As I began to write this morning’s message, I became very much aware of the fact that for the first time since Vietnam, we are at war during the Christmas season. I don’t remember having this same kind of awareness as a child and young teenager during that time although as I look out this morning I know many here do remember those 8 or 9 Christmas seasons that went by during that terrible and divisive conflict.
Now while we have not been at war during the holiday season for a while, others nations have been. One such nation is Israel. Israelis live under the constant threat of war as well as terrorism and this morning I share a story that has brought a new understand to our text ¡V Psalm 23.
Ron and Joke Jones are missionaries to Israel and some of the recent attacks in Jerusalem have hit close to where they live. A friend recently shared this observation that reminded the Jones’ of "God’s care for us."
"She watched a shepherd with a flock of sheep, fairly close to the area where the guns were fired. She related how every time the shots rang out, the sheep scattered and got frightened and how the shepherd touched each of them with his staff and spoke calmly to them.
She told me how each time this happened the sheep settled down immediately because they obviously trusted the shepherd. And then another shot sounded, and the same routine happened again.
Each time the sheep needed the shepherd to reorient them again to reassure them that they were safe." They concluded, "We are like those sheep, and our Shepherd is continually reaching and touching us with His staff and speaking words of calm and comfort to us."
The LORD is my shepherd;
I have everything I need.
2 _ He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 _ Even when I walk
through the dark valley of death,„T
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 _ You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You welcome me as a guest,
anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.
Can you picture that shepherd and those sheep in that modern battle zone? Can you picture people running around in a frenzy not in the heart of Jerusalem that the Jones¡¦ speak of, but here on the streets and roads of Northeast Indiana? Running around in a frenzy because of the demands, pressures, and expectations of this holiday season? Running around in a frenzy because of the economic uncertainties of our current economic situation? Running around in a frenzy because of the emptiness and anxiety within? And like those Israeli sheep, our shepherd wants to touch us with his staff and words of comfort, but will we let him?
For the remainder of this year we are going to ponder, and I hope experience, the Christmas touch of God as we are challenged to reach out and touch others as God¡¦s people by making Christ like connections during the holidays.
We are going to spend some time visiting with several persons who are central to the Christmas story. Next week we will begin with a visit to the innkeeper. The following week we will pay a visit to those shepherds that we have a new perspective on today. After that, we will be visiting with our children and some of their friends as they lead us in worship and we might, might squeeze in a quick visit with Joseph.
Then, on the Sunday before Christmas, we will pay a visit to Mary and possibly Zechariah as well. Finally we will conclude 2001 with a visit to Simeon and, instead of celebrating communion on the first Sunday of 2002, take time to do so as we close out 2001.
But, this morning we are going back to the time of King David and ancient Israel to remind us that as the shepherd¡¦s touch is vital and necessary for the sheep, God¡¦s touch is vital to us today and in turn, others, as we reach out to touch others in Christ¡¦s name.
At Christmas time, God began to touch us in a new way by sending us Jesus Christ. He is the great shepherd and in this best-known Psalm, there are several ways that God, through Christ, touches us.
God touches us by providing for our needs because as the Psalmist says, The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.
We are creatures of needs: social needs, physical needs, occupational needs, financial needs, spiritual needs, and emotional needs. But the Psalmist says, because God is my shepherd, my caregiver, my source of strength and help, I have everything that I need.
But, we sure want a lot don¡¦t we? Especially this time of year. When the stores are full of glitz and glamour and the catalogs are filled with full of toys for girls and boys of all ages. Those needs, those wants drive us crazy don¡¦t they? We feel left out if they are not satisfied. We feel second-class if they are not fulfilled.
But that is not what The Psalmist says. He says, ¡§I have everything that I need.¡¨
God touches us at our point of need, not our wants. But it also seems to me that our wants speak to a deeper need. Maybe one of the ways that we need to address and understand materialism is that it is evidence of a desire for more meaning and value in life that is not satisfied by other ways and means that God would like to meet. And perhaps this is where you and I come ¡V at this point of discern the need behind the point of the want.
Let us remember this holiday season that, as the shepherd meets the needs of his sheep, so too, God is in the meeting of our needs through his many touches of friendship, affirmation, support, and resources that come in various ways. And let us also remember that, as our needs our met, we will have the opportunity to meet the needs of others and in so doing offer a Christ like touch.
God also touches us by helping us live the right way. In verse 3 we read, He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
On September 11th we were made tragically aware of the power of evil through the hateful acts of terrorism. We were shocked, angered, and stunned that human beings could and would perpetrate such actions.
The spiritual shockwaves of that day have forced all of us, in ways large and small, to take stock of our lives and look deeply inside of us as we have examined our motives, our values, and our priorities. But have the days and weeks that have passed since 9/11 caused us to look at our character and our own capacity for evil?
The most important touch that God offers us is the touch to change our hearts and characters by His grace through faith in Christ. The Psalmist makes that clear in this verse.
Not only does God renew our physical, mental, and emotional strength, He also renews our spiritual strength as we confess our sins and seek His forgiveness. And we also gain spiritual strength as we let Him lead us along the right paths and bring honor to his name. Obedience to God¡¦s way does matter in this day and age and part of the shepherd¡¦s support and care comes as we allow Him to discipline us both as a correction to our errant ways and as a guide to help stay on the right paths.
Sometimes God¡¦s touch is a hard touch and yet His desire for us is to live, to thrive, to grow and experience His blessings and care in spite of those moments of discipline. Maybe one of the ways that we will share the Christmas touch with others is by being an agent of intercession who goes to God in prayer on behalf of those who are experiencing a tough touch this holiday season.
God also touches us as we allow Him to help us through tough times because your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
In his comments on this passage, Derek Kidner notes that a shepherd was armed with a rod or ¡§cudgel worn at the belt¡¨ and the staff ¡§to walk with or round up the flock.¡¨ The rod noted Kidner, was for defensive purposes while the staff was for control or discipline.¡¨ I have also been told that the hook of the staff provided the shepherd with the ability to rescue a sheep or lamb in dire straights by hooking and lifting it to safety.
For some of us here today, this year has been tough at times. Job loss, death of a family member or a friend or both, and a major change in life through an illness, have all challenged our faith, trust, and hope in God. And yet, God has not forgotten us. His rod of strength protects us from the onslaughts of those who mock us and detest us. His staff of mercy lifts our spirits and souls to new hopes as we struggle under the stresses and strains of living.
Perhaps one of the ways that we will both experience and share the Christmas touch is by being agents of mercy and love as we come alongside others who going through the dark valley of death in the presence of their enemies.
There are many ways to make meaningful Christ like and God honoring connections with people this holiday season. Why? Because of what John said in chapter 1 and verse 14 of his gospel.
So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.„T And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.
God made the decision to send His only Son, Jesus Christ, the Word, of life, of hope, of salvation, so that we are able to experience a life of hope through salvation. The theological term for this act of God is called the incarnation.
What does it mean? It means that Jesus embodied God. It means that Jesus personalized God. He represented God on earth.
And so do we. If we have confessed our sins and if we have confession our loyalty and allegiance to God and if we have counted the cost to follow God no matter where, no matter what, then we also incarnate the Christian faith. We make it real, we make it personal, we make it human in the best sense of the word, and we make it available to others as we reach out with a touch ¡V an act, a word, a message of grace to others.
Have you seen or heard of the movie ET? ET is an extra-terrestrial being that ends up on earth in the midst of a broken southern California family and the relationship that develops with Elliot, the youngest boy in the family. Do you remember the most memorable line in that movie? ¡§ET phone home!¡¨
That movie is about making connections; it is about the deep human longing to belong, to be at home and to feel and be accepted. It is about being touched by love, respect, hope, and purpose. Elliot represents us! ET represents a higher power that so many are seeking because they are in need of a touch that only God can give.
But there is another piece of art that Biblically describes God¡¦s desire to touch and transform our lives in meaningful ways. It is part of Michelangelo¡¦s magnificent work, the ¡§Creation of Adam,¡¨ and is a part of his magnificent work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
It shows God, with a group of angels close by Him, reaching across time and space to create Adam. God¡¦s hand is outstretched with His finger pointed at Adam¡¦s outstretched finger.
We are Adam. Like Adam, God has created us in His image. We are not God; we are made in the image of God and because we are, we are important to God. We matter to God. And as Michelangelo so clearly demonstrated God has reached out to touch us, to not just create us, but to recreate us, as His Son came to us as the baby in the manger.
The Christmas touch is the touch of God on our lives to make us come alive through His grace and mercy. And that includes touches of many kinds that will help us experience God¡¦s touch on our lives.
But, how do we do that and what does that mean in practical ways? In addition to what I have already suggested, here are a few others:
1. A card of appreciation.
2. A home cooked meal.
3. A small, but personal gift.
4. A note of thanks.
5. A word of respect.
6. Taking time to be patient in the checkout line.
7. Saying ¡¥thank you.¡¦
8. Saying ¡§I¡¦m sorry, I was wrong.¡¨
Now, there are others that we will be looking at in the weeks ahead but these are initial suggestions. But I simply want to suggest in closing that as we enter this holiday season, let us reach out and touch with the touch of God
