April 28, 2023
“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.” ~ Psalm 100:3 NRSV
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
“Nana is a God person.” That is how Anne-Sophie introduced me to her third-grade teacher when I joined her class to help chaperone a field trip. “God people are good,” responded her teacher. “Nana owns a church,” Anne-Sophie added. I smiled, and said, “It’s really God’s church.”
I’ve never been introduced as a God person before. I’ve been called a daughter, sister, mom, wife, pastor, teacher, coach, counselor, spiritual director, field hockey player and Nana, and probably other names behind my back. I was, in this order, surprised, delighted, and aware of a responsibility to represent God well.
I am not alone. The Psalmist reminds us that God, “made us, and we are his; we are his people.” All the first-person pronouns are plural, and as I read it, inclusive of all people. What a lovely thought. But then the passage goes on to say that we are, “the sheep of his pasture.” On the surface that paints a lovely pastoral image, but sheep are not the smartest of animals. They can be herded simply by the bark and killer stare of border collies, are experts at getting lost, are defenseless and have difficulty getting back up when they roll onto their backs. Aside from the border collie thing, that describes me. Maybe that’s why I am a God person. I need God.
Whose person are you? ~ Pastor Anne
Wayfinding 