Preparing for Psalm 23

The lectionary points to Psalm 23 for this coming Sunday (April 25, 2010) and I am reluctant to follow. I’ve never particularly liked Psalm 23. Gasp!

I know. I shouldn’t say things like that, even if it’s true – Especially if it’s true. Psalm 23 is a beloved psalm, a cherished and treasured psalm. To say that you don’t care for it is like saying that you don’t like grandmothers. How can you be a pastor and not like Psalm 23?

Well never mind my likes or dislikes, I will be preaching from it come Sunday. Until then, I’m considering the various ways that Psalm 23 has been used in popular culture – in songs like Love Rescue Me by U2, Jesus Walks – by Kanye West, and in movies like Pale Rider and Jarhead (Jamie Fox’s character misquotes it “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil ‘cause I’m the baddest motherf***er in the valley”)

I’ve also made my own simple arrangement of the psalm for singing. It’s nothing spectacular, and my recording equipment leaves much to be desired, but here is a rough draft of it, anyway.