Shepherd Creator

A few years ago I studied the 23rd Psalm using the traditional words from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.  It was a fascinating study looking at each verse and word and how it fit into context with the work of an actual Shepherd and how that context could lift more meaning into the psalm.

There is nothing static about the Word of God.  It is a living Word.  Full of meaning today just as it was yesterday.  It also moves and breathes through all cultures and contexts, God transcends All and is able to speak to each.

I am very interested in Native American spirituality - well the truth is I am interested in all spirituality and the more I study and learn, the more our interconnectedness becomes undeniable.  My mom happened to text me the other morning and wanted me to read the 23rd Psalm.  This version came to my mind and I thought I would share it for your consideration and prayer.

Native American Version of the 23rd Psalm

The Great Father above is a Shepherd Chief. I am His and with Him I want not.

He throws out to me a rope

and the name of the rope is Love

and He draws me to where the grass is green

and the water not dangerous

and I eat and am satisfied.

Sometimes my heart is very weak

and falls down

but He lifts me up again

and draws me into a good road.

His name is Wonderful.

Sometime, and it may be very soon,

it may be very long, long in time

He will draw me into a valley.

It is dark there, but I'll be afraid not,

for it is in between those mountains

that the Shepherd Creator will meet me

and the hunger that I have in my heart

all through this life will be satisfied.

He gives me a staff to lean upon.

He spreads a table before me

with all kinds of food.

He puts His hand upon my head

and all the "tired" is gone.

My cup He fills till it runs over.

What I tell is true.

I lie not.

These roads that are away ahead

will stay with me through life and after,

and afterwards I will go to live

in the Big Tepee and sit down

with the Shepherd Chief forever.

So be it.

~Author Unknown

Who Better?

Once a month the church where I serve sends a team of cooks to one of the shelters where I serve.  They come and prepare a meal and sit down and eat and fellowship with the current clients of the 89 day emergency shelter.  Last evening I met a couple of new people.  Once again I met a lady who had been trying to live in this county, working hard, living paycheck to paycheck and making ends meet.  Until one day she got the phone call that the landlord she had been paying rent to had NOT been paying the mortgage on the condo she was renting.  She had 20 days notice that she would be evicted.  This story is becoming more and more prevalent; landlords who are not keeping up with their payments to the bank and renters who have no idea the property they are renting is in foreclosure.  She is one of the luckier ones as she found out before the sheriffs office arrived at her front door to post a notice; usually you only have a couple of days when that happens.  She had a couple of weeks to come up with a plan and was able to get on the waiting list at the emergency shelter. 

Who better to tell their story than the homeless person himself?  And in a lot of cities such as Washington, DC and Philadelphia you can find newspapers written by the homeless about homelessness.  In fact, just recently a homeless man won an international award for his writing contributions.  If you want to know how someone became homeless - ask them.  If you want to know how they feel about being homeless - ask them.  If you want to know how you can help them - ask them.  Who better to share their story?