Blessing

This is part of the worship series, "Psalm 23"Series Introduction Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10Week 11 | Week 12Week 2Green Pastures and Still Waters “He makes me to lie down in green pastures;He leads me beside the still waters” (Psalm 23:2, NKJV).Weekly EmailWhat are the green pastures and still waters in your life that God has blessed you with? What blessings bring you peace and rest? Do you have a favorite corner of the couch that you curl up on? Is there a neighborhood coffee shop you feel at home in? Is there a friend who calms you down every time you are in their presence? Praise and thank God for these green pastures and quiet waters. If this verse doesn’t feel true for you this week—if life feels filled with deserts and rough seas—maybe spend some time remembering what God has done for you in the past and allow that to comfort you in the present moment. Sermon Ephesians 1:3–14, “Blessings”Sermon notes by Rev. Stan Mast are available from the Center for Excellence in Preaching.Children’s MessageLast week we talked about God the shepherd, and we mentioned a few different ways God is like a shepherd: God corrects us when we sin, God guides us, and God is all around us when we need him or when we feel sad or lonely. This week we are focusing on a different way that God is like a shepherd. Today’s verse tells us that God “makes me to lie down in green pastures” and “leads me beside the still waters.” Green pastures are places where there is soft green grass and where the water is quiet. [Spend time wondering together, asking questions such as the following.]I wonder what it would be like to lie down in a green pasture—to lie down on soft, green grass. Do you have any ideas about what that would be like? What about lying beside quiet waters? I wonder what that would be like. Have you ever lain down by a small stream? I wonder what quiet water sounds like. Would you like to go somewhere that had green grass and quiet waters?  Where are some places you don’t want to go? Today we are going to be talking about how God brings us to good places like green pastures and quiet waters—places that are safe and comforting. I wonder what some of the safe and comforting places in your life are. How might we thank God for the safe and comforting places in our life? I wonder what we could do right now in our time of worship to praise God for the good things God gives us. [If one of the children says “pray” or “sing a song,” use that to transition into the next part of the service.] Song Suggestions“God Is So Good”  Makai“Ten Thousand Reasons” Redman“Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us” ThruppPrompts for Reflection During the WeekPoem: Make an acrostic poem. Write a word or words from the verse vertically on a piece of paper and, for each letter, name a blessing that begins with that letter. Faith Practice: CelebratingArtwork: Take a piece of paper and draw a stream down the center of it lengthwise. On one side of the stream write down ways God has blessed your body; on the other side of the stream write down ways that God has blessed your mind. In the stream itself write down ways that God has blessed your soul. You can make this more creative by using green and blue pencils or pens to write or by making the lists on green construction paper with a blue stream cut out and glued in the center. Faith Practice: RememberingActivity: Find time this week to go for a walk with a notebook and pen near a stream or by a field. Find a place to sit. Breathe in while saying to yourself, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” Breathe out while saying to yourself, “He leads me beside the still waters.” Repeat for a few minutes, and then sit in stillness, inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. After listening, you can spend some time journaling, either recording what God says to you or writing a letter back to God after you’ve listened to him. 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)Ephesians 1Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 10 (15)

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!God, you are Giver of sunshine and rain.                  Praise the Lord!God, you are Healer of all of our pain.                       Hallelujah!God, you’re Provider and come to our aid.                Praise the Lord!God, you are Lover of all you have made.                 Hallelujah!Praise God, all creatures here below!Let the big moose and the loud lions say:                Praise the Lord!Let minnows with small mice sing out today:           Hallelujah!Let infants and old ones loudly proclaim:                 Praise the Lord!Let all of us sing, rejoice and exclaim:                      Hallelujah! Praise God above, ye heavenly host!Planets and galaxies, comets and stars,                  Praise the Lord!The bright sun, the sunset, the moon afar,              Hallelujah!The universe and the vast outer space,                   Praise the Lord!With angels and saints they sing of your grace.      Hallelujah!Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!Praise Father for giving his perfect Son.                  Praise the Lord!Praise Jesus the Christ, our victorious one.             Hallelujah!Praise Spirit, who dwells in all who believe.             Praise the Lord!Praise triune God who is one and yet three.            Hallelujah! Amen.For all that is given that we receive:                         Praise the Lord!For all that is promised, all we believe:                     Hallelujah! For all of God’s creatures fashioned with love:        Praise the Lord! We shout from below and shout from above:          Hallelujah! All Voices: Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Amen!—Diane Dykgraaf, alt. Joyce Borger, © 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. Used by permission.Ideas for Leading “A Chorus of Praise”This doxology is adapted from the traditional hymn text “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.” Ken, LUYH 965, GtG 606, SSS 696 The italicized lines from the original hymn text could be sung by choir a cappella using the OLD HUNDREDTH tune; the choir could hum the last chord of the phrase with staggered breathing while the readers read the words in plain text and the congregation responds antiphonally with the bolded words of acclamation. At the very end, the congregation, choir, and readers could proclaim together the final “Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Amen!”An alternative for involving children or English language learners is to have them speak either the song text (italic) or the refrains (bold), both of which are easily memorized. The other parts could be assigned to readers or to the congregation.