It took a year to read the Bible, then almost 9 months to read the Apocrypha. Now, I'm going to try to offer reflections on the Narrative Lectionary. But, I won't be posting daily--at least, for a while.

Friday, May 13, 2011

The Lord is my Shepherd, a Reflection on Psalm 23

Thanks to Jenee Woodward's Textweek.com, I found this article from the Society of Biblical Literature that explores Psalm 23 in contemporary film and song.

Earlier this year, I published "Lessons to be Learned and Lived, a Reflection on Psalm 23":
Harold Kushner wrote a guide to the 23rd Psalm, The Lord Is My Shepherd. In this book, he discusses the psalm verse by verse both in context of the time it was written and how it is applicable to our own lives. For more information, see the Reading Guide.

Kushner reminds us that the psalm doesn't offer us the pious hope that if we are good people that our lives will be easy. Instead, we can expect God's help as we meet the challenges that face us. Another lesson that Kushner finds in the psalm is that although we cannot control what happens to us, we can control how we respond to it.

Another repeat:
Gary Sims, when he used to write the Reflections each week for First United Methodist, Albuquerque, asked these questions:
Do you dwell in the house of the Lord?
If not, when are you planning to move in?
Will it be after you take care of a few things in your life?
Do you have an agenda or plan that you want to follow before turning your life over to God?
Are you putting God's goodness and mercy on hold?
Are you counting your blessings to see if your cup is overflowing?
Are you looking for a bigger cup?
Do you see that now is the time to move into God's house so that these promises of life can begin?

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