"THE LORD IS MY PACE-SETTER"

The Lord is my Pace-setter; I shall not rush. He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals.
He provides me with images of stillness, That restore my serenity;
He leads me in ways of efficiency through calmness of mind, And His guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret, for His presence is here.
His timelessness, His all importance, will keep me in balance.
He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity by anointing my mind with His oils of tranquillity.
My cup of joyous energy overflows!
Surely harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours, For I shall walk in the peace of my Lord, and dwell in His house for ever.

Psalm 23 (A Japanese Translation)

"THE LORD IS MY DROVER"

The Lord is my drover, I travel well. On outback tracks He finds green feed. He guides me safely to cool waterholes; His understanding revives my dusty life.
He remembers the best stock routes, For which His name is well known. In deep gullies, shadowed by death, I am not frightened. You, my Lord, are with me, Your camp fires comfort me. You make sure there is food for me, Even in the times of drought. You provide midday shade for my head, Your water tanks overflow.
Care and kindness ride beside me every day of my journey, And I will rest in the pound of my Lord forever.

Psalm 23 (by Bruce Prewer in "More Australian Psalms", 51.)

“TRUSTED ROADS”

Dear God, You sustain me and feed me: Like a shepherd You guide me. You lead me to an oasis of green, To lie down by restful waters.
You refresh my soul for the journey, And guide me along trusted roads. The God of justice is Your name.
Though I must enter the darkness of death, I will fear no evil. For You are with me, Your rod and staff comfort me.
You prepare a table before my very eyes, In the presence of those who trouble me. You anoint my head with oil, And You fill my cup to the brim.
Your loving kindness and mercy will meet me Every day of my life, And I will dwell in the house of my God forever.

Psalm 23 (from “Be Our Freedom Lord”, p. 57)

ANTI-PSALM 23

I am my own;
I can buy what I want.
My bed is the softest made.
Wherever I walk, people look in envy.
Even though I walk through the valley of death I fear no one,
for I am the meanest person in the valley.
I spread a table finer than any of my enemies.
The best of life will be at my fingertips all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the best house in the city.

Darrel Manson

The Lord is my Choirmaster

The Lord is my choirmaster, I shall never be out of step with the music.
He leads me in songs of praise and thanksgiving as I remember all His love and goodness to me.
He causes me to hum softly as I go about my daily tasks.
He sings me a quiet lullaby to bring me rest at the close of the day.
He teaches me a restful, quiet, air to sing which brings peace to my troubled spirit.
Sometimes as I feel God's power and majesty my soul is lifted up in a symphony of swelling music; I sing out in joy and praise, letting myself go and losing myself in the glorious sound of the orchestra, full of confidence, pride, happiness and enjoyment.
But there are times when the music is silent, or strident, or unfamiliar.
At those times I look to my choirmaster to guide me and keep me on the right note.
Then once again there will be harmony.
I shall sing happily and my song will bring me joy and inner peace,
until the day when Ishall join in that heavenly chorus above
with those I have loved and lost awhile.   Amen.

(Miss Margaret Rodgers, a member of St. George's URC, Hartlepool)

The Lord is my compass and Courier

The Lord is my compass and courier,
I shall never be lost or abandonned.
He steers me on the path of righteousness, which leads to his heavenly kingdom.
He guides me along pleasant paths, among green fields with flowers by the wayside;
He guides me along the river bank and beside the quiet lakes.
Even when the path is steep and rocky, He is beside me;
I feel his guiding hand holding me fast, so that my feet shall not slip - but be held staedy and firm.
When I grow tired, He leads me to a pleasant place where I may find rest and refreshment.
He furnishes my path with fruit trees and springs of clear water.
When the road is unfamiliar, or I come to a cross-roads, not knowing which way to go,
My compass and courier will be there to show me the right path and to bring me
Safely through all dangers and difficulties,
Until I reach my Heavenly Home, where I shall abide with Him forever.   Amen.

(Miss Margaret Rodgers, a member of St. George's URC, Hartlepool)

POLITICALLY CORRECT JARGON VERSION

The Lord and I are in a shepherd/sheep situation, and I am in a position of negative need. He prostrates me in a green belt grazing area; he conducts me directionally parallel to non-torrential aqueous liquid. He returns to original satisfaction levels my psychological make-up; he switches me on to a positive behavioral format for maximal prestige of his identity. It should indeed be said that notwithstanding the fact that I make ambulatory progress through the umbrageous inter-hill mortality slot, terror-sensations will not be instantiated within me due to para-ethical phenomena. Your pastoral walking aid and quadruped pickup unit introduce me into a pleasurific moodstate. You design and produce a nutriment-bearing furniture-type structure in the context of non-cooperative elements. You act out a head-related folk ritual employing vegetable extract; my beverage utensil experiences a volume crisis. It is an ongoing deductible fact that your inter-relational empathetical and non-vengeance capabilities will retain me as their target focus for the duration of my non-death period; and I will possess tenant rights in the housing unit of the Lord on a permanently open-ended time basis.

(unknown)