May 3, Easter 4A (Psalm 23; John 10:1–10)

Peter Gomes, gone too soon, was an extraordinary preacher who served as minister of Memorial Church at Harvard University for almost 40 years. I once heard him joyfully confess his frequent response to inquiries concerning his well-being: “I flourish!” Gomes didn’t just answer with the usual “Fine, how are you?” His “I flourish!” I am sure caught many people unfamiliar with the ultralively Gomes off guard.

You will not find the words “I flourish” in Psalm 23 or in Gospel accounts such as John 10 that trumpet the reality of a lavish provider offering more than enough for those in his care. But you will feel the full blast of a flourishing, abundant spirit. We may be tempted to fend off such an idea due to its proximity to a prosperity gospel that bows to the idol god of “more.” Or we may find such spiritually palatable lavishness off-putting in a time when too many have too little and too few have too much. Yet to ignore David’s cup with its contents spilling out all over the place is to dismiss the free, frolicking divinity behind it. Psalm 23 bids that we come to terms with feeling awfully blessed without feeling awful about it.

Feeling fine with flourishing positively and powerfully impacts our overall attitude toward life. Multiple sclerosis forced musician Jacqueline du Pré to stop performing at the age of 28. But by then, she was already regarded as one of the most gifted cellists the world had ever known.