October 11, 2026

In this homily, Pastor Lesley reflects on the opening line of Psalm 23, inviting the congregation to claim with bold trust that the Lord is our shepherd and that in God we truly lack nothing. Through two stories—one about Richard Burton reading Psalm 23 and another about a pastor learning the deeper meaning of the Hebrew word for shepherd—she explores not only God’s provision and protection, but also the intimate truth that God is our friend.

Rather than treating Psalm 23 as only a funeral text, Pastor Lesley reframes it as a daily word of spiritual strength and identity. She describes it as a kind of power manual, equipping us to resist the broken systems of the world and to live from the deeper truth that our lifeline is found in the Lord, not in status, possessions, performance, or approval.

This message calls us to reclaim our identity as children of God—claimed, named, redeemed, and led by the One who knew us before birth. In a world that constantly tempts us to define ourselves by what we do or what we own, Pastor Lesley reminds us that our truest identity is found in our Lord and Savior, who declares, “I am your shepherd, and you shall not want.”