The Lord is my Shepherd

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23 is full of words of comfort and peace. We have all read it or heard it at least once in our lives. I remember memorizing Psalm 23 as a child (the King James version, of course!)

Our daily lives right now are tough. They can be a struggle, filled with exhaustion, pain, and hurt. Some days feel like this will never end. We miss our daily routines, our “normal,” and our interactions with others. As human beings, God created us to be connected to other human beings. We crave companionship and fellowship. While we have our zoom meetings, phone calls and text messages, it is not the same. We’ve lost something that is at the core of who we are as people.

The Good Shepherd, our Living Hope, wants to comfort us, revive us, guide us, and lead us through these difficult times. He wants to connect with us and let us know that He is there for us. We do not walk this path alone. In Psalm 23, David writes words of comfort and peace during a time when he was being hunted down and running for his life. He was terrified and anxious. However, even though David acknowledges walking “through the valley of the shadow,” he knew that God was with him. That God was there to give him what he needed.

One of the things I greatly miss right now is the Cathedral Choir. I miss the beautiful music we make together. I miss their daily presence in my life. I cannot wait until the day when we are able to make music together again. Attached below is Psalm 23, sung by the Cathedral Choir. I pray that it brings you peace, comfort, and strength, and brings you closer to Christ as you dwell in the Shepherd.

Psalm 23 - C.Hylton Stewart 

Birds Still Sing

Like everyone else, being at home for the last 35 days has proven a unique challenge.  Schooling my 3 children while also trying to work from home came with a steep learning curve.  I miss my 'normal' life.  I miss going to my office at the Cathedral, I miss seeing the youth group and all of your smiling faces on Sunday mornings.  Most of all, I miss the connections I shared with each of you.  Even if we haven't spoken, the connection of worshipping together is sorely missed.  I keep reminding myself that its not lost, simply on hold, until we meet again in person.

In this time of distance, I'm reminded of how Jesus lived. He often spent time around vast groups of people, teaching and healing and speaking and just 'being'.  But for as much time as he spent with people, he also spent time alone.  He often sought time alone in prayer.  In each Gospel, we see Jesus spending time in prayer; (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 22).  He gave himself time to pray or to just be with God.

I'm going to be honest with you; It's hard for me to sit still.  I prefer to 'go, go, go', accomplishing anything and everything I can.  This shutdown, as it were, has proven challenging for me. But I am so incredibly grateful for this time.  I am learning to move at a slower pace. I am learning that taking time to do nothing is essential in my relationship with God.

 I have developed a fondness for listening to the birds sing on my back porch.  I can honestly say I can't remember if I've ever done that before.  Was I too busy to hear them before?  Did I tune them out?  I'm sure some of you are laughing at me now but I just heard it as noise before.  And now?  Now I'm grateful because it means some parts of life are still normal.  Even when I'm anxious or lonely or scared or sad or bored or lazy or (insert emotion here), some things remain the same.  The sun still shines, the rain still falls, the birds still sing and I can still pray.

The church doors may be temporarily closed friends, but God? God is still there.  We can still connect with God and with each other.  I hope you take this time of distance and closures to find ways to connect.  Take time to pray.  Take time to journal.  Write a letter to a friend. Make a phone call. Dig in the dirt.  Take up a new hobby. Or take time to listen to the birds.

Until we meet again,

Rachel

A Connective Time

As I'm writing today, I hear lots of singing out of my windows. Not from our choirs (though I miss them and their glorious sounds!), but from other voices in God's creation. (Click here to listen). It's good to have a moment to notice bird song in mid-April. Holy Week is always a compressed time for Cathedral musicians. Life is more complicated in normal seasons. But, of course, the norm has shifted. 

I've asked myself where can I connect and where am I needed most right now. How can I minimize the disruption and continue work at Christ Church? I'm spending time seeking and cataloging our recorded music files that add beauty to online services. I'm planning recorded online Sunday afternoon concerts for Easter season. I am practicing a lot on the mighty Cathedral organ, and while I'm always alone, the instrument still sounds exquisite! There is always good work to do, and though work has changed, I want to help our community stay safe and engaged.

As a dad, husband, brother and friend, my role has expanded considerably. I am grateful to God for having time to be present for those I love and care for. I believe God is presenting a way that provides me space to consider priorities and what I value most in life. 

I know through faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that the time we're living in will pass. I have faith that it won't be too long. In the meantime, I'm going to keep listening for singing, and I'm going to be present for the people I love and care for - my family, my friends and the Cathedral community. Now is the time for me to show God's love and connect in new ways.
 

By Erich Balling, Canon Musician

New Life?

    We are living through Lent - in fact we are well into the fifth week.  We celebrated Shrove Tuesday, preparing our own ashes to be received the next day.  “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”  We are given a stark reminder of our mortality.  A short time later we are plunged into social distancing - a reality not freely chosen.  We are living by some pretty tough guidelines not only to protect ourselves but because we care about everyone.  We are learning more about how to love.  
    You might say that the whole world is now connected.  We have always been but maybe we are just realizing it due to this powerful invisible enemy.  What you or I do really does matter to everyone - even to others on the opposite side of the world.  When I ponder more about this invisible enemy, this unseen power that is turning the world upside down I am reminded of another invisible power.  In the Godly Play story of baptism a favorite or most important part of the story to many of the listeners is often about the dove that some saw break through the heavens to come near Jesus when he came up out of the dark chaotic waters of baptism into the light.  “The Holy Spirit rides the invisible wind like a dove.  It comes to us when we need comfort, power, hope or courage.  It is invisible just like the scent of the oil of baptism.  It is invisible but we know it is there.”  Jesus leaves the Jordan River and goes into the desert to wrestle with the unseen powers of darkness.  He emerges empowered by the Holy Spirit to live the life he is called to.   
    We too are in the desert wrestling with some dark unseen power.  The Holy Spirit is with us as it was with Jesus empowering us for new life.  Watch and listen for little signs of new life.  Perhaps it will be in a sidewalk mural of hope from a child.  Maybe it will be in a news story of the overwhelming compassion and courage of those on the front line. Maybe you are beginning to see things differently.  Things that mattered a month ago are not so important.  Maybe you are plunged into a deeper life of prayer.  I sure have been.
    Remember that this power of the Holy Spirit is much stronger than any invisible enemy.  Trust that and ask God for signs of new life.  I promise that you will begin to see them all around you.  We will emerge changed from this desert with a power to help transform the world.