Chew Thoroughly
May 11, 2025 Fourth Sunday of Easter
Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church
Genesis 2:4-7 and Psalm 23
“Chew Thoroughly”
Douglas T. King
A Jesuit priest shares the following, “I read the obituaries every day in the Los Angeles Times. I note the year the deceased was born and think, Wow. He’s ten years younger than me, or, He’s my age. I can’t help myself. I noticed one recently, featuring a bright, smiling face of a man in his forties. ‘Matthew Charles Slay of Trinidad, CA, passed away last week following a brief and courageous battle with an oversized piece of steak.’ I immediately thought it was a prank. Apparently, many readers felt the same. Matt’s younger brother, Chris, wrote the obit. And it was whimsical and tender and filled with charming details about the life of his brother. Matt loved reptiles as a kid. Science fiction/fantasy was his thing. Affectionate and warm, the obit oddly galvanized the readers of the LA Times. A subsequent article was written about how it drew people in and together.
“Matt choked on a piece of steak, and those with him performed the Heimlich maneuver to no avail…The obituary ends this way: ‘In lieu of flowers, please cut your food into bite-sized pieces and chew it thoroughly.’” (Boyle, p. 164-66)
You may fairly be asking what this offbeat and poignant obituary might have to do with our reading from the twenty-third psalm. The first thought might be to connect it to the unfortunate death of Matt. After all, the twenty-third psalm has become a beloved go-to reading at memorial services. In fact it has become so connected to memorial services that it runs the risk of solely being associated with consoling us at times of death and pointing to life after death. But we do the psalm disservice if we limit its context to that. It is a psalm that speaks passionately to how we live and how we are called to live.
This is brought clearly to light when we look at the third verse, “he restoreth my soul.” One scholar notes that the word “soul,” in “the Hebrew nefesh means ‘life breath,’ “and while it is usually translated as ‘soul,’ the phrase is stronger than ‘restores my soul’ suggests. A nice, hot bubble bath restores my soul. Without nefesh, humans are not alive. Verse 3 is a description of divine CPR, where God brings us back to life.” (Glass, p 237)
In our text from Genesis this morning we heard of God forming humanity from the dust of the earth and breathing life into us. Christian mystics often say that every breath we take is breathed into us by the divine. The Holy Spirit is flowing in and out of us in every moment of our existence. And the twenty-third psalm eloquently speaks to this reality. It is much more about life than about death. It speaks of the abundance of blessings continually bestowed upon us. We receive comfort and anointing, and goodness and mercy all the days of our lives, even in the challenging days when we face our adversaries.
Two months ago our Monday Music and More children walked the labyrinth. Some of the younger ones walked it with a parent. One young boy made the circuitous journey hand in hand with his mom. The labyrinth includes a ton of twists and turns. A momentary loss of focus and one can easily wander off the path. At one point the young boy did just that. He made a random wrong turn which would not lead him to the center. But mom’s hand was there to guide him back on to the path. They took every step of the journey together and made it to their destination together. The young boy was delighted and his mom was delighted in him. I watched the whole scene unfold and imagined a reading of the twenty-third psalm accompanying it.
I do not know if that young boy had any idea of how much his mom was helping him make the journey. But I think for most of us, we vastly underestimate how deeply God’s Spirit is sustaining us through our days. It would serve us well to begin each day with a recitation of the twenty-third psalm; to be reminded that every breath we take is God restoring us, refreshing us, re-enlivening us. Divine CPR.
In response to this story about the obituary the Jesuit priest writes of how it shaped him and how he faces the challenges of his day. “A new mantra has arrived, I walk from my car to the office, bracing myself for the onslaught of hundreds of…” people “wanting my undivided attention. And I want to savor every breath that delights in them. So I breathe in the Spirit that delights in my being, and I exhale in their direction. All the while, breathing in the mantra, ‘chew thoroughly.’” (Boyle, p. 165)
Each bite of life, each breath, is to be savored. Obviously, easier said than done. Life is too often a clutter of minor annoyances and challenges stacked one upon another. But with each breath of the journey, God is giving us life and delighting in us the way in which that mother delighted in her son.
When we do not “chew thoroughly” we sleepwalk through our days. You know those days when you are so busy running through your routine that it is all simply a mindless churn. Or those days that feel like a long, slow slog of boredom. The world feels two-dimensional and flat. We experience nothing that is miraculous or wondrous or even remotely awe-inspiring. All our senses and feelings are muted, as if they were wrapped in layers of cotton. When we walk through a day like that we might as well be dead. Too many of those days in a row are truly fearful.
When we allow ourselves to “chew thoroughly;” to be present in the moment; to be reminded that this moment is a gift given to us by the God that delights in us; we embody the twenty-third psalm and the rich gift it can be for us. When we recognize that life is a series of bite-sized moments, each and every one of which includes us being gently revived and led by the Holy Spirit’s guiding hand, there is truly nothing to ever fear.
As you have seen, we have printed the words of the twenty-third psalm on the cover of the bulletin this morning. Let’s recite it together and allow it to breathe fresh life into us, revive us, inspire us, and shape us in every moment of our lives.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside still waters.
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: 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.”
Chew thoroughly.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Boyle, Gregory, Cherished Belonging, Avid Reader Press,
New York, 2024.
Glass, Marci Auld, Connections: Year C, Volume 2, WJKP,
Louisville, 2018.
Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church
Genesis 2:4-7 and Psalm 23
“Chew Thoroughly”
Douglas T. King
A Jesuit priest shares the following, “I read the obituaries every day in the Los Angeles Times. I note the year the deceased was born and think, Wow. He’s ten years younger than me, or, He’s my age. I can’t help myself. I noticed one recently, featuring a bright, smiling face of a man in his forties. ‘Matthew Charles Slay of Trinidad, CA, passed away last week following a brief and courageous battle with an oversized piece of steak.’ I immediately thought it was a prank. Apparently, many readers felt the same. Matt’s younger brother, Chris, wrote the obit. And it was whimsical and tender and filled with charming details about the life of his brother. Matt loved reptiles as a kid. Science fiction/fantasy was his thing. Affectionate and warm, the obit oddly galvanized the readers of the LA Times. A subsequent article was written about how it drew people in and together.
“Matt choked on a piece of steak, and those with him performed the Heimlich maneuver to no avail…The obituary ends this way: ‘In lieu of flowers, please cut your food into bite-sized pieces and chew it thoroughly.’” (Boyle, p. 164-66)
You may fairly be asking what this offbeat and poignant obituary might have to do with our reading from the twenty-third psalm. The first thought might be to connect it to the unfortunate death of Matt. After all, the twenty-third psalm has become a beloved go-to reading at memorial services. In fact it has become so connected to memorial services that it runs the risk of solely being associated with consoling us at times of death and pointing to life after death. But we do the psalm disservice if we limit its context to that. It is a psalm that speaks passionately to how we live and how we are called to live.
This is brought clearly to light when we look at the third verse, “he restoreth my soul.” One scholar notes that the word “soul,” in “the Hebrew nefesh means ‘life breath,’ “and while it is usually translated as ‘soul,’ the phrase is stronger than ‘restores my soul’ suggests. A nice, hot bubble bath restores my soul. Without nefesh, humans are not alive. Verse 3 is a description of divine CPR, where God brings us back to life.” (Glass, p 237)
In our text from Genesis this morning we heard of God forming humanity from the dust of the earth and breathing life into us. Christian mystics often say that every breath we take is breathed into us by the divine. The Holy Spirit is flowing in and out of us in every moment of our existence. And the twenty-third psalm eloquently speaks to this reality. It is much more about life than about death. It speaks of the abundance of blessings continually bestowed upon us. We receive comfort and anointing, and goodness and mercy all the days of our lives, even in the challenging days when we face our adversaries.
Two months ago our Monday Music and More children walked the labyrinth. Some of the younger ones walked it with a parent. One young boy made the circuitous journey hand in hand with his mom. The labyrinth includes a ton of twists and turns. A momentary loss of focus and one can easily wander off the path. At one point the young boy did just that. He made a random wrong turn which would not lead him to the center. But mom’s hand was there to guide him back on to the path. They took every step of the journey together and made it to their destination together. The young boy was delighted and his mom was delighted in him. I watched the whole scene unfold and imagined a reading of the twenty-third psalm accompanying it.
I do not know if that young boy had any idea of how much his mom was helping him make the journey. But I think for most of us, we vastly underestimate how deeply God’s Spirit is sustaining us through our days. It would serve us well to begin each day with a recitation of the twenty-third psalm; to be reminded that every breath we take is God restoring us, refreshing us, re-enlivening us. Divine CPR.
In response to this story about the obituary the Jesuit priest writes of how it shaped him and how he faces the challenges of his day. “A new mantra has arrived, I walk from my car to the office, bracing myself for the onslaught of hundreds of…” people “wanting my undivided attention. And I want to savor every breath that delights in them. So I breathe in the Spirit that delights in my being, and I exhale in their direction. All the while, breathing in the mantra, ‘chew thoroughly.’” (Boyle, p. 165)
Each bite of life, each breath, is to be savored. Obviously, easier said than done. Life is too often a clutter of minor annoyances and challenges stacked one upon another. But with each breath of the journey, God is giving us life and delighting in us the way in which that mother delighted in her son.
When we do not “chew thoroughly” we sleepwalk through our days. You know those days when you are so busy running through your routine that it is all simply a mindless churn. Or those days that feel like a long, slow slog of boredom. The world feels two-dimensional and flat. We experience nothing that is miraculous or wondrous or even remotely awe-inspiring. All our senses and feelings are muted, as if they were wrapped in layers of cotton. When we walk through a day like that we might as well be dead. Too many of those days in a row are truly fearful.
When we allow ourselves to “chew thoroughly;” to be present in the moment; to be reminded that this moment is a gift given to us by the God that delights in us; we embody the twenty-third psalm and the rich gift it can be for us. When we recognize that life is a series of bite-sized moments, each and every one of which includes us being gently revived and led by the Holy Spirit’s guiding hand, there is truly nothing to ever fear.
As you have seen, we have printed the words of the twenty-third psalm on the cover of the bulletin this morning. Let’s recite it together and allow it to breathe fresh life into us, revive us, inspire us, and shape us in every moment of our lives.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside still waters.
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: 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.”
Chew thoroughly.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Boyle, Gregory, Cherished Belonging, Avid Reader Press,
New York, 2024.
Glass, Marci Auld, Connections: Year C, Volume 2, WJKP,
Louisville, 2018.
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