From the Pastor

The Lord Is My Shepherd; I Lack Nothing
(Psalm 23:1)

This month is the month one of my favorite Psalms comes around again in the appointed readings for our worship services: Psalm 23. Any verse from this beautiful Psalm rewards its reader with treasure from heaven. But one verse in particular comes to mind in the present month of October at RLC: “The Lord is My Shepherd; I shall not want” (KJV, ESV, NRSV). Or as the somewhat less literal and more dynamic translation of the NIV would have it: “The Lord Is my Shepherd. I lack nothing.” The focus is on God’s gift of contentment.

True contentment is a GIFT from God’s hand. That’s why I write it in all caps. You will find self-help books and blogs and podcasts that all make the case for just how “less” is truly “more.” Some will describe how meditation allows a person to find happiness from within rather than in the measure of belongings or friends or exciting life experiences that a person might have. Others will describe how downsizing can bring relief from managing too much stuff with too little time. But Psalm 23 makes it clear that true contentment is not an outcome from a person’s efforts at spirituality or ability to live by a budget or rigorous cleaning regimen. Contentment is gifted by the God who cares for us…by the God who “richly and daily provides [us] with all that [we] need to support this body and life” out of “fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in [us]” (Small Catechism, Apostles’ Creed Part 1). Our loving Father cared so much that He gave us His one-and-only Son who would give up His life for our sins. Jesus is now risen to life everlasting. What is there, truly, to fear or worry over? All our needs are not only known by our God but taken care of, by Him!

Not long ago I was communicating with an RLC member who was updating me about the status of a family member’s health. At the time, the news was not encouraging. But the last sentence spoken was: “God is good.” Was that statement this person’s prayerful reminder to themself in the face of a setback? Or was it a confident affirmation of a heartfelt truth? I suspect it was likely a bit of both! What mattered was that the Word of God called this fellow sheep of the Good Shepherd to find sufficiency in Christ…the One who forgives our sins and gives us a final triumph over sin and death. That indeed is where true contentment is found.

Out of this spirit of contentment we find ourselves engaged with our world at RLC again this October. RLC Piecemakers will be displaying their beautiful quilts to be dedicated to those in need through Lutheran World Relief over the weekend of October 3-4. Our church’s Faith in Action Capital Campaign Commitment Weekend comes around the following weekend, October 10-11. I am so grateful to all of you who have already made pledges to the campaign! If you have not yet had a chance to do so, I invite you to prayerfully consider making a pledge during one of our worship services that weekend. The Saturday after that, October 17, is our yearly “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” bed build. Please circle the date on your calendar for a chance for service, fun, and fellowship! Then the month wraps up with our Installation of New Members, Reformation Weekend, and Fall Festival activities over October 24-25. We have so much to give thanks for and so much to find contentment in as the cool and beautiful weeks of autumn unfold!

The Lord is our shepherd. We lack nothing! Or, as we might say today and every day this month: “God is good.” We live our lives this month as the God of all good things leads and enables us.

Peace and joy in Christ,
Pastor Jonathan