Erin Newton - The Park Forum

March 27, 2024March 25, 2024

The Blood That Speaks

Scripture Focus: Psalm 72:14
He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.

Reflection: The Blood That Speaks
By Erin Newton

For the life of a creature is in the blood. (Lev 17:11). Precious is the blood; precious is their life.
The blood of Abel cried out from the ground just beyond the gates of Eden—when brother murdered brother and jealousy marred Cain’s soul.

The blood of the lamb whispered to the angel as it passed by, “This one is mine. Turn aside”—when the messenger of death delivered the final sign.

The blood sprinkled on the altar proclaimed peace and restoration over the crowds—as they waited in the courtyards for the priest to enter the Holy of Holies.

The blood spilled from war and murder, violence and abuse, screams out for retribution—as the king on high listens to his people.

This psalm is a plea for the king to be endowed with wisdom and righteousness. It is a cry to God for the king to be peace and blessing and truth to his people. This is the final prayer of the great king David. It is a prayer of such grand proportions. Only God himself could fulfill it. Only God himself could embody it.

This is the prayer for our Messiah. He is like rain on fresh green grass. He is like the warmth of sunshine after a long winter. He is the light that brings all humankind unto him. He is the king that other kings long to revere.

He holds the pure scales of justice. He helps those who are helpless. He hears those who cry out. He knows every life is precious even as the blood of those who love him calls out in silent pleas.

It is a cry that only God can hear. It is a plea for help straight to the ears of our Lord. It is the groaning that a hopeless soul utters with the smallest breath.

And he hears every drop. Our suffering is seen, our prayers are heard, and our hope is anchored.

Even though the preciousness of his life is more than all the natural wonders and tangible wealth of our world, Christ poured out his own life—his own blood—for us.

What did the blood of Jesus speak from the ground as it poured from his hands, his head, and his side? You are loved. You are precious. You are worth it. You are forgiven.

Precious is each drop of blood that leads us to eternity.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
Let them know that this is your hand, that you, O Lord, have done it. — Psalm 109.26

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

Today’s Readings
Song of Songs 3 (Listen 1:148)
Psalm 72 (Listen 2:21)

Read more about Life In The Blood
Blood is the life of victims of every kind of violence whether in distant wars or neighborhood streets, whether in mass shootings or lone suicides.

Life in the Blood

Read more about There is a Fountain Filled with Blood — Lenten Hymns
The season of Lent reminds us that when we are at our lowest of lows, Jesus extends his hand to rescue us.

There is a Fountain Filled with Blood — Lenten Hymns

March 20, 2024March 18, 2024

Joy Despite It All

Scripture Focus: Ecclesiastes 8:10, 14-15
10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity.

14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad.

Reflection: Joy Despite It All
By Erin Newton

When evil takes its final breath, we would rather bury it beneath the earth in an unmarked grave. No splendor. No memory should be afforded those who cause the suffering of others.

But that isn’t how it always goes.

There are grand ceremonies for people who have orchestrated atrocities. It doesn’t matter if the person was good; if they were popular, admirers flock to the funeral singing their praises. Leaders like Lenin and Stalin drew thousands of mourners who enshrined their bodies in continued reverence.

We cling to the hope that justice will be served—in this lifetime. We desire for all wrongs to be made right. Watching an evil person be celebrated is, as the writer of Ecclesiastes says, meaningless. It is absurd and confusing. It goes against all that we believe to be right and true.

I am glad these verses are in the Bible. It helps to ground me in the reality of our world. As we sing psalms that herald God’s justice and the inevitable judgment that will befall the wicked, sometimes we see nothing happen. A wicked person may live to be a hundred, while children perish at too young an age. Abusive men and women will live to see their hair turn gray and their eyes dim, while charitable and loving believers will watch their youthful bodies succumb to the ravages of cancer.

When we see this topsy-turvy injustice happen, we try to preach to our hearts that God will vindicate everything eventually. It is true, thank goodness for that. But what do we do now? How do we wake up each day knowing things will not go fairly?

Sometimes I read Ecclesiastes with pursed lips and an oft said “tsk, tsk” in judgment over what reads like instructions for a “you only live once” lifestyle. Eat! Drink! Be Merry! Enjoy your spouse! Get a hobby! (Perhaps a little Ralph Waldo Emerson— “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air’s salubrity.”)

Is this silly, unspiritual advice? Many of us have been taught the way of the cross, living a life of suffering, as the true spiritual way. But what of the resurrection? What of the re-creation that brings joy despite injustice?

Life is unfair, but we do not cease to try and love this life. He came to give us abundant life—here in joy and forever in his presence.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading
He said to his disciples, “Causes of falling are sure to come, but alas for the one through whom they occur! It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone round the neck than to be the downfall of a single one of these little ones. Keep watch on yourselves!” — Luke 17.1-3

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

Today’s Readings
Ecclesiastes 8 (Listen 2:41)
Psalm 60-61 (Listen 2:27)

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March 13, 2024March 11, 2024

More Wisdom, More Grief

Scripture Focus: Ecclesiastes 1.18
18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief.

Reflection: More Wisdom, More Grief
By Erin Newton

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 9.10). On the first steps of wisdom’s path, we learn about who God is and who we are. We begin to understand our faults and shortcomings paired with his unfailing mercy and grace. Our sins are laid bare, and we accept the free gift of grace from Jesus Christ.

We are made into a new creation, building upon the foundation blocks of wisdom. With eyes that now see the foolishness of our former lives, we begin to seek the Scriptures to learn more about who God is and who we are. Wisdom’s path leads us to discover our purpose in life and calling within the world.

Wisdom also reveals to us the complexity of the world. Our friends and neighbors are not merely companions or coworkers—we see them as image bearers of our God. The bonds of humanity tie our hearts with theirs. We learn to share their joys and bear their pains.

But “with much wisdom comes much sorrow.” We cannot now unsee the fallenness of creation. No longer can we look away when one human belittles another. No longer can we refuse to listen when someone cries out for help. No longer can we believe that one evil is lesser than another and somehow worthy of our admiration. We cannot pretend our actions have no negative consequences on the natural world.

Wisdom leads us to see the world as God sees it—filled with the potential of love, peace, and wholeness. However, the world is only a dim reflection of that ideal. Wisdom calls us to recognize where things have fallen short.

Just because we find wisdom does not mean we have found paradise. Our faith does not remove us from the realm of tragedy. Life, circumstantially, is not easier for a Christian than an unbeliever. Not only do we carry our own burdens, but we are aware of the needs of so many others. In this way, gaining knowledge has created increased grief.

But it is not without hope and not without a call to action. Wisdom begins with faith in God. The realities that bring us sorrow can be handled by an omnipotent God.

Continue in wisdom. Welcome sorrow. The grief and sorrow brought by wisdom is a gift—a gift of awareness. Wisdom awakens us from the idleness of apathy.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
“Be still, then, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” — Psalm 46.11

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

Today’s Readings
Ecclesiastes 1 (Listen 2:21)
Psalm 49 (Listen 2:10)

Read more about The Promise of Proverbs is Change
It is crucial to ask, “Are we becoming people of wickedness or righteousness?” What we become can change our world.

The Promise of Proverbs is Change

Read more about Proverbs’ House of Mirrors
Do our words rhyme with God’s? Or do they stink? Would we enjoy eating them?

Proverbs’ House of Mirrors

March 12, 2024March 10, 2024

The Impossibility of Proverbs 31

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 31:29
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”

Reflection: The Impossibility of Proverbs 31
By Erin Newton

Growing up with Proverbs 31 as the “checklist” of being a woman felt impossible. The excellence required stood in direct opposition to the predetermined lifestyle for women set by our brothers in the faith.

Be productive (vv. 13-16). This woman is entrepreneurial and hardworking. Her job takes her out of the home, and she invests with financial freedom. I was told to dream only of home and let my husband decide our (or his) finances.
Be strong (v. 17). This woman was physically strong. Knowing her work required heavy lifting or strenuous tasks, she probably didn’t worry when her biceps bulged. I was told my body was a blessing and a curse. I should keep a “feminine” frame (be thin) to remain the weaker vessel.
Be talented (vv. 18-19, 22, 24). She works in agriculture and husbandry. She makes clothing and textiles—a “Jane” of all trades. I was told I could have hobbies, as long as they stood in the shadows of my role in the family. I felt like Elizabeth Bennet responding to the supposed qualifications of a woman: “I never saw such a woman. She would certainly be a fearsome thing to behold.”
Be a wise teacher (v. 26). She is revered for her instruction—a feature that usually only comes from extensive learning. I was told my speaking had limits and boundaries. I was accepted if it was within the walls of a classroom not a church, on a Saturday not Sunday, behind a lectern not a pulpit, called a devotional not a sermon, and under the title of teacher not pastor.
Be extraordinary (vv. 10, 28-29). She is so rare she can hardly be found. She is not like everyone else. She excels in every possible way. She is a rare gem and worthy of honor and praise. I was once called special and one of a kind—by another married man who was supposed to be my religious leader.

I do not mind having her as an example for my life, but the Church sometimes prevents that which it demands. She sets a high bar filled with opportunity, independence, and strength. She is probably Woman Wisdom, making this the bookend of female encounters in Proverbs. If she is the ideal for all women, she is also the ideal for all men—not as a requirement for one’s spouse but as a required way of life.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Sing praise to the Lord who dwells in Zion; proclaim to the peoples the things he has done. — Psalm 9.11

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

Today’s Readings
Proverbs 31 (Listen 2:50)
Psalm 48 (Listen 1:28)

Read more about Lady Wisdom
After the cloying voice of the temptress, and vivid descriptions of her hapless victims, a new voice speaks out in Proverbs—Lady Wisdom.

Lady Wisdom

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March 6, 2024March 4, 2024

Wearing Out Your Welcome

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 25:17
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.

Reflection: Wearing Out Your Welcome
By Erin Newton

Let’s admit it, some proverbs are comical. Here in our holy book of divine wisdom, we have advice about not greeting our neighbors too loudly (Prov 27:14) and advice about not outstaying our welcome.

Proverbs reveal tiny windows into life. We are confined from seeing the totality of one’s experience. The only landscape in view is the small opening encapsulated by a few words.
Here we have a neighbor who might be tempted to stay too long or come too often to their neighbor’s house. Behind the scenes we also have a neighbor fulfilling the duties of hospitality, but a grudge might be forming.

From a birds-eye view, the proverb speaks of the value of moderation and restraint—and I think both neighbors could use this advice.

To the neighbors with open doors: Throughout the Bible we are called to love one another in ways such as hospitality. This means creating a welcoming space for others and providing shelter, food, and companionship. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, hospitality should be extended to those deemed “outsiders.”

We should never grow weary of doing good, but the reality of our human nature is that we often do. Jesus himself stole away to quiet areas to find respite from constant crowds. He had no home to open but he gave of himself—his time, energy, and attention. This proverb does not tell us to shut our doors, but we should remember our own limitations lest we turn to hate our neighbor.

To the neighbors who come over: We were made for community. Friends, family, and neighbors are God’s gift to those of us in need of shelter, food, and companionship. What a blessing it is to know your neighbor has an open door for you! Even in times of need, receiving someone’s hospitality can be the hardest thing to do.

Some of us worry that we are a burden to others and wear out our welcome. We might vow to never impose on our neighbors. This scorched-earth mentality might feel natural, but it is not the wisdom of this text.

This proverb not only helps us to respect our neighbors but to learn the complex balance of wise living. It encourages the visiting neighbor to harness the reciprocal opportunity to open his or her doors. Together, with balanced moderation on both sides, the community of faith can serve one another.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
I will confess you among the peoples, O Lord; I will sing praises to you among the nations. — Psalm 108.3

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

Today’s Readings
Proverbs 25 (Listen 2:56)
Mark 15 (Listen 5:16)

Read more about Embrace Your Mission
Embracing and encouraging others is an example of serving others well. This spirit of hospitality shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Embrace Your Mission

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