"In the Lord’s House" - Psalm 23 - March 10, 2002

My wife was reading a copy of "Coastal Living" magazine lately and she showed me a picture of a cottage on the East Coast. This particular cottage was someone’s summer home away from home. It got my wife’s attention because this wasn’t your average every-day place on the lake or ocean. This cottage has 6,000 square feet. "Cottage?" I asked. "With all that room it is more like a mansion !"

Homes in this country have been selling at record rates, due in part to the low interest rates we are experiencing. Many of the homes being built are being purchased by "Baby Boomers." They are accustomed to lots of space and independence. Therefore, they are building homes in excess of 4,000 square feet. Generation "X’ers" are buying homes too. They are moving out of the cities into the countryside. The homes they are building are smaller but they are building them on 1-3 acre plots.

We live in an age where no matter how good we have it, it isn’t good enough. We are never satisfied. Perhaps we have been conditioned to believe that bigger is better or that everyone deserves more than what they already have. Consequently there is a trend to join the ranks of the upward mobility types who constantly want bigger and better things.

Then we hear this psalm, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." I shall not want? That doesn’t compute with the values of our day. To want is normal. To want is acceptable behavior. The fact that someone wants something is never questioned. The questions we ask are; "Where do I have to go to find it? Or, "What do I have to do to get it?"

The 23rd psalm could be interpreted that we shouldn’t want stuff. But it could also mean "there is nothing that I lack since all I need will be provided by God. "But what?" you ask, "A house, a car, a job, good health, food on the table?" Those are all things we want but are they the most important things the Lord provides? I believe that what The Lord will provide for us are these: (1) direction, (2) respite and (3) companionship.

First, God provides direction. We will be led, like the shepherd who leads his flock, with "a rod and staff." Our life’s journey may have taken us into some hostile territory. The way forward may be unclear since darkness has overcome our lives and we are terrified. Or, perhaps we are lost and confused about which way to turn.

Recently my wife and I visited the Museum of Art in the heart of Cincinnati. We knew it was in the Eden Park area but we were uncertain as to the exact location. We traveled upwards around a narrow and winding road. There were several places where the road separated and we didn’t know which way to go. After making several passes we found ourselves in a neighborhood looking over the city. "We must be close," I said, complaining about the lack of clear directions. We saw a sign but it seemed to point to a road that went nowhere. There were several large buildings in the area, but none was labeled the "Museum of Art." Finally, we followed the sign which pointed in an obscure direction that seemed futile. We rounded several more curves and the road led us to the Museum. Incidentally, we were seriously considering going to the Cincinnati Home and Garden Show, but opted instead for the Museum of Art.

The ways of God are not always logical or clear. You have to trust in the signals and signs God gives you along the way. The God who takes us by "green pastures and still waters" is the same God who takes us through "the valley of the shadow of death." Perhaps whatever you are seeking in life you cannot find since you are ignoring the signs God places in your path. Just because they don’t appear logical doesn’t mean they won’t lead you.

Besides giving us directions, God provides respite along the way. Shepherds, at the time this psalm was written, were basically outcasts. But when travelers would come by the shepherds would open their tents and offer them hospitality. To have a meal with a stranger was a sacred event. "Preparing a table, anointing with oil, and an overflowing cup" are all images of the hospitality a traveler would receive from the shepherds.

This "Bed and Breakfast" like atmosphere enabled people who were journeying to find respite along the way. Given the rugged terrain and dangerous conditions that lurked in these remote places, the hospitality of a shepherd would have been like an oasis in the desert.

We live in such a fast-pace world that few of us stop to rest. We are driven by schedules, deadlines and a multitude of commitments. When an opportunity to retreat does occur we frequently overlook it because of our need to hurry on to the next task. The last two weeks it seemed as though I was in every city in Central and Southwest Ohio. Hospital calls, meetings, teaching commitments, funerals, Lenten services, personal business, etc. have caused me to be on the road more than usual. As I reflect back on that time period I remember at least three specific occasions when a friend took me to lunch. Now that I think about it, those were very likely "respite" experiences that were given.

And finally, God provides companionship for us throughout our life’s journey. We are never alone, not now, not in the past and not in the future. The phrases, "I fear no evil, for Thou art with me" and "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" both indicate the abiding presence of God. Through the companionship of the shepherd, the psalm promises that God will be with us in times of trouble both now and in the future. We are given total assurance that God will be with us always.

Recently I was asked by one of our local funeral directors to officiate at a funeral service for a man in the community. He had no church but he felt that I could readily serve his surviving family. Occasionally I am asked to give pastoral care for people who are not in the church. These are sometimes difficult, especially when there is no faith background to draw from. I agreed although I did not know the man. He had been killed in a motorcycle accident in Florida. There were few details and the family was basically in shock.

Two days before the funeral I received a phone call from a colleague in Michigan. He is a Lutheran pastor who had previously served in this area. He told me that he was vacationing in Florida the past week. While driving to Ft. Myers he came upon an accident where a man had been thrown off his motorcycle. Since he was also an EMT he did what he could to save his life but to no avail. He was holding the man’s hand when his pulse quit beating. When a sheriff arrived he found the man’s identification and noted he was from Sidney. My friend gave the officer a report then continued on his journey to Ft. Myers to catch his flight back to Michigan.

After a few days passed my friend looked up the Sidney Daily News on the Internet and found an article about the man’s accident. He noticed that I had been assigned the funeral and then proceeded to call me and tell me his story. I passed on the story to his family and they agreed that it would be appropriate to use it in my message. Afterwards there were several people who commented that that story gave them comfort. It was comforting because in the last moment of the man’s life he was being attended to by a pastor. More importantly the man didn’t have to be alone.

I couldn’t think of a greater message to share that day then to say to the congregation that we are never alone. God is always with us. God gives us directions but we don’t always see the signs. God gives us respite along the way and sometimes we skip those opportunities. Although we sometimes take the wrong turns and fail to stop and rest, God doesn’t cease to be like a shepherd who watches over us.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio