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Covering all sorts of terrain through wheat and grain fields, cityscapes, small villages, here is Daniel venturing off ahead of me (as happened many times). I had a teary-eyed moment as I saw him from a distance, offered a prayer essentially entrusting him to our God, the same God who created him, who watched him grow, and who would accompany him into college and into wherever the uncertain future that lie ahead. My wife and I framed this photo and wrote underneath it the first Bible verse I committed to memory as a high school student and which we taught to our sons:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge him. And he will direct your path.” -Proverbs 3:5-6
This framed photo and Bible verse hung in Daniel’s dorm/apartment rooms in his four years at Davidson College. Neither he nor I would have thought what the next four years after this photo would be like: he’s now working at a law firm in North Carolina, his brother/our other son is a finance major, my wife and I are now with you here in the Presbytery of San José, Trump is again our president, Ukraine and Russia are at war, Gaza and South Sudan are utterly devastated, and we are living in these perilous times of a constitutional crisis in our country and marginalized communities are vulnerable more than ever.
What is not on that frame and which I have not yet committed to memory are the verses that follow Proverbs 3:6. It is this holy wisdom:
“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body” -Prov. 3:7-8
Here, the writer(s) of Proverbs, inspired by the Holy Spirit of wisdom and discernment, enjoins us to not be content and not accept what we think is the right way or what seems right. We approach faith and life with reverence, holding in our hearts and every part of our being that God is God and we are not, we are creatures and God is creator. We ought to seek that which is true, good, noble, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8), not evil. Because in keeping this in view, living it, embodying it, our whole being will do well. We will be able to live and love another day, protest and pray tomorrow. We will keep on keeping on as we seek God’s guidance and wisdom on how and when and in what way to care and love others, and doing that which is right, so that all may flourish, so that all of God’s creation can be free.
Here are some of the ways coming up that we learn the ways of the Lord and encourage one another to trust in God and not be wise in our own eyes. This Saturday, September 6 we will worship, learn, nurture and be nurtured, pray, and feast together at NEAR (Nurture, Equip, Advocate, Resource) Gathering II from 8:30am-1:30pm at First Presbyterian Church, Mountain View. Attend my “In(Forming) Faith” lecture at the Christian Reformed Church in Palo Alto on Sunday, September 8 from 6:00-7:30pm as I speak about my recent book, Worship, Justice, and Joy: A Liturgical Pilgrimage. Then, we teaching elders will gather for a retreat at St. Francis Conference Center in San Juan Bautista from September 9-11. On September 13, Presbyterian Women will gather with my dear friend, The Rev. Dr. Rhashell Hunter, who will facilitate a Horizons Bible Study at the Grace Presbyterian Church in Walnut Creek.
What we do as a community of churches and presbyters is answer God’s call to be faithful, to bear witness of God’s love in word and in our works, all by God’s grace. We do so with a constancy and consistency in striving to seek God’s wisdom, to seek God’s guidance, and doing so in and through community, for community.
Feel free to use this prayer, found in the Book of Common Worship. May we discern the presence of the Holy One who accompanies us in the present and into the future:
Eternal God,
Author of our life
and End of our pilgrimage:
Guide us by your Word and Spirit
amid all perils and temptations,
that we may not wander from your way,
nor stumble in the darkness;
but may finish our course in safety,
and come to our eternal rest in you;
through the grace and merit of Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
In Joy and Justice,
Neal D. Presa
Executive Presbyter
408.763.5004 | Neal@sanjosepby.org
#CalledToCommunity
#CommittedToJustice
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