Psalm 23 — A Singer’s Paraphrase
In this blog post, Bruce Metzler paraphrases the familiar and dearly loved Psalm 23 to imagine God as a music director. The photograph he chose to accompany his writing was taken at Killarney Lake on Bowen Island. The scene relates well to the sense of calm and peace that the text evokes. We join our hearts with all those who are working and waiting for lasting peace.
photograph by Bruce Metzler
by Bruce Metzler
God is my music director.
My life is filled with song.
In the soft passages of the music
and in the pauses of silence
I find peace and comfort.
My spirit is caressed and calmed.
When the music is complex or frantic
God’s gracious but firm guiding hands
keep me in right rhythm, tempo, and volume
and I am able to keep on singing.
When fortune’s chances,
the angry noise of the world,
or my own ego
threaten to drown out the music,
God’s prompting calls me back
and the song swells again until I am renewed in its beauty.
Whether I am called to sing solo or duet
to be a part of God’s chorus
or just to listen,
the peace, beauty, and majesty of the music
and the loving guidance are constant.
And the song will never die.
Bruce Metzler
says, "I am a 77-year-old retiree living in Vancouver, BC. Singing has been an important part of my life since I was in elementary school. For most of my life I have been involved in choral singing and I have been fortunate to have worked with talented and inspirational choir directors. Music is also an important part of my spiritual journey—in my prayer time and on retreats. This paraphrase came about as the result of an exercise while I was on a silent retreat at the Rivendell Retreat Centre."
