Acts 3:12-19
When Peter saw the astonishment of those who had seen the lame man healed, he addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?
The words are familiar: “The Lord is my shepherd ….” I have recited this Psalm many times with the dying, with the bereaved, with those struggling to find the strength to move on, or the strength to face a fear-filled future.
I have been with agitated men and women of a certain age, robbed of mental acuity by illness or injury, and watched calm wash over them and through them, watched peace come to them as I recited the words of Psalm 23.
But, change the word order and you will have the heart of our conversation in the Sunday Morning Forum as it gathers at 9:00 am on Sunday, April 29, 2012.
The Lord is my shepherd … . Ah, peace, strength, and …
IS the Lord my shepherd …? Ah. Wait. What? How dare you suggest …
In the readings appointed for Sunday we hear:
The Lord is my Shepherd … (Psalm 23:1)
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us … (1 John 3:16)
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd.The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep….” (John 10:11)
Look through the ups and downs of your life.
Telling our stories of encounter with the Risen Lord, the Good Shepherd, is a fulfillment of our Baptismal Covenant to “proclaim by word … the Good News of God in Christ.”
I invite you to leave a comment, even a story, here. Let your words open the mystery and meaning of speaking this way about God and our relationship with God.
Hear what the Spirit is saying 