Bethany Bullet - April 1, 2014

4^th Sunday in Lent

This past week we had our tax appointment.   There are worse things than a tax appointment; one of them is when the appointment turns into a ‘dis’-appointment and you learn you’re not one of those Americans the H&R commercial talks about getting a share of their billions back.

‘Dis’ has a way of doing that.  Before he was king, before he penned the 23^rd Psalm, David knew what it was to be ‘dis’ – regarded by his father who more-or-less told the prophet Samuel come to anoint a son of Jesse king, “If it’s none of these it must not be one of mine for I’ve only one son left and he’s just a child watching sheep in the pasture.”   Before he took the throne, the stone, and sling or pen to paper and composed Psalm 23 David knew what it was to be ‘dis’- respected by his brothers who scolded him when the army was encamped against the Philistines with words like, “Hey runt, what are you doing here?  You don’t belong here!  Why don’t you just go home?”  David also knew that the anointing of God took away the dis’ing he’d been receiving. 

• Whether a horn filled with oil
• OR a shell filled with water
• OR a voice filled with Gospel
• OR a touch filled with Christian care,
• An anointing from God can cover the dis’ing the world is good at dishing out. 

David knew about shepherding and he knew about sheep.  The Shepherd of Israel became a lamb to remove the ‘dis’ that kept us from being connected to God, our sin and its guilt.  The Shepherd of the Flock of God became a lamb to remove the ‘dis’ that would prevent us from inheriting that which allows us to dwell in His house forever.   

As sheep who’ve wandered, as folk who’ve gone astray we deserve to be ‘dis’ – associated from the fold, yet in the Good Shepherd Jesus those once ‘dis’ – graced have been graced by God in Christ.  It is in meeting with Him in worship, prayer, study, conversation with fellow flock members, and meditation – the appointments that the ‘dis’ - appointments of life find a mending and are given new meaning by He who walks with us through death’s shadow, prepares a table before us in the presence of that which haunts and hunts us and who anoints our head with oil. 

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer