Stand By Me

Sermon for Sunday, May 3, 2009
Scriptures: Psalm 23, Acts 4:5-12, John 10:11-18

Psalm 23 was our call to worship this morning, and I suspect that for many of you, those words were familiar. Perhaps some of you could recite this psalm from memory. In fact, the words of the 23rd Psalm are so familiar that many consider it to be the most well-known scripture, even by those who have never set foot in a church. Many athletes admit they pray this psalm for strength in the midst of adversity while they are competing. Former President George W. Bush quoted this psalm in his address to the nation on the evening of September 11, 2001. And of course, the 23rd Psalm is often called the “funeral psalm.” It is the most oft-used scripture at such a time, for the psalmist writes from the vantage point of the valley of the shadow of death. “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.” There are not many people, Christian or not, who are unfamiliar with the 23rd Psalm.

The 23rd Psalm tends to be the go-to scripture in times of adversity, fear, or sorrow. It’s our favorite in such times because it speaks to the human desire for peace, comfort, and security in the midst of life’s valleys. The psalmist writes of walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Have you ever walked through the shadows in a valley? It’s cold and dark in the shadows. It’s lonely and unsettling. And sometimes, the shadows in the valleys of life are kinda scary – such as the events of 9/11, the loss of a loved one, an unexpected illness, or even financial uncertainty. I don’t think I need to provide examples of what the valleys of life are – we all know those times, because we’ve all lived through them. Valleys are inevitable in life. We all walk through the valley of the shadow of death from time to time. We all have times of uncertainty, adversity, darkness, fear – times when we just don’t know where to turn for the safety, security, comfort, and strength that we desperately yearn for.

The psalmist walks through the valley of the shadow of death, but he fears no evil. He fears no evil, for God’s rod and staff comforts him. In such a dark, uncertain time, the psalmist is still aware of God’s presence, walking with him through the shadows. In this dark time, God is with him. God provides green pastures (i.e. food) for him. God leads him to still waters (i.e. water that will quench his thirst). Goodness and mercy follows him all the days of his life. He is led on the right path.

When we find ourselves in the valleys of life, the question lingering in the thick air is often the question of God’s presence. Where is God in this dark time? How can I experience the goodness of God in such a bad time? Where is God when I need God most? Where is God right now?

Brothers and sisters, the psalmist is here to tell you that God is with you in the valleys of life. God is with you in the shadows, experiencing the same cold dark feelings you experience. God is behind you, providing goodness and mercy and shoulders to lean on. God shares the pain we feel. God sheds the tears we shed. God knows the despair or the sorrow on our hearts. God feels the adversity and the stress bearing down on us. In the valleys of life, God our Father in heaven is with us – comforting, providing, restoring, and loving.

This is why the 23rd Psalm is so popular: because we all know what it’s like to be in a valley. We all walk through the valley of the shadow of death from time to time. We all have struggles, fears, difficult situations, days filled with sorrow, and periods of loneliness. The valleys are different for each person, but they all bring the same emotions – fear, discomfort, even pain.
When I read Psalm 23, I often think of the outpouring of love that occurs when someone experiences the loss of a loved one. Cards and flowers are sent, words of support and sympathy are offered, and the freezer quickly fills up with casserole after casserole. Yet in these times, people ask, “where is God?”

God gives us comfort and restoration with the cards and letters that others send us. God’s presence is made known through the kind words a co-worker may offer. God provides for us by packing our freezer and fridge full of food made by friends and neighbors. And you want to tell me God is not with you? You want to tell me you can’t feel God’s presence, can’t see God’s love?

The 23rd Psalm is a reassuring one. It reminds us that no matter how dark any of life’s valleys are, God is always with us. God is walking with us, leading us, caring for us, providing for us. So we will have no fear in the shadows, for God is with us. His rod and staff, they comfort us. Despite the current valley, only goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life.

The shepherd imagery found in Psalm 23 is familiar imagery to anyone who reads scripture. The Bible is filled with this imagery of shepherding, of us as the sheep and God as our shepherd – the shepherd that leads us, that provides for us, that protects us. And so we turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 10, and hear Jesus’ teachings on the good shepherd vs. the hired hand. Jesus is the good shepherd – the word good here can also mean “true” or “model”, so Jesus is the true or model shepherd. The true shepherd will do anything to protect his sheep, because he cares for his sheep. However, the hired hand will run away at the first sign of trouble, because the hired hand cares only about himself and his own safety.

When I read Jesus’ words here, I can’t help but think of the absolute mess that was the 2007 season for the Atlanta Falcons football team. In that off-season, the Falcons hired Bobby Petrino as their head coach. He was a college coach eager to make a name for himself in the NFL, and this was his opportunity to do so. The Falcons had one of the league’s premier talents in QB Michael Vick. They were ready for a great year. But then Vick, their star QB and the face of their franchise, was arrested and later imprisoned on charges of running an illegal dog-fighting ring. Before the season began, they had lost their star QB. This in turn became a distraction that many of the players couldn’t handle, and they spent more time worrying about their former teammate than they did about the season. Some players asked to be traded. Other players flat-out quit on the team. Still other players were openly criticizing management and the media. And, there was no one fit to play QB. And very quickly, the Falcons’ 2007 season was in complete shambles.

So on Tuesday, December 11, 2007, just a few months after being hired, Bobby Petrino QUIT on the Falcons. This mess of a season was not what he signed up for. And so, like the hired hand that he was, Petrino fled at the first sign of trouble – leading the sheep to fend for themselves. You see, the hired hand sees the wolf coming, sees trouble on the horizon, and flees. The hired hand cares only about himself and his own safety, and there is no concern for the safety of the sheep.

Of course, no one wants a hired hand. Hired hands bail out at the first sign of trouble. We all want a true shepherd – one that will stick with us no matter what danger is on the horizon. The true shepherd does whatever it takes to protect the sheep – even if that means putting his life on the line. The problem is, it’s hard to tell the true shepherd from the hired hand when things are going well. But the true character of the shepherd is discovered in adversity. The true shepherd is found when he is forced to sacrifice his own safety for the safety of the flock, putting himself in harm’s way so that the sheep may be safe.

Jesus is that true shepherd. Unlike the hired hand, Jesus knows us. Unlike the hired hand, Jesus cares for us. Unlike the hired hand, Jesus knows his job is to stick with us when the heat is on. And we have no fear, for when the wolves are staring us down, circling around us, threatening to attack, we pray the 23rd Psalm – I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. God the Father is the shepherd with us in the valley of shadows, and God the Son is the shepherd with us when the danger arrives. He is with us no matter what, like a coach willing to stick with his team no matter how bad the season is going.

So God the Father and God the Son is with us in the valleys of life, in the scary and threatening situations of life. And of course, God the Spirit is with us as well. The Holy Spirit is with us in times of trouble. How do we know this? One only has to turn to our epistle lesson for the day to discover the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of Peter.

In this morning’s reading from Acts, Peter and John are, like all good followers of Christ, being questioned by the religious authorities. They’ve just healed a crippled beggar at the gate of the temple, followed by preaching and teaching that in Jesus there is resurrection of the dead. The chief priests are annoyed, it says, so they arrest Peter and John. We pick things up the next day, when Peter and John, now prisoners, are being questioned by the high priest. “By what power or name did you do this?” Luke, the writer of Acts, then says:

“Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.”

Peter was under fire from the authorities who have arrested him. They want to know what gives him the right to go around healing cripples and teaching about resurrection from the dead. And Peter must tread lightly, for these are powerful men questioning him – men who can perhaps take Peter’s life if he says the wrong thing. This is a narrow valley of the shadow of death that he’s walking into, and these are wolves circling around him, the vulnerable lamb.

But Peter stands tall. He proclaims the same truth to the high priest that he has already proclaimed to the masses: Christ is risen, and through his resurrection we are offered eternal life. And Peter is not afraid to witness to his faith, even in the midst of powerful men who have him imprisoned. He fears not, because God is with him in the form of the Holy Spirit. Verse 8 says, “Then Peter, filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, said to them…”

In the midst of a difficult situation, the Holy Spirit fills Peter with courage and strength. In the midst of questioning and imprisonment, the Holy Spirit fills Peter with the comfort and security that allows him to speak boldly. As Peter walks straight into the valley of the shadow of death, he fears no evil, for God is with him. As the wolf comes, threatening to attack, the true shepherd sticks with him, offering unconditional love and never-ending protection. In the midst of life’s challenges, disappointments, sorrows, sticky situations, and dangers, God is there. All three persons of the Trinity are with us: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Whatever form God takes, he is with us. He protects us. He fills us. He stands before us to show the way, stands behind us to strengthen us, and stands right beside us with loving care. God is always with us, giving strength, guidance, protection, courage, provision, restoration, love, and care every step of the way. Fear no evil, for God is with you. The rod and staff of the true shepherd is with you to comfort you. The Spirit fills you with courage and strength in dangerous situations. May it be so through all the peaks and valleys of our days on this earth. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.