When you look at the world and it's captives, this worldview is the aroma of their motives, feelings, pleasures and silence. How much does our world need the news of the Good Shepherd...

Antipsalm 23

I'm on my own.
No one looks out for me or protects me.
I experience a continual sense of need. Nothing's quite right.
I'm always restless. I'm easily frustrated and often disappointed.
It's a jungle — I feel overwhelmed. It's a desert — I'm thirsty.
My soul feels broken, twisted, and stuck. I can't fix myself.
I stumble down some dark paths.
Still, I insist: I want to do what I want, when I want, how I want.
But life's confusing. Why don't things ever really work out?
I'm haunted by emptiness and futility — shadows of death.
I fear the big hurt and final loss.
Death is waiting for me at the end of every road,
but I'd rather not think about that.
I spend my life protecting myself. Bad things can happen.
I find no lasting comfort.
I'm alone ... facing everything that could hurt me.
Are my friends really friends?
Other people use me for their own ends.
I can't really trust anyone. No one has my back.
No one is really for me — except me.
And I'm so much all about ME, sometimes it's sickening.
I belong to no one except myself.
My cup is never quite full enough. I'm left empty.
Disappointment follows me all the days of my life.
Will I just be obliterated into nothingness?
Will I be alone forever, homeless, free-falling into void?
Sartre said, "Hell is other people."
I have to add, "Hell is also myself."
It's a living death,
and then I die.

Contrast with Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

How thankful I am that the Lord is my Shepherd... 
Lord, give me the grace to fully understand what You have done for me. My life will never be the same. Thank you, Jesus.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD.

This is a very comforting passage as I read over it again and think of how much I learned, grew and also changed through those times in my life, I am very thankful!

I just ran across Aaron Shust's new CD called Whispered and Shouted that has a song called "Watch Over Me". Take the time to visit his sight and listen to this song, very moving and appropriate. Here are the lyrics and the song journal for "Watch Over Me":

Are you able to view from a different perspective and know that you are being watched over?  Are you comforted that no matter what the circumstance you are going through that you will be guided through it?  Will you take the opportunity to learn, grow and even make changes in your life to give glory to God?  I pray that I continue to do that, I pray that you will too!

ken

I love how Jesus ministered and lived a life of absolute abandoned Love (Agape) during His three and a half year public ministry on earth. While He was here, time after time, He stepped intentionally into the space of those around Him who were 'bogged down' or 'held down' in the current "Pages" of their story due to their circumstances or situation. Yet, He would shatter their expectations and release them in their stories such that they could fully enter into the place of abandoned Faith and Love in Him as He set them free to live the coming "Pages" of their life and story without any restricting constraint from their previous perceptions or fears. By doing this, Jesus would tie and connect all of the "Pages" together in a beautiful tapestry showcasing His amazing and powerful redeeming and restoring love. One such example of this "shattering" takes place when Jesus crossed paths with the woman who had been hindered with arthritis for 18-years. In Luke 13:10-17, there is a radical love encounter where Jesus meets and forever changes a crippled woman (for 18-years!) on the Sabbath, the Jewish day of worship. Upon His encounter, Jesus models compassion & love while choosing to step into her place of suffering and heal her completely allowing her to stand straight for the first time in 18-years! Let's step into her shoes for a brief minute. What do you think was going through her head when Jesus spoke to her and healed her instantly from her infirmity? What do you think she felt in Year #10 or Year #12 or Year #15 of her affliction and pain? How difficult and painful were the "Pages" of this woman's life for those long 18-years? Do you think she ever grew hopeless…despondent…discouraged living in the context of those "Pages" of pain during those long 18-years? Could she ever see how God was going to lovingly connect her past "Pages" of pain into a beautiful, loving Redemptive conclusion in the future "Pages" of her life and story?

God is crazy and passionate about pursuing you…just as a lover pursues his beauty (Psalm 23:6). God's heart desires…craves…yearns…longs for intimacy with you no matter what "Page" you find yourself living and being today…He wants you as His prized and delighted son or daughter to embrace Him and His love with open arms so that He can comfort you in the blanket of His intimacy bond...moment by moment…day by day…"Page" by "Page." Where are you? You cannot see the end of the chapter or story. You cannot see how all of the "Pages" of your life and story are perfectly connected and woven together to produce the finished masterpiece that He is writing with your life story one "Page" at a time...only God sees that today. He sees all the words, sentences, paragraphs, "Pages", chapters that comprise your personal life story…your journey. He sees it in totality today…but you cannot and do not. So, how are you to respond to the throws of failure…of brokenness…of trials…of setbacks…of challenges…of hurts…of fears…of dreams? Where do you run? How do you respond? Surrender…letting go of your steering wheel and trusting the Father's skills as the Perfect Author to your story…that is the response of your heart that He desires and calls you to enter. May you and I see God today as the Great and Perfect Loving Author to our stories…may we embrace Him in this role…may we accept that we cannot see or fully understand today how our "Page" today or our previous "Pages" will be perfectly and beautifully connected to write a redeeming, restoring, and loving conclusion to our life stories…may we respond as Jesus asks those He ministered to respond…may we embrace a life of Surrender one day at a time…one moment at a time…may we allow God to keep the pen in His loving hands as He finishes His role as the author to our stories connecting all of our life "Pages" into His masterpiece. May we rest and embrace His peace and security in this blessed and wonderful reality…I pray you and I will live, embrace, and breathe in this reality each and every day…emoting surrender as we allow Him to be the Author and Completer of our stories.

Resting & Surrendering,

Jared S. Faellaci

The Lord my Shepherd is,

I shall be well supplied;

Since he is mine and I am his,

What can I want beside?

He leads me to the place

Where heav'nly pasture grows,

Where living waters gently pass,

And full salvation flows.

if e'er I go astray,

He doth my Soul reclaim;

And guides me in his own right way,

For his most holy name.

While he affords his aid

I cannot yield to fear;

Though I should walk through death's dark shade,

My Shepherd's with me there.

In sight of all my foes,

Thou dost my table spread;

My cup with blessings overflows,

And joy exalts my head.

The bounties of thy love

Shall crown my following days;

Nor from thy house will I remove,

Nor cease to speak thy praise.

(Psalm 23 - Metrical Version by Isaac Watts)

Jason Upton

In this most recent trial, I had been faithful in words and attitude for a good while (pat on the back, I guess).  Then after my post yesterday, I wrongly began to focus on my feelings, becoming filled with anxiety.  Then I went on in error to feel as if God was rejecting me in my complaint to Him.

Reading Psalm 88 this morning really helped me.  The writer of this psalm, Heman the Ezrahite, had been through much more than I have.  The entire psalm was a complaint.  He says to God that he has had enough of troubles.  Amen.  This is the only psalm of complaint that I know of that does not make a turn around in the end - to praise God for His goodness.  And yet, God did not reject him nor his complaint.  He did not cast him off because of his pain.  People do that. 

I know of Miriam who was stricken with leprosy for complaining, and the children of Israel who died in the desert largely due to complaining.  But was their complaint to God or just against God?  Maybe Heman's complaint was different.  I don't know for sure.  But God's Word also tells us that a bruised reed He will not break (Isaiah 42:3).

Then I was quickly reminded that unlike Heman, who said he was without lover or friend, God has blessed me with my husband Jeff.  He has certainly led me beside waters of rest (psalm 23, literally, waters of matrimony).  Through these difficult years, Jeff has been true love to me.  I have always had his arms of love to fall into.  I have always found mercy and forgiveness in him.  He has almost always shown humility and given me his ear and and his hands to serve me.

I am so thankful.  If I have that and no house, I have everything.

And my children, they love me.  That is an amazing grace of God.  I am so thankful for them.

The message in church yesterday was training vs. trying.  I have probably spent almost as much time in a gym as Michael Jordan.  And I have ridiculously entertained the notion at times of playing him one on one.  Hee!  What fun that would be.  I know the value of training.  And once God gave me His Word that He does not delight in the strength of a man's legs, I walked away from then the track.  The next seven or eight years of singleness, I applied the same disciplines of training to my spiritual life, with great benefit.  I experienced the power of God's love through me, along with attesting signs of a disciple.

But the following eight years, I have been fighting to be filled.  Motherhood, for one thing, is a constant act of emptying oneself.  And add to that physical problems that make it difficult or impossible to refill, and life can be difficult to say the least. 

I want to respond to this message of training vs. trying.  Instead of trying not to worry during this trial, I need to meditate on God's faithfulness and believe.  I need to rise early once again, with the enabling gift of somewhat renewed health, and set my eyes on His Word and my face toward heaven.  I need to sing even when I don't feel like it.  I need to focus not on what I've lost, but on all that I've gained.

Joy reads her Bible to me every night.  She was reading the story of the crucifixion, when she said that she would sacrifice for her family if needed.  I know she meant it.  I explained to her how only Jesus can sacrifice for people's sins.  Still, her commitment to us stayed.

When God first began to move in my heart to lay down my life for others, I was eager to respond to the gift of sharing in His sufferings.  Of course, I really thought the end result of each offering would be a straight shot to heaven.  I didn't expect to still be here, broken.  Now, like Heman, I say that my soul is satisfied with trouble.

I want to re-enter training, so that I can be made whole again, so I can once again be made glad and be used by God to bless others.  The pastor said that our gym is the church - that the place to work out spiritually is in the church. 

God please hear our cry to move closer to our church and be part of community again.  We look to You for help.

*) abbreviations:
[OT] : [for the Torah & the Old Testament & the past time context only];
[NT] : [for the Gospel & the New Testament & the present time & the future time context]
i.o.w. : in other words
e.g. : for example
Heb. : Hebrew, Jews
Ibr. : Ibrani, bahasa orang Yahudi, Israel, Yisra'el
En. : English, American-English, British-English, Australian-English
Cn. : Chinese language; Mandarin
Dan. : Danish
Ger. : German; Deutsch
Gr. : Greek
Yun.: bahasa orang Yunani
Fr. : French, bahasa orang Perancis
Por. : Portuguese, bahasa orang Portugis
Sp. : Spanish, bahasa orang Spanyol
Kr.; Kor. : Korean language, bahasa orang Korea
Arb. : Arabian language
Arm. : Aramic or Armenian language
Syr. : Syria; Suriah
Id. : bahasa Indonesia
My. : Malay; bahasa Melayu
Swd.: Swedish, bahasa orang Sweden
Nl.; Du. : Netherlands; Dutch; bahasa orang Belanda
Af.: Afrikaans; bahasa orang Afrika (Africa)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

I shall not desire earthy things, or physical health, or physical fitness or beauty. I shall want ANY earthy thing. The Lord is my shepherd. He watches out for me. He sees what is up ahead, and guides me even though I do not understand why it is so. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 

The Lord gives me all good things in my life. If it is in accord with His will, He will bring me to good health. If it is in accord with His will, I will continue in sickness and disease. 

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

This brings me back to the spiritual, and the state of my soul is far more important than the state of my body (this does not mean that I can misuse this physical body he has given me, but I will be given a new body in heaven). Where He leads me in a spiritual sense has eternal consequences. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

Feeling ill, and wondering about the future, my mind easily wonders how much longer I will be here on earth, yet I will not fear pain, suffering, illness, disease, or death. Christ is my comfort. I rest knowing that He is sovereignly in control of even the smallest detail. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

Even if my health is never restore, He has been good to me. First of all, He gave His only son as a propitiation for my sins. I will spend eternity praising Him. He has given me my health thus far. He has blessed me with a wonderful husband and a beautiful son. He has provided for every earthly need. Amen. 

This Psalm seemed to fit me perfectly, but what about when we don't connect with the psalm? Read John Piper's post here. He talks about what we can do in those situations and it is extremely helpful and encouraging.

The LORD Almighty, Sovereign, Faithful and Good, full of mercies, lover of my soul, is MY SHEPHERD! Oh what joy, what confidence,what peace He brings! He is the overseer of my soul, and I SHALL NOT WANT! No good thing shall I lack! What a sweet promise we have!

May His Sovereign rule bring you peace and joy this day!

J. C. Hahne

Read slowly, notice the verbs. God is actively involved in our lives; how easy to respond to Him! (formatting and emphasis are mine)

Psalm 23

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 paths of righteousnessfor his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will 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.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Only two "passive" verbs in the entire Psalm, and they are about God. He IS my shepherd, you ARE with me. I think I'll "accept" that there's no movement on those, no change, no reason to wonder if He's still the same!

The others are "active" verbs; God is at work and involved on our behalf.

Take a minute and re-read the Psalm, taking a moment to let the meaning of those words soak in like a gentle all-day rain.

My response is the same as David's - at least it should be -
I will not want, I will fear no evil, I will dwell with Him.

How encouraging. How reaffirming!

No wonder we call Him "The Good Shepherd" (see John 10 for more)

The point of this parody is to highlight how ridiculous it is to always assume the worst. Reading way too much stuff between the lines becomes a lose/lose situation pretty fast. Even with Psalm 23!

This was written by a pastor in South Dakota and it is pretty funny. [Note: apparently he picked it from somewhere else as well] A bit of counter-sarcasm to some revival critics out there. Here in Philly most people are still warning their congregations to stay away from Toronto. I don't have the heart to mention that was 15 years ago now. Or the new Lakeland stuff! Well enjoy... I hope.

****************************************

HERESY HUNTERS INSTITUTE, INC.
Address unlisted

Dear brother,

Thank you for sending us the questionable document. We are always glad to examine any teaching materials that may adversely affect the Church. We do think that this material is dangerous and certainly want to warn the Body of Christ concerning its subtle false doctrines. Our analysis is as follows:

The document:

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

We weren’t given the name of the author of this document, but it is quite clear that is part of the contemporary, humanistic “gospel” of self.

The first thing we would point out is that this is a “positive confession.” Our research shows that this idea was never heard of in the Church before the metaphysical cults introduced it in the late 19th century. This author has obviously been influenced by these cults.

Secondly, note the “affirmation” that he will not want. This is clearly that “gospel of greed” – the prosperity gospel. Whoever wrote this probably is a follower of these dreadful prosperity preachers. Sorry you couldn’t come up with the author so we could do a background check on him or her. Even without the author’s name, it’s still pretty clear who influenced this individual.

Then the author affirms himself to be perfectly led by the Lord. This is the dangerous delusion of elitism. Many of these groups feel they are the only true Christians. They are the only ones who really represent the name of the Lord. You can see the tremendous spiritual pride lurking behind this, I’m sure.

Our author tells us that he walks through the shadow of death. Obvious Christian Science influence here. Denying the reality of matter and evil. This is indeed a pernicious error. This is also practiced by denying the reality of sickness. Sickness, evil and death are mere illusions. Very dangerous!

Notice the references to “green pastures” and “still waters.” The cults always resort to metaphoric symbols and encourage their victims to visualize. This, of course, opens their minds up to demonic influence. Note also that a life of ease and blessing is pictured, very appealing to the flesh. Seldom do these people ever talk about taking up our cross and following Jesus.

The author now mentions restoring the soul. We see two possible references to dangerous teachings here. Firstly, the teaching of restoration. This is false teaching that suggests that the Church isn’t all God wants it to be. Of course, that is unacceptable. We have the Bible; we need nothing beyond the Scriptures. And then secondly, there could be a suggestion of the teaching of inner healing. We have a paper on this error available if you should so desire.

I will fear no evil; for you are with me. Notice the big “I.” Bold, arrogant, egotistical statements like this are common among these groups. Totally devoid of humility. I think you can see the obvious, humanistic bent.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Clearly the error of the authority of the believer is being implied here. Taking the place of God and assuming that mere sinful men can actually wield the rod of God. To say this is presumptuous is mild. This is the “little gods” error. These false teachers never have a due regard for the sovereignty of God.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. The archangel Michael did not dare to bring an accusation against Satan, but these types of teachers boldly mock the Devil. This suggests an unhealthy preoccupation with “spiritual warfare.”

You anoint my head with oil. The height of arrogance. So many today claim they are the anointed of the Lord and no one should question their teachings and activities. I’m sure this author, whoever he is, considers himself to be one of God’s “special” anointed ones.

My cup runs over. Another allusion to prosperity. A “positive confession” of abundance. Decidedly derived from Unity or one of the other metaphysical cults.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. No suffering, no trials, no difficulties in life! This is not the Bible gospel. These teachers hold out the promise of problem-free living and then bilk those who listen to them of their finances to support their extravagant life-styles. What a mockery of the cross.

I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever. Actually this type of teaching doesn’t belong in the Church at all. This gospel of greed, positive confession and trouble-free living certainly isn’t based on the Bible.

Thank you for sending us this example of heretical teaching. We advise you to steer clear of this teacher. Although it may have a veneer of Biblical sounding ideas, it is clearly imported from metaphysical and New Age teachings.

Sincerely,
Anonymous

But in the last day or so I've been thinking about another part of it. Sometimes familiar passages don't have the impact upon us that they should just because they are familiar. I think that has happened with me in this psalm. The line I mean is from verse 6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."

Goodness and mercy? Or, I really should say, Mercy and goodness? In my thinking about God I usually focus most on his mercy extended toward me in Christ. That is: I don't get the penalty I deserve for all the wicked, evil, despicable, heinous, nasty, vile, selfish things I do and have done. No, Jesus took all that upon himself as my substitute, and he saved me from the wrath that I've earned with all my sins. And I praise him for that. It's simply incredible.

But it doesn't stop there, and this part is hard for me to think about. God not only promises to spare me from his just wrath, but even more to show me goodness. This is even more incredible. It reminds me of the parable of the prodigal son (another familiar passage) in Luke 15. Not only did the father in the story not punish his son for his sins, but even more, he showed him goodness by throwing a party for him—a celebration, a feast! Sometimes I get to be like that prodigal son. I do humble myself and admit my faults to the Father. But what I really expect is a frown and a place to sleep in the servant's quarters. I don't expect the signet ring and robe and sandals. And I surely don't expect the fatted calf. I don't expect to be treated like a son in God's house.

I'm challenged by all these thoughts and spurred to praise God even more for the generous love he has showered down upon me. I realize that my mental image, when I think of him, has to change. I can't see the frowning face I imagine must be there. No, I must see the exuberant love in shining, smiling eyes and widespread, welcoming arms. I must smell the feast and hear the music. I must learn to rejoice in the goodness of the Lord.

A Life Restored (Remix of Sunday’s sermon – audio download - http://www.firstgrandville.org/content.cfm?id=213&category_id=4 )

To have it all on the outside – money, success, lots of stuff - but falling apart on the inside?

Sin, grief, anger – these things have a corrosive effect on our souls. But also, the stress, the pressure of keeping a job, finding a job, keeping a family or relationship together – what does all of this do to our souls? We depend on ourselves; we turn inward; we go off the path; we turn away from the one who loves us most.

And ultimately, our souls become like a wilderness or a desert.

We need to be restored!

Today, when we think of restoration, we probably think of the spa. But there is something better than anything a spa can offer…

The definition of restoration is, “to bring back to its former state; to bring back from a state of ruin, decay, disease, or the like.”

You see, from the beginning of the Bible in Genesis to the end in Revelation – the goal was reconciliation and restoration between us and God. God’s pursuit of us and then the cross through which the reconciliation was achieved. And because of the person on that cross, Jesus, God got personal, literally. And through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit we can be restored in souls and in our lives.        

Psalm 23 offers us this pathway to restoration guided by the Lord, the shepherd. Jesus calls himself the good shepherd in John 10. Think about it, a shepherd is personal, gentle when necessary, but also protective and patient.

As you might imagine the biggest obstacle to Jesus the shepherd leading us to being restored is …us…

But we are going to change that today…

Receive what His hand provides

He comforts…

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want

            Not lacking in anything spiritual

He makes me lie down in green pastures

            Being fed with and resting in, God’s best

He leads me beside still waters

                        What refreshes you?

Are you thirsty?

He restores…

He restores my soul

To lead away (Come away with me…) – meaning of restore – in Hebrew

Follow His guiding and protecting hand

He leads…

            He leads me in right paths for his name’ sake

            Not ours battle to win – it’s His.

He protects…

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me

Imagine being able to say to Satan and challenges – I don’t fear you – my shepherd is with me – I don’t fear a cancer diagnosis, I don’t fear losing my job…

            Your rod and your staff they comfort me

                        Shepherd - Rod for protection, staff for guidance

Embrace His open arms

He welcomes…

            You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies

                        Nothing can stop the hospitality of the Lord

            You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows

                        Both point to abundance

He embraces…

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

                        Hebrew understanding of “follow” is pursue

Romans 8:28 – God works for the good in all things…

            And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

                        God’s presence – belonging to Him above all things

He knows what we need. We don’t need a day at the spa, we don’t need more money, we need a restored soul. And he wants to give it to us abundantly. This Psalm begins and ends with the Lord – “The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Our souls were not meant to be deserts, dry and deserted - they were to be places of pastures and quiet waters – overflowing with the presence of God – the Holy Spirit.

Whatever is going on in your life today…

If you want rest and comfort,

If you want to feel his protection when you are in the darkest valleys,

If you want the “cup” of your soul to overflow with goodness and mercy,

If you want true abundance,

Then say it - The Lord Jesus Christ is my shepherd, and I am going let him lead me, and protect me, and let him fill me, and run to his open arms and never leave.

The restoring can start right now…

Amen.  

Discussion Questions

1. Have you thought of Psalm 23 in this way? Often you hear at funerals, which is completely appropriate. But how about it in the present tense – in the now?
2. What about restoration? What have you thought about it prior to reading this? Do you need some?
3. What is the state of your soul? What can we do about it?  
4. Have you let the Lord touch and restore you? How about today?

I am behind on reading and commenting on journals; I've tried to catch up a bit today. Just because I didn't leave a comment, doesn't mean that I didn't stop by for a visit. I owe you a comment on the next trip.

I didn't plan to write an entry of my own today; I've been reading a really good book that my sister recommended, and my plan was to read a few journals, and get back to my book, 19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult. However, as I read journal entries and the comments that some engendered, I was struck by a recurrent theme, a willingness to give in to our pettier impulses, a rush to judgment of others, to assume that laziness, dishonesty, and lack of a willingness to work are what leave people impoverished or homeless or just without the basic necessities of life.

Don't get me wrong, I read much goodness and kindness in these journals too, but it's the judgmental observations that chill me. Far too many of us toss them off so casually, without even thinking about what our views do to others or what they do to and say about us.

Several comments that I read eagerly affirmed that people on public assistance spend their food stamps on cigarettes,T-bone steaks, and nonessential food items. I'm not certain what the nonessentials are. There is also the Greek chorus chanting how people drive SUVs while collecting public assistance and live in public housing while driving Escalades. Then there are those who attest to witnessing the food stamp users who leave the grocery store with their beer and wearing Adidas and sagging pants, and then climb into their SUV. Clearly, the rest of us are missing out on a good thing. We should quit our jobs, sign up for public assistance, and live the high life.

When I first began my legal career, I worked for Legal Aid, which provides free legal assistance in certain areas of law to low-income persons. Some of my clients were facing things like eviction from housing or repossession of a vehicle. Others had been denied Medicaid, SSI, or some other federal or state assistance. Some had been fired and then the former employer tried to block them from receiving unemployment insurance benefits. Some owed money to hospitals for medical treatment and the hospitals creditors were threatening them with collection agencies. Legal Aid doesn't handle criminal cases, but I did represent women seeking 50B (civil protective orders in NC's courts) in domestic violence cases and I also did child custody cases. Most of my clients received public assistance of some sort and I learned a lot about the welfare system while I worked at Legal Aid.

I have no doubt that somewhere there is someone, maybe a few someones, who have figured out how to milk the welfare system for all that it's worth. Much like the top executives at Enron and other corporate businesses figured out how to rob people of their life savings. Criminal behavior doesn't always wear sagging pants, sometimes it wears business suits and white collars. However, the majority of people receiving public assistance of some sort are not living the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

You cannot use your food stamps to buy alcohol, tobacco products, pet food, or laundry, household and paper supplies. By the way, they are no longer food stamp coupons, it's an Electronic Benefit Card (EBT), which may be used to purchase food meant for human consumption, and plants and seeds for food production that are sold in a grocery store. The SUV dealership does not accept food stamps. If you are interested in how much your monthly food stamp allotment would be, click here.

If you detect anger in my post, then you are not imagining it. I'm not angry because some people think that those who are receiving public assistance are a bunch of miscreants who abuse the system, I'm angry because those misbegotten points of view actually impact the lives of the very real people whose survival depends on that public welfare system. Every person who believes the half truths of the Chicken Little clones who are constantly espousing myths and lies about the welfare benefits system makes very real decisions in voting for public officials at the federal, state, and local level. Those elected officials are the ones who decide what monies are allocated to what some call social benefits program; I prefer survival programs.

During his administration, Ronald Reagan liked to tell of the Chicago Welfare Queen. According to Reagan, she had ripped off $150,000 from the government, using 80 aliases, 30 addresses, a dozen social security cards, and four fictional dead husbands. The country was outraged and the "Welfare Queen" driving her "Welfare Cadillac" became permanently lodged in American political folklore. What didn't get nearly as much attention was that the press attempted to track this "Welfare Queen" down only to discover that she didn't exist. The closest that they could come to a real, live welfare queen was a woman who had used two aliases and managed to collect $8,000 in benefits to which she wasn't entitled. (Interestingly, there was a wealthy couple living in Pasadena, California in the 1980s who engaged in welfare fraud to the tune of $377,000, filing claims for public assistance for 38 nonexistent children but they were not poor and clearly should have never qualified for welfare assistance.)

In addition to the EBT (formerly, food stamp) program, the major other funding for public assistance goes to TANF or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, formerly known as AFDC. TANF payment amounts vary somewhat from state to state. Under TANF, states receive a fixed amount from the federal government based on what they spent on welfare programs in 1994 without regard to subsequent changes in need. TANF frees the states from many federal constraints on how they manage the funds. The program reduced the federal welfare. Based on a cursory check of the Internet, it appears that TANF monthly payments average less than $300. Sort of hard to imagine making payments on an Escalade on that income.

The bottom line is simple. Those of us who know better have got to start making as much noise as the town criers who shout half-truths, misrepresentations, and down right lies about the individuals and families that find themselves in need of a helping hand in order to have life's basic necessities. A society that doesn't take care of its least fortunate is devoid of values. Shouting about the greatness of America means nothing if we take no steps to ensure that everyone partakes of that greatness. For every person who is convinced that people who depend on public assistance are living the good life, eating steak daily and drinking imported beers, tell you what, quit your job, apply for TANF and get your piece of the pie. Don't forget to pick out your SUV.

The music is an orginal composition by Jeff Majors (on the harp) setting the 23rd Psalm to music. The vocalist is James Murphy. Majors has an album, Sacred, with equally beautiful songs on it.

Whatever Paul's circumstances, it seems that in this season of his life God's promise spoken to Ananias in Acts 9:15-16 that Saul/Paul was a chosen instrument to carry the name of Jesus Christ and to learn suffering for the sake of that Name was being accomplished.  Paul was in need of reassurance from the Lord.  The faithfulness of our Shepherd is always sure.  At this time, for Paul, it comes in a vision and a specific promise; and, it is sweet to see that promise tested almost immediately.  Paul promptly gets attacked, but by God's mercy and Sovereign grace - there is no harm to Paul; the enemy's attack is rebuffed and Paul continues in faithful obedience.

As I daily embrace the ever-present promises found in the God's word, such as Psalm 23, they become for me strong foundations to stand on... strong footholds to climb ahead by... strong shelters to take refuge in when the storm gets intense.  It is the ever-present promises given to me by the Lord that teach me faithful obediance, willing surrender to suffering through challenging circumstances, joyful expectation and hope in the rest that waits for me. 

But, like Paul, sometimes the circumstances take their toll and I get weary and need the specific promise spoken from the sure personal voice of the LORD...the LORD utters his voice before his army (Joel 2:10-11)...and though perhaps not in a vision, the Holy Spirit brings these promises with powerful assurance to my mind spoken with clarity and revelation that they might just as well be a vision from the Lord. 

And so, whether His promise is given with timely specificity to anchor me in the midst of a storm or it is the ever-present assurance of His sovereign reign over all things and the promise of His faithfulness, His unceasing steadfast love and His refreshing daily mercies...

"I will hope in him"... Lam 3:22-24

"I will have no lack"... Ps 23:1

"for I am with you"... Acts 18:9-10

The LORD our Shepherd still tends His sheep.

I have fond memories of my high school football coach, Brit Williams.  He was a good man and a good coach.  He protected our players and equipped us success.  He knew us personally and took an interest in each of our lives.  He spent countless ours teaching us.  he commanded our respect.  And for some players who were less fortunate he even helped provide for basic needs.  When I was playing high school football I could have said: "The coach is my shepherd."

Of course I cannot forget my parents.  They provided for my needs growing up.  Did they make mistakes?  Sure.  But they fed me, they led me, they loved me, they educated me, they clothed me, they protected me, they sheltered me, they nurtured me, they guided me, and they kept my best interests in mind.  Growing up I could have said: "My parents are my shepherds."

But what did the poet/king David mean in Psalm 23 when he penned the famous words: The Lord is my Shepherd?  That's the question that we'll begin to answer this weekend in a new sermon series entitled "The Shepherd: A Brief Study of the 23rd Psalm."  You are welcome to listen to this sermon series at www.crossroadsofjoliet.org/listen.html, starting 6/27/08.

Afrikaanse rockers kan baie leer by hierdie ouens - hulle is al vir 24 jaar aan die gang en bly steeds sosiaal relevant (jy kan immers net soveel keer sing oor hoe die middelklas jou bedrieg het voor jy afgesaag raak).

Luister hier na die album.

Opera 9.5 is vier dae gelede (12 Junie) beskikbaar gestel. Die sogenaamde "fastest browser on earth" bied 'n indrukwekkende aantal funksies, insluitende innoverende navigeringsfunksies vir die muis (gestures), ingeboude ondersteuning vir BitTorrent (Whoohoo!) en voice support wat blindes in staat stel om die web te gebruik. FireFox 3 het 'n stewige heuwel om te klim as dit voor wil bly in die webbladwedren. (As daar ooit so iets is, bygesê. Ek hou eintlik net van die woord.)

Laai dit hier af.

(Amper vergeet ek om melding te maak van Internet Explorer. Dit suier steeds voort.)

We spend a lot of time obsessing over what we eat, making sure we take enough vitamins and supplements, and taking care of our bodies through exercise and rest.

But what about your soul?

C.S. Lewis said: 'You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.'

I have found that it is easy to get caught up in a world where there is a lot of negativity and fear. Even when humanly speaking the negativity or fear may be very valid, God did not create our souls for this, and we literally have to guard our souls against neglect. Our souls were created for His truth and I have tried to make a real effort not to neglect my soul in everyday life activities.

The main ways that I nourish my soul is:

Through the company you keep, the people you surround yourself with:

We don't always have a choice in this matter, especially when it comes to work situations, but wherever possible, it is far better to surround yourself with people who will build you up, people who share your beliefs and support and ecourage you ro be the best you can be.

Through the thoughts you think and the mental conversations you have with yourself:

Challenging myself on a daily basis to be thankful and hopeful in my thoughts, not negative or self-defeating, but believing the word of God for my life in all situations. Like David spoke to his soul saying 'Oh my soul do not be downcast', he said 'Bless the Lord, oh my soul.'

Through what you say on a daily basis:

By being encouraging to others, building them up, being thankful in all circumstances. Refusing to speak negatives that is not in line with God's word for my life.

Reading the Bible:

Reading the Bible helps us discover the truth of who we are in Christ, God's purposes for us, and the great joy and hope that we have because of Jesus.

The Beauty of Nature- God's fingerprint:

For the above points it is all things I try to incorporate into daily life; we have to work, we have to run errands, we have to be sometimes among people who are negative and tear us down, so these are ways that I have found to guard my soul within such situations. But when I get the chance the 'green pastures' and 'the still waters' restores my soul in an amazing way.

And so perhaps this is the key- whatever life brings, wherever we find ourselves, amongst whomever we find ourselves- to live the 23rd Psalm in our hearts, to constantly remind ourselves- we want for nothing, our souls are restored, we are led on paths of righteousness, we need fear no evil, we are comforted, a table is prepared for us, our cups overflow, goodness and mercy follows us, and we may dwell in the house of the Lord forever!

    Today I decided to take a little step further from my occasional journey. So went straight to the heart of town and have a look to see what can my lens actually catch. I still pretty much need more experience in shooting building and scenery, yet so little time.. Anyway, I went and sort of made some words of encouragement as lately due to the fuel price went up. Will blog about it on my work blog. You can see more pictures here on my 2008-06-07 : His Eyes Is On The Sparrows Album. Have a nice day.

Many who knew Carrene Redfern knew of her strong feelings about inclusive language. This was true about language concerning people that reflected a truer understanding of the place of women in society, where words like “mankind” are replaced by “humankind”. This was also true about expansive language, language about God, that shies away from using personal pronouns like “he”, words that may unintentionally indicate that God’s very self has gender preferences. Much of the latter comes about simply because of the limitations of language. There is no gender neutral pronoun in English. And to use “it” to talk about God, well, it just doesn’t seem to fit the personal nature of God we know in Jesus.

This care of language was something that Carrene and I share. Ultimately, if we believe in a God who spoke and thus brought the world into being, then we, creatures made in God’s image, need to take care of the way we speak, because it helps form our realities and perceptions. At the same time, when we take a new set of lenses to old, familiar passages, in Scripture, for example, we may see them in new ways, even if the words remain unchanged.

I met Carrene even before I came to Oglethorpe. The congregation had called me as pastor, and there was a reception held at the Hawthornes’ home so that Elizabeth and I could meet the leaders of the church. The nominating committee was there, as were the elders and their spouses. Carrene, as President of the Presbyterian Women, was there as well. Even though we didn’t talk for very long, she left no doubt about where she stood on the issues of the day, be they theological or political. It was a wonderful conversation, and it, no doubt, fed my energy to return to OPC a few months later.

In the interim, Carrene suffered a stroke. By the time I was installed as pastor, she was unable to come to church, which she sorely missed. I visited her several times in physical therapy. We still had wonderful conversations. And I saw the progression as she slowly came to terms with the reality that she was not going to be able to live on her own anymore and would need to move down to Jacksonville to be closer to her sons Steve and Bob. She did return to worship here one more time, her last Sunday in Atlanta, and a group from the church took her out to lunch. It was a touching time, a bittersweet farewell.

I spoke to her a couple of times on the phone down in Jacksonville, while she could still do that. And our members kept up with her as well, by phone and mail, and in person. Linda Morris and Georgia Gunter, two of our members, visited her several times, including one visit not long before she died. And as they met with her, they took the time to help plan today’s worship service, as Carrene chose hymns and Scriptures that meant a great deal to her. And I am deeply grateful to you both for that. They, and I, struggled over how to honor her commitment to gender equality with Scriptures that were written 2000 years ago, and yet still speak to us in life-altering ways today. Their visits, in short, are church at its best; the distances don’t matter. The discomforts of moments like illness and death are nothing compared to the comfort of Christ’s binding Spirit. Nothing separates us from the love of God, the one who knits us in our mother’s womb and guides us beside the still waters.

It is that closeness, I think, that lies at the heart of what we do in memorial services. It is one thing to grieve in private. It is another altogether to come together in public worship, in sorrow for what has been lost, in celebration of a life that has passed, in sure and certain hope of a resurrection which lifts us beyond despair and into a place of gratitude and peace. And when we do that as a church, we honor the image of God each one of us bears from our birth and proclaim that each and every human life has dignity.

I’m convinced that it is this idea that formed Carrene’s passions for global peace and justice. Her energy in Presbyterian Women, her support of ministries like AMIS that welcomed the stranger, the search for equality through the use of words. All of these yearn for something in the earthly which points toward the heavenly, something in the temporary which points toward the eternal. And all of them point us to a deeper truth not only about Carrene, but beyond that and toward the center of God’s character: God desires us to draw close. That is at the heart of the lessons we have read this morning, whether it is God’s presence at the farthest ends of the earth or in the shadows of death. It is the very meaning of incarnation, the reality and revelation of God that we know most vividly in Christ our Lord. It is the search for that closeness that honors the very thing that God desires for us.

There are many stories that I have heard over the last few weeks from Carrene’s friends and family. My favorite is probably of the time she went to pick up her son Bob at PDK airport, and as she drove onto the runway to meet the plane, she rear-ended a Lear Jet with her car. Her insurance rates went up, I am told, which isn’t surprising. But it was a helpful reminder to me that I should check my policy carefully for airplane collision coverage.

In all the stories that people shared with me, though, it was a thought that both of her sons, Steve and Bob, told me which stands out. She was immensely proud of the two of them, of their careers, and of all they have achieved. And we pondered over that together, wondering if this was somehow tied up in her passion for equality for women in the workplace. She was a fierce individual, and yet, given the nature of the times and the reality of the family situation, she sacrificed in order to provide for the two of them as best she could. So maybe it was that their careers were a way for her to live vicariously what she had always wished for herself but could never grasp.

Maybe so; but maybe, maybe we get another glimpse of that image of God imprinted on Carrene’s soul; and not on her soul alone, but on each of ours. Maybe it was through her parental expression of pride that we can begin to understand and embrace God’s passion for us and for our well-being. God, whom Jesus called Abba, sees each one of us as precious children. God desires that we thrive. And as the church, as the body of Christ, God lives through us and what it is that we do. The Spirit is alive in the world, moving through us and with us, to bring about God’s reign of justice, of mercy, of grace, and of peace.

May that peace, which Christ gave to the disciples and gives to each one of us, continue to still our fears and calm our troubled hearts. And may we, so taught by the Holy Spirit, continue to strive for God’s desires in this world.