Scripture Focus: Proverbs 12:10
10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
     but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

Reflection: The Spirituality of Bird Feeders
By Erin Newton

When I wake up in the morning, I can hear that the world around me has not slept at all. The sun peeks through the curtains as the Earth slowly spins in orbit. The songs of the birds call me to the window. I see the squirrels rushing from tree to tree. The last remaining leaves rustle in the cold winter breeze.

As I bring in my groceries, the sun stands tall above my head. I hear the call of crows scaring away a pair of hawks. Even when it snows outside, the footprints of the wild bunnies show me that they were passing through my yard at night. An owl lands just out the window. We sit frozen, locked eye to eye.

Before humanity was told to fill this world with our own creations, we were asked to take care of that which God had already made. The first command was to take care of the more ancient citizens of this planet—Nature.

The wisdom in this proverb echoes the call from the dawn of those first few days in Genesis. It was through wisdom that God made all things. Wisdom here is this: The righteous, those who seek to uphold the nature and will of God, tend to the needs of animals.

In some ways, we do a very poor job fulfilling the first request God ever gave to us. We take land and clear it out. Even when we plant, we remove biodiversity with monoculture ecosystems. We limit food sources for wild creatures. We pave paradise.

Jesus told his disciples to consider the ravens: “They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them.” And how? By letting the ground produce plants that will give their seeds and house insects. (Ravens even clear out decomposing rodents—a helpful feature for those of us with sensitive noses and a weak stomach!)

If our first call was to cultivate, to bring this Earth to its fullest potential, then our righteousness should be reflected in our care for creation. It is not unspiritual work to fill up a bird feeder, adopt a pet, or plant flowers for the bees.

We cannot survive this world without our cohabiting creatures. This world is far too big for one person alone to care for them all. We can divide the work and cultivate this world together.

Music:“Feed the Birds,” from Mary Poppins.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Wake up, my spirit; awake lute and harp; I myself will waken the dawn. — Psalm 57.8

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

​Today’s Readings
Proverbs 12 (Listen 3:07) 
Mark 2  (Listen 3:55)

Read more about Cultivating Is Supernatural
A stronger faith, and a greater crop yield comes when we invest in cultivation. Cultivation is not natural. It is supernatural.

https://theparkforum.org/843-acres/cultivating-is-supernatural/

Read more about The Cultivating Life
“Cultivation is supernatural,” but the actions of cultivating faith are not ethereal or fanciful. They are the practical, steady doings of the farmer.

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 10.6-9
6 Blessings crown the head of the righteous, 
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. 
7 The name of the righteous is used in blessings, 
but the name of the wicked will rot. 
8 The wise in heart accept commands, 
but a chattering fool comes to ruin. 
9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, 
but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.

Reflection: The Promise of Proverbs is Change
By John Tillman

Proverbs transitions to the “Proverbs of Solomon” and the format shifts.

Narrative elements and stories disappear, but two characters still walk the stage. Two-lined quips compare and contrast them. “The wicked experience this…the righteous experience that.”

The wicked plot foolishness. The righteous pursue wisdom. The wicked strut with pride. The righteous walk in humility. The wicked are lazy and demanding. The righteous are industrious and merciful. The wicked squeeze the poor for profit. The righteous leverage profits to aid the poor. The wicked enjoy and celebrate violence. The righteous endure violence and use it only in defense of the weak.

These statements reflect the truth, including the brutal and natural reality that the wicked often prosper and the righteous suffer. However, they reveal an underlying supernatural pattern operating in the world—wrongs will be righted.

Satan and sin operate in the world, often with human help, creating suffering and harm. God is merciful and gracious, offering repeated opportunities time after time, for the wicked to repent, yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished. The day of reckoning will come when evil will be wiped out completely.

Until that day, Proverbs shows us smaller days of reckoning. Even if wickedness seems to be racking up successes, it is only running up a tab. And all bills will come due. The mouth that incites waves of violence will drown in them. (Proverbs 10.6) The schemes of the wicked will ensnare them. They will fall into pits they dug themselves. (Proverbs 26.27; 28.18)Reading these proverbs may remind us of news headlines and scandals involving fallen pastors, leaders, and politicians. This is good. We can and should thank God when the wicked fall. It is also good to ask, “Are we supporting leaders of wickedness or righteousness?” because we can become what we support.

We often apply these sayings to others but resist applying them to ourselves. It is crucial to ask, “Are we becoming people of wickedness or righteousness?” What we become can change our world. We must take the logs out of our own eyes. Seeing clearly, we can help others remove specks from their eyes.

Proverbs does not promise that the righteous will never suffer or that we will see every wicked person fall. It promises the possibility of change. It offers us the tools to abandon foolishness and wickedness, become wise and righteous, and take action, affecting our world for good.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence
O Lord, watch over us and save us from this generation forever. — Psalm 12.7

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

​Today’s Readings
Proverbs 10 (Listen 3:34) 
Psalm 40-41 (Listen 3:57)

Read more about Hate Conflict? Love Truth
We must learn to love the truth more than we love living in a false peace built by deceptive, manipulative leaders.

Read The Bible With Us
Your reading plan should be a joy, not a slog. Read the Bible with us at a sustainable, two-year pace.

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 6.12-19
12 A troublemaker and a villain, 
who goes about with a corrupt mouth, 
13 who winks maliciously with his eye, 
signals with his feet 
and motions with his fingers, 
14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart— 
he always stirs up conflict. 
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; 
he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy. 
16 There are six things the Lord hates, 
seven that are detestable to him: 
17 haughty eyes, 
a lying tongue, 
hands that shed innocent blood, 
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, 
feet that are quick to rush into evil, 
19 a false witness who pours out lies 
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. 

Reflection: Hate Conflict? Love Truth
By John Tillman

Many people today are conflict-averse or conflict-avoidant. We cringe when things get tense or walk away, surrender, or stay silent to prevent a conflict. Conflict in a community is horrible, especially within a church community. Division within the church is a division in the body of Christ. It divides what God has united together.

The Lord “hates” a person who stirs up conflict in the community. We are right to mourn division and to hate conflict. When we do, we join our feelings and actions to God’s feelings and actions.

While we mourn division and conflict, we must honestly assess what has happened. What causes division? Who is responsible for stirring up conflict? In Proverbs 6.12-19, it is clear that the deceitful man stirs up the conflict. The deceitful man (or woman) normalizes conflict, conceals conflict, and stigmatizes dissent.

Ahab called Elijah the “troubler” of Israel for stirring up conflict. But Ahab started the trouble and initiated the conflict when he abandoned the Lord and replaced true worship with false worship. (1 Kings 18.16-18) Elijah was labeled a troublemaker when he refused to follow the new normal and exposed Ahab’s false god.

Conflict that is concealed, like sexual abuse or abusive leadership, weaves an illusive false peace. When revelations of truth shatter this false peace, deceitful people often call truth-tellers “troublemakers” and blame them for “stirring up conflict.” It is not unusual for community members to be pulled into this argument, defending the deceivers and abusers and attacking the truth-tellers and victims.

When conflict arises (or is revealed) in our communities, we should hate the conflict, but we must love the truth. Quelling conflict must never come at the cost of the truth. The person the Lord hates is the villain, not the victim.

Beware of corrupt mouths (v12), deceitful hearts (v14), haughty eyes (v17), lying tongues (v17), hands that harm the innocent (v17), and hearts that devise wicked schemes (v18). They will try to convince us to defend them instead of listening to those who speak the truth about them

Not all conflicts are worth having, but we cannot remain conflict-averse or avoidant when victims need our help. We must learn to love the truth more than we love living in a false peace built by deceptive, manipulative leaders.

Revealing the truth is not stirring up conflict. It is the first step toward healing conflict.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, Lord God of hosts; let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me. — Psalm 69.7

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


​Today’s Readings
Proverbs 6 (Listen 3:22)
Psalm 36 (Listen 1:29)

Read more about Ahab and David
Rather than the friendly relationship David had with God and his prophets, Ahab considers Elijah his “enemy.”

Read more about Prophets in Our Path
When an inconvenient prophecy stops us in our tracks…When an ugly truth comes to light…Let us repent.

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 4.5-7
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; 
do not forget my words or turn away from them. 
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; 
love her, and she will watch over you. 
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. 
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Reflection: Wisdom—A Spouse, A Path, A Healer
By John Tillman

The father, instructing his child, compares wisdom to many things. 

Wisdom is like a spouse. (Proverbs 4.6-9) The one who embraces wisdom and is faithful, loving, and devoted will be protected, watched over, exalted, and honored. The greater attention, deference, submission, love, and priority we give to wisdom, the greater protection and blessing she grants to us.

Abandoning wisdom means turning to the arms of other partners who make lofty promises of love but have no desire or ability to follow through. In their arms we will find abuse instead of protection, neglect instead of attention, subjugation instead of exaltation, and shame instead of honor.

Wisdom is like a path. (Proverbs 4.11-19) The path of wisdom is bright and grows brighter as it is traveled. What we learn of God’s wisdom today, leads us to learn greater wisdom tomorrow. Ever brighter, the path leads on and on. It is a straight path, not turning to the right or the left. It is a smooth path, safe to walk and safe to run, with no obstacles or dangers.

The only hazards on the path of wisdom are the many opportunities to wander onto paths leading away from wisdom’s light. These paths stay within wisdom’s sight briefly. Long enough to seem like shortcuts or detours. But soon, downward into darkness they turn, lined with false steps, dark corners, and opportunities for ambush and injury. These paths have twists and switchbacks, always promising better things around the corner, but only delivering more of the same.

Wisdom is like a healer. (Proverbs 4.20-27) Wisdom gives our bodies nourishment for what needs to grow and medicine for what is sick. Through our ears and eyes wisdom brings health to our hearts, our inner being. This inner mental and spiritual health flows to the rest of our life. Our words and our actions are healed and purified. Our sight is sharpened.

Forsaking wisdom is slowly poisoning ourselves. It brings diseased actions, feelings, and thoughts. We sicken from the inside out, unable to scratch what itches or staunch what is bleeding.

Be wisdom’s dutiful patient and experience healing and nourishment of spirit, mind, and body.

Place one foot after another on the penitent pilgrimage of wisdom’s path and find destinations beyond your imagining.

Vow to love wisdom for life as a faithful partner and be filled and satisfied.

Wisdom is calling. Will you answer? Will you be her patient? Her pilgrim? Her spouse?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, God reveals himself in glory.
Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; for God himself is judge. — Psalm 50.2, 6

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.


​Today’s Readings
Proverbs 4 (Listen 2:37)
Psalm 34 (Listen 2:14)

Read more about Wisdom Versus Obedience
Wisdom is mined from a deep relationship with God. It is refined in the crucible of life.

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