Day 12 Focus: We Gather Wisdom.

Level 1: (5 Minutes) As you stop briefly today to rest and breathe deeply, focus on the word wisdom and what images that word brings to mind.

Level 2: (10 minutes) Do Level 1. After Reading the scripture adaptation, take 5 minutes to discern what word or phrase catches your interest:

Adapted from Psalm 19:7-14. Lord, Your law is perfect, restoring my soul. Your testimony is sure, bringing wisdom to my foolishness. Your precepts are right, causing my heart to rejoice. Your commandments are pure, bringing enlightenment to my eyes. Reverence for You endures forever; Your judgments are true, altogether righteous. I am not able to discern my own errors, so I ask You to forgive me of hidden faults and keep me from presumptuous sins. I thank You that through Jesus Christ I am acquitted of all my transgressions. I ask that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.

Level 3: (15 minutes) After pausing to breathe and reading the Scripture prayer, take 5 minutes to write down what this scripture is showing you.

Level 4: (30-60 minutes) The part of our prayer today that stood out to me was, “I am not able to discern my own errors, so I ask You to forgive me of hidden faults and keep me from presumptuous sins.” Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone can be presumptuous. God is the only one who does not make mistakes. In a Beloved Community, the only example of perfection is God, and the only direction that is completely wise comes from God. As a truly Beloved Community that takes seriously the Great Commandment, we must speak the truth with love to each other and seek God’s wisdom that is greater than human opinions. When we can be humble enough to admit that we can be wrong and/or presumptuous, we can be open to hearing the truth from others. Humility and valuing another person enough to consider that she or he might have a part of a truth that we have missed is essential. Remembering that God will not pit us against each other will help us to see that discord as “not from God.” It will mean taking the time to unpack where the discord is clogging the peace. It is messy and requires all of the virtues—with an abundance of patience and humility—but it is worthwhile to discover how the Holy Spirit will give each of us a piece of the whole that will help us to live on earth as in heaven. (I saw BLACK PANTHER last night and it would be great fodder for a discussion about what a Beloved Community is meant to be.)