Dear friends,
I pray this finds you well. My heart is with yours. And God is holding you close, holding you together.
Overnight, the world has changed and I’ve become a reluctant YouTube creator. So, these Sunday blog posts will look a bit different. I’ll embed the video of today’s worship service and will also include a link to the bulletin. I will still, also, include the text of the sermon for those who wish to receive that on its own.
Here’s that bulletin link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VwEMY5dTQB6ThT2LY2SvsCsHyW8IpWnx
And here’s the worship video:
Today’s sermon is based on Psalm 23.
1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.
2The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
3You restore my soul, O Lord, and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
4Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Logan and I were discussing strength training Friday night. I’ve recently hired him to be my live-in personal trainer. We talked about weight lifting and stretching and diet. Oh, my. And then he said: And sleep. Sleep is really important, Mom. The nine-year-old son taught the forty-three-year-old mom this week. Yes. Rest builds strength. And how we need strength in these days. Thank God we all have a live-in trainer to shape us for life in this new world.
The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. You restore my soul, O Lord, and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
Logan promised he wouldn’t shout at me to work harder or to get moving. He said he’d work out beside me and be an encourager. He knows something of Jesus, I think. He knows something of that gentle Shepherd who doesn’t pound us into submission but invites us, with tender care and compassion, to find our rest in him.
I hear the Shepherd’s voice in my ear when I’m scrolling for hours on end, obsessed with the news, fearful, somehow, of missing the latest update on Covid-19 in our state, in our community. There is no rest here, our Savior whispers.
I hear the Shepherd’s voice in my ear when I’m doing everything I can think of to hold us all together, to keep us connected even when we can’t gather in this place for worship, to be a voice of peace and hope and courage in the midst of this storm. I’m the one holding you all together, our Savior whispers. You can rest.
I hear the Shepherd’s voice in my ear when my household is struggling to adapt, when I feel powerless to ease their fears, when I think about all those for whom I’m praying—including the healthcare workers whose stress and sacrifice I can’t even begin to imagine; and the teachers and school administrators exercising such creativity and compassion; and the grocery store employees on the front lines of ministry day in and day out. They’re all in my hands, our Savior whispers. I’ve called them by name. They are mine.
We have a shepherd who does not make us wait for future salvation in a far off place, but leads us beside still waters now. Even now. Especially now.
Still waters. Not the chaotic, raging waters that claim our attention, threatening to consume us, but still waters that soothe, and relax, and reflect the beauty within and around us.
And green pastures, life-giving expanses in which to rest, graze, be fed, be nurtured, be encouraged, be loved.
Still waters and green pastures, so that when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, through the valley that is this brutal and beautiful world, we’re prepared. We’re rested and fed. We’ve looked into those still waters and seen the reflection of our Savior beside us. We know we’re not alone. We know we don’t have to fend for ourselves. We know our strength comes from God.
Our Shepherd, our loving live-in trainer, builds our strength—builds our capacity to love our neighbors as ourselves, builds our capacity to respond to this crisis with creativity and compassion, builds our capacity to be the body of Christ together in this time and in this place—by leading us to rest.
May you hear the voice of your Shepherd whispering in your ear today. You are mine. You can rest. I’m holding you together. I’m holding this world together. All God’s beloved are in my hands. Amen.
P.S. If you’d like to see additional morning and evening prayer worship videos throughout the week, I invite you to subscribe to my YouTube channel. Peace…