This Sunday's Psalm for Eucharist (for anyone attending one) is Psalm 23, Dominus regit me. For those of us doing Morning Prayer at home due to the corona virus shutdown we will have Psalms 19 and 46.
The 23rd psalm is my favorite. I remember how as a child I was comforted by its words.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.
3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.
6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Today we are reminded that the valley of the shadow of death is the very life that we walk through. We are reminded of our mortality as we see people die from this most recent pandemic. We pray for strength and comfort from above for those who are critically ill like our Bishop Steve Wood who is on a ventilator as I write this post. We pray that if we also fall ill that even as Death's shadow passes by, that we will rest assured that we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
John Rutter's version is also a favorite to listen to and to perform. Enjoy, rejoice, and be glad that the
Lord is with you and will be always.
The 23rd psalm is my favorite. I remember how as a child I was comforted by its words.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.
3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.
6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Today we are reminded that the valley of the shadow of death is the very life that we walk through. We are reminded of our mortality as we see people die from this most recent pandemic. We pray for strength and comfort from above for those who are critically ill like our Bishop Steve Wood who is on a ventilator as I write this post. We pray that if we also fall ill that even as Death's shadow passes by, that we will rest assured that we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
John Rutter's version is also a favorite to listen to and to perform. Enjoy, rejoice, and be glad that the
Lord is with you and will be always.
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I heard about your bishop via my rector's pastoral update yesterday, and have been praying for him.
ReplyDeleteThe twenty-third psalm is a good one to keep close in these times.
Agreed. Even though we had Morning Prayer online last Sunday, we used the Eucharistic readings so we recited the 23rd psalm together in virtual space.
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