The Precursor
November 2000
Our Shepherd
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)
THE TEACHING THAT THE LORD IS OUR SHEPHERD is a powerful one, and a comforting one. The relationship between the sheep and their shepherd involves a sense of trust, a sense of security. A sheep, as long as it follows the shepherd, has little to worry about. The shepherd himself takes care of things the sheep is unaware of, and things that the sheep could not take care of by itself. So too with us. There are myriads of things in the Lord's hands, things He does for us, things we are unaware of and things that are beyond our own power. He watches over us day and night. He protects us. And He provides us with food, with food for our bodies, and also food for our souls.
It is the pasturing or feeding of the soul or spirit that is spoke of in the 23rd Psalm: "He will make me to lie down in pastures of herb; He will lead me to the waters of rest; He will restore my soul." The pastures of herb, and the waters of rest, to use a literal translation, stand for knowledge and truth from the Word. These things are food, food for the soul, to which natural food corresponds. This is not mere metaphor. These things are not simply like food; they are food. To learn from and receive truth from the Word actually does nourish our spirits. Just because we cannot see our spirits with our natural eyes, and just because we cannot hold spiritual food in our natural hands, does not mean that this food is any less real.
It might seem as if the need for spiritual food is not as great or as urgent as the need for natural food. Our natural bodies would soon die without food. On the other hand, if we go for a long time without reading the Word or without learning any spiritual truth, life still seems to go on as usual. Our spirits don't appear to have died. Why not?
The answer to this lies partly in the fact that a person's spirit is immortal. It cannot die, even if it is starved for truth from the Word. Also to be considered is the fact that even without the Word, a person's spirit still receives food. Everybody is always learning something, even if it be only worldly facts. Even worldly knowledge is, in one sense, food, food which helps the spirit survive. But it does not keep it healthy. To acquire natural knowledge without at the same time learning and absorbing spiritual truth, is not a healthy diet. Unknown to the person himself, his spirit is pining away. It is sickly and weak (cf. AC 6078).
The obvious remedy is for the person to make sure that he does nourish himself with that spiritual food which the Lord has provided. Somebody who does not regularly read the Word and so does not regularly nourish his spirit, should know that he is indeed hurting himself -- he is allowing his spirit to become sick and unhealthy. He needs to take steps to correct this -- and he can do so by making an effort to read and learn from the Word on a regular basis -- something we are all quite capable of doing -- if we want to.
The Lord provides us with bountiful harvests -- both of natural and spiritual food. Neither of these harvests benefits us, though, unless we eat.
Still, this is only part of the answer. Food from the Word is necessary for the health of our spirits. We should eat of this food. But the benefit of this food is limited if we have no appetite for it and if we find it indigestible. As we read in the Arcana:
. . . in order that memory-knowledges may yield healthful nourishment to the soul, there must be in them life from the goods of truth. If there is no life from this source, the memory-knowledges do indeed sustain the man's interior life, but only his natural life, and not his spiritual life (AC 6078:1).
Life from the goods of truth! It is this which increases our appetite for the food in the Word -- for truth and for doctrine. It is this which increases the benefit we receive from reading and studying the Word. The good of truth is nothing other than the good we come into when we obey the truth of the Word. This good flows in from the Lord, causing our souls to open up to receive the benefits of the spiritual harvest of the Word of God. If we receive this good by living a life according to the Lord's teachings, then the Lord can truly feed us. The words of the 23rd Psalm will then be fulfilled in our very own lives. The Lord will restore our souls. Our deepest needs -- the needs of our spirits -- will be fulfilled: we shall not want, we will lie down in peace, and our souls will be at rest. To quote once more a literal translation of the Psalm:
Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want; He will make me to lie down in pastures of herb; He will lead me to the waters of rest; He will restore my soul.
Unless otherwise noted, all events are at the church building. Classes for those in high school and for younger children are available upon request.
The Reading Discussion group meets normally twice a month. We are currently reading from the Old and New Testaments during our sessions. There is no advance reading, but please bring a Bible with you.
If you are scheduled for a specific job and are unable to be there, please could you find a substitute, and, if possible, notify the pastor in advance. Thank you.
Wed. Nov. 1 Pastor's Council. 7:30pm.
Thurs. Nov. 2 Swedenborg Book Club. 7:30pm. Kettering, Ohio. See Jane Blair for details.
Thurs. Nov. 9 Swedenborg Book Club. 7:30pm. Kettering, Ohio. See Jane Blair for details.
Sat. Nov. 11 Privately sponsored event. 10:00am. Homeopathic Study Group. All welcome. General Doctrinal Class. 7:30pm. Subject: Living Things. Suggested reading is AC 39-63 [Arcana Coelestia]. Refreshments: Gillian.
Sun. Nov. 12 Divine Worship. 11:00am. Usher: Max. Sunday School: Jane. Sunday School Subject: Genesis Chapter 7. Sower Notes "The Flood," pages 21-25. Flowers: Gillian.
Tues. Nov. 14 Reading Discussion Group. 7:30pm. Bring along a Bible. No advance reading.
Wed. Nov. 15 Trustees. 7:30pm.
Wed. Nov. 22 Glendale Community Thanksgiving Service. 7:30pm. Christ Church, Glendale
Thurs. Nov. 23 Thanksgiving Day Family Festival Service. 11:00am. Fruit offerings. Recitation: 98 p.199. No Sunday School. Usher: Patrick Mayer. Flowers: Gillian.
Sat. Nov. 25 NO General Doctrinal Class today.
Sun. Nov. 26 Divine Worship. 11:00am. Usher: Harris. Sunday School: Max. Sunday School Subject: To be decided. Flowers: Gillian.
Tues. Nov. 28 Reading Discussion Group. 7:30pm. Bring along a Bible. No advance reading.
Thurs. Nov. 30 Swedenborg Book Club. 7:30pm. Kettering, Ohio. See Jane Blair for details.
