Tuesday, March 23

by John Wilkinson, Pastor

During Lent, the Junior Choir has been offering a 200-year old plus paraphrase of the 23rd Psalm as a worship introit, by perhaps the greatest of hymn writers, Isaac Watts. It is in my top-five of all time favorite hymns, which I actually have. The first stanza is printed on this morning’s bulletin cover: “My shepherd will supply my needs, Jehovah is his name. In pastures fresh me makes me feed beside the living stream. He brings my wandering spirit back when I forsake his ways. And lead’s me of his mercy’s sake in paths of truth and grace.” I learned that hymn as a choir anthem in high school and it has stuck with me, sung at the baptisms of each of our children.

My shepherd will supply my need. We believe that. The theologians call it “providence.” It is one of those theologically jargon-y words that makes religion less accessible in the real world. But it is not that jargon-y. “Providence” and “provide” are related—to see ahead, to know what’s coming, to meet needs. Providence implies a provider who provides—like a health care provider, to use the phrase of the day, who can see ahead of a patient's need and offer the right response.

Isaac Watts concluded his lovely paraphrase of Psalm 23 this way: “The sure provision of my God attend me all my days. O may Thy house be my abode and all my work be praise. There would I fined a settled rest while others go and come. No more a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home.” May that be our benediction—may God’s sure provision attend us always, and the people we love, and the world God created and called good.