Scripture Focus: Psalm 19.1-4
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.

Reflection: Spiritual Instruments
By John Tillman

Whatever scientific instruments we use, whether looking at evidence of black holes, at video from a helicopter on Mars, or deep within our own DNA, we find the fingerprints of God.

In Psalm 19, David tells us that the fingerprints of God are on the stars. Speech about God pours forth from the heavens in an unhearable voice that echoes through the Earth and to the “end of the world.” 

David wasn’t writing about the realities of physics but about spiritual realities. However, subatomic vibrations, unhearable to human ears, seem to testify to the creator. In a 2021 interview with Steven Colbert, physicist Michio Kaku said while explaining string theory, “The mind of god is cosmic music resonating through hyperspace.” (Interview, Part One; Interview, Part Two

Kaku is not a devotee of any religion. The “god” he describes is an impersonal “god of order,” not the God we know. However, the complexity and interconnectedness of what he can see tells him that there is more to see. What he can know tells him that there is more to know. 

Wonder about our universe is returning. With wonder comes seemingly contradictory truths about our humble state and our eternal destiny. We seem to be insignificant specks in the universe, yet the maker of that universe considers us not meaningless or trivial but glorious and of eternal worth.

This week, or whenever you look to the heavens, pray this prayer from 2019, reflecting on Psalm 19.


Humbled by the Heavens

God, we stand in awe on our tiny planet.

You have placed us here among deserts, seas, and mountains that seem incredibly vast, yet they are just imperceptible ridges on the tiny ball of our planet.

And, in the vast darkness of space, our tiny blue dot of light seems so insignificant compared to the other great lights of the sky that you have created.

Thank you for heavens that humble us, Lord.

Without words, let us hear your glory, see your law, experience your touch and your love.
Yet you gave us more than wordless wonder, Lord. You send your Word, your Son, Jesus, to clarify your commands and enlighten our understanding.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,
   giving light to the eyes.

Give our eyes your light, our actions, your love, our words, your persuasive persistence. 
Make us spiritual instruments through which the world can detect your magnificent presence.


Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
When your word goes forth it gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. — Psalm 119.130


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


​Today’s Readings
Job 35 (Listen 1:33)
Psalm 19 (Listen 2:22)

​This Weekend’s  Readings
Job 36 (Listen 3:04), Psalm 20-21 (Listen 5:47)
Job 37 (Listen 2:27), Psalm 22 (Listen 3:49)

Read more about Pause To Read
Today we begin a three-part series of related podcast episodes. This week, “Lady Folly” from Erin. Next, “Lady Wisdom” from John, followed by “RSVP to Wisdom or Folly.

Read more about The Materialist Cosmos
If the cosmos of the materialist is the real cosmos, it is not much of a cosmos. — GK Chesterton