Will You

This is the sermon preached by Rev. Akiko Van Antwerpen to the congregations of Unfinished Community and Ashiya Christian Church on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11, 2025, drawing from Psalm 23

Let us pray. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts together this morning be pleasing in your sight, O Lord. You are our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

Today’s reading is a very famous passage. I think many of you recognized it the moment you heard, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

But how do you know this passage so well? When and where have you heard it? Psalm 23 is often read at funerals. Just two weeks ago, our beloved church member, Sister Yoshiko Konishi, passed away, and during her memorial service, Tabuchi Sensei read Psalm 23. That wasn’t the first time I’d heard this Psalm at a funeral.

One reason why Psalm 23 is chosen so often for funerals is found in verse 4: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil…” The "darkest valley" evokes the shadow of death — it speaks to the approach of death itself.

The Japanese Bible doesn’t hesitate to use the word “death” directly. In the Shinkyodoyaku translation, which we use at Ashiya Christ Church, verse 4 is said as: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” That’s why many of us associate this passage with someone on their deathbed, being prayed over.

So yes, Psalm 23 offers comfort and assurance about what lies beyond death — about God’s kingdom.

But when I went to seminary, I encountered a more holistic perspective. I learned about the context. I learned about King David, who wrote this poem. (The Psalms are, after all, a collection of poems written by Israel’s king about his journey of faith.) I learned about David’s life — the highs and lows of being chosen from a field as a shepherd boy to rule Israel as king.

And I realized something new: I realized that Psalm 23 isn’t just about someone preparing to die.

It’s about someone fighting to live.

It’s about choosing to live with faith.

Psalm 23 shows David chooses to live. And when I say, “live, ” I am not just referring to living in terms of life and death. It is more than breathing and being physically alive. I mean living a life with trust and faith. And that is the life David chooses. A life trusting God even amind danger, and fear. 

Let’s revisit the Psalm:

Psalm 23

23:1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;

23:3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.

23:4 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.

23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

23:6 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.

David wrote this during a time when he was not yet king. God had chosen David, but King Saul was still on the throne — and he wasn’t ready to give it up. Saul grew jealous of David, even threatened. He used his power to hunt David down and tried to kill him.

So David fled. He hid in the wilderness, moving from cave to cave. He was scared. He was alone. Life felt out of control. There was a disconnect between the promise God had given him and the reality he faced.

And life in the wilderness was hard. Food and water were scarce. There were no green pastures or still waters to rest beside. It was a desert — physically and spiritually. David was walking winding, treacherous paths with no clear direction, just trying to live–survive.

Now imagine you are David.

I know — it’s hard to imagine yourself as a Middle Eastern boy being hunted in a Syrian desert. But try. Close your eyes.

You have nothing with you. You’re on the run, unsure where to find safety, unsure how to get food or water. You don’t know where you can lie down in peace. Looking around brings no comfort — only fear.

But when night falls and you finally rest your head, you wonder: What happened to the plan God had for me? You were told you’d be king, but this — this doesn’t look like the path to a throne. You’re alone, poor, hungry, thirsty, and homeless. So miserable. So doomed. 

That was David’s reality.

But was that what David believed about himself and his life?

No. A big, absolute no.

Why not?

Because David had faith. He had trust in God.

So he wrote this poem.

Psalm 23

23:1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;

23:3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.

23:4 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.

23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

23:6 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.

David believed the Lord would always be his shepherd.David believed that as long as he kept his faith, he lacked nothing.David believed God would restore his weary, wounded soul.

David trusted that God would guide him even when the path looked crooked.David trusted that evil wouldn’t win — not because evil didn’t exist, but because God was with him.David didn’t have to kill Saul to become king; he trusted God would take care of his enemies.

David trusted that God’s goodness and mercy — not his enemies — would follow him.David knew that no matter where he was — in a royal palace or a cave — he lived in the house of the Lord.

Now, it might be a little late to mention this, but today is Mother’s Day! Happy Mother’s Day!

You know, the Bible was written in a time when men dominated language, so God is often referred to as He. But that doesn’t mean God is male. That was simply the convention of the time.

In fact, there are places in the Bible where God is described with female imagery — even referred to as She. But that’s a message for another day.

Today, let’s remember: God is also our Mother.

So Mother’s Day isn’t just for women with children.

It’s for men, for women who don't have children, for those who chose not to have children, for those who longed for children but couldn’t have them. It’s for those who don’t fit into any gender or category.

Mother’s Day, today, is for all of us — because it’s a day given by our Mother God.

And God has a gift for you.

A gift no one else can give.

It’s the life David describes in Psalm 23.

A life where God becomes your Shepherd. A life where God provides for you. A life where God protects and guides you. A life where God loves you — and teaches you to love others. A life where you can wake up each morning knowing that goodness and mercy will follow you.

That’s the life God wants for you.

And it’s a gift.

You don’t have to earn it. You don’t have to prove you’re worthy. God gives it — because God loves you.

So how will you respond?

Will you open your arms and say thank you? Will you say, “I trust you — you are my God”? Will you make God your home?