April 29, 2026
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures;
The Lord leads me beside still waters;
The Lord restores my soul.
The Lord leads me in right paths for The Lord’s name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Psalm 23
As we drove to school on Monday morning, after a long weekend in the mountains, passing the duck pond, my six year old mused aloud, “I love going to school.” I smiled and told him how proud it makes me that he loves to go to school, to learn, and grow. And in almost a panic voice, he waved off my pride and praise with, “Don’t forget playing!”
At first, I giggled. But quickly, I agreed. We cannot forget playing. In fact, the focus of our weekend had been to balance our learning and playing. Our church held a retreat, planned carefully by my colleague for a year, invited guest speakers, structured the day for kids and youth and adults to learn… and to hike, barn dance, and yes, play outside. We stayed up late playing southern trivia in a big circle and Jeopardy… both a marvelous combination of learning and playing.
The Psalm we read this weekend describes a shepherd who provides safety and sustenance, time by still waters and a banquet. As we walked by the lake and supped on BBQ, I reflected how much we all had needed the time to learn and play, and how our good shepherd leads us to such moments as a flock, not individually. But our children know keenly how important it is to find times to learn and to play. They seek and love both. They’re both a part of each day for them, scheduled by their good shepherds, teachers and parents. I hope this week, you’ll have some time to learn. But don’t forget playing!
Prayer
Lord, thank you for still waters and banquets, learning and play. Amen.
Rev. Brian Daoust
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