Listen

I offer my life to you, Lord. My God, I trust you.

Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth—teach it to me—because you are the God who saves me. I put my hope in you all day long.

Psalm 25:1-2a; 4-5

Think

There’s a difference between being smart and being “teachable.”

The Psalm today is reminding us that as Christians we are called not to be perfect or to be the smartest person in the room. Instead, we are encouraged to adopt a learner’s pose, a “beginner’s mind,” as they say in Zen Buddhism.

Being teachable requires humility and curiosity. It requires us to admit that someone else might know more than we do. It requires us to be vulnerable.

And vulnerability can seem so hard! Brené Brown defines vulnerability as “uncertainty, risk, emotional exposure.” She also reminds us that vulnerability is humanity’s most accurate sign of courage and strength.

So today, be a learner. Be vulnerable. Act with courage.

We are with you.

Your community is with you.

Your God is with you.

Wendy Johnson

Question to Ponder:

What does it mean to you to adopt a beginner’s mind?

Pray

Creator God, today and every day, give me the courage to be humble and curious.

I want to learn.

Amen.

Go

The path is made by walking.

Antonio Machado in the poem,
“Traveler, There is No Path” (1917)