A Rod and a Staff They Comfort Me

A Rod and a Staff They Comfort Me

a dream of heaven on earth 

(Psalm 23 interpreted for fishermen by Dr. Roy E. Howard)

A rod and a staff they comfort me.

No one asked for my resume.
No one asked me sing or play.
No one asked me where I had been.
No pay was needed to get in.

1. A smile in my face, a loving embrace,
A kiss and a laugh, and a sturdy walking staff.
A rod and a staff they comfort me.

2. A friendly, "hello" with eyes all aglow.
A wave and a nod and a rugged fishing rod.
A rod and a staff they comfort me.

3.  The pastures are green, enough the cuisine.
The waters are still, I can drink to my fill.
A rod and a staff they comfort me.

4.  Love all that you see and soon you will be
Where war is no more, and your cup is running o'er.
A rod and a staff they comfort me.
A rod and a staff they comfort me.

Psalm 23

 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
 4 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.
 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
 6 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.



"Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." 1 Peter 1:22

"Let us not forget Paul's wise urging when he said 'confirm' our love to those around us, especially to those who may be swallowed up in sadness (see 2 Corinthians 2:7-8).  Peter said much the same thing . . . In the kingdom our capacity to love is crucial because we live in a time when 'the love of men shall wax cold' (D&C 45:27).  We must do all we  can to see that that doesn't happen between leaders and people in this church"  (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, p. 606).

I dreamed of the high school class reunion I attended. No one asked me for my resume.  No one asked me to sing or play an instrument. No one asked me where I had been the past 45 years.  I did not even have to pay to get in.  Everyone was smiling and hugging and glad to see each other.  There was no judgement, no resentments, no regrets.  In my dream, I imagined that this must be what heaven is like.  Then I awoke and thought, we should live now as if we were in heaven.  I added those thoughts to my one fishing photo of me carrying a fishing rod and a staff to safely cross the river.  I was suprised to see that I had composed a song that carries so well the message of Psalm 23.  When I fish, a rod and staff comfort me.  The Psalmist used the same words to convey to his shepherding culture that God will lead and comfort us.  So, if we are to live now for heaven, let's all use our rods, our staffs, or whatever it takes to care for one another.
Roy E. Howard, composer