Reading
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 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. (Psalm 23) Reflection Last summer, my daughter shared her Camp Mount Luther counseling book with me. It is full of activities and prayers for exploring deeper faith formation with kids of all ages. One of the neatest devotion ideas was to rewrite the 23rd Psalm to reiterate God’s loving care in terms more personally relatable. They cite a version written by Julia Seymour, pastor of Big Timber Church in Montana, who relied on a mechanic-car metaphor. I don’t know much about shepherds and sheep, or how to keep an engine-blocks running, but I love music and I’m writing with a very knowledgeable friend. So… 1 The Lord is my music director, I shall not play without help. 2 He leads me from the downbeat to the final cutoff; he knows where the rests are; 3 he keeps the time. He directs me through the piece, for the composition is his. 4 Yea though I play through the change of key signatures, I fear no missteps; for you are with me; your baton and music score-- they conduct me. 5 You prepare an opus for me to perform in the presence of all to hear; you honor me with a solo; I am given first seat. 6 Surely structure and harmony, melody and rhythm shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall make beautiful music with my Lord and Maestro my whole life long.[g] --Heather Wolf (with Ruth Gates) Prayer Jesus, Shepherd, Teacher, Creator, Conductor, Loving God and Lord. You are all things and all I need. Thank you for being ever with me. Amen. Our devotions are based on this Sunday’s Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The RCL is a three-year cycle of readings telling the story of our Christian faith and corresponding to the season church calendar. On any given Sunday, we are hearing and praying and examining the same Scripture with millions of Christians around the world. In our current Year C, the Old Testament readings progress through the Prophets and have the theme of the day that it is connected to the Gospel reading. The Psalm, a song the congregation sings in response to the Old Testament reading, most often corresponds to the theme of the Hebrew Lessons and/or that of the Gospel Lesson. The lesson from the Epistles or from Acts typifies the church’s focus on the meaning of Christ for today. The Gospel lesson is connected to the season of the Church Year. This year, our gospel readings are from Luke, who writes that Jesus is the universal Savior and the perfect Son of Man. The current season of Easter brings the liturgical and biblical past into the present.
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