Retreat to Psalm 23: Louisiana District Women’s Conference

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Retreat to Psalm 23: Louisiana District Women’s Conference

April 30, 2007

By Shirley McDonald and Joy Williams

For the 2007 Louisiana District Women’s Conference on April 12–13, 2007, the platform of the tabernacle of the Louisiana UPCI Campgrounds was transformed into a beautiful and serene hillside where one could easily imagine a shepherd tending his sheep.

The conference began with harpist Stephanie Gibbs playing her harp. It ended with the praise singers singing Psalm 23—and in between was an in-depth look at each verse of this well-known and comforting psalm through media presentations, panel discussions, singing, dramatic interpretation, and messages. Each of the three services focused on specific verses, with the psalm being divided into three focus areas: serenity, restoration, and anointing.

Serenity

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters” (Psalm 23:1-2).

A narrated media presentation related the psalmist’s words to our daily lives, drawing at times from W. Phillip Kellers’ A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. The presentation was played throughout the conference, broken into segments that were then explained or expounded upon by previously mentioned methodologies. This first section of the media presentation focused upon a shepherd’s care and love for his sheep and the difference between our wants and our needs. Bro. Kevin Cox then led the entire congregation in a prayer of repentance for the too-often times when we “want” too many material things.

A dramatic interpretation of praise and worship to a choral rendition of “Heavenu Shalom Alechem” emphasized that our Shepherd will make us to lie down in green pastures. This first night ended with a panel discussion and a message by Sis. Mickey Mangun of the various ways water is crucial to our spiritual growth. Some of these were:

Rushing water will smooth rough edges.
Salt makes one thirsty.
One cannot drink water while talking; sometimes we have to be quiet and listen to the Shepherd’s voice while drinking of the Living Water.
Do we allow the Living Water to satisfy or quench our thirst?
We cannot allow ourselves to become dehydrated by lacking the Living Water. Dehydration leads to many physical and mental problems, and ultimately to death.

Restoration

“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies” (Psalm 23:3-5a).

The second session on Friday morning focused on restoration, with one speaker saying that too often there is a misconception that we dare not have a problem when we have the Holy Ghost. Through the media presentation, personal testimonies, and a panel discussion, these thoughts were expressed:

The closer you are to the Shepherd, the safer you are.
Jesus paid the price for our salvation; we must pay the price for our effectiveness.
God will not force us to be on the potter’s wheel; we can jump off any time we want.
Restoration takes time and intentionality.
Will your faith outlast God’s silence in the valley?
So often we say, “I’d love to walk the paths of righteousness, but first I have to go to the grocery.”
Look for ways to walk the paths of righteousness in your “to do” list (i.e., Good Samaritan). The “to do” list is your ministry.
There are seasons in your life; the path of righteousness will take you in different ways in different seasons (caring for a newborn versus the empty nest versus caring for an aging parent).
Sheep are most vulnerable in the valley. We are most vulnerable to spiritual death during transition times.
We must totally trust the Shepherd; He has chosen the path. We must not stray off on our own.
God manifests His staying power through those who remain faithful through the valley of the shadow of death experiences.
The rod is a weapon of defense and a tool of comfort, as well as a method of discipline. The staff is used to gently lift a newborn lamb and guide the older sheep. Neither the rod nor the staff was intended to beat the sheep, but was to be used primarily as a defense from predators.

Bro. T. F. Tenney was the final speaker of the restoration session. Saying that the Shepherd leads us to the table, he compared the table (Psalm 23:5) to the Passover, commenting that “When you are under the blood, even an angel cannot cross the bloodline, and certainly not the devil!” In the physical realm, blood stains, but in the spiritual, blood cleanses, proving that God doesn’t always make sense to us.

Relating this table to the Lord’s Supper, Bro. Tenney explained that we Christians partake of Communion in remembrance of our Lord and that none of us are worthy (“unworthily” describes an attitude, he said), the entire congregation was invited to partake of Communion. What a beautiful sight to see hundreds of women praying and consecrating their lives to God as they remembered our Savior’s death.

Anointing

“Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Psalm 23: 5b-6).

The highlight of the last service was Sis. Thetus Tenney’s hands-on preparation of “an oil of holy ointment,” using the recipe given to Moses in Exodus 30:23-25. Explaining the significance of each of the ingredients in this oil, she measured and poured the ingredient into a bowl. For example, the main ingredient was olive oil, which was native to the Holy Land and essential to survival as it was used for food, light, protection, and healing of wounds. Another ingredient was myrrh; although myrrh is fragrant, it is sometimes bitter. However, when mixed with the oil, the bitterness is diluted, just as bitterness in our lives is often diluted by the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit.

Admonishing the attendees not to underestimate the anointing of the oil, Sis. Tenney then invited us to receive a vial of oil from hostesses stationed around the tabernacle. Bro. Tenney led the congregation in prayer, as we anointed our foreheads with the oil. The sweet presence of God filled the tabernacle as we sought the anointing of God upon our lives.

Bro. Dan Rigdon told us that where God is, goodness and mercy are there also. He spoke on the blessings of goodness and mercy following us as we follow the Shepherd. The grand finale of the conference was a powerful rendition of Psalm 23 in song by the praise singers.

What a wealth of information, inspiration, and encouragement was offered to those who attended “Retreat to Psalm 23.” How comforting to know that our Shepherd cares about us and will walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death and lead us beside those still waters when our soul is weary.

Mark your calendar and make plans to attend the next Louisiana Women’s Conference to be held on April 23 and 24, 2009.

ninetyandnine.com

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Shirley McDonald and Joy Williams are sisters. They and cousin Theresa Huff attended the Women’s Conference this year, the first time they had been together for a weekend in many years. Contrary to what their family imagines, they were extremely dignified the entire weekend.