So, how's it going??
Well....I enjoyed unpacking the 23rd Psalm in church yesterday morning. As I said then, it seems to me that this beautiful psalm that we generally reserve for the dark times of our lives, is--in reality--a wonderful psalm for our WHOLE life. If you were here, you probably recall the big question I asked at the end......what is there that is distinctively "Christian" about this psalm....and the answer was that it becomes distinctively Christian FOR US when we see that the "LORD who is our shepherd" is none other than Jesus our Savior.
And yet, combining several thoughts.....a Christian perspective on the psalm....as well as the idea that it is a psalm for all of life, it probably bears pointing out that the ancient church had a neat spin on this psalm. They saw it as a psalm of initiation. The "still waters" that we're led to are none other than the waters of holy baptism. The "table" that is set before us" in the sight of our enemies is none other than the table of holy communion where our Lord sustains us with his very body and blood.
It's not that we have to give this psalm up in terms of its great comfort as a "valley of the shadow of death" psalm....but as we saw yesterday, there's so much MORE to it than just that. It truly can be our psalm for LIFE.
cheers,
TM
About Me...what is an 'evangelical-catholic?'
- Pastor Tim Manwell
- Elk Grove Village, IL, United States
- I was born & raised in rural mid-Michigan (M-go blue!). Life & work have taken me to many different places. God has too, as I've come to learn that faith is a pilgrimage. I very much resonate with the label 'EVANGELICAL-CATHOLIC.' I was raised Baptist, but found myself drawn to the Sacraments & Liturgy of the Church. I appreciate very much the words of the Augsburg Confession: "...nothing has been received among us, in doctrine or in ceremonies, that is contrary to Scripture or to the church catholic." Evangelical-catholic is a term of self-designation used by Christians coming from a broad spectrum of theological perspectives and commitments, ranging from Lutherans, Anglicans, and various Evangelicals yearning for greater catholicity .....to faithful Roman Catholics longing for an evangelical renewal of the Church. Perhaps beneath the apparent denominational differences there lies a common...groaning of the Spirit of God, who is seeking to draw the members of Christ’s mystical body into a communal life that is both fully catholic and fully evangelical. One can always hope and pray!
Listen to Current Sermons (hi speed)
Monday, April 14, 2008
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