Psalm 23: Shared Meditations

Scripture: Psalm 23

Preached 03/30/2014

Coffeehouse style worship (and sermon)

The Lord is my shepherd, I will have what I need.  Or maybe, as you’ve probably heard it before, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  I trust that God is my shepherd.  I really do.  I trust that God will provide what I need, my food, my drink, and my protection.  And I trust that God will go above and beyond, with that extravagant feast and the anointing with oil.  And yet, I still feel like something is missing.  I still want.

 I long for that moment of silence in the bucolic grassy pasture.  I long for the still waters, and the calm, peaceful safety they provide.  Because it seems I am never still, and I know this isn’t just me.  It seems I can never be still either.  There’s always one more phone call to make, one more load of laundry, one more box that needs unpacking, one more meeting, one more errand. . . you know how it goes, because you all live it too.  We just have a hard time slowing down, let alone stopping, and resting secure in God’s provision for us. 

“God makes me lie down in green pastures.”  Did you catch that?  Makes me.  It’s there in the Hebrew too, in case you were wondering.  God makes us lie down because we don’t seem capable of resting ourselves.  God makes us lie down, which sometimes feels like falling on our faces or being shoved to the ground, but that’s how much God wants us to rest in the abundance God provides for us.  So, for the first part of our meditation this morning, that’s just what we’re going to do.

We are going to rest.  We are not going to think about what we need to get done after worship, we are not going to check our email, or worry about the front door that may be unlocked.  We are going to rest, and experience the abundance of God.  You may have noticed the center of your tables, where you see water, grass, or oil.  These are our meditation helps.  As we meditate, and hear the music that will be playing, you are invited to explore whatever is in the center of your table.  Remember the instructions though- don’t think about it.  Don’t analyze it.  Instead, feel it.  Touch it.  Really, pick it up or pass it around, get your fingers and hands in there, and don’t be afraid to get dirty because there are sinks where we can all wash up.  Just feel what abundance God provided the psalmist, and provides you, too.

(In this space, all were provided with the opportunity to touch, feel, and meditate with the aid of either a bowl of still water, a green grassy "field" in a bowl, or a chalice of oil- you reading are invited to do the same)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

So now that we’ve had a chance to rest and feel what God has abundantly provided, let’s move on to our act of affirming our faith through discernment.  I have cards for each table, which I’ve kept up here because I know you all, and I know if they were on the tables they would have been read already, and you would have been thinking, and not just resting in feeling.  And I know I’m as guilty of that as anyone else, so don’t feel bad!  So, on your card, you’ll find a little bit of information about the element on your table that you just spent time feeling- the water, the grassy meadow, or the oil.  And, after that description, you’ll find a question.  Please share the description with your table, and then the question, and work on answering the question together.  You have some pencils and some paper, if you’d like, and I’ll put on some background music for about five minutes before we move to sharing.  So- go ahead and read your information and work on your question.

The questions and information varied based on the meditation element- water, grass, or oil.  They were as follows:

1) “God leads me beside still waters”

Still water is not just about relaxation! Sheep will not drink from moving water because they fear drowning in it. In leading the sheep to still water, the shepherd provides a safe, nourishing place for them.

Discernment Question: How do you feel God calling Calvary to provide a space of safety and nourishment to the community around us?

2)“God makes me to lie down in green pastures.”

Grass was the primary source of food for sheep in the psalmist’s times. In green pastures, the sheep were also kept safely overnight, as the shepherd could see for long distances to keep them safe from predators.

Discernment Question: How do you feel God calling Calvary to feed the community around us? (Beyond what we already contribute to Isaiah 58 and Feed my People) 

3) “God anoints my head with oil; my cup overflows”

Oil was precious in ancient times, and was used to anoint kings. In anointing with oil, God goes beyond the basics of food and drink, to show extravagant generosity and hospitality to the psalmist, who in this portion of the psalm is now the guest of honor at a feast.

Discernment Question: How do you feel God calling Calvary to show extravagant generosity and hospitality to the community around us?

Does God move you to any responses to these questions?  You are welcome to share them in the comments.  

The time of meditation and sharing was closed with this prayer, found through textweek.com:

God of death valleys and still waters, Make us to lie down when our feet cannot stop. Lead us, stubborn sheep that we are, toward still waters that we may drink without fear of drowning. Restore our souls even when it strains to run away rather than look inwardly toward heaven.  Bear with us as we clumsily follow after you on the path of righteousness. And, Lord, help us to begin to live in your house of mercy and of goodness, help us to join the feast in your house even today.