"I shall fear no evil."
Delivered on July 19th, 2009 at the United Church of Christ in Winchester, NH.
Prayer of Confession (unison)
The world around us is confusing and full of fear, and too often, O God, we allow that fear to rule us. Forgive us for giving in to fears, both those grounded in reality, and those that come from deep within our souls. Teach us, Lord, to seek out Divine guidance to navigate the rough seas of disbelief and fright. Lead us on right paths, and be the Shepherd of our souls. Most of all, do not allow the fear of the unknown, the strange, the unusual to overpower our sense of dignity, love, and community. Bless our lives and our church. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Take a few moments to silently ask forgiveness for things we don't wish to share in public.
Assurance of Pardon
We have acknowledged our mistakes, our shortcomings, and our fears. In doing so, we know that we will be forgiven by God. Thank you, God, for your forgiveness of our trespasses. Amen.
Sermon -- I will fear no evil.
In my life, I have feared many things. I feared my abusive mother. I feared bad choices. I feared my own tendency toward addictive behaviors. I feared poverty, loss of my job, being a single mother, and hundreds of other things. I'm sure every one of you has feared something, at some point in your lives.
Fear is natural. Fear is what keeps us alive. We have little control over it, at least in its early stages. It is a response to stimuli that happens without our consent, and we don't usually pause to pay attention to it until it's over and done with. Physiologically, fear causes our hearts to race, our blood to pump, endorphins to rush through our bodies, and our muscles to tense up in a “fight or flight” instinct. We panic. Though not impossible, it's very difficult to cause someone to panic if they are expecting it to happen.
Today's Psalm, #23, is familiar to most as a funeral psalm. Most people in North America have probably heard it at least once, and it's entered into popular television by being read at a variety of fictional funerals and memorials. The most familiar line reads, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me.” In this Psalm, which tradition says was written by King David 3000 years ago, we hear the “fight” instinct coming to the forefront. David does not say he won't fear, because he is human, just as we are. He will not fear EVIL, though, because God is at his side.
Like me, you've all probably been afraid. How many of you have fears that kick up once in a while? (pause) What are you afraid of? (pause, repeat a few answers).
So many fears! We fear for our children, our jobs, even our lives. The question is, do we allow the fear to rule us, or do we rule the fear? It IS a choice. We can choose to let the fear REaction become something that we feed and allow to grow. Or, we can take a breath, and turn that fear over to God. By trusting in the Divine, we have the ability to short circuit the fear response. It doesn't cause the fear to dissipate, to go away, but it can help us to deal with it.
Not that long ago, I had to do something that terrified me. I was sweaty-palmed, weak in the knees, gibbering frightened. It felt like my heart was in my throat. I couldn't breathe. I was shaking. Taking a step felt like walking on glass. My shoulders hunched forward, my eyes were on the floor, and I had my hands in fists. My stomach felt like I had a lead weight in it. Have you ever felt that?
I could have let it overcome me. I could have admitted defeat, and allowed the fear to rule me, and walked away, never having done what I needed to do. Worst of all, no one would have blamed me for my fears. I didn't let the fear rule me, though; I ruled the fear. I closed my eyes, whispered a prayer for guidance and strength, took a VERY deep breath, and marched on. Once I was past that initial terror, things seemed to go much easier. While it wasn't exactly pleasant, my fear dissipated. I was no longer paralyzed by the fear; I was able to continue on with what I needed to do.
This seems true of many types of fear. Once we “let go and let God”, it all seems so much easier. It isn't that we're relinquishing responsibility, or adhering to blind faith. Making a choice, preferably one that is God centered, is better than no choice at all. Leaning on the Divine once in a while is alright, and we can trust in God to hold our hands during the scary parts.
This is a very nurturing thing to do, this holding of hands. We do it with our own children, and with nieces and nephews and other young people we are responsible for. We teach our children nighttime prayers to combat the fear of the monsters under the bed or in the closet. The prayers don't make the fear go away, but they do help make it manageable. We can learn a lot from our kids.
Think back to King David. He didn't start out as a king. He started out life as a minor shepherd, the youngest son of an unimportant farmer. Can you imagine what he must have felt like, being brought to stand before the prophet Samuel, and then being told that he would be the King of Israel? He was the youngest son of Jesse, and his older brothers were from Jesse's first wife and much older. David got the jobs no one else wanted to do. When the whole family went to eat dinner with Samuel and share in the “priestly portion” of the day's sacrifice, a very big deal that happened once in a lifetime, David wasn't even invited. He was still tending sheep! Samuel had to actually ask for him, because God passed over all the others.
David is brought into the presence of Samuel, who he knows is a very holy man. He's just come in from being with his flock, so he probably stunk of sheep. He must have been wondering if he was in trouble, because as a youngest son of a second wife, there probably wasn't much else on his mind. Instead, Samuel tells him he's going to be the king. Imagine how he felt, what must have been going through his mind. He served Saul for a time, before eventually becoming King himself. When he sat upon that throne, he was barely 30 years old, we're told. To be President of the United States, you have to be at least 35, and here David is, only 30 and already King of a whole nation.
Was he afraid? We can never know for sure, but we know he was a pious man, that he served God as best he could, even after making some rather big mistakes. How must it have felt, turning to God and asking forgiveness after committing adultery with Bathsheba? Fear probably topped the list of emotions he was experiencing: fear of God's wrath, fear of Bathsheba's husband, fear that her baby would be stoned to death for being a child of adultery, even fear that he might lose the confidence of the people of Israel. On top of that, he had the fears of the entire nation of Israel to deal with. He was doing a job he'd had no formal training for, and only one person had done the job before him.
In accepting and moving past his fear, King David showed courage. He didn't try to hide from God, nor did he try to dispose of his illicit child with Bathsheba, something that was not uncommon in those times. Though the child eventually died, he and Bathsheba married and had another son, Solomon, who became the next king of Israel. He was a wise man, who ruled his fears rather than allowing them to rule him.
Being afraid is natural, and we know this. Everyone is afraid at some point. How you deal with that fear is what matters. When you're afraid, do you allow it to overpower you, cause you to freeze up, unable to think or move? Or do you take a deep breath and plunge on, because anything is better than standing still? Do you talk incessantly, or go silent and still?
I am a firm believer that God never gives us more than we can handle. We might be terrified, depressed, angry, grieving... but God knows us better than we know ourselves, and if the burden is too large, a minor miracle will happen, allowing us to finish what we started. It might be a friend showing up to aid us, or a co-worker offering to take up some slack, or a parent offering to babysit at a vital moment. We need only be open to the Divine working in our lives. We need only hold out our hand, and be accepting of any help that arrives.
Perhaps you're familiar with a poem called Footprints in the Sand, by Mary Stevenson. This is the poem:
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?"
The Lord replied,
"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you."
This poem shows us a different viewpoint of the ideas we encounter in Psalm 23. For many, this poem is easier to relate to because the author is unsure of herself, unsure of her connection with God, unsure of her own experiences. King David is pious and lived so long ago that sometimes, it's difficult to relate to him. While we aim to be like King David, I suspect most of us are more like the author of this poem, feeling a little lost, a little confused.
That trust, that knowledge that the Divine really is a part of our lives, doesn't take away the fear. But it does make it manageable. It does allow us to do the things we need to do, even in the face of our fears.
Remember, too, that even fear is a gift from God. Without fear, we could never be courageous, we could never plumb our own depths, we could never gain strength of character from adversity. Fear allows us to become better people.
When you're afraid, remember to hold out your hand. Remember to ask for help. Most importantly, though, remember to accept help, both from God, and from his chosen emissaries. Even a small child can speak words of comfort to a frightened adult, after all, and we have to be ready to accept that love and embrace our own courage, in order to move past the fear.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.
Benediction
Let us go forth today satisfied but eager to know more, happy but ready to face challenges, feeling loved and eager to love, perhaps afraid yet embracing our courage, knowing a difficult week may lie ahead but also knowing we can have faith in You. For these things we pray in God's name, Amen.
Prayer of Confession (unison)
The world around us is confusing and full of fear, and too often, O God, we allow that fear to rule us. Forgive us for giving in to fears, both those grounded in reality, and those that come from deep within our souls. Teach us, Lord, to seek out Divine guidance to navigate the rough seas of disbelief and fright. Lead us on right paths, and be the Shepherd of our souls. Most of all, do not allow the fear of the unknown, the strange, the unusual to overpower our sense of dignity, love, and community. Bless our lives and our church. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Take a few moments to silently ask forgiveness for things we don't wish to share in public.
Assurance of Pardon
We have acknowledged our mistakes, our shortcomings, and our fears. In doing so, we know that we will be forgiven by God. Thank you, God, for your forgiveness of our trespasses. Amen.
Sermon -- I will fear no evil.
In my life, I have feared many things. I feared my abusive mother. I feared bad choices. I feared my own tendency toward addictive behaviors. I feared poverty, loss of my job, being a single mother, and hundreds of other things. I'm sure every one of you has feared something, at some point in your lives.
Fear is natural. Fear is what keeps us alive. We have little control over it, at least in its early stages. It is a response to stimuli that happens without our consent, and we don't usually pause to pay attention to it until it's over and done with. Physiologically, fear causes our hearts to race, our blood to pump, endorphins to rush through our bodies, and our muscles to tense up in a “fight or flight” instinct. We panic. Though not impossible, it's very difficult to cause someone to panic if they are expecting it to happen.
Today's Psalm, #23, is familiar to most as a funeral psalm. Most people in North America have probably heard it at least once, and it's entered into popular television by being read at a variety of fictional funerals and memorials. The most familiar line reads, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me.” In this Psalm, which tradition says was written by King David 3000 years ago, we hear the “fight” instinct coming to the forefront. David does not say he won't fear, because he is human, just as we are. He will not fear EVIL, though, because God is at his side.
Like me, you've all probably been afraid. How many of you have fears that kick up once in a while? (pause) What are you afraid of? (pause, repeat a few answers).
So many fears! We fear for our children, our jobs, even our lives. The question is, do we allow the fear to rule us, or do we rule the fear? It IS a choice. We can choose to let the fear REaction become something that we feed and allow to grow. Or, we can take a breath, and turn that fear over to God. By trusting in the Divine, we have the ability to short circuit the fear response. It doesn't cause the fear to dissipate, to go away, but it can help us to deal with it.
Not that long ago, I had to do something that terrified me. I was sweaty-palmed, weak in the knees, gibbering frightened. It felt like my heart was in my throat. I couldn't breathe. I was shaking. Taking a step felt like walking on glass. My shoulders hunched forward, my eyes were on the floor, and I had my hands in fists. My stomach felt like I had a lead weight in it. Have you ever felt that?
I could have let it overcome me. I could have admitted defeat, and allowed the fear to rule me, and walked away, never having done what I needed to do. Worst of all, no one would have blamed me for my fears. I didn't let the fear rule me, though; I ruled the fear. I closed my eyes, whispered a prayer for guidance and strength, took a VERY deep breath, and marched on. Once I was past that initial terror, things seemed to go much easier. While it wasn't exactly pleasant, my fear dissipated. I was no longer paralyzed by the fear; I was able to continue on with what I needed to do.
This seems true of many types of fear. Once we “let go and let God”, it all seems so much easier. It isn't that we're relinquishing responsibility, or adhering to blind faith. Making a choice, preferably one that is God centered, is better than no choice at all. Leaning on the Divine once in a while is alright, and we can trust in God to hold our hands during the scary parts.
This is a very nurturing thing to do, this holding of hands. We do it with our own children, and with nieces and nephews and other young people we are responsible for. We teach our children nighttime prayers to combat the fear of the monsters under the bed or in the closet. The prayers don't make the fear go away, but they do help make it manageable. We can learn a lot from our kids.
Think back to King David. He didn't start out as a king. He started out life as a minor shepherd, the youngest son of an unimportant farmer. Can you imagine what he must have felt like, being brought to stand before the prophet Samuel, and then being told that he would be the King of Israel? He was the youngest son of Jesse, and his older brothers were from Jesse's first wife and much older. David got the jobs no one else wanted to do. When the whole family went to eat dinner with Samuel and share in the “priestly portion” of the day's sacrifice, a very big deal that happened once in a lifetime, David wasn't even invited. He was still tending sheep! Samuel had to actually ask for him, because God passed over all the others.
David is brought into the presence of Samuel, who he knows is a very holy man. He's just come in from being with his flock, so he probably stunk of sheep. He must have been wondering if he was in trouble, because as a youngest son of a second wife, there probably wasn't much else on his mind. Instead, Samuel tells him he's going to be the king. Imagine how he felt, what must have been going through his mind. He served Saul for a time, before eventually becoming King himself. When he sat upon that throne, he was barely 30 years old, we're told. To be President of the United States, you have to be at least 35, and here David is, only 30 and already King of a whole nation.
Was he afraid? We can never know for sure, but we know he was a pious man, that he served God as best he could, even after making some rather big mistakes. How must it have felt, turning to God and asking forgiveness after committing adultery with Bathsheba? Fear probably topped the list of emotions he was experiencing: fear of God's wrath, fear of Bathsheba's husband, fear that her baby would be stoned to death for being a child of adultery, even fear that he might lose the confidence of the people of Israel. On top of that, he had the fears of the entire nation of Israel to deal with. He was doing a job he'd had no formal training for, and only one person had done the job before him.
In accepting and moving past his fear, King David showed courage. He didn't try to hide from God, nor did he try to dispose of his illicit child with Bathsheba, something that was not uncommon in those times. Though the child eventually died, he and Bathsheba married and had another son, Solomon, who became the next king of Israel. He was a wise man, who ruled his fears rather than allowing them to rule him.
Being afraid is natural, and we know this. Everyone is afraid at some point. How you deal with that fear is what matters. When you're afraid, do you allow it to overpower you, cause you to freeze up, unable to think or move? Or do you take a deep breath and plunge on, because anything is better than standing still? Do you talk incessantly, or go silent and still?
I am a firm believer that God never gives us more than we can handle. We might be terrified, depressed, angry, grieving... but God knows us better than we know ourselves, and if the burden is too large, a minor miracle will happen, allowing us to finish what we started. It might be a friend showing up to aid us, or a co-worker offering to take up some slack, or a parent offering to babysit at a vital moment. We need only be open to the Divine working in our lives. We need only hold out our hand, and be accepting of any help that arrives.
Perhaps you're familiar with a poem called Footprints in the Sand, by Mary Stevenson. This is the poem:
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?"
The Lord replied,
"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you."
This poem shows us a different viewpoint of the ideas we encounter in Psalm 23. For many, this poem is easier to relate to because the author is unsure of herself, unsure of her connection with God, unsure of her own experiences. King David is pious and lived so long ago that sometimes, it's difficult to relate to him. While we aim to be like King David, I suspect most of us are more like the author of this poem, feeling a little lost, a little confused.
That trust, that knowledge that the Divine really is a part of our lives, doesn't take away the fear. But it does make it manageable. It does allow us to do the things we need to do, even in the face of our fears.
Remember, too, that even fear is a gift from God. Without fear, we could never be courageous, we could never plumb our own depths, we could never gain strength of character from adversity. Fear allows us to become better people.
When you're afraid, remember to hold out your hand. Remember to ask for help. Most importantly, though, remember to accept help, both from God, and from his chosen emissaries. Even a small child can speak words of comfort to a frightened adult, after all, and we have to be ready to accept that love and embrace our own courage, in order to move past the fear.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.
Benediction
Let us go forth today satisfied but eager to know more, happy but ready to face challenges, feeling loved and eager to love, perhaps afraid yet embracing our courage, knowing a difficult week may lie ahead but also knowing we can have faith in You. For these things we pray in God's name, Amen.
