The Noontimes

2 Samuel 10: Open to Failure

2 Samuel 10: Open to Failure

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

2Sam-12-David-Attacks-the-Ammonites-m[1] — *Dorè: David Attacks the Ammonites*

We might take a lesson from both David and the Ammonites today; and each of these lessons will save us suffering if we can be open to their message. From the Ammonites who expect insult and war, we see that when we take a bellicose stance, we guarantee our suffering. It seems we humans are often eager to fulfill our own dark hope. Nestled against Israel’s eastern boundary, this tribe may have felt a kind of national inferiority. Along with the Moabites, these descendants of Lot struggled to maintain peace within and along their borders. Rightly or wrongly, the young king Hanun took an aggressive stance against David when he rejected David’s offer of amity and instead sought allegiance against Israel with the Arameans, another small kingdom to the north. All hope for independence is dashed and in the end these Ammonites – whose rudeness stirs the Israelites to revenge – becomes subject to Israel, and the Arameans stand down from their aggressive posture. We can never know if David somehow plotted in hopes that this scheme would bring him a vassal state; but we can easily see that the ultimate outcome for the Ammonites was the same – or perhaps even worse. When we expect insult and take a bellicose stance, we guarantee our suffering.

gerrit-van-honthorst-king-david-playing-the-harp-1611-1156x1407x300[1] — *Van Honthorst: King David Playing the Harp*

The major player in this reading is, of course, David and from him today we might learn: We are most open to failure when we are at our most secure. From the HarperCollins Bible Commentary, “If, on the one hand, we think of the Ammonite war as after the events of chap. 8, we are struck by the rapidity with which what appeared secure has again become a threat. If, on the other hand, we read the war account as a flashback, we may be struck by the irony of the context in which David’s adultery and murder have been set. It is at the very peak of his power, when YHWY is giving him victory wherever he goes (8:14), that the king most conspicuously fails. Security breeds insecurity; success incubates failure. It is as the gift of the kingdom is being made complete that YHWY’s chosen one chooses to grasp most rapaciously what is not his to grasp. In short, it is at his most secure that David turns out to be most open to failure”. (Mays 269)

We know this statement to be true if we take an honest look at our own lives and at the lives of friends and enemies. Cinema and literature reinforce the universal concept that we learn from our mistakes rather than our successes. We also know that we are most conciliatory, most ready to listen, and most open to change when we are faced with multiple obstacles; and that we are most closed, most deaf to common sense, and most eager to control our environment and others when we are at the peak of accomplishment. All of this is perhaps because we have forgotten some central truths: that God is the author of all good, that we can choose to enter into this goodness with God or we can choose reject God in the belief that we alone are responsible for all that has gone well in our lives. In short, it is at our most secure that we turn out to be most open to failure.

In David’s actions and thinking, and in the actions and thinking of the Ammonites, we discover the hidden pitfalls of success and promises of disappointment. We find an openness to failure that is certain to bring great pain and a guarantee of hardship and suffering. None of this suggests that success is something to be avoided or that failure is the mark of holiness. On the contrary, we experience happiness and joy despite our failures and along with our successes at precisely those times when we nurture an openness to God and forego our natural tendency to remain open to failure.

A re-post from September 12, 2011.

For more information about the Ammonites we might take a look at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01431b.htm and http://www.bible-history.com/geography/maps/map_of_ammonites_territory.html. OR https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ammonite

Mays, James L., ed. HARPERCOLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1988. 269. Print.

Images from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gerard_van_Honthorst_-_King_David_Playing_the_Harp_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

October 7, 2025

Ammonites, Arameans, David, failure, Hanun, insult, security, success

John 8:31-59: Throwing Stones

John 8:31-59: Seeing God in the Stones We Want to Throw

Monday, October 6, 2025

Written on September 27, 2007 and posted today as a Favorite . . .

Earlier this week we were looking at how much we trust or do not trust God when he calls us to wade into the quagmire of the world. Today in John we see Jesus speaking with “those Jews who believed in him” about knowing the truth, and how this knowledge will set them free. They answer that the truth they know, the Law they know, comes from Abraham – who also waded into an unknown land with an unknown idea, a truth that was new for his time – that there is one true God, and that this one true God will set them free. These believing Jews question Jesus, hear his words, and do not comprehend them. They are so literal! Jesus explains, coaches, encourages, tells the truth – but in the end, they picked up stones to throw at him. How often do I do this?

In MAGNIFICAT today there is a meditation from John Henry Newman. He writes: A religious mind is ever marveling, and irreligious men laugh and scoff at it because it marvels. A religious mind is ever looking out of itself, is ever pondering God’s words, is ever “looking into” them with the angels, is ever realizing to itself him on whom it depends, and who is the center of all truth and good. Carnal and proud minds are contented with self; they like to remain at home; when they hear the mysteries, they have no devout curiosity to go and see the great sight, though it be ever so little out of their way; and when it actually falls in their path, they stumble at it.

So I am thinking about this and I am realizing that Abraham was called out of his comfort zone and was given the opportunity to see into God’s mystery. He entered into this mystery because he had spiritual curiosity. He responded yes to God’s call, knowing that this response would cause him to leave the protection of what he knew, but that he would also experience something too wonderful to describe or understand – a covenant with his Maker.

Jesus also answers yes to God’s call. He becomes human and wades into humanity, taking great risk, but knowing that he need rely on the Father. And he says this so clearly to these believing Jews; yet, they miss it. They turn away from the mystery – indeed they stumble over it as they pick up the stones they are about to hurl.

Today we ponder God’s words, and I like to think that the angels are peeking over our shoulders as we do so. We delve into footnotes, dig out old notes, listen in the silence for the Word to hum in us as a tone hums in a tuning fork. And if we are patient, we hear the reply to our questions, we feel taken into an embrace which protects yet gives liberty, we feel set free.

May we never pick up stones to hurl. May we never act in such a way that Jesus hides and moves out of the temple area. May we never be contented with self. May we transform our proud selves with the mystery of our God and our creation. May we always have spiritual curiosity. And when we stumble, may we take the time to truly look at what we stumble over. For there will be our God.

Amen.

A re-post from September 11, 2010.

Image from: https://the-fog-blog.com/2017/03/28/throwing-stones/

Cameron, Peter John, Rev., ed. “Meditation of the Day.” MAGNIFICAT. 27 September 2007: 367. Print.

October 6, 2025

Abraham, Jesus, John Henry Newman, spiritual curiosity, stumbling over God, throwing stones

Matthew 9:18-26: The Tassels on Our Cloaks

Matthew 9:18-26: The Tassels on our Cloaks

Sunday, October 5, 2025

In this reading we have a clear sense of the kind of excitement Jesus creates and the energy that moves through him. We see this healing power as something beyond our own selves, something we see or watch and even thrill in but never expect to experience much less wield on our own. Too many times we regard miracles as myth or fantasy, stories that people pass along to one another like little worry dolls that lessen anxiety. And too often we close our eyes to the miracles that happen before us or worse, we declaim them as the result of science or coincidence. We miss the powerful and life-changing truth brought home to us in today’s Noontime: Miracles happen to and for and in us every day. And they have the power to heal others – not only ourselves – as they pass through us.

In this portion of Matthew’s Gospel we see Jesus immersed in a throng of people. Some of them are merely curious about this Jewish teacher; others distrust him and look for tidbits of information to sell to his enemies. And still others are desperate for Jesus’ healing touch like the woman suffering hemorrhages or the synagogue official. They believe so honestly and deeply that they dare to approach him with their request. Mark’s version of this same story elucidates for us (5:21-43). The woman suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all she had searching for a cure. She reaches to touch only the tassel of Jesus’ cloak, and Jesus is aware that the power has gone out of him. A miracle has taken place. When she is called forth, the woman approaches in fear and trembling, and Jesus explains: Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction. Commentary tells us that Mosaic Law prescribed tassels to be worn on the corners of cloaks as reminders of fidelity to that law and we might wonder: Is it possible that a single touch of the tassel dangling from Jesus’ cloak is enough to heal this woman? Can it be that her belief in the possibility of a miracle opens her to receive the power emanating from Christ? Might we be as open to this possibility or are we more doubting than believing?

*Carl Bloch: Jesus Christ Raising the daughte of of Jairus*

The official Jairus also puts aside his fear to ask Jesus’ help. He dares to approach the man condemned by many in his community on the chance that his daughter might be brought back to him. Do not be afraid, Jesus says when word arrives that the child has died. Just have faith. Do we dare to go against the pressures of society to believe that there is more to healing than science? Do we have the courage to publicly ask help of the one who is so powerful that even the tassel on his cloak transmits this incredible curing gift? Might we be as bold in our belief, or are we more fearful than fearless?

The intertwined stories of this high official and the Canaanite woman speak to us clearly, but we must be as open and as bold as these two believers. From the highest to the humblest, we are all so valued by Jesus that he will heal us. From the strongest to the weakest, we are all so precious to Jesus that the simple touch of his cloak will heal us. From the prominent to the insignificant, we are all so loved by Jesus that he wants to bring us back from the death of disbelief to a life in faith with him. And how marvelous it might be if rather than hoard up these special favors we might share them with others as signs of our belief as tassels on our cloaks.

And so we pray . . .

Powerful yet tender Jesus, we know that our lives are intertwined with yours like the warp and weft of the interlocking threads in your miraculous cloak. We ask boldly yet humbly for the marvelous, life-giving and sustaining gift of your miracles. Help us to knit these miracles so powerfully into our lives that our own cloaks emanate your healing touch. Remind us to wear these miracles you grant us like tassels on our cloaks so that we might share the good news that each of us is free to reach out to you each day, and that you are eager to come into our homes and hearts.

Keep us ever open. Keep us constantly bold. And remain with us always as we struggle to believe in you. Amen.

A re-post from September 10, 2011.

Images from: http://pastorfergus.wordpress.com/ and https://fineartamerica.com/featured/jesus-christ-raising-daughter-of-jairus-carl-bloch.html

October 5, 2025

boldness, Canaanite woman, faith, Jairus, Mark 5:21-43, miracles, openness

Psalm 89: Steadfast Love

Psalm 89: Steadfast Love

Saturday, October 4, 2025

Written on March 7 and posted today as a Favorite . . .

Righteousness, justice, faithfulness and steadfast love – these are the tenets of God’s covenant with David and we see steadfast love repeated in this song. This puts me in mind of Paul’s beautiful anthem to love in 1 Corinthians: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know it in part and we prophecy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfection disappears. When I was a child I talked like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

The Mosaic Law has many parts and multiple nuances. The Law that Christ brings, the Law of Love, is but one that supersedes all others; this one law is the perfection of love as we see it lived by Jesus.

In today’s Psalm we see the “creative work of God as a defeat of the powers of chaos.” The references to the north and south signify the entire whole universe. The great height of mounts Tabor and Hermon imply God’s might and omniscience. Steadfast love and faithfulness are “personified here as companions or servants who lead the way of the Lord.” Festal shouts describe the joy of the people. We may be taunted from time to time that God has abandoned us as is the king in this psalm, but we know that it is impossible for God to abandon his creatures. This hymn of praise to the creator himself helps to put us in proper relationship to God; and it reminds us of God’s most salient characteristic that God is steadfast love. (Mays 883-885)

In today’s Gospel from Mark (12:1-12) Jesus reminds us that although he is the cornerstone rejected by builders he will remain faithful and constant. He tells the parable of the farmer who erects a vineyard and wine press and leaves it with tenants to go on a journey. When the master wishes to collect what is due him, his servants and even his son are rejected and even put to death. So too are those who follow Christ; but we are to remain steadfast just as God is steadfast. We are to remain in love, just as Christ remains in love. And we are to sing of God’s steadfast love and proclaim God’s faithfulness to the generations. For this faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. There is no other cornerstone that holds up the heavens and stands firm on the earth. There is no other cornerstone on which to build our faith.

A re-post from September 9, 2011.

Image from: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/reasons-the-steadfast-love-of-the-lord-never-ceases-for-us.html

Mays, James L., ed. HARPERCOLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1988. 883-885. Print.

October 4, 2025

1 Corinthians 13, constancy, faithfulness, justice, Law of Love, love, Mark 12:1-12, Mosaic Law, order out of chaos, rejected cornerstone, righteousness

Luke 9:1-9: God in Their Midst

Luke 9:1-9: God in Their Midst

Friday, October 3, 2025

Written on February 20 and posted today as a Favorite . . .

In his sermon on the mount, Jesus tells us that we are not to throw pearls before swine. We are too precious to throw ourselves away or to allow ourselves to be used up in senseless waste. We walk a fine line between helping others and being abused, between loving those who hate us and enabling those who would use us. Today’s Noontime, and similar descriptions of these words of Jesus in Mark 6:10-11, Matthew 10:12-14, tell us that we are not meant to be doormats. We are to extend God’s peace to others and tell the good news of freedom brought by Christ. If we are rebuffed, we are to shake their dust from our feet in testimony and move on. We are to journey on, witnessing, ministering, hoping, and enacting Christ – even to the point of suffering and death. This death in Christ is not pointless as some would have us think; rather, this dying to Christ causes our enemies to wonder – just as Herod does with Jesus – about our origin, our goal and our mission. If we live our lives as Jesus instructs the twelve today, our enemies may reject us, but they will keep trying to see us. They will keep trying to understand our motivation, our sustenance, and our joy.

Our lives of faith will cause our enemies to wonder about our source of strength and determination – even in the face of overwhelming odds – and this they will want to see and experience for themselves.

Our lives of hope will cause our enemies to wonder about our source of serenity and peace – even in the face of overwhelming cruelty – and this they will want to see and feel for themselves.

Our lives of love will cause our enemies to wonder about our source of compassion and mercy – even in the face of overwhelming pain – and this they will want to see and live for themselves.

Jesus sent the twelve, he sent the seventy, he sent the seventy-two, and he sends us into the world to witness, to cure, to heal, to carry back those who hunger and thirst for the truth. We are part of his mission. We are part of his family. And we will want to act in such a way that those who seek God will look to us and know that through us, they have seen, and touched, and felt the living presence of God in their midst.

A re-post from September 8, 2011.

Image from: http://freegiftfromgod.com/blog/2011/05/jesus-sends-out-the-twelve/

October 3, 2025

faith, Herod, hope, love, Mark 6:10-11, Matthew 10:12-14, modeling Christ

Ezekiel 45:13-17: Offerings

Ezekiel 45:13-17: Offerings

Thursday, October 2, 2025

Written on February 19 and posted today as a Favorite . . .

We have spent time with Ezekiel 45 before but today we focus on the offerings portion – what it is we offer back to God. I am thinking about how much more meaning our lives might have if we were to each day give something back to God that we have produced. What would it be? In our ultra modern, techno-savvy, global, sophisticated way of living, what do we actually make with our hands, hearts and minds? We have come so far from the primitive beings who first inhabited Africa and the Tigris-Euphrates areas of the prehistoric world that I am wondering if we have not tricked ourselves into thinking that we do not need to trust God.

When early tribes were hunters and gatherers, it was clear who and what provided for them. As they followed herds and crops they dealt with drought, deluge, scarcity and plenty. They had to learn how to conserve and share. They had to learn both the basics and complexities of survival, and then they passed these lessons on to their offspring. I am wondering if we have not fooled ourselves into thinking that we have mastered nature and so do not need to rely on God.

Our Western life is worlds away from the poor of the second and third worlds. We may forget that only a small portion of the those of us living on the globe today have running water, enough food for our children, decent clothing and housing, and basic medical care. Now that humanity has made so many advances in the fields of medicine, nutrition, and technology, I am wondering if some of us have made these our gods and have kept ourselves safe while not thinking about others, and I am wondering if we have not deluded ourselves into thinking that we do not need to love God as God exists in each and all of us.

I am wondering if we could each evening bring forth the products of our day in order to place them on the kitchen table as we sit to eat our evening meal if we would recognize what it is we have made. And I am wondering what it is we would offer back to the LORD in gratitude for God’s care for us that day. I am wondering if these offerings would come from our best. I am wondering if these gifts would be found gracious in the eyes of God.

I am wondering . . .

A re-post from September 7, 2011.

Image from: http://jameswoodward.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/harvest/

October 2, 2025

love God, prehistoric versus modern man, rely on God, sophistication versus the primitive, trust God

Zechariah 10: The New Order

Zechariah 10: The New Order

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Written on February 17 and posted today as a Favorite . . .

Golden-Calf[1] — *The Golden Calf – Exodus*

The teraphim are household idols, used for divination but incapable of true healing, redemption, comfort or transformation. Those who have relied on wealth and influence will no longer hold power; change is in the wind. Those who have been led by false shepherds will be visited by the true king; a rout by a new king’s soldiers is predicted. Those who have wandered aimlessly, searching for the true shepherd will be brought back; the exiled will return home; the faithful will be rewarded.

In the Old Testament readings at Mass this week we hear again the story of Noah. God sees how wicked man has become and he regrets having created him. Later he promises to never destroy his creatures again. In the New Testament readings we have seen the supreme patience of Jesus as he continually instructs his followers in the ways of the New Kingdom, the New Covenant, and the New Promise. There is a New Order, yet they struggle to understand. He even rebukes Peter (Mark 8:27-33) and scolds the others for not understanding his feeding of thousands from a few fish and loaves (Mark 8:14-21). These humans God has created seem to believe more in their teraphim than in their God. And we are so like all of these people.

So we pray . . .

Lord God in heaven, Lord God on earth, Lord God within us, Lord God among us, open our eyes that we might see your new order as you opened the eyes of the blind beggar in yesterday’s Gospel (Mark 8:22-26). Open our minds and hearts so that we might better hear your call to newness. Open our lives to you so that we might better understand the new order of your world. Teach us to cease lusting after money and goods. Instruct us in your new way. School us in the ways of the gentle heart and eager mind. Remind us to throw out our tiny household gods and rely firmly and only on you. Visit us with your Spirit. Continue to walk with us as Christ. And harbor us who wander as wretched sheep in the safety of your enormous arms. We ask this each day and every day as we strive to remember who you are, and how much you love us. Amen.

A re-post from September 6, 2011.

Image from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/golden-calf

October 1, 2025

blind beggar, idols, Mark 8, new covenant, Noah, Peter, promises, teraphim

Jeremiah 42: False Solutions

Jeremiah 42: False Solutions

Monday, September 29, 2025

A number of years ago a friend of mine pointed out the tactic that many of us use to go around an obstacle in our path. She called it the geographic solution: When the going gets tough, our instinct is to get out of town. We want to avoid the problem at all costs so rather than sort through the tangled threads of the dilemma, we avoid it and hope that the conflict will magically disappear. This is, of course, false logic. If no one addresses difficulty, we know it will not be overcome. Another friend adds: When you run, you take your problems with you. This is the same warning we hear today from God who speaks to the people of Judah through the prophet Jeremiah: If you remain quietly in this land I will build you up, and not tear you down; I will plant you, not uproot you . .

We enter Jeremiah’s story at the time that the people living in the southern portion of David’s kingdom are frightened. They have witnessed the deportation of those living in the north and, hoping to have bought themselves a bit of safety, they have made unholy alliances with the pagan nations that surround them. To their disappointment, not only do they find themselves threatened by these warring neighbors, they also find that their willingness to accept and even participate in pagan rites and ceremonies has cut them off from Yahweh who had so many times saved them. They have distanced themselves spiritually, mentally and physically from God and rather than take a hard look at an effective reform of their own beliefs and behaviors, they seek the geographic solution. They have begun to believe the myth that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. We remind ourselves, as my friend frequently intones, that: We can run, but we take our problems with us. The people in today’s story do not believe or understand this. Having the benefit of historical perspective, we see that the people of Judah have abandoned their belief that God can and will save them. They do not see what we see – that running from their problems will not improve their predicament.

Jeremiah conveys God’s word: If you disobey the voice of the Lord, your God, and decide not to remain in this land, saying, “No, we will go to Egypt, where we will see no more of war, hear the trumpet alarm no longer, nor hunger for bread; there we will live” . . . the sword you fear shall reach you in the land of Egypt, the hunger you dread shall cling to you no less in Egypt, and there you shall die.

They have forgotten Yahweh’s promise . . . For I am with you to save you, to rescue you . . .

Perhaps they believe they are beyond redemption. If so, they have forgotten another one of Yahweh’s promises . . . For I regret the evil I have done you . . . I will grant you mercy . . .

As we hear the dialog between the Creator and his creatures, we may want to take this opportunity to reflect on our own strategies for problem solving. When a disturbance erupts we do not have to run away or even hide; there are options. We can turn away in embarrassment. We can deflect the cause or culpability to someone else. We can become defensive or passive aggressive. We can remove ourselves forever from the people and situation. But none of these actions will solve anything. None of this will bring us true peace for there is only one road to true harmony.

We must rely on God and step forward to both forgive and be forgiven. We must ask for God’s intervention and begin the process of healing. We must be willing to begin anew with God at the center of the storm, and we must remember this: There is no geographic solution that works. And we take our problems with us.

A re-post from September 4, 2011.

Image from: http://tomorrowsreflection.com/grass-greener/

September 29, 2025

Egypt, forgiveness, Judah, problems go with us, the geographic solution

Proverbs 19: Advice

Proverbs 19: Advice

Sunday, September 28, 2025

Better a poor man who walks in his integrity than he who is crooked in his ways and rich.

Yesterday we reflected on the paradox present in Jesus’ life and words; today we hear solid advice on the inversion we find between wealth and poverty. We cannot change our heredity and life’s circumstances are sometimes difficult to accept and navigate; yet somewhere inside us we look and hope for better outcomes than the ones we see looming before us. We want to change attitudes and behaviors yet all we can change is ourselves and these changes come after much self-examination and brutal honesty. Life-altering transformation is usually painful, and always worth the struggle when we keep God at the center of all things.

He who gains intelligence is his own best friend; he who keeps understanding will be successful.

Intelligence and folly are qualities we constantly evaluate in ourselves and others. We judge; we are judged by others. Sometimes we are too critical and at other times we discern too little. We dance between the surface and the depths of our emotions looking for pat answers to complicated questions. True balance coming from wisdom is rarely found, and always worth nurturing when we stumble upon it.

Humility, fidelity, integrity and understanding. Pride, anger, deceit and laziness. Life presents us with lesson plans to identify and sort these qualities, and to cultivate in ourselves and others or to avoid them altogether.

Punishment, instruction, children revering parents, parents respecting children, generations passing along practical advice and warnings so that humanity might improve its lot and learn from our shared experiences. Some of us are able to learn vicariously; others cannot.

Jesus teaches in parables while the writers of proverbs give us plain, personal, honest views of their lives. This advice and these warnings come to us not from a sense of superiority or egotism but from a genuine desire to see people progress, and from an authentic love for humanity.

The advice we read in scripture is meant to serve as more than an instrument we might use to avoid the repetition of errors; and it may be difficult to take in and even more difficult to use, but it is something we are free to accept or to decline. The words we read today – once we make them part of our thinking – have the power to convert our bitterness into joy and our anger into love. These words – once we use them to construct personal lessons for change – may liberate us from negative thinking; they may forestall unhelpful reactions. These words may be more important than we know and more significant than we imagine. We have only to take them in and make them our own.

And so we pray . . .

Dear and good Lord, help us to discern the lesson you have in mind for us today. Guide us in examining ourselves without creating overwhelming guilt. Help us to serve as good sounding boards for friends who accompany us on our journey. Steer us away from arrogance, false witness and rash judgment. Preserve us from the harmful qualities we read about today: sloth, arrogance, anger, envy, greed, pride, and the temptation to lie. Nurture in us the qualities Jesus shows us always: compassion, constancy, empathy, generosity, humility, and steadfastness. May we understand that to stand in awe of you and your works is a privilege. Grant that we understand your mercy and in turn bestow it on others. May we come to live in your spirit, always taking in the ample advice you give us in our journey home to you. Amen.

A re-post from September 3, 2011.

Image from: https://kathleenannthompson.com/living-well/open-hands/ and https://formingtogether.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/with-open-hands/

September 28, 2025

discerning God’s word, foolishness, humility, intelligence, povery, pride, transformation, wealth

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