Tuesday - July 25, 2023

SCRIPTURE Proverbs 8:1-4 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? At the highest point along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; beside the gate leading into the city, at the entrance, she cries aloud: “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. WORDS OF HOPE During a recent time of morning prayer and meditation I found myself struggling with how to face the day. On my mind was a laundry list of questions—Why are things in the world the way they are? What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to feel? What information is true? What is real? And the list went on until finally that still small voiced pierced through my chaotic thoughts and whispered, “what one thing do you need right now/?” This one question erased all the others. I sat with it for what seemed like an eternity thinking about an answer…wisdom. The word wisdom rang out clearly in my head and heart. Though my answer was definitive, upon further reflection it came with more questions…what is wisdom and how do I find it? Wisdom is not knowledge. Wisdom is not truth. Wisdom is what leads us to knowledge and truth. Wisdom is a lens though which we experience life. In one of his daily meditations, Franciscan priest Richard Rohr writes: “One of the keys to wisdom is that we must recognize our own biases, our own addictive preoccupations, and those things to which, for some reason, we refused to pay attention. Until we see these patterns (which is early-stage contemplation), we will never be able to see what we do not see. Without such critical awareness of the small self, there is little chance that any individual will produce truly great knowing or enduring wisdom.” “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind” writes Solomon about wisdom in the above passage in Proverbs. It struck me when reading this and then thinking about the words of Richard Rohr that it is not wisdom itself that we seek; she is there before us at all times. But rather, we must seek to find a space for wisdom to dwell within. Those biases that we carry, the judgement that we harbor, the meaningless distractions that we allow to punctuate our days, the false sense of comfort we seek in worldly things all take away from the place where wisdom desires to live and grow. In Chapter 3 of Proverbs, Solomon writes, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge God, and God will make straighter your paths.” This is where I find myself right now, learning to trust in a bigger way. Amidst all that is going on around us, we must maintain our trust in God remembering that our thoughts are not God’s thoughts and God’s thoughts are not ours. PRAYER Loving God, help me to navigate my days not relying solely on my own limited understanding, but trusting in your infinite wisdom. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE I Corinthians 1:27-29 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. WORDS OF HOPE Being a fan of the works of Aaron Sorkin (think The West Wing, A Few Good Men, Moneyball, The Newsroom), I find myself wishing I could wake up one morning with the rapid-fire dialogue plus the witty and intellectual banter of one of his characters. Particularly in academic situations, I want to have the banter of President Josiah Bartlett or Anchorman Will McAvoy. Instead, I wake up as the same old me. Writing better than I speak, I can’t recall names when I want to and struggle to put together coherent sentences in the moment. If scripture ever had an Aaron Sorkin character, it would be the Apostle Paul. He is classically trained, a citizen of Rome, well-traveled, and able to debate among the Greeks and in the Synagogue. Yet here, in 1 Corinthians, Paul makes the assertion that the message of the cross is “foolishness” and “a stumbling block” and “a weakness”. He offers a radical redefinition of value and meaning. While human wisdom often seeks logical explanations and strength, Paul insists that God's plan operates on a different plane, one that subverts worldly expectations. Paul asks rhetorically, “Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law?” and argues that God has made the wisdom of the world foolish. This is not a rejection of intellect, but rather a critique of pride and self-reliance. The Jews want miraculous signs, the Greeks want solid philosophic thought. Instead, Paul presents a “Christ crucified” which makes no sense to either group. This inversion is intentional. God does not conform to human categories or expectations but acts through ‘foolish’ means to fulfill God’s purposes. While human wisdom often seeks logical explanations and strength, Paul insists that God's plan operates on a different plane, one that subverts worldly expectations.  I still want to wake up one morning with the witty banter of an Aaron Sorkin character. But even more so, I wake up every morning knowing of God’s good grace and humbly accepting that God’s wisdom is greater than anything I could imagine. PRAYER Lord, help me to trust in the wisdom of Your cross, even when it seems foolish to the world. Teach me to boast only in You, knowing that my strength and salvation come from Your grace alone. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs

SCRIPTURE Habakkuk 1: 1-3 How long oh Lord, must I cry out for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you “VIOLENCE” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife and conflicts abound. WORDS OF HOPE One evening after watching a news report where folks were being arrested at a peaceful demonstration, I literally said out loud, “Really God, where are you during this absolute insanity of injustice? Are you just going to idly sit by and let the destruction happen?” I wondered if I could stay where I am, keep the faith and maintain my calm. While researching the Bible for the answers, I discovered it’s full of folks who felt the same way and found this current situation in our world is really nothing new.  In my quest for biblical support, I found solidarity and optimism in the story of Habakkuk. He wrestled with this problem as all around him injustice and fear were running rampant. He too was infuriated by how the wicked always seemed to prosper. He felt like God was just hanging out, doing nothing about all the evil happening around him, and after all, wasn’t that God’s job! So, he cried out as well and petitioned God to do something and stop the chaos. It’s a remarkable story about faith, patience, and God’s timing. In the end, God declares he will deal with evil and restore justice. Habakkuk learns to trust God and live by faith, even in the face of adversity. His experience reminds us though the world may be filled with evil and suffering, God's ultimate plan of justice will triumph even when things seem uncertain or difficult. This includes both the punishment of the wicked and the restoration of the righteous. While I unequivocally believe God will prevail, I am just wondering…..God, could you please hurry? PRAYER Creator God of ALL, give us the stamina to maintain our faith, the courage to stand up to adversity and the wisdom to know your word will prevail! In Jesus name, Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donna Jackson

SCRIPTURE Proverbs 26:20 NIV Without wood a fire goes out. WORDS OF HOPE The Serenity of Silence Today is Juneteenth, the day slaves in Texas finally learned they were free long after the end of the chaos of the Civil War. Today many African Americans gather in silent prayer to honor the occasion. Silence is not the absence of chaos but the presence of control. Rage is chaotic, so too is lust; neither of which need sound to be present. To quiet the storms in our hearts, we need only bring order to the confusion. One can stay silent only by showing restraint. A teacher should instruct by considering what she or he says. Every manner of thought passes through the mind, every kind of emotion is felt in the heart, but if each thought were said and every emotion expressed, then even in sleep there would be no rest. Silence bridals the tongue and reins in the heart. It does not always stop the fire within, but it keeps the fire from spreading. Consider silence when you do not know what to say. It is better to say nothing than it is to say the wrong thing. How good it is to sleep in peace. It is hard to sleep under a bridge while a train is passing by. Likewise, let your words offer the listener rest and try your best not to argue. Anger without control ruins relationships but anger with control sees the end of it. There are times when we cannot stay silent, for a pot will boil over if the lid is kept on for too long. However, if we are patient and wise, then we will choose the manner in which we speak and the time. Many monks meditate in silence. Some have found silence so valuable that they even take a vow of silence, meaning that they live their entire lives without speaking. Perhaps, this is the reason why they never go to war. How can there be a fire with nothing to burn or how can there be an argument without words? Quiet places are quite peaceful. There is music all around us, and we can hear it only if we are listening. PRAYER Gentle Spirit, Teach us wisdom. Help us to understand. Some of us do not know peace. Grant us the serenity of silence. Let our minds be at rest and our hearts be still. Bless You, for always making a way. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE Daniel 1: 11-16 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So, the guard took away their choice of food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. WORDS OF HOPE During the Babylonian exile, the Hebrews adopted a lot of customs and learnings from the Babylonians. This story of Daniel, the same one who was rescued from the “lion’s den” is one I never really examined, but it contains an interesting nutritional observation. Daniel, in his quest to keep what we now call the Kosher Laws refused to eat the food provided and insisted on a diet of simple vegetables and water. Not surprisingly after a few weeks, he was healthier than the others who had been eating what was most likely non-kosher meals and meat, I would guess pork. It’s a biblical argument for a vegetarian diet, but more importantly, it is an illustration of how Daniel followed his traditions as the others adopted those of the Babylonians. Not everything about a new culture is positive, nor is it negative. It is just new, and as such may or may not be a good thing. The story reminds me to be open to new experiences and ideas but to not discard all my old ones. After all the old ones got me this far. PRAYER May we always be open to new ideas yet still be guided by God’s grace and wisdom. DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman