never far away.

     Notice how the psalmist shifts from facing the threat of the valley of the shadow of death, also translated as “darkest valleys” to a more positive image of a banquet! That shift happens in verse five. “You prepare a table before me.” 

     And by the way, it’s so hard for me to not say this phrase the way the King James Version beautifully states. “Thou preparest a table before me.”

     This psalm which begins with the image of a shepherd and a pasture moves into a different image of being in a house that includes a banquet. It’s like the psalmist is saying, “Yes, God is present with us when we are out in the open space of green pastures, but our truest security is when we are in God’s house for worship.” This is the place of ultimate security for this psalmist. 

     I’ve been thinking about this a lot in preparing for this Sunday since we have been away from our physical house of worship for the past several months. So many of you have shared with me how our online worship services have helped you to sense that security during this time of physical separation from one another. Whether we are here in our sanctuary or watching on a computer while still wearing our pajamas, weekly worship has a way of offering a sense of peace and security.

     Another aspect of this psalm that I find interesting is that this image of the Lord as our shepherd is actually a frequent image throughout the psalms. I counted seven other psalms that describe God as our shepherd.

     Psalm 28 says, “O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.”

     Psalm 77 says, “You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”

     Psalm 78 says, “Then he led out his people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.”

     Psalm 79 says, “Then we your people, the flock of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever.”

     Psalm 80 says, “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock!”

     Psalm 95 says, “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.”

     Psalm 100 says, “Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

     Psalm 23 reminds us that the Lord, our shepherd will provide for all our needs, will give us rest when we get tired, and will guide and protect us along our journey in life. I love how the psalmist also emphasizes that the Lord, our shepherd is also our gracious host by preparing a feast for us that includes an overflowing cup. 

     This is an image that reminds us of God’s amazing grace. God’s grace is overflowing and abundant, like a great banquet spread of plenty of food and drink. We have more than we can possibly need because the Lord is our shepherd.

     The other powerful part of this psalm is in how it concludes. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”

     The thought here is that the enemies and the threat of danger that are pursuing the psalmist, are no longer a cause for fear because of God’s protection and overflowing blessings. And I love the very creative way the psalm concludes by saying that instead of enemies following him, the psalmist can look back and instead see “goodness and mercy” chasing after him. 

     I had an Old Testament professor tell us in seminary that a better phrase than our translation that says, “goodness and mercy shall follow” would be the phrase, “goodness and mercy shall CHASE me.” 

     What a powerful theological thought from this Psalmist. God’s goodness and mercy is chasing us down. This idea of God’s loving chasing after us is at the center of John Wesley’s understanding of grace in how in any given moment, God’s grace is being extended to every single person. 

     Even when we have no thought of God, God is still reaching out to us and pursuing us with goodness and mercy. And all we need to do is to be open to receive God’s grace. And this grace never runs out. Our cup is always overflowing.

     One of the ways the coronavirus has been described is that it is an invisible enemy. As I think about that way of describing this virus, I also think about other invisible enemies we face from time to time, invisible enemies like fear of the future and things from our past that still haunt us.     

     Our invisible enemy might be our own self-doubts and unnecessary worry that keeps us awake at night. Like the psalmist, we too can have our share of visible as well as invisible enemies. The good news that the psalmist wants us to know is that as we face these enemies, take heart. The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want.

     About ten years ago at a church I was serving, I officiated for the funeral of an elderly church member. She didn’t have a lot of surviving family members, but her brother who drove up from South Carolina met me at the church to help me prepare for the funeral service.

     He was really nice and told me a lot about his sister. And then I asked him if there was any particular scripture that he wanted me to read during the service. And he said to me, “Yes, my favorite scripture is Psalm 23. I’d like you to read that during the service. It has special meaning for me.” And so I asked him what he liked about this psalm, and he told me the most amazing story.

     He said that he was in his hotel room in Philadelphia many, many years ago. He said that he couldn’t get to sleep because he was feeling very nervous and anxious that night. He said that he opened the nightstand drawer in his hotel room and found a bible. He opened it to Psalm 23 and after he read it, it really helped him to feel at peace and he was able to get to get a full night of sleep so he was ready to go in the morning. 

     But he wasn’t done with his story. He said that the reason he was nervous was because he was the starting pitcher for a baseball game the next day. And he said that he ended up pitching one of his best games he ever pitched. He said that they beat the Philadelphia Phillies and he was able to strike out Richie Ashburn to help win the game.

     And it was at that point when I said, “Excuse me? What did you say? You were a major league pitcher?”

    To make a long story short, I discovered that I was talking to Jim Waugh who was a starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1950’s. He grew up in Lancaster, Ohio. And he told me that he had the record for being the youngest pitcher to win a game for the Pittsburgh Pirates when he was just 18 years old.  Joe Garagiola was the catcher for that game. And he said that’s why Psalm 23 has so much meaning for him. It helped him to know that the Lord was his shepherd and he didn’t have anything to fear. 

     Just one month after that funeral for his sister, I read the sad news that Jim also passed away down at his home in South Carolina. The Lancaster newspaper had a nice article about his life and career. While the article focused on his life as a Major League Baseball player, I will remember him more as someone who learned to trust in the Lord as his shepherd, and who came across this psalm one night in his hotel room many years ago.

     This psalm reminds us that enemies, both visible and invisible may chase after us, but they are no match for God’s goodness and mercy that pursue us all the days of our lives. We can always find our security in the Lord who is our shepherd. He is the one who leads us to green pastures, still waters, and a banquet table filled with all that we need. 

     When you are feeling the anxiety of beginning a new year of school, remember that the Lord is your shepherd. When you are anxious about what the future may hold, remember that the Lord is your shepherd. When you find yourself all alone in a hotel room and you just can’t get to sleep, remember that the Lord is your shepherd. When a virus continues to cause fear and uncertainty, remember that the Lord is your shepherd.

     When one of my uncles died several years ago, my family asked me to read this Psalm during the funeral service which was held in northern Maryland near where he lived. My uncle was a farmer all his life and that small country church was packed with other farmers and their families. I began reading this Psalm like I usually do, using the King James Version which is the common way this psalm is read and the way most of us have learned it.

     And so I started reading it, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.” 

     And I just stopped reading it after that first line because I realized in that moment that Uncle Bill’s whole life was about spending time in green pastures on his farm. I think people were wondering if I was OK because I just stood there for a few moments thinking about that line from Uncle Bill’s perspective

     I say this because maybe we need to take our time whenever we read this short psalm. Even if we know it by heart, read it like you are reading, or I should say, praying it for the very first time.

     And as you pray this psalm and savor each verse, may God’s goodness and mercy chase after you all the days of your life and may you dwell in he house of the Lord for ever.

A Psummer of Psalms: Psalm 23
Sermon Discussion Questions
Psalm 23
August 30, 2020 

Psalm 23 is considered by many to be their favorite psalm. It’s only six verses but it offers very rich imagery in describing how the Lord is our shepherd.

What do you appreciate most about this psalm? How has it helped you to have a deeper prayer life?

Psalm 23 can be divided in two sections. The 1st section, verses 1-3 describe the Lord who as our shepherd, leads, guides and protects us even through the “darkest valleys.” The 2nd section, verses 4-6 uses the image of a banquet and how God’s abundant goodness and mercy are always following after us. The psalm is categorized as a psalm of protection because it mentions the threat of “enemies.”

What are some “enemies” that we face from time to time? (Enemies do not necessarily need to refer to human enemies.) How has God protected you from enemies?

Pastor Robert shared a story of someone who said how Psalm 23 helped him in facing the invisible enemy of his own self-doubts and anxiety. He stumbled upon Psalm 23 one night before bed, read it, and he was able to get a good night’s sleep, knowing that the Lord would lead and guide him through a challenge he was facing the next day.

What are some ways that you keep the Bible and psalms like this close by when you are facing an anxious and challenging time in your life? 

Sometimes, it can be helpful when reading a psalm, to pause at phrase or verse that is speaking to you in that moment, and reflect on how God is reaching out to you as a loving shepherd.

Go ahead and read Psalm 23, pausing wherever you sense God is speaking to you the most.

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