I rest, reflect, and re-connect on Mondays, my Sabbath time. Below is what I shared during Sunday’s worship, July 11, 2017.
The Narrative – The Story
I invite you, if you are comfortable, to close your eyes. Picture yourself in a place that brings you comfort. Feel that comforting love wrapped around you. Can you sense/feel love’s presence?
Perhaps you are at a family dinner. There’s chatter all around you. It’s noisy and yet, you feel at peace.
Maybe you are sitting on the dock. Still waters mirror the shoreline. Geese fly over-head announcing their arrival. A lone loon calls from around the next cove. You feel safe, loved, and at peace.
As a child you rush home, possibly late for dinner. The kitchen smells like heaven. You belong; you are loved.
Now take a deep breath. Breathe in all that your senses can handle. take a moment to realize that many times in your life and in the lives of those around you, you have felt this way.
Love is offering comfort. Love offers peace. Jesus said, “Come.”
Open your eyes. Do you see the smiles around you? See that God is near. The Good Shepherd is here.
*
As we think back to the 23rd Psalm we ask, “Where does the psalmist find comfort?”
- the psalm is a prayer, engaging God
- there are pastoral images of still water, green grass, of being fed, protected, and cared for
- picturing the house of the Lord forever
Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest.”
John 10:11 He also said, “I am the good shepherd.”
These are words of comfort.
Where do we find comfort today?
- family, friends
- time together in fellowship and in worship
- warm blankets and wrapped in prayer shawls
- in our “special” places
- In our memories
May we all find comfort in this psalm and in God’s love that surrounds us, always.
*from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/349099408587852600/
Musings from the Manse 