Preached on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the Second Wednesday of Easter, at the Episcopal Collegiate School, Little Rock.

First of all, let me say thank you to Father Rob for the invitation to be with you all this morning, especially in these final days of the school year. I graduated from graduate school this time last year, and let me tell you, whether you’re in the sixth grade or the nineteenth grade, the end of the school year always brings some big feelings––really happy, really sad, really tired, really stressed, or some sort of combination of the four. The end of the school year is a lot, for students, and families, and faculty, and staff alike. And as a Christian, I believe that, when we find ourselves in these emotional seasons, we open up that book of the Bible called “the Psalms,” the book of big feelings. So, come with me to the Psalms.

We read a famous Psalm today: Psalm 23. It’s just a classic, isn’t it? We love this Psalm. “The LORD is my shepherd.” What’s not to love?

One of the reasons we love this Psalm is that it’s a metaphor. We learn all about metaphors in English class. It’s not a simile, or an analogy, but a metaphor––a direct comparison. The LORD isn’t like my shepherd. No, the LORD is my shepherd––period, full stop. Metaphors say: well, you think this is how things are, but in reality, they’re actually this; you think that you’re a human being, but in reality, you’re a sheep, and you think God is just God, but no, actually, God is a shepherd––your shepherd, my shepherd. The world looks differently because of this Psalm. It says: this is actually how our relationship with God works––we are the sheep, and He is our shepherd. And it’s that metaphor that helps all of the emotions we carry.

For example, I wish that I had more of “fill in the blank.” But you know what? “I shall not want.” Why? Because the LORD is my shepherd.

I don’t know what I’m going to do with this really big decision that I have to make. But you know what? God will guide me along right pathways. Why? Because the LORD is my shepherd.

Life at school is good, but life at home is hard. But you know what? I shall fear no evil, because the LORD is with me. Why? Because the LORD is my shepherd.

Life at home is good, but life at school is hard. But you know what? The LORD spreads a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me, those who pick on me. Why? Because the LORD is my shepherd.

I have no idea what the future holds for me. But you know what? Surely, the LORD’s goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Why? Because the LORD is my shepherd.

No matter what feelings you’re carrying in your backpacks or briefcases today, the LORD is our shepherd. And that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t feel our feelings, but it does mean that God is on the case. God is on the job. God is involved. And that is good news.

Now, there’s one line in this Psalm that really speaks to me today. “The LORD makes me lie down in green pastures.” It really speaks to me, and let me tell you why.

When I was in the 11th grade, I applied to the Governor’s School. It seems like I spent the whole year getting my application ready. Nobody in my family had gone before, and I was going to be the first. I was determined to go. Well, I didn’t get in. I was crushed. And to make things worse, my girlfriend and all my friends did get in. I was really crushed. I was so disappointed. And I remember how, that whole week, I woke up everyday re-remembering that the thing that I knew was going to be my green pasture was never, ever going to happen. That’s a big feeling. Some of you might be carrying a feeling like that around today.

But here’s what ended up happening. I got an internship that summer. It wasn’t paid, and I was okay with that. It was at my church. I knew that I had a calling to work in the church, and I wanted to test that call out. But of course, it wasn’t the Governor’s School, and I still had to swallow the fact that the green pasture I had in mind was never going to happen. But it turned out to be one of the most formative summers of my life. It’s where I learned how church offices work. It’s where I learned how to visit a retirement community. It’s where I first learned how to preach in front of a crowd like this one. It was an amazing summer, and in many ways, it set me on a path towards what I do now, being a priest––the best job in the world, to my mind.

I’m not here to say that disappointments aren’t disappointing. They always are, and some do not have any silver linings. But sometimes––many times!––the green pastures we have in mind for ourselves are not the green pastures God has in store for us. But you know what? God makes me lie down in green pastures of His own choosing and He leads me beside still waters. He revives my soul. He gives me my life. And why? Because the LORD is my shepherd.

Maybe you’re in a similar place that I was––I don’t know! Or maybe you’re feeling some other feeling. But wherever you are today, I pray that you can feel the presence of God, our Good Shepherd, Who is very much alive, Who is very much with us, and Whose rod and staff comfort us. Amen.