Easter 4
Preaching
Hear My Voice
Preaching The Lectionary Psalms for Cycles A, B, C
(See Lent 4, Cycle A, and Easter 4, Cycle C, for alternative approaches.)
If asked how many images of God this most familiar of all psalms includes, most people would probably say one, that of shepherd. (And, while saying it, there's a good chance they'd actually be picturing Jesus with a lamb in his arms, thanks to the famous painting of that scene hanging in Sunday school rooms all over America.) But, in fact, there are two images of God in this psalm -- the shepherd (vv. 1-4) and the host at a banquet in the temple (vv. 5-6).
Both images of God are appropriate and important, and, since many Christians already address this psalm to Jesus, it's worth noting that they are not mistaken to think of Jesus as both shepherd and host as well.
This psalm can certainly be used to support today's Gospel and Epistle Readings -- both of which speak of the shepherding work of Christ -- but the psalm could also be used to invite people to think of what the hosting work of Christ is. It has to do, of course, with the invitation to the communion table, but Christ is also the one who invites us to enjoy the hospitality of the kingdom, to sit down at the great feast, the celebration that conveys the joy of the kingdom.
One of the great hospitality stories of recent times comes from the events of 9/11, when the country was reeling from the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. As the airspace over the U.S. was shut down that day, many flights already aloft were forced to land elsewhere. Some of these planes were rerouted to Newfoundland and grounded there for many long hours. The hospitality those passengers received from the citizenry of Newfoundland has been celebrated in email accounts that circulated widely, and was even described in the Wall Street Journal (November 7, 2001, p. A1.) One of the stranded passengers, Thomas Werk, was quoted in the Journal article. He said, "We realized that everything was totally out of our control, and that we were at the mercy of ... strangers. They did everything for us." That is human hospitality, and it shone brightly during that emergency. Surely divine hospitality is all the greater, for we are given not just a home away from home, but an eternal home, where goodness and mercy will surely follow us.
-- S. P.
If asked how many images of God this most familiar of all psalms includes, most people would probably say one, that of shepherd. (And, while saying it, there's a good chance they'd actually be picturing Jesus with a lamb in his arms, thanks to the famous painting of that scene hanging in Sunday school rooms all over America.) But, in fact, there are two images of God in this psalm -- the shepherd (vv. 1-4) and the host at a banquet in the temple (vv. 5-6).
Both images of God are appropriate and important, and, since many Christians already address this psalm to Jesus, it's worth noting that they are not mistaken to think of Jesus as both shepherd and host as well.
This psalm can certainly be used to support today's Gospel and Epistle Readings -- both of which speak of the shepherding work of Christ -- but the psalm could also be used to invite people to think of what the hosting work of Christ is. It has to do, of course, with the invitation to the communion table, but Christ is also the one who invites us to enjoy the hospitality of the kingdom, to sit down at the great feast, the celebration that conveys the joy of the kingdom.
One of the great hospitality stories of recent times comes from the events of 9/11, when the country was reeling from the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. As the airspace over the U.S. was shut down that day, many flights already aloft were forced to land elsewhere. Some of these planes were rerouted to Newfoundland and grounded there for many long hours. The hospitality those passengers received from the citizenry of Newfoundland has been celebrated in email accounts that circulated widely, and was even described in the Wall Street Journal (November 7, 2001, p. A1.) One of the stranded passengers, Thomas Werk, was quoted in the Journal article. He said, "We realized that everything was totally out of our control, and that we were at the mercy of ... strangers. They did everything for us." That is human hospitality, and it shone brightly during that emergency. Surely divine hospitality is all the greater, for we are given not just a home away from home, but an eternal home, where goodness and mercy will surely follow us.
-- S. P.
