Sunday Sermon Psalm 23

When I sat down last Monday to write my sermon, it was with a huge amount of uncertainty, Would the schools be open? would we make it to Tuesday’s PCC? Would we be able to church this morning, and would my dreadful back pain stop me in my tracks?

I also contemplated, how many of us have genuinely got our hearts and minds firmly fixed on Easter, or if we have understandably had our thoughts diverted to the Pandemic that is working its way across the globe.

And then I thought what do I say, should I remind you about your Christian responsibilities? should I delve into the very long gospel reading of John 9 ? or should I chicken out and go for the very short reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians? Well in the end I decided to none of those things. When I look at the readings, I don’t usually consider the Psalms, but this week I did, and as I did, it was the 23^rd Psalm, The Lord is my Shepherd.

There are many places in Scripture that are powerful, so deep, that to recite them is to experience them. Psalm 23 is one of those places. As one scholar said, "The psalm itself is green pasture; the psalm itself is still water; the psalm itself restores my soul."

Psalm 23 is very personal. There are no references to "we" or "us" or "they," but only "my" and "me" and "I" and "You." This is David's testimony, his personal experience with God. And as relatively experienced priest it is a passage that I call on frequently in times of adversity and trouble. It remains a bedrock of funeral ministry, it is scripture that folk who haven’t been to church for donkey’s years can grab from the depths of their memory bank and recall from years long passed. And what makes this a constant friend is that it covers all of life. With simple beauty, it speaks of green pastures and still waters as well as dark valleys and enemies and adversities.

And so, this morning I invite you to a familiar sanctuary where you will see that God is closer than you think in times of crisis. My prayer this morning is that God so imprints His truth in your heart that you will find your confidence in Him rise above the storm clouds in your life and particularly this deeply worrying virus that us sent to ‘loo roll’ insanity.

In the Psalm, we read of the incredibly famous line, ‘As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, which evokes numerous imaginary ideas, walking with pain, walking with illness, walking with disability, walking with depression or anxiety, but just like the gospel reading, just like Lent we are on a journey and be led somewhere, and in this Psalm we are most certainly being led by God.

I read this from an Australian author and a shepherd.

"The shepherd knows from experience that predators like coyotes, bears, wolves, or cougars can take cover in these broken cliffs and from their vantage point prey on his flock. He knows these valleys can be subject to sudden storms and flash floods that send walls of water rampaging down the slopes. There could be rockslides, mud, or . . . a dozen other natural disasters that would destroy or injure his sheep. But despite such hazards he also knows that this is still the best way to take his flock to the high country. He spares himself no pains or trouble or time to keep an eye out for any danger that might develop."

Sometimes we have no choice but to keep walking through, dangerous times, and circumstances, somebody else once wrote, when your walking through hell, keep walking. Sometimes in life we simply must walk through the valley of death and keep walking.

And so, the Psalm tells us we should be fearless in adversity, but that’s not that easy is it? when we are worried, and frightened because we simply don’t know what might lie ahead.

But again, a Psalm thousands of years old, can be a source of encouragement and confidence to Christians today. I think the Psalm gives us three bits of advice,

1.     Stay in God’s Presence.

2.     Understand the power of almighty God.

3.     Let God lead you.

As a child if I was ever frightened, I would always run to the security of my parents, but particularly my Dad. I suppose it’s a bit like if you take little ones on a Ghost train or walk a jagged edge of a mountain with children. The first thing they do is cling to you, they hold as tight as they possibly can, and gain assurance that you will be the one to lead them to safety.

Imagine how the child would feel, if the parent or carer, said get off, they would feel isolated and even more anxious. When I was a boy I hated sleeping without the light on, I hated the dark, I still feel quite uncomfortable in utter darkness, but my Dad would often, calm me down, put me to bed, tuck me in, retreat from the room, leave the landing light and left door slightly ajar. It worked wonders, and so I want to encourage, to leave your metaphorical light open and keep your door ajar confident that God is leading us all to calmer waters.

And so, God’s power is great it will and does overcome anything and everything, and history reminds us that, be it through The Great Plague, or world wars, or Foot and Mouth or Sar’s. God overcomes it, whatever it is God overcomes it.

And finally letting God lead you and comfort you, it is vitally important, both to Easter, and through the challenge of the Corona virus.

Your staff . . . comforts me, he said. He was referring to the shepherd's crook, with its hook on one end. A good shepherd would use it to guide the sheep, lest they stray away. Just a gentle tap of the staff on a lamb's side would move them back in the fold. And the crook could gather up a sheep from a place where it might have fallen.

And

David was supremely confident, not only about his present circumstances, but of grace in the future that would see him all the way home. He believed that valley times were appointed for His good. He learned things about God that could be learned no other way in the deep ravines of life. He stayed close, trusted in God's protection and guidance all the way. All because he could say, "The Lord is my shepherd."

And so, The Lord is your shepherd, when you are strong and mighty, but when you find yourself weak and uncertain of the future. So, in these challenging times, don’t look down, but look up and fix your gaze on Jesus the Good shepherd. Stick close to Him. Trust that He knows the way through this valley and will see you safely through. Believe that He has good reasons for taking this route, even though it is hard and unfamiliar. And hold on to the truth that there is something better waiting on the other side of this valley.

Amen.