Sermon (August 16) “A Psummer of Psalms - Psalm 23” by Rev. Robert McDowell

August 16, 2026

Beulah UMC

     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 its 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.

     The phrase, “there’s no place like home,” is not only true with where we live, but also other sacred places like a church setting on Sunday morning. Over the course of my 40 years of pastoral ministry, I have had the privilege to be part of several churches, each with their own unique architectural designs like this sanctuary with the vibrant stained glass windows that follow the life of Jesus starting with his baptism all the way to his ascension into heaven.

     Just walking into a chapel or a sanctuary can remind us that the Lord, our Shepherd provides more than enough holy space for us to feel 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 at least 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 “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 goodness and mercy chasing after us is at the center of John Wesley’s understanding of grace. It offers us the comforting thought that in any given moment, God’s grace is being extended to each and every one of us.

     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. God is always chasing after us.

     And when the Psalmist talks about our enemies, sometimes those enemies are invisible 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.

     Whether our enemies are visible or invisible, 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 16 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 lived in South Carolina drove to Ohio and met me at the church to help me prepare for his sister’s funeral.

     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. When he woke up, he felt a renewed sense of energy and a tremendous sense of peace about the day ahead.

     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? Are you telling me that 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 where I was serving as pastor. 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 here at his home in South Carolina. The local newspaper up in Ohio had a really 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 from all the negative news that comes at us every single day, 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 worries over things that are beyond our control continue 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 the house of the Lord for ever.

Sunday (August 16) Pastoral Prayer

August 16, 2026

Beulah UMC

Lord, even just the title of our prayer hymn is a great prayer for us to pray each day. “Savior, like a shepherd lead us.”

 

Savior, like a shepherd lead us to green pastures and still waters, those peaceful places like a favorite church pew, a boat ride on the lake, a walk in the park, or even simply sitting on our back porch listening to the birds sing early in the morning.

 

Savior, like a shepherd lead us through the dark valleys that we face in life due to health issues, worries, sorrow, pain, and grief.

 

Savior, like a shepherd lead us to those green pastures and still waters, and through life’s dark valleys.

 

Savior, like a shepherd, be with those on our church’s prayer list as well as other persons and situations that we lift up to you during this time of worship. We pray for your healing, guiding, comforting, protecting, and loving presence to surround each of these joys and concerns.

 

Savior, like a shepherd, bless our children, youth, college students, and teachers in the beginning of a new school year. Guide and protect them so that they might be able to explore and discover the future that you have in mind for them.

 

Savior, like a shepherd, be with our church in this approaching time of pastoral transition. Thank you for pastoral shepherds who you have called to serve in your name.

 

Savior, like a shepherd lead us as we join now in praying the words that Jesus taught us to say together…

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Sermon (August 9) “A Psummer of Psalms - Psalm 124” by Rev. Robert McDowell

August 9, 2026

Beulah UMC

     Today’s featured psalm, Psalm 124 is the third “psalm of ascent” that we have looked at during our summer series on the Psalms. This psalm, along with thirteen other “psalms of ascent” were the hymns that would have been sung by the Jewish people during their long festival pilgrimages to the city of Jerusalem three times each year.

     These psalms not only helped to make the time go faster, the lyrics of these songs also reminded them of God’s faithfulness and would have helped them to remember the reason why they were making this long pilgrimage which was to gather from all parts of the world and worship together.

     Notice that Psalm 124 is a very communal psalm. It calls upon Israel to recount God’s faithfulness, and the psalm ends with that powerful verse that proclaims, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” “Our help,” not just “my help.”

     In addition to this being one of Israel’s traveling psalms, it has also been known as a psalm of thanksgiving. It is known as a psalm of thanksgiving because it begins by talking about an event in the past in which Israel had been threatened by an enemy. It then goes on to celebrate how God saved them from their time of trouble, helping them to escape.

     This is why this psalm is paired with our Exodus scripture reading for this morning. Our Exodus reading is the story of how the new king of Egypt started to oppress the Jewish people because they were becoming too numerous. We are told that Pharaoh became increasingly ruthless in how he treated them and forced them to do hard labor.

 

     The Pharaoh went so far as to instruct the Egyptian midwives who helped the Hebrew women who were giving birth to kill all the newborn male children at birth. But as we are told in our Exodus scripture reading, the midwives feared God and did not do as they were commanded. They spared the Hebrew newborns.

     And this leads to the story of how Moses was spared when the daughter of Pharaoh noticed a basket in the river containing a baby and she saved the child. This is how our Exodus scripture reading ends, but we know that Moses would be the one God would use to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land.

     As I said, this story about Moses is paired with our Psalm reading for today because the Psalm begins by saying if it had not been the Lord who was on our side, we wouldn’t have been saved. But this Psalm isn’t only about that big event when the Lord called upon Moses to deliver his people from Egypt into the Promised Land.

     This psalm could refer to many other events as well. And it can also speak to us on a more personal level in how God has rescued us from times of adversity.

     Which brings me to this thought about the Psalms and any scripture reading for that matter. When we approach any scripture passage, I think it’s helpful for us to remember two things. The first thing is to think about what that scripture reading meant in its original context to the people who first heard it. And the second thing that I think is important is to think about how God might be using this text to speak to us.

     So when we read Psalm 124, it’s good to keep in mind that this psalm is probably thinking about Moses and the Exodus story or maybe even another story in which Israel was threatened by a surrounding enemy, maybe a situation that happened to them well after they made it into the Promised Land.

     That’s why bible study is so important. We need to think of what was in the mind of the Psalmist when he or she was writing these words.

     But it’s also important for us to realize that the scriptures are a living word and is an important way in how God communicates with us today.

     And in the case of Psalm 124, it’s good to ask ourselves, what challenges and adversities have I faced in my life that have led me to say like the Psalmist, “If it had not been the Lord who was on my side…” And you fill in the blank from there.

     This is how the Psalms, ancient as they are can still speak to us today, where we first think what they most likely meant in their original context and how they might speak to our own day and age. That approach to the Bible helps us to not take the scriptures out of context and it also reminds us that God has a word for us today as well.

     How would you fill in that first line of this psalm? “If it had not been the Lord who was on my side…I don’t know how I would have made it through college.”

     “If it had not been the Lord who was on my side…I don’t know how we would have made it through the loss of our dad who died unexpectantly.”

     “If it had not been the Lord who was on my side…I don’t know how I would have cared for my elderly mother.”

     “If it had not been the Lord who was on my side…I don’t know how I would have made it through the divorce.”

     “If it had not been the Lord who was on my side…I don’t know how I would have survived my job loss.”

     What comes to mind when you think about completing that sentence which is really a statement of faith?

     This is how we make the psalms our prayers. We respect what it might have meant to the original author and then we allow that psalm to become our prayer as well.

 

     Several years ago, I was standing with my associate pastor in a hallway of one of the top floors of Dayton Children’s Hospital. We were there to visit a family in our church whose young child was there as a patient.

     As we were waiting to go into the hospital room to make our pastoral visit, my associate pastor was standing over by the large window that was overlooking the city of Dayton. And he was staring out that window. I said, “Mark, everything OK?”

     He said, “This was the same window I was looking out about 18 years ago when our daughter was a month old.”

     He went on to tell me that when she was a month old, she developed a really high fever and couldn’t keep any formula down, so they took her to this hospital. They took tests and discovered that when she was born, her organs were not in the right places. She was now experiencing a bad infection from all of this. They needed to do a risky surgery because she was just a month old.

     And my friend said that when they took his baby into surgery, he went by this same window where he was now standing to call his parents to give them an update. And as he was on the phone with his parents, that’s when he experienced a God moment in real time.

     As he was looking out that window on that cold February day, he noticed the beautiful Ukrainian Church there in the city of Dayton, Ohio. And just then in that moment, the sun came out and hit the gold cross of that majestic steeple in such a way that it was breathtaking. He felt God’s presence in such a powerful way. He said, it was in that moment that he knew that Allie would be OK.

 

     And then he said that during the surgery, his wife stayed in the room while he went down to the cafeteria to get something to eat. And while his wife was in the room, a little girl who was a patient came into the room with a balloon on a stick. She handed it to her and said to her, “Your baby will be OK.”

      Their baby made it through the surgery and recovered completely. When my friend and his wife went to look for that little girl who had brought them the balloon, they couldn’t find her. His wife to this day believes that that little girl was sent from God just for her.

     It was this incredible challenge that led my friend and his wife to begin attending church again. They joined the United Methodist Church in their neighborhood, and it was through that church that my friend ended up receiving a calling to go into the pastoral ministry.

     To add one more detail to the story, I had the honor of officiating at his daughter’s wedding several years later and our families stay in touch.

     If it had not been for the Lord who opened up the skies to shine upon that Ukrainian church steeple and who sent that little girl with a balloon into the room, and who used the skills of that surgeon…they would probably not have been led to a deeper faith and trust in God.

     No wonder my friend was looking out that window that day there at Children’s Hospital. He was remembering how the Lord was by their side during a very challenging time in their lives. I don’t know what was going through his mind in that moment as he stood there after telling me this very personal story. But my guess is that it had some kind of connection with how Psalm 124 concludes.

     “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

 

     I love how the Psalmists invite us to look back on our lives so we can remember how God got us through some troubling times. That’s what helps us to face new challenges. We look back and see how God has guided us through the storms and the floods that we have experienced.

     Whether it would be starting a new semester. Feeling the grief of a dear family member who died way too soon. Beginning a new job. Facing a medical challenge. Experiencing stress in a relationship. Being fearful of the future. These are all challenges we face from time to time.

     Psalm 124 might be a prayer for you. Remember the story of Moses and how God rescued his people from slavery and led them into the Promised Land. Look out that window and remember how the sun lit up that church steeple at just the right time. Remember the little girl who gave you the balloon and said, “everything’s going to be alright.”

     And remember, whatever you may be facing, our help is in the name of the Lord.