Shadow Rear

A reflection on Psalm 23
Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepherd
The Lord is my coach
I do not fear the fight.
He is constantly with me, my study corner
I refresh between rounds with fresh water
And even cooler advice
Yes, though I walk through the center of the ring
A look through an opponent twice my size
Even then he will be with me
Her hands on my shoulders
And his words to guide
With the towel and sponge He cares for me
All the tests of time of my life
And when the final bell rings
I am retiring from the ring
Knowing that I have fought the good fight.
This is my translation of Psalm 23. It is a fairly free translation in terms of its relationship with the original Hebrew, but captures (for me at least) what I understand to be the central theme of Psalm 23 - namely, God's guidance and protection of us throughout our lives.
Yes Good Shepherd's Sunday again, it motivates us to make our annual visit to church to Psalm 23, where it not been for that route in recent times. It is a psalm we all know. In fact, not remember a time when I did not know that this psalm. We know that words and certainly know that at least one song to her! Psalm 23 is a step tends to stay with us for a lifetime. We learn as children in Sunday School, and at the other end of life, is by far the most popular piece of Scripture we ask in his deathbed.
I do not remember having taken a funeral where I do not use the 23rd Psalm. I have taken funerals lost - hundreds, but never without this trust old friend - 23 Psalm.Mind you, not only at funerals, where the psalm is read. I mentioned a couple who asked Psalm 23 to be the key to understanding their wedding.
It is a true story. The priest at that time was initially a little resistant to having the 23rd Psalm as the text of his eulogy of the wedding (who prefer to work with 1 Corinthians 13 as usual), but apparently insisted the couple, saying "look, we are very fearful about the whole reality of marriage. Both the families of our parents are divorced. Many of our friends who recently married and are divorced. We look at the statistics for the rest of society and not fill us with confidence. We need a little peace! "So, actually, in the center of your wedding, instead of having" love is true, love is kind, etc. "that had" yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death? "
Psalm 23 is undoubtedly the most popular psalms. In fact, one of the most popular and most famous pieces of the whole Bible, so I assume that we revisit every year.
As far as I can work, this is one of only two passages that are presented each year. If you know the lectionary "system in which we work here, you know that basically work our way through the different Bible passages in a cycle of three years. This means that every three years we read our way through the entire Bible. It also means that the passages are read one weeks was not read again for another three years. Only two exceptions to this pattern that I have collected. One of these is the Gospel reading we had a couple of weeks ago doubt Thomas. It seems we have that every year after Easter. The other is Psalm 23. This is also included in the list every two years on the fourth Sunday after Easter, along with the passages about Jesus the Good Shepherd. I suppose that in each case that the reason they are separated from each year because each step is so astonishingly popular.
This is particularly notable - the popularity of Psalm 23 - when you consider that close to the former Eastern shepherd is so remote from us as 21st century Australian urban. I do not know much about the shepherds, or sheep, for that matter. We do not have sheep down Binacrombi. We roos, but you can not really roos pastor in a herd, such as sheep. Not because of what I can work anyway.
My research on the Ancient Near East pastors suggests to me that if we understood more grazing the ancient Near East, probably even more grateful Psalm.
A guy named Philip Keller wrote a booklet entitled "A shepherd looks at Psalm Twenty-three ", relating his experience as a pastor in East Africa. The land adjacent to his opinion was rented to a tenant who does not pastor took good care of his sheep: their land was overgrazed, eating up the ground, the sheep were thin, sick with parasites, and attacked by wild animals. Keller recalled that the neighbors sheep that line the fence and no expression in his eyes the direction of your lawn and healthy sheep, as if he longed to be rid of the abusive pastor. They wanted to get across the fence and belong to him.
Barbara Brown Taylor, in his work on the shepherds and grazing, gives us the idea that the sheep might not be as dumb as we believe. Even suggests that the sheep have a bad reputation may have been the result of rumors spread by members of the livestock industry!
"Cows" she says "Are driven from the rear by hooting men on horseback lashes, but this does not work with sheep at all. Stand behind them making much noise and all it will do is run after you, because they prefer to be led. You push cows, but sheep will take, and will not go anywhere someone else is not going first - Namely, his pastor - that he goes before them to show them that all is well. "
"The sheep tend to become attached to their pastors," he says. "A pastor apparently can walk through a flock of sleep without disturbing a single sheep, while a stranger could not step foot on the cover without causing chaos. Sheep develop a relationship with his pastor is quite unique. They develop their own language outsiders are not aware. A good shepherd can distinguish a bleating pain of pleasure, while sheep learns that a click of the tongue, food, or a two-note song means it's time to go home. "
Of course, if you visit Palestine today can still see Bedouin shepherds bringing their flocks of origin of the grasses on which they have grazing. A visitor often sees such a number of different herds be brought before the same watering hole every night, so the sheep from different herds are mixed together. This would not worry about the pastors however. When it came time to go everyone would have their own distinctive call or a whistle or a song that would play on his flute of reeds, and sheep then withdraw from the crowd and follow their main home. They know the voice of his master.
Such images are, I think, in the heart of our love for the 23rd Psalm. We know his voice. We follow him. He protects us. His rod and staff ourselves. He leads us. He leads us beside still waters refresh us. Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death - any form that dark valley for us - yet we know he is with us, guide us, we protects, pushing ahead of us. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, like a good shepherd to lead and guide.
I love Psalm 23 - Psalm of the Good Shepherd - but I must confess that I fear preaching of the Good Shepherd Sunday of each year. This is partly because it forces me to reach a new sermon every year in exactly the same text and theme. This is always difficult to do. You can get away with using the sermon he last used when working text with something you did three years ago, but made only one year is not so easy.
I've noticed this year that there is another reason why fear preaching on Psalm 23. It's because I do not get any of the raw materials of fire and hitting pulpit sermons, usually hand out.
I read the Psalm 23 and over, and there is nothing there to use as a base to berate anyone for their sins!
I looked for some angle in the text through which I can make an astute social commentary, but is not there.
I struggled to find a way that Psalm 23 could be used to urge us all to greater acts of faith and a radical life of discipleship. I really could not find.
My problem is that Psalm 23, but is a reflection on our life as disciples of Christ, however, do not tell us anything, except maybe to relax!
You lead me beside still waters.
Though I walk through the valley the shadow of death, he me.Your rod and staff comfort me.
The Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my trainer. The Lord is my mother, my father, my partner love, my friend. Find a picture that works for you by all means, but be assured the basic message - that He is with us, to guide and protect us, by the time our last days on earth.
About the Author
Rev. David B. Smith
(the 'Fighting Father')
Parish priest, community worker,
martial arts master, pro boxer, author, father of three
www.fatherdave.org
Get a free preview copy of Dave's book,Sex, the Ring & the Eucharist when you sign up
for his free newsletterat www.fatherdave.org
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