Homebodies - Comforting and all encompassing
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- Published on Sunday, February 8, 2015
By Rita Friesen
Every once in a while I feel preachy coming on! Fair warning, opt out now if you want.
Psalm 23, The Shepherd’s Psalm, is one that many of my generation memorized. The words are comforting and all encompassing. It opens with the assurance of God’s provision and the peace that can ensue. The psalmist acknowledges that we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Through, I like that. We don’t end the journey there, it is simply a rite to passage. Most of us do have enemies. Within and without and again here the words are reassuring, “You prepare a table before in the presence of my enemies.” Catch that image. The God of all Creation knows my heart, my fears and my hopes, and is preparing a table for me. Can’t even imagine how that will look. I am not a fine china and company silver girl, so will it be pewter and clay? It will be perfect, for me.
“You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.” Just the very best. More than enough.
This psalm is frequently spoken at funerals, at the graveside or at the gathering. It has deep meaning for me. As my beloved and I waited for the passage through the valley of the shadow of death, he asked that we speak it in the plural. It had long been our middle of the night comfort, and then, with the word “our” rather than “my”, the psalm became a song of praise, adoration and petition. So meaningful has this version become that we used it as our graveside prayer.
Much of the value of a celebration of life is the opportunity for family and friends to join their voices with ours. We sing together, we pray together, we gather strength from the beauty of unified voices. Old hymns sweep over us, healing wounds and refreshing the spirit. I have found than when the 23 psalm is being read, individuals gathered are mouthing them along with me as I read. More than once I have encouraged those who wish, to join in speaking the words. So some of us are still using King James terminology, some are using the modern versions, not so comfortable with the “thee”s and “thou”s. It doesn’t matter. The sound of voices, confident or uncertain, speaking in unison is powerful. As a presider, it becomes a “thin place”. A place where the Divine is so close that you are as one.
An older gentleman spoke to me after a service where we had shared the psalm. He said the part he liked best, the part that applied to him was, “My cup runneth over”. How wonderful to be able to articulate God’s goodness. How wonderful to be very senior and to still be able to attest to having a cup filled to overflowing.
