'He refreshes my soul' 

My familiarity with Psalm 23 had blinded me to its depths, writes Jeannie Kendall. Writing this book has yielded so many surprises, full of theological depth and personal challenge

Recently I had a book launch for my fourth book, on Psalm 23. One of the questions I always get asked on those occasions is ‘How do you get the ideas for your books’? Perhaps other writers are the same – let me know! Each time the initial spark has come in very different ways.

The answer to that question this time was ‘The local church and a ministers’ conference’. Back in 2023 I was asked by my home church to preach on a small part of the psalm, ‘He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul’. At first, I was a bit daunted. It was such a small section, and the psalm is so familiar, even to those with no faith. It was used at the wedding and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, by George Bush after the terrible events of 9/11, and appears in several genres of music, from the rapper Coolio to the theme song for The Vicar of Dibley.

But the more deeply I delved, the more intrigued I became as I realised there was so much more to the psalm. My familiarity with it had blinded me to its depths.

I therefore decided that I would adopt the psalm as my theme when I had the privilege of being a speaker at the NWBA ministers’ conference in March 2024. Recently someone said to me ‘That was brave, using something so familiar to ministers!’ Fortunately, that thought had not occurred to me at the time.

At the end of the conference someone came up to me and said ‘I suppose that is your next book?’ I must have looked at him incredulous, because it had not even crossed my mind, but it was definitely one of those ‘God moments’. Those talks were reworked (for a much broader readership) and became ‘He Refreshes My Soul’.

It is perfect either for individual or group use: each chapter has both questions and ideas for creative activities, and there are suggestions for small group use at the back. The creative suggestions are because I have become much more aware of how differently we are wired, which I’m not sure we always recognise enough in our own faith journeys or in the ways we seek as churches to help people grow. Such differences are a gift which should be treasured.

Writing this book has yielded so many surprises for me. I have been challenged, as someone who although supposedly retired is always busy, about the true meaning of rest. I had to think deeply about how God laying a table in the presence of my enemies could be anything other than uncomfortable and by the concept of thanking our enemies for what they have taught us.

Perhaps one of the discoveries that has particularly remained with me was in linking the rod and staff with Ezekiel 20:37 where God talks about passing his people under his rod. One of the uses of the shepherd’s rod was to gently part the wool of the sheep to examine for any blemishes or wounds. It is an intimate picture of both care and challenge. 

Writing this book has changed me. Perhaps for all of us, we would do well to be alert for the whisper, the gentle movement of the Wild Goose of the Spirit, as we read familiar bible passages, showing us something entirely new from something where we thought we already knew its meaning.
 

He Refreshes My Soul was published by Authentic Media on 10 April 2026. It is available from all the usual sources 

Jeannie Kendall is a ‘retired’ minister who fills her time training in pastoral care and leadership, interviewing prospective ministers, preaching and writing. Her current project is a 52 week devotional covering the whole of Luke’s gospel.

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