Kathryn Ritsema Roelofs

This is part of the worship series, "Psalm 23"Series Introduction Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10Week 11 | Week 12Week 12 Our Forever Home“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever” (Psalm 23:6b, NKJV).Weekly EmailThe psalmist has described his experience with God: the shepherd and the gracious host. He has seen God’s mercy and goodness following him down the road of his life, and now he names the destination towards which his life will lead: the house of the Lord. This house is not a temporary respite, a hotel, or vacation house. This is where he belongs unlike he’s belonged anywhere else. The psalmist’s God is also your God. The house of the Lord is also your forever home. Spend some time this week considering the hope and promise contained in this final verse. SermonJohn 14:1–7 "A Place for You"Sermon notes by Rev. Chelsey Harmon are available from the Center for Excellence in Preaching.Children’s MessageToday we are going to talk about the very last part of Psalm 23: “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6b). Until this last verse, the writer of Psalm 23 has talked about what God has done in the past and what God is doing for the psalmist in the present. But for the last verse he begins to think about the future. He says God’s blessings will pursue him all his life, and then he thinks even further into the future, past the end of his life, and he says that even after his life ends, God will still be there. And the best thing he can think of to describe what that will be like is to say we get to live together with God in God’s home. What does the word “home” make you think of, or how does it make you feel? [Possible answers: family, safety, happiness, pets, etc.] The house of the Lord is going to be all those good feelings without any of the bad feelings like “Oh, darn; I have to do my homework now,” or “Back to the place where I’m in charge of cleaning my room every week.” The house of the Lord is where we feel like everything is right, we are safe, and we have everything we need. That gives all of us something very special to look forward to.Song Suggestions“Better Is One Day” Redman “All Are Welcome” Haugen“The LORD My Shepherd, Rules My Life” Idle“Like a River Glorious” HavergalPrompts for ReflectionJournaling Prompt: Rewrite Psalm 23 with your name or the name of a loved one in the place of “I” and “me,” using whatever translation feels most familiar to you. If you are feeling creative, paraphrase the psalm, putting it in language that feels natural to you. You could also adapt the metaphors to things that are especially meaningful to you. Perhaps you feel God is like your doctor or your parents or your teacher. However you adapt this psalm, spend some time considering how claiming this psalm for yourself deepens the reality of the promise of that final line: YOU will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Faith Practice: Engaging Scripture Wonder Prompt: Read Revelation 21:1–5, which in a wonder-ful way elaborates on what dwelling in the house of the Lord forever might be like. Here are some wondering questions to consider: What do you wonder about the new heaven and the new earth or the house of the Lord? What will it be like to have God dwelling among us for eternity? Can you imagine a world without death and pain? What might daily life look like in that world? Faith Practice: Wonder Artwork/Math Prompt: One way we can begin to approach the concept of “forever” is through fractals. If you know someone who understands the math behind fractals, be sure to ask them about it. The short version is this: a fractal is a shape that repeats at smaller and smaller scales indefinitely. A snowflake is a good example: as each arm of the crystal grows, it branches out in the same pattern, just smaller and smaller. Natural fractals are found in things that branch out (like some plants) or spiral tighter and tighter (like seashells). No matter how deeply you zoom in, you can find the same pattern. If you are a creative type, try making a fractal. Design a snowflake or a plant or a seashell with a pattern that repeats as it gets smaller and smaller. See how long you can keep going with the pattern. Think about that pattern repeating forever at a smaller and smaller scale. Does this deepen your appreciation of the concept of dwelling with God forever?Revised Common LectionaryPsalm 23Years A, B, C: Easter—Fourth Sunday of EasterYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)John 14Year A: Easter—Fifth Sunday of Easter

This is part of the worship series, "Psalm 23"Series Introduction Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10Week 11 | Week 12Week 11 Chased by Goodness“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6a, NKJV).Weekly EmailAs the psalmist begins to bring this poem-prayer to an end, we can almost hear the wonder in his voice. He has beautifully described the loving ways our God cares for us using the metaphors of a shepherd and a host at a feast. Now it is as if he is looking back on what he has written and sees clearly the God he has described—the loving, protecting, nurturing, sustaining, generous God—and says, “Wow, this is a God who sends blessings chasing me down the road!” The psalmist is surrounded, pursued, enveloped by God. Last week we talked about how, when you don’t feel your cup running over, you could take a moment to remember what God has done for you in the past and trust God for the future. Consider taking some time this week to look back over your life. When have you seen God’s blessings chasing you down the road? When have you been caught unaware by the goodness and mercy of our God?SermonEzekiel 34:11–31 "Sought and Found"Sermon notes by Rev. Stan Mast are available from the Center for Excellence in Preaching.Children’s MessageCan you think with me about some things that surprise you about God? What are some things that make you say “Wow!” [Possible answers: God creating the whole world just by speaking; any of the miracles in the Old or New Testament; God knowing everything about us.] When I think really hard about some of these things I sometimes get overwhelmed, and my brain just shuts down a little. I end up feeling speechless—a little bit like this: [Project the “mind blown” emoji or the “wow” emoji.] In today’s verse, the writer of Psalm 23 seems to be saying “Wow!”: “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” It’s as if the psalmist pauses and thinks, “This God is incredible! There’s no getting away from how much God is taking care of me! Even if I tried to run away from God and God’s blessings, they would chase me down the road!” Can you imagine God chasing you down the road the way your parents might chase you if you walked out of the house without your shoes? “Hey, [child’s name], you forgot to take my goodness with you today!” “Hey, [child’s name]! Don’t forget my mercy—it’s right there on the counter!” Of course, the biggest goodness and mercy blessing, the biggest wow of all, is that even though we try to run away from God, even though we sin and we fail, God found a way to bring us back. God sent Jesus, who catches up with us, wraps his arms around us, and says, “You are mine. I love you, and you are never getting away from me.”   Art  © 2022 Bethany Besteman, Used by permission Song Suggestions“How Great Thou Art” Boberg“How Great Is Our God” Tomlin, Reeves, and Cash“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” Wesley“Joy to the World” WattsPrompts for ReflectionJournaling/Prayer Prompt: Spend some time thinking about goodness and mercy. The former calls up the idea of blessings, but also moral uprightness. The latter suggests compassion and something unmerited or undeserved. What do these words mean to you? Where have you seen them in your life? Throughout the week, when discouraged or depressed, remember this meditation and pray the words “Surely your goodness and love will follow me.” Faith Practices: PrayerArtwork Prompt: If you have watercolors, use those for this prompt. If you don’t have watercolors, you can use food coloring. You’ll also need a brush and a cup of water, paper, and some paper towels for cleanup. Hold up the paper yourself or use an easel. Get the brush really wet and trace a path across your paper from top to bottom (it can be curved or straight). Then, before the water dries, get watercolor or food coloring on your brush (don’t be stingy) and dab the top of the paper. Watch as the paint follows the path the water took across the paper. You can do this multiple times and watch how the paint chases down the water just like God’s goodness and mercy chase us down.Revised Common LectionaryPsalm 23Years A, B, C: Easter—Fourth Sunday of EasterYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)Ezekiel 34Year A: Season after Pentecost—Reign of Christ—Proper 29 (34)

This is part of the worship series, "Psalm 23"Series Introduction Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10Week 11 | Week 12Week 10 Abundance“My cup runs over” (Psalm 23:5c, NKJV). Weekly EmailAt the table of our good host, we are given everything we need. His desire to nourish us is so great that he fills our cups to the brim and then some: the liquid sloshes onto the table and soaks into the tablecloth. This is a gesture of plenty, of abundance. “Drink your fill,” God says. “There’s more—so much more. Everyone who comes to this table has enough.” Perhaps this week you have felt the abundance of our God in the blessings that surround you: physical comfort, the relative safety of you and your loved ones, and the fulfilling work you occupy your time with. However, for some of you, perhaps your cup feels dry. Perhaps sorrow or exhaustion or stress or illness have filled your cup instead with something bitter and difficult to swallow. In that case, contemplate this verse in hope. We live in a world where some plates are full and others are empty; some cups run over and others have barely a drop to wet them. We look forward to a day when all cups run over, and we will enjoy them together in God’s new creation at the wedding feast of the Lamb.SermonJohn 2:1–11 "More Where That Came From"Sermon notes by Rev. Chelsey Harmon are available from the Center for Excellence in Preaching.Children’s Message[This message works well after a praise and thanksgiving song set. The craft pom-poms used as props could be exchanged for small bouncy balls or marbles.]  The songs we have been singing this morning, filled with praise and thanks to God, match our verse from Psalm 23: “My cup overflows.” An overflowing cup sounds messy, but the psalmist is trying to show us just how generous God is to him. There is so much to go around at this party that the host doesn’t worry about things spilling. I’ve brought with me something to help us imagine a cup overflowing. I brought a cup, but I didn’t want to get the church too messy, so I’m using pom-poms instead of water or juice. Help me fill this cup to overflowing. What are some blessings God has given you? [As children call out blessings, add pom-poms to the cup. Invite the congregation to contribute, until pom-poms overflow and spill across the table or stage. Alternatively, give each child a handful of pom-poms and pass the cup among the children, having them name a blessing and add a pom-pom to the cup each time it passes them.]When we see this overflow of blessings, what should that make us do? That’s right: praise God! Thank God and let God know how wonderful he is. Let’s sing a song doing just that.Song Suggestions“Ten Thousand Reasons” Redman"Blessed Be Your Name" Redman and RedmanPrompts for ReflectionPoetry Writing Prompt: Consider writing a haiku this week (or several—they’re short!) about some blessing(s) God has given you. A haiku is three lines of poetry. The first line is five syllables, the second is seven syllables, and the third is five syllables. Done well, a haiku can call up an image in precise and spare language, so it works well to jog your memory during weeks that your cup might feel dried up. Faith Practice: GratitudeHere are some examples:    Art and poetry © 2022 Bethany Besteman, Used by permission Prayer Prompt: If your heart is more likely to cry out “How long, O Lord!” rather than “My cup runs over!”, consider using Psalm 13 as a prayer guide this week. It’s a short psalm of lament and petition that nevertheless ends with the psalmist moving toward praise. Here is the psalm with some places interspersed for you to add your own specific needs and laments before God: How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?    How long will you hide your face from me?Tell God where you felt God’s absence and express how hard it was to feel alone.How long must I wrestle with my thoughts    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?Tell God what specific thought patterns or griefs or anxieties weigh on you.    How long will my enemy triumph over me?Share with God any relationship troubles you are having or any obstacles you face.Look on me and answer, Lord my God.    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.Tell God your fears. From your point of view, explain why your petitions need answering.But I trust in your unfailing love;Pause. Breathe in; breathe out. Tell God you are willing to trust him and submit to his will.    my heart rejoices in your salvation.If you are able, call to mind and to heart the peace of God’s saving grace and thank him.I will sing the Lord’s praise,    for he has been good to me.If you are able, call to mind and heart other blessings God has given you. Name them and thank God for them.—Psalm 13 NIVFamily Activity Prompt: Find a clear cup (glass or plastic) and cut strips of colored paper. Write blessings God has given you that day on those pieces of paper, crumple them into balls, and place them in the cup. You can do this in one sitting or before or after dinner every day this week. Watch as the cup fills and overflows. Faith Practice: GratitudeRevised Common LectionaryPsalm 23Years A, B, C: Easter—Fourth Sunday of EasterYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)John 2Year C: Epiphany—Second Sunday after the Epiphany

This is part of the worship series, "Psalm 23"Series Introduction Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10Week 11 | Week 12Week 9 Anointed—Blessed and Called“You anoint my head with oil” (Psalm 23:5b, NKJV). Weekly EmailAnointing with oil happens in the Bible when God wants to mark someone as special and set apart. Aaron and his sons were anointed as Israel’s first priests, and Saul and David were both anointed as Israel’s kings. But in different ways all these men failed to live up to their anointing. When God started promising that someone would come who would make everything right once and for all and who wouldn’t mess up at all, that special person was called the Messiah, the anointed one. So the psalmist imagines a feast where she is anointed by the host. She is told that she is special and that the host has a job for her. When we come to God’s table, we don’t come as anonymous guests. We come because God wants each and every one of us there especially, and we know that God has a plan and purpose for us as well.Sermon1 Samuel 16:1–13 "Anointed"Sermon notes by Rev. Stan Mast are available from the Center for Excellence in Preaching.Children’s MessageToday’s verse from Psalm 23 is “You anoint my head with oil.” These days, anointing isn’t something we do very often. I’m guessing your parents don’t ever pour oil on your head. When we read something in Scripture that doesn’t make much sense to us, sometimes it helps to look at other parts of the Bible to get clues about what it means. And when we look to see who gets anointed in the Bible, we see that priests (like Aaron), kings (like Saul and David), and sometimes prophets were anointed. When God has people anointed, it seems to mean that they are special to God and also that God has a special job for them to do. Last week, we talked about how at this point in Psalm 23 we are guests at a party. The host has set up a table full of wonderful things for us to eat, and now the host comes to each of us and says, “I want to show you just how special you are to me. I’m going to give you a job to do—that’s how much I want you here, with me.”So let’s think together about what sorts of things God asks us to do for him. What are you really good at, or what do you really love? [Possible answers: sports, singing, playing, etc.] God anoints us to do all these things, so when we do them we should be thinking about how we can do them so that God will be happy. We try to be kind even to the opposite team when we play sports. We share toys when we play. God also sometimes asks us to do other things that may not always seem fun, but are still important—things like praying, helping other people, and sharing with other people about God. We learn about those things when we read the Bible and when we listen to God. That’s one of the reasons it’s important to come to church each Sunday: to learn about what God wants us to do and how we can imitate Jesus, who was also anointed for a very special job.[The children’s message can end here; if you want to give a blessing to the children you can continue with the text below.]I’m going to invite the children to come forward to receive a blessing. Because the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts, we have all been anointed by God to do his work, and I have some oil here to give you a physical reminder of that blessing and the special work he has for you to do.[Child’s name], God has anointed you to do his work.Song Suggestions"Take, O Take Me as I Am" Bell"The Lord, My Shepherd, Rules My Life" Idle“Will You Come and Follow Me” BellPrompts for ReflectionJournaling Prompt: Make a list of the gifts and talents God has given you—ways you feel God has set you apart. Try to think of at least five things you feel blessed by God to do (e.g., baking, singing, painting, dancing, organizing, learning, etc.). Over the next few days focus on one of these gifts, looking for opportunities to use it to bring God glory. When the opportunity arises, celebrate God’s gift! Reflect on the experience of paying attention to the gifts and talents God has given you. What does it feel like to celebrate before God when you have a chance to use these gifts? Faith Practice: Celebrating Weekly Devotional Prompt: (This can be done all in one sitting or broken up to use throughout the week for family devotion time.) Spend some time in Scripture. Read the anointing stories of Aaron (Exodus 30:22–33; Leviticus 8) Saul (1 Samuel 9–10), and David (1 Samuel 16), and read the accounts of Jesus’ baptism and anointing with the Holy Spirit (John 1) and his anointing before his death (Mark 14). In light of how other parts of the Bible talk about anointing, do you read Psalm 23:5 or a New Testament verse about our anointing by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21–22; 1 John 2:26–27) differently? How is anointing similar to baptism? Faith Practice: Engaging ScriptureSensory Prompt: When Aaron and his sons are anointed, some blood from a sacrifice was put on their right earlobes, right thumbs, and right big toes. We can think of that as God telling them, “Listen to me (ear), do my will (thumb), and go where I send you (toe).” Find some perfume or a scented oil and put a bit on the same spots on your body when you get up in the morning. Whenever you notice that scent throughout the day, remember that you are set apart to listen to God and do what God wants.Revised Common LectionaryPsalm 23Years A, B, C: Easter—Fourth Sunday of EasterYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)

This is part of the worship series, "Psalm 23"Series Introduction Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10Week 11 | Week 12Week 8 God’s Invitation to the Feast“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5a, NKJV). Weekly EmailThis verse changes the metaphor of the psalm. No longer is the psalmist comparing himself to a sheep and God to a shepherd. Now the psalmist is a guest in the home of a gracious host. The guest comes to the host feeling unworthy or embattled, surrounded by enemies, by people who think or act poorly towards the guest. Perhaps the guest has been snubbed at other feasts. But not here, not by this host. This host loves the guest so much that he honors that guest in front of the very people who have hurt or rejected the guest. “Here, there is a feast for you,” the host says; “Here, you belong.” No matter where you face rejection or obstacles this week, remember that you are always welcome at the table of our God.SermonMatthew 22:1–14 "Invitation to a Banquet"Sermon notes by Rev. Chelsey Harmon are available from the Center for Excellence in Preaching.Children’s MessageLet’s remember together all the things Psalm 23 has helped us celebrate. We’ve rested in green pastures and enjoyed quiet waters. We’ve gotten to walk down paths of righteousness, and we’ve been comforted in death-shadowed valleys. We’ve been guided and protected by God’s rod and staff. Wow, this psalm has really helped us see what God has done for us when we think about God as a shepherd! But do you remember waaaaay back to when we talked about the first verse of this psalm and said there were lots of different names for God? Well, the psalm doesn’t just talk about God as a shepherd. It also talks about the ways God is like someone throwing a party. Psalm 24:5 says, “You prepare a table before me.”  Think about the best, most delicious meal you have ever eaten. Now imagine that times ten or a hundred or infinity. That’s what God’s party food is like! Now imagine that you were at a party where you felt like the other people didn’t like you very much. Maybe you don’t feel good enough to be at this party, or maybe you worry about what other people think of you. But the host looks you in the eyes and says, “You are my guest. You belong here. I’m throwing this party for you, and we are going to celebrate together.” As we go through the rest of this psalm, keep that idea of an incredible celebration in mind and remember how happy we can all be that we are invited.Song Suggestions“All Creatures of Our God and King”  Draper and St. Francis of Assisi“We Will Extol You, God and King” Scheer“My Shepherd Will Supply My Need” Watts“Soon and Very Soon” CrouchPrompts for ReflectionJournaling Prompt: Before the communion elements are distributed, the pastor often says, “These are the gifts of God for the people of God.” Just as Jesus gave us the sacrament of holy communion, so the host in this psalm gives a meal to the guest. Spend some time this week reflecting and journaling on the theme of God preparing meals for God’s people. Where in the Old Testament does God provide food? What about in the New Testament? Why is a feast such a good metaphor for what God gives us? Faith Practice: Engaging Scripture Activity Prompt: Consider volunteering this week at a food pantry or food bank. When you serve people in this way you are helping to prepare physical tables for members of your wider community. As you serve, ask God to make this physical blessing a spiritual one too. Consider how you can be a gracious host in imitation of our God, blessing those who may have faced much rejection and many obstacles. Faith Practice: ServiceActivity Prompt: Throw a party—big or small, multi-course or one-pot, themed or casual. Gather people together and share food and fellowship. As you prepare for and enjoy the time with friends and/or family, reflect on the ways God hosts us in the everyday, at the Lord’s Supper, and also in the eternal celebration we look forward to. Faith Practice: Hospitality.Listening Activity: Listening is hard in a world that moves so fast and is full of obligations. Listening is similar to making time for a family meal when fast food might be much easier. Spend time this week at the table of our God. Sit down somewhere with few distractions. Set the timer on your phone for five or ten minutes, then commit to not looking at your phone during that time. Listen. What does your host want to tell you? What message of welcome in a world of rejection does he have for you? If you find your mind wandering, repeat the phrase “He prepares a table before me” to refocus and recenter your mind on God. Faith Practice: ListeningRevised Common LectionaryPsalm 23Years A, B, C: Easter—Fourth Sunday of EasterYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)Psalm 119Year A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28) 

This is part of the worship series, "Psalm 23"Series Introduction Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10Week 11 | Week 12Week 7 The Shepherd’s Tools“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4c, NKJV).Weekly EmailThe sheep is comforted not only by the shepherd’s presence, but also by the instruments of his profession. These are the tools the shepherd uses to guide the sheep, fend off attacks, and make paths. What tools does God use to accomplish God’s will that bring you comfort? God can use any part of this created world as a tool to accomplish God’s will, but when you look back on your life, what do you see God working through? Daily devotions? Christian fellowship? Worship services? Parents and/or Christian mentors? Sunsets or the view from a mountaintop? Isn’t it wonderful that the comfort and assurance of God’s presence can come to us through things, events, people, and places that surround us every day?SermonPsalm 119: 105–112, 129–136 "Your Decrees are Wonderful"Sermon notes by Rev. Scott Hoezee are available from the Center for Excellence in Preaching.Children’s MessageI’m going to start this message by playing some sounds for you. Listen to the sound and then tell me what message that sound is telling you: [siren] [baby crying] [doorbell]. Aren’t our ears incredible? Even without words, you knew what those sounds were saying. I wonder how we can listen to God? Does God show up in your bedroom and tell you to get up in the morning? Does God appear at your elbow and remind you not to lie? Does God give you a hug and tell you he loves you? Not in a way we can see or touch, but we still say that God is there when we wake up, God’s there when we are tempted, God’s there when we need comfort. So what helps us hear God when we need him? [Possible answers: Bible, parents, conscience/Holy Spirit speaking in our hearts.]Our verse this week from Psalm 23 says, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” A rod and a staff are the tools a shepherd needs to guide and protect his sheep. The sheep looks to those tools to see what the shepherd is doing. This is just like we are listening to the Bible, our pastor, teachers, and parents—and to the Holy Spirit speaking to us in our hearts to hear what God wants and what God is doing. So when you think about the rod and the staff bringing the sheep comfort, think about what you see in your life that shows God is there taking care of you and helping you listen to God.Song Suggestions“Speak, O Lord” Getty and Townend“Open Your Ears, O Faithful People” JabuschPrompts for Reflection Activity Prompt: Find or make a walking stick and take a walk. When is the stick most helpful? When you are on a paved path or when you are off-road? When you are on level ground or when you are going uphill? When would you be tempted to throw the walking stick away? When are you glad you have it? How is this a good metaphor for the things God puts in our life to help us (the Bible, church, parents, etc.)?Journaling Prompt: Some commentaries discuss how the rod and staff would have two different purposes for a shepherd. The staff would be something to lean on and would be used to guide the sheep. The rod would be used as a weapon to defend the sheep. These are things God does for us: God gives us comfort, gives us direction/guidance, and protects us. Spend some time journaling. When/how does God comfort you? When/how does God give you direction? When/how has God protected you? Faith Practice: RememberingFamily Activity: Make “rods” and “staffs” from popsicle sticks. Alone or in a group, think about what you can do when you need God’s comfort, guidance, or protection. How can we listen to God when we need to hear him? Take ten or more popsicle sticks, separate them into two piles, and find a way to differentiate them using markers or stickers or paint. On “staff” popsicle sticks, write things you can do when you need comfort or guidance. (Is there a particular verse of Scripture that helps? Do you need to take a walk outside? Smell a flower?) On “rod” popsicle sticks, write things you can do when you feel like you need God’s protection (e.g., get a parent’s hug, talk to a friend, remember a verse from Scripture). Put the “rods” and “staffs” in a jar to keep on the kitchen counter, dining room table, or anywhere that is easily accessible to everyone in the house. When you realize you need to listen to God, the rods and staffs can help you. Faith Practice: Listening. Revised Common LectionaryPsalm 23Years A, B, C: Easter—Fourth Sunday of EasterYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)Psalm 119Year A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 12 (17)

This is part of the worship series, "Psalm 23"Series Introduction Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10Week 11 | Week 12Week 6God’s Presence “For you are with me” (Psalm 23:4b, NKJV). Weekly EmailThe Good Shepherd’s companionship is the reason the sheep fears no evil despite being surrounded by the shadows of death. Can you remember a time in your life when you had to do something alone and you desperately wished you had someone there with you? A class presentation? A difficult conversation? Caring for a sick child or elderly parent? What about a time when you did have someone there beside you, and it made a difficult task easier to face? That is what this sheep experiences: comfort and assurance, the unclenching of the shoulders and the letting go of a breath you didn’t know you were holding, simply because you suddenly realize you are not alone. How does knowing that your Good Shepherd is with you change how you go into the difficult tasks of this week?SermonIsaiah 43:1–7, "I Will Be With You"Sermon notes by Rev. Scott Hoezee are available from the Center for Excellence in Preaching.Prayer of Confession[The children’s message this week functioned as the assurance of pardon following this prayer of confession.]Last Sunday we talked about walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Many of us have walked or continue to walk through deep, dark valleys. God wants us to come as we are, to offer our hearts and our voices in prayer no matter what. Please pray with me:Great is your faithfulness, O God. We know this to be true because you have proven yourself faithful to us time and time again. But even though we see and proclaim your faithfulness, sometimes you feel very far off. We often wonder if you will be faithful once again or if you’ve forgotten us. Sometimes we foolishly pray, expecting you to do what we want, not what you want for your world and for us, your children. Forgive us, God. Teach us to pray “Your will be done.” Walk with us through the deepest of valleys, and once again show yourself to be faithful and good, for you are with us. Amen.Children’s MessageAssurance of Pardon: [After the prayer of confession, invite the children to come forward for the children’s message.] In the prayer we just prayed, we admitted to God that we sometimes have a hard time waiting for God to answer our prayers or that we sometimes don’t really feel like God is listening to us. Do you have a hard time waiting? What are some things it is really hard for you to wait for? [Possible answers: Christmas, birthdays, summertime.] Sometimes we don’t always get what we want even when we wait for it for a long time, and this can make us sad. But does that mean that God doesn’t love us? [No.] In fact, we know not only that God does love us, but that God stays with us even when we are waiting and wishing for things to be different. Psalm 23:4 says, “You are with me.” God doesn’t promise that life is going to be easy or that we will always get what we want, but God does promise that when things are difficult, we know God is there with us, loving us, guiding us, and giving us the courage we need to face whatever comes. [The children’s message can end here, but if you want to use the optional handout you can continue with the text below.] Optional handoutI have something for you to remind you of this wonderful truth. I’ve cut out these yellow felt figures that look as if they are holding hands, and I’ve written “Jesus” on one of them. I want you to write your name on the other one. You can take these with you. Maybe you can put yours on your desk at school, or you can ask your parents to put them on the fridge, on the bathroom mirror, or somewhere else you’ll see them every day and remember that no matter what, you are never alone.And as we remember that God is always with us, in both the good and in the bad times, hopefully that will make us want to thank and praise God, so let’s sing a song doing just that.Song Suggestions“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” Chisholm“Nothing to Fear” Zach Assad, and Wardell“Blessed Be Your Name” RedmanPrompts for ReflectionJournaling Prompt: There are only five words in this week’s verse, so spend some time thinking deeply about each word and then journaling or free-writing your thoughts. Faith Practice: Engaging ScriptureSome prompts to get you going:For—Here a synonym for “because,” this word links back to the previous statement “I will fear no evil.” Why does God’s presence cause us to fear no evil?You—This is the first time the psalmist talks directly to God and not just about God. How does talking about God lead us to talking to God?Are—God is . . . There are so many things we can put after that statement, but spend a moment reflecting on the fact that God is. What does that mean for you?With—Here, God is with—not against, not behind, not above. While those other words might be true of God in other contexts, why is it especially comforting to know he is “with”?Me—Who are you in relationship with God? Do you derive fearlessness from his presence?Music Prompt: Listen to “Nothing to Fear,” Zach, Assad, and Wardell which uses language borrowed from this psalm but puts the words in God’s mouth instead of the sheep’s or psalmist’s mouth. When the words are spoken as a promise rather than as a declaration of faith, do you think about them differently? Poem and/or Art Prompt: The five words of this week’s verse don’t carry a vivid image, so make one. What is God’s presence like? Write a list poem by starting with the line “God’s presence is . . .” or “God with me is . . .” and then writing a list of metaphors for God’s presence (a cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day, a glass of lemonade on a hot one, etc.). This is also a good group activity. Each person in turn can come up with a metaphor until you are happy with your list. Use this as a springboard for a prayer of thanksgiving to the God who is with you. If inspired, choose one of the metaphors you just came up with to illustrate. Faith practice: GratitudeRevised Common LectionaryPsalm 23Years A, B, C: Easter—Fourth Sunday of EasterYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)Isaiah 43Year C: Epiphany—Baptism of the Lord

This is part of the worship series, "Psalm 23"Series Introduction Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10Week 11 | Week 12Week 5Shadow of Death “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil” (Psalm 23:4a, NKJV). Weekly EmailSo far Psalm 23 has described us being led to green pastures, still waters, and paths of righteousness. Now the psalmist imagines a more sinister road: a shadowy valley where the threat of death lurks behind boulders. The sheep and shepherd walk a path that reminds the sheep how close life and death are. How does the shadow of death appear in your life? Are there broken relationships, physical ailments, withered hopes, or livelihood insecurities? The sheep in this verse remarkably faces the shadow of death and says, “I will fear no evil.” How does your shepherd give you the courage to look at the shadows around you and say the same?Sermon Psalm 23, “Everyone Needs a Shepherd” Sermon notes by Rev. Scott Hoezee are available from the Center for Excellence in Preaching.Children’s Message[Spend time wondering together, asking questions and reflecting.] Do you remember where God, our shepherd, leads us? “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].” Do you remember wondering what it was like to lie down in green pastures and lie beside quiet waters? Then we talked about how God leads us on paths of righteousness. That just means that God teaches us how we are to treat the world around us and everything and everyone within it. But now the Bible teaches us that God leads us in scary places too. It says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil” (Psalm 23:4a).I wonder what the valley of the shadow of death is like? It sounds like a scary place, doesn’t it? Are there places that scare you? The Bible is saying that even if we are in the scariest place ever we don’t need to be afraid. Why do you think that is? [Because God is with us.] We don’t have to fear because God is there! Next week we will think some more about how wonderful it is that God is always with us. Song Suggestions“Don’t Be Afraid” Bell“Abide With Me” Lyte“Precious Lord, Take My Hand” DorseyPrayer of Lament [The following prayer is interspersed with singing portions of  “My Soul in Stillness Waits” Haugen.]Throughout this prayer, after I pray the words “We wait and hope for you to banish these shadows,” we will sing together the chorus to “My Soul in Stillness Waits.” We will end the prayer with the first verse and chorus together. Even though we know we don’t need to fear the shadows of death, that doesn’t mean we have to ignore them or pretend they don’t exist. Let’s come to God this morning, lamenting the shadows and praying for the light. Please pray with me. Creator God, out of the darkness you spoke, and there was light; you banished the first shadows with the power of your Word. But humanity rejected partnership with the Light in favor of the shadows. We see the way shadows now darken your good creation: polluted waters, decimated forests, species extinction, and unbalanced ecosystems. Lord, we lament these shadows, and we confess our part in them. Show us how to care for your creation so we can be bringers of light. We wait and hope for you to banish these shadows.For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my hope is in you. God, ruler of all the world, we trust in your sovereignty over the nations, but we lament the shadows of death that loom large in wars, oppression, terrorism, and corruption across the world. We pray in faith and hope for an end to these shadows, and we beg that the light of truth, justice, and peace would shine among the nations of our world. We wait and hope for you to banish these shadows.For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my hope is in you. King of kings and Lord of lords, we look closer to home and see shadows here too. We lament the shadow of partisanship that divides much of this nation and seems increasingly bitter. We pray for the men and women we elect to be guided by your light so they might promote the flourishing of all life. We wait and hope for you to banish these shadows.For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my hope is in you. Holy Spirit, our guide and comforter, whose coming heralded the dawn of the church, be with your church now. The same shadow of partisanship that affects our government has crept into your church in North America, dividing communities. Shadows of abuse, theological disunity, and idolatry creep into our sanctuaries. We beg you to bring your church into the light so it can be the light it is meant to be to a shadowed and dying world. We wait and hope for you to banish these shadows. For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my hope is in you. Father God, who cares for his children as only loving parents could, here in this space there are people walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Shadows of illness, broken relationships, bereavement, isolation, exhaustion, and despair threaten us. We lament these shadows in this room today. We pray against them and ask for your light. We wait and hope for you to banish these shadows.For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my hope is in you. God of light, in whose light we see light, bring us to the end of the valley of the shadow of death and into the radiance of your glory. Amen.For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my hope is in you.“My Soul in Stillness Waits”(st. 1) Haugen—Bethany Besteman © 2022 ReformedWorship.org, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.Prompts for ReflectionMusic: Listen to the hymn “Abide with Me,” which uses much of the same symbolism as Psalm 23:4. Each hymn verse goes deeper into the dark of night before the final verse, which brings us to the dawn. Reflect, journal, and pray about the ideas the hymn considers. What does it mean for God to abide with us? How does God's presence help you deal with people letting  you down? With change? With pain? With sorrow? Spend time in prayer, in the abiding presence of God. Faith Practice: Prayer Artwork/Activity: Make a memento mori (Latin for “remember you have to die”). Sometimes, when life is going great and we aren’t walking through any shadowed valleys, we have a hard time remembering that we are dependent on God for everything. The early Christian practice called memento mori, in which one meditated on death or kept a visual reminder of it, helped combat this forgetfulness. The point of the memento mori is not to become constantly focused on your own death or keep you from being happy with life. The point is to remember that God holds both your life and your death in his hand, and for that reason you don’t need to fear. Symbols for death included a skull, an hourglass, or wilted flowers. You can do some art journaling and choose one of these symbols to draw. Or you can buy or pick some flowers and hang them upside down to dry. Once they’ve dried you can put them in a vase without water somewhere you’ll regularly see them to remember we flourish like a flower of the field (Psalm 103:15). Faith Practice: RememberingRevised Common LectionaryPsalm 23Years A, B, C: Easter—Fourth Sunday of EasterYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)

This is part of the worship series, "Psalm 23"Series Introduction Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10Week 11 | Week 12Week 4The Way of Righteousness “He leads me in the paths of righteousnessFor His name’s sake” (Psalm 32:3b, NKJV).Weekly EmailGod leads us toward blessings, as we contemplated two weeks ago (green pastures, still waters), but God also leads us to live up to his moral and ethical standard: righteousness. What does it mean to walk in the way of righteousness? In the Bible, the idea of righteousness is almost always about being in right relationship with God and with our fellow humans. How is God helping you walk paths of right relationship this week? How is God helping you to be right with him? With your neighbor? Sermon Isaiah 5:1–7, John 15:1–17, “Justice and Righteousness” Sermon notes by Rev. Stan Mast are available from the Center for Excellence in Preaching.Children’s Message[Spend time wondering together, asking questions and reflecting on being right with God. If you used a toy with the children’s message last week, use the same toy this week.] Last week we talked about how God restores us. He fixes the things in us that are broken. Imagine that I let you use my toy and you broke it. You brought the broken toy to me and told me you were sorry. What should I say to you if you really are sorry? Should I say “I forgive you”? I should, shouldn’t I? Well, the cool thing is that I know how to fix the toy, so I restore it, and then I let you play with it again. This time you play really rough with my toy. You stomp on it and break it again. If you were me, what would you do? Should I let you play with my toy again even though you keep breaking it? What if I could teach you how to play with my toy without breaking it? If you knew how to play with it gently, should I let you play with my toy again? Could I trust you to play nicely with it? I wonder how you think you would feel knowing that I had fixed the toy, taught you how to play with it, and then gave it to you to play with. I wonder how you would feel if I let you play with all my toys even though you had broken some before. If it were me, I think I’d be pretty thankful, and I’d think you were a really good friend to trust me like that. And if I wanted to keep being your friend I’d want to keep playing with your toys in the right way, wouldn’t I? Did you know that God has given us this whole world to play with and have fun in, and God gave us lots and lots of people to love and be friends with? Sometimes we break God’s world, though. We leave our garbage around, for example, or we aren’t always kind to other people. What do you think we should say to God when we realize that we aren’t playing with God’s world the way he wants us to? We should probably say we’re sorry, shouldn’t we? I wonder what you think God would say to us if we told him we were sorry. God would forgive us, wouldn’t he? But God doesn’t just forgive us for all the bad things we do. God also teaches us how we should behave. That’s what we mean when we say God “leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” God shows us how we should live in this world—how we are to love God, creation, and all the people on earth. Is this easy to do? No, of course not; that is why we need God, our good shepherd, leading us. Even when we are thankful that God has forgiven us, we still are going to mess up. But God says he will keep helping us learn and get better at living how he wants us to, one step at a time.  Song Suggestions“I Will Rise” Reeves, et al.“The Lord, My Shepherd, Rules My Life” Idle “Lift Up Your Hearts unto the Lord” Prompts for ReflectionActivity with Scripture: Take a walk on a trail this week. As you walk, meditate on Psalm 23:3b or any of the following verses from Psalms that talk about the paths God leads us on and what helps us stay on them. Faith Practice: Engaging with Scripture“You will show me the path of life;In Your presence is fullness of joy;At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11, NIV).“You enlarged my path under me,So my feet did not slip” (Psalm 18:36, NIV).“All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” (Psalm 25:10, NIV).“Your word is a lamp to my feetAnd a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105, NIV)Artwork: Draw a path, either a bird’s-eye view or a path that recedes into the distance using a vanishing point. If this is the path of righteousness, what will you encounter along it? Wonder about what the journey into righteousness will look like. Draw or create a collage of things cut out from magazines of what you imagine you will find along the path of righteousness. They can be symbolic (a bird to represent the Holy Spirit, for example). Faith Practice: Wonder Journaling: Journal a timeline of your life as a progression along the path of righteousness. What events in the past has God used to grow you in righteousness? What is happening right now that shows God is leading you in the path of righteousness? What do you hope will happen in the future? Faith Practice: RememberingRevised Common LectionaryPsalm 23Years A, B, C: Easter—Fourth Sunday of EasterYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)Isaiah 5Year A - Season after Pentecost - Proper 22 (27)Year C - Season after Pentecost - Proper 15 (20)

This is part of the worship series, "Psalm 23"Series Introduction Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10Week 11 | Week 12Week 3Restoration “He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:3a, NKJV). Weekly EmailIf something must be restored, it is in a state of imperfection. The table that needs restoration has been scratched and stained; the garden that needs restoration is overgrown with weeds. Your soul is precious to God and worth the time, effort, and sacrifice its restoration requires. What scratches and stains is God lovingly undoing? What weeds is God lovingly removing? SermonLuke 7:11–17, “Restored” Sermon notes by Rev. Scott Hoezee are available from the Center for Excellence in Preaching.Children’s Message[Spend time wondering together, asking questions and reflecting on the idea of restoration.]In Psalm 23 we are reminded of this promise: God restores my soul. I wonder what “restores” means. Do any of you have any ideas? Have you ever brought a broken toy to a bigger person and asked them to fix it, and they gave it back to you all fixed? They restored your toy; they made something broken perfect again. Restored is another way to say “fixed.” [If you have a broken toy that is fixable, show them how it is broken; after you fix it, talk about how it is restored.]God promises that he will restore the whole world. When something is broken it doesn’t work right or maybe doesn’t look right. The Bible calls those problems “sin.” What are some things in the world that aren’t right, that are broken? I wonder what the world will look like when it is all fixed. God also promises that he will restore you and me. The Bible says that there are things in our lives that are not right, that are broken. The Bible calls those things “sins” too. I wonder what the world would look like if there wasn’t any sin in it, and people were filled with love for each other and creation. Would you like to live in a world like that? You know what’s awesome? God promises us that one day we will get to live in a world where nothing is broken, nothing ever breaks, and everyone is full of love. Isn’t that amazing? Song Suggestions“God, Be Merciful to Me” “Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God” GreenPrompts for Reflection During the WeekArtwork: Draw a picture of something that is beautiful or precious or deeply meaningful to you. Cover your picture with a piece of wax paper or parchment paper and secure it with a piece of tape so that you can lift the paper to reveal your original drawing beneath. On the top paper, trace or redraw the original image, but represent it as stained or broken or degraded in some way. If you want, write what in your soul is in most need of restoration on this top piece of paper (if you use wax paper, permanent markers may work best for this task, but be sure to let the ink dry so it doesn’t smear). Now, every time you lift the top paper you have an image of God’s restoring work. Allow this image to inspire you to be grateful for all that God has done in your life. Faith Practice: Gratitude  Activity: With family or friends, visit a park or trail and spend some time picking up trash (with all safety precautions observed). Think or talk about the ways our souls become littered and in need of God’s restoration work. By working to restore a small part of creation, you are joining in the work that God is doing, restoring the whole world. Faith Practice: Justice and MercyJournaling: In a journal entry, use your senses to explore the concept of restoration. What might restoration taste like? If you could touch restoration, what would it feel like? If you could hear it, what would it sound like? What does restoration look like? If it were a scent, what would it smell like? Faith Practice: WonderRevised Common LectionaryPsalm 23Years A, B, C: Easter—Fourth Sunday of EasterYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)Luke 7Year C: Season after Pentecost—Proper 5 (10)