Psalm 23 (NIV) -“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his nameʼs sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.“

The psalm is about how God is present with us (v. 4). There is comfort when we are in God’s presence. It doesn’t matter what we may face in life. We have a Good Shepherd who is with us leading us through. We are not alone. God is with us. Because of this reality, we lack nothing but have everything in Christ : green pastures, peaceful streams, comfort, protection, victory, blessing, love, and a place in God’s house. This truth is ultimately fulfilled in Christ/ Immanuel (God with us) and the indwelling Spirit. In Old Testament language, God “hears” us and “remembers” us wherever we are. Pastoral care is about being a reminder of this truth by our constantly remembering and hearing the person cared for. Furthermore, the emphasis is not so much on what we do, though doing things is important. The emphasis is on our being. Who we are as we are doing things. We are those that have encountered the Good Shepherd and his constant care in our lives. Therefore, we care for others with the same care we have received, pointing them ultimately to Christ as their Good Shepherd. Through our presence with the people, may they ultimately experience the presence of Jesus the Good Shepherd.

1) Spend some time praying the words of this psalm over your life. As you do, may you receive the comfort of the Good Shepherd who is right there with you. The Word of God is true. Believe it as you read it and pray it until your thoughts are aligned with the biblical reality of Psalm 23.
2) Spend some time praying that you would have greater pastoral presence in the lives of those that you are trying to love in Christ (i.e. that through us, they would be reminded of and experience Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior, and Shepherd of their lives).
3) Suggested Worship Song : I am not alone https://youtu.be/I2oel0_Xa54

-CR

Note: This article was updated January 27, 2017. 

Donald Trump will be sworn in as the next president of the United States on January 20 after losing the popular vote but winning the Electoral College. Thomas Schaller, professor and chair of political science, recently joined WEAA’s The Marc Steiner Show to discuss the origins of the Electoral College, what it means for the U.S. democracy, and how the election results reflect the U.S. population today.  

“The Founding Fathers, I think in one of the most ironic twists of the Electoral College…really didn’t think it would necessarily be the…final selection mechanism,” Schaller said on the program. “In a way, they envisioned the Electoral College often working like the nomination processes do now.”

He suggested the founders’ intent was to use the Electoral College as a process for winnowing down the field to a few top contenders, with presidential elections ultimately being sent to the House of Representatives for a vote if none of these more regional candidates claimed a majority.

Schaller also discussed how the Electoral College result in the 2016 presidential election reflects the high degree of partisanship in contemporary American politics. He noted that President Obama carried 44 of the 50 largest counties in 2012, and Hillary Clinton carried 30 of the 35 largest cities, while Donald Trump received, in many cases, 80 percent or higher of the popular vote in white, rural counties.

“We have a situation where all this talk of red America and blue America… We don’t talk to each other,” said Schaller. He suggested, “there is a certain truth to that as we have one America concentrated in the cities and inner suburbs, and we have another America that lives physically far from those areas and maybe psychologically farther from those areas.”

Schaller is an expert in American politics and American political institutions and author of The Stronghold: How Republicans Captured Congress but Surrendered the White House (Yale University Press, 2015) and Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats can Win without the South (Simon and Schuster, 2006). He was joined on the show by David Dayen, contributor to The Nation and the author of Chain of Title: How Three Ordinary Americans Uncovered Wall Street’s Great Foreclosure Fraud.

Listen to the full segment, “Electoral College roundup.”

Update: Ian Anson, an assistant professor of political science, and Nick Miller, professor emeritus of political science, appeared on Maryland Public Television’s “Direct Connection” program to discuss the Electoral College and if there’s any possibility of the system changing in the future. Watch the full segment in the video below. 

Image: Thomas Schaller speaks during the 2016 Post-Election Forum at UMBC. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

Kramer Installation: Fine Art Services

Immediate need of a full-time experienced Art Handler / Installer based in Baltimore, MD. Willing to train the right person.
Part-time positions will also be considered.

Packing / Transporting / Installing Artwork
This position will be responsible for residential and commercial installations with some museum work.