Hello,
My name is Seth.
Thank you for joining me in this time of reflection and prayer.
Thank you for joining me in the throne room of God.
The Creator,
Maker,
And Sustainer of all things.
And according to our Psalm today,
Our Shepherd,
The one who leads us.
Why don't we begin by slowing down?
It is hard to follow if we are trying to get ahead of God.
So instead of getting ahead of God,
Let us slow down to find God.
We can slow down our breath.
And in doing so,
Slow down our heart rate.
And in doing so,
Slow down our mind.
And in doing so,
Be more ready to encounter God.
So take a deep breath.
Hold it.
Let it out.
Take another deep breath.
And hold it.
And let it out.
And let it out.
You can keep breathing slowly or allow your breathing rhythm to return to something more like normal.
But in our prayer today,
Remember that your breath is close to you.
The closest thing you might even have at all times.
And yet,
God is always closer than that very breath of yours.
So let us read from Psalm 23.
I will read twice.
And after the reading is done,
The music will continue so that you can contemplate who God is and who God is revealing God's own self to be in your life.
Psalm 23.
Goes like this.
The Lord is my shepherd.
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea,
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil.
For thou art with me,
Thy rod and thy staff,
They comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
Thou anointest my head with oil.
My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
In another English translation,
Psalm 23 says,
Yahweh is my shepherd.
I shall lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul.
He guideeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil.
For you are with me.
Your rod and your staff,
They comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in Yahweh's house forever.
Now I invite you,
And more importantly I think God invites you,
Into a time of silent prayer.
Oh,
Say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's Amen.
