Rev. Zach

Psalm 23 ; Matthew 5:43-45 Over the last few weeks, we have been exploring the 23rd Psalm together, so I want to begin with a summary of where we’ve been so far. We began with v1, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” and we acknowledged God as our shepherd – our caretaker – and we considered the abundance of God’s grace and mercy and the providence of God that flows through this entire Psalm. With v2, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” we discussed the idea of the sabbath keeping from the perspective of Jesus in Matthew 12, which is based less on following a rule and more on compassion for yourself and for all whom God loves. Jesus demonstrated this in Matthew 12 by healing on the Sabbath and reminding us that the Sabbath was created for our limitations, not for God’s. I turned the wheel over to John and Kris Newman the last two Sundays, as they are great friends of the church who actively proclaim the gospel through care for und...

Psalm 23 ; Mark 2:23-3:6 As we continue our journey through the 23rd Psalm I want to check in with you to see what the Spirit of God may have given you during our reading. [The 23rd Psalm was read in the style of Lectio Divina.] As a reminder, you were asked to consider what aspect of the Psalm resonated for you today, how the second verse, “God maketh me to lie down in green pastures and sit beside still waters” informed the rest of the passage, and what greater meaning this psalm might have for your life and for ours together as God’s people. All of that together may be too much to unpack, but I’d like to hear from a few of you if you are willing. We’ll need to pass the microphone around so that those worshiping online can hear, but let’s start with the first question. Was there a word or phrase that connected with you today from the Psalm? You don’t need to say why. Just let us know what it was. [Pause for answers.] Wonderful! Thank you! What about the next question? How does v2, “G...

Psalm 23 ; Luke15:1-7 Today begins a series on the 23rd Psalm, which we read from the King James Version. Out of curiosity, let’s have a quick show of hands. How many of you (unlike me) had to memorize this as a child? How many of you have memorized it just from hearing it in church? Interesting. Thank you! Memorization in general seems to me to be a more common teaching technique for previous generations. I don’t want to get into why or what’s best, but I do want to acknowledge the importance of repetition and ritual in a life of faith. Repetition and ritual can certainly be taken too far and then become entirely meaningless, but there are also times and places where it can offer meaning and hope when all else is lost. In my faith journey, I have found that to be particularly true with the 23rd Psalm. Admittedly, this Psalm is most often shared at funerals, and there’s a reason for that. This Psalm acknowledges the providence of God, promises restoration, and offers hope when all hope...