4 Easter, Yr A (2026) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
4 Easter, Yr. A (2026) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
Psalm 23 St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
In the name of the one, holy, and loving God:
who was, and is, and is to come. Amen.
This morning our texts talk about sheep, shepherds, and abundant life.
While all the readings are connected,
I want to focus on Psalm 23.
It is so familiar to our ears
that I wonder if we often say the words
without really thinking about them…
without letting them descend into our hearts.
I invite you to think about the Psalm as speaking of our journey throughout life…
not just a particular moment in time.
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The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want.
The Lord is my shepherd, I do not lack anything.
The Lord is my shepherd, I have all I need.
I have all I need.
That is a strange and unheard of thing in this land,
where we are bombarded every minute with advertisements
telling us all kinds of things we “need.”
…a better job,
a happier life,
a new house,
a lower mortgage rate,
a slimmer waist,
a new car,
a faster and smarter phone!
I have all I need.
That is true for me when I consider all that I have.
That is not true for everyone.
There are many in this world, this county, this town…
who do not have all they need
– no home, no family, no food, no job, no dignity or respect –
no one to give them a hug and tell them they are beloved.
What about them?
How might God be leading us to share ourselves so that they too may say,
“I have all I need.”
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God makes me lie down in green pastures;
I remember as a child lying down in the grass,
looking up at the sky,
basking in the warmth of the sun…watching the clouds float by –
some moving swiftly,
others’ movement barely perceptible to the naked eye,
daydreaming about sitting on top one of those clouds, watching the world beneath.
In such peace, with no care in the world,
I listened to the birds singing their songs,
the bees hunting their pollen,
experiencing a Peace that only God could provide.
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[He] leads me beside still waters;
She revives my soul.
Still waters.
Most of the water we see is in motion:
the sea, a river, a lake, even a puddle on a windy day.
Yet…
if you’ve ever had one of those rare moments of complete stillness near a body of water,
you know the whole world around you seems connected.
Sounds arrive from miles away,
from places you can’t even see.
And you can see everything through the water, clear to the bottom –
every rock, pebble, and the tiniest little creature.
You can even see your own face reflected as clearly as in a mirror.
The stillness penetrates the depth of your soul.
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The Holy One leads me in right paths
for his Name’s sake.
Do you ever have times in your life when you know what you must do
even when it’s not what you want to do?
Perhaps you’re too busy,
or too tired,
or feel like you lack the gifts you need.
But, despite all your objections, you know the right thing to do,
the moment of Grace you can provide,
the vessel of healing you can be,
the words of encouragement and strength you can offer,
or perhaps even a word of caution or objection that is required.
So when you turn away from God’s calling,
you feel compelled to return again
and offer your gift.
God leads us,
guides us
along the Way.
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Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Or, in the words of Bobby McFerrin:
Even though I walk through a dark and dreary land,
There is nothing that can shake me.
She has said She won’t forsake me.
I’m in her hand.
We are in God’s hands.
Oftentimes that is hard to remember.
Many times we wish our frightening realities were only dreams…
visiting the doctor for a yearly check-up and leaving to wait the results of a biopsy,
getting the call that a loved one is on their way to the hospital,
hearing the news of a positive test when every hope was pinned on the negative,
living with the reality of a broken relationship,
suffering the loss of a job, a home, respect….
Sometimes we are utterly overwhelmed as we walk through a dark and dreary land,
whether in the larger world of violence, famine, disease, and natural disasters
or in our own personal struggles with fear, depression, anxiety, and illness.
Yet
God has said They won’t forsake me,
I am in Their hand.
We are gathered up into the magnanimous folds of God’s loving embrace,
held there tightly,
knowing in the midst of all our pain and fear and doubt and confusion
that God is right there with us.
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You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me;
Those who trouble me – my “enemies.”
Why in the world would I want to sit at the table with my enemies?
I remember a scene from the movie Cry Freedom,
a movie about the life of Steve Biko in South Africa during apartheid.
The White Afrikaaner reporter, Donald Woods,
was sitting at a table in a Black township with Steve Biko
and some of his Black friends talking about integration.
One man at the table said to Mr. Woods,
“The best you want for us is to be allowed to sit at your table,
using your silver and your china.
If we can learn to use it like you do, then you will kindly let us stay.
“We want to wipe the whole table clean.
It is an African table,
and we will sit at it in our own right….
“You know our language, Mr. Woods.
“The word we use for nephew is ‘my brother’s son.’
“We have no separate words for the members of the family.
All begin with ‘brother’ or ‘sister.’
Brother and sister – we take care of each other.”
“Brother and sister – we take care of each other.”
In this world we create many false divisions
based on race, creed, ethnicity,
sexual orientation, socio-economic status, level of education
and on and on.
But, my friends, we are invited to sit at God’s table where all are welcome.
And, unless we sit in the presence of those who trouble us,
we will never be touched by their gifts,
and our divisions will never cease.
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You (God) have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.
Archbishop Rowan Williams has written in Where God Happens (Shambhala, 2006):
“Saint Anthony of the Desert says that gaining the brother and sister
and winning God
are linked.
“It is not getting them signed up to something or getting them on your side.
It is opening doors for them to healing and to wholeness.
“Insofar as you open such doors for another,
you gain God,
in the sense that you become a place where God happens for somebody else.
“You become a place where God happens.
“God comes to life for somebody else in a life-giving way,
not because you are good or wonderful,
but because that is what God has done.
“So, if we can shift our preoccupations, anxiety, and selfishness out of the way
to put someone in touch with the possibility of God’s healing,
to that extent we are ourselves in touch with God’s healing.
“So, if you gain your brother or sister,
you gain God.” (italics added)
God anoints us with oil:
God anoints us with the power to forgive,
God anoints us with the power to love,
God anoints us with the power to heal.
And then our cups will run over with blessings we cannot even imagine.
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Surely [God’s] goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Joel LeMon, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Candler School of Theology,
suggests better translations for two words in this verse (workingpreacher.org),
and they make all the difference.
“Surely” is translated as “only.”
“Follow” is translated as “pursue.”
Thus the translation:
“Only God’s goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life.”
God’s goodness and mercy don’t simply trail behind us…
God’s goodness and mercy pursue us.
Thanks be to God!
In today’s gospel Jesus says,
“I came that they may have life,
and have it abundantly.”
Abundant life is God’s desire for us.
As we receive such life,
let us then share it with others. AMEN.
