THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD? - Walter Brueggemann can preach a full sermon just on the first phrase of Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd!"

The very first word is "The Lord" or, better, "Yahweh." The first word in Lent is the peculiar name of the God of Israel, the one who makes heaven and earth, and who liberates and heals and commands . . . Yahweh is my shepherd. To think shepherd might suggest an idyllic pastoral scene. In fact, however, the term shepherd is political in the Bible. It means king, sovereign, lord, authority, the one who directs, to whom I am answerable, whom I trust and serve. In this simple opening line, the psalm is clear about the goal and focus, the center and purpose of life: Yahweh and no other. There is no rival loyalty, no competing claim-not economic or political, not liberal or conservative, not sexist or racist, nor any of the other petty loyalties that seduce us. It is a mark of discernment and maturity to strip life down to one compelling loyalty, to be freed of all the others that turn out to be idolatrous. [1]

THE LORD . . . YOU . . . - Structurally, the psalm begins with a declarative statement: "The Lord is my shepherd . . ." followed by life-sustaining actions of God as Shepherd. Then the writer shifts in perspective from the third person singular ("he," "she") to second person ("You"). ". . . you are with me, your rod and staff . . . You prepare a table before me . . . You anoint my head . . ." The Psalm concludes with a statement of trust based on what has preceded: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life . . ."

Because this beautiful, comfortable psalm is familiar, it rushes past most of us unturned. Read it again, this time, savoring the words-listening for what the psalm speaks to you at this moment in your life. Listen for a word or phrase that might speak to you.

When has God rescued or protected you with the "rod and staff?" What green pastures and still waters has God brought you to?

First, check for the homilies that we already have archived on DPS-perhaps that will provide some useful ideas for preaching.

Focus on the Shepherd in Psalm 23 as your controlling metaphor; but move through into the gospel lesson with the metaphor and suggest ways that Jesus is like that Psalmist vision of Shepherd. Move then to the Acts lesson, that suggests that the Shepherd is back from the valley of the shadow of death and continues to lead his sheep forward through the generations into the full purpose of God.

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[1] The Threat of Life: (Augsburg Fortress, 1996), pp. 91-92.