Wisdom and Righteousness

The righteous know the rights of the poor;
The wicked have no such understanding.
~ Proverbs 29:7

January 29, 2019
 
Beloved:

            The book of Proverbs is my go-to devotional book for having a chapter for every day of the month.  Chapter twenty-nine latches wisdom to justice.  Every which-a-way, as my mama used to say, in reference to my sister’s hair.

            Wisdom and righteousness are closely related, if not redundant; and chosen, not bestowed.  Wisdom/Righteousness as a chosen way of life, along with the worldview, lifestyle, and destiny therein – perfectly distilled in twenty-seven verses.  The wicked /foolish contrast is played out too, poetically.  We can’t say we didn’t know.  “. . . [T]he Lord gives light to the eyes of both,” reads verse thirteen.

            I got a little stuck at verse seven, “the righteous know the rights of the poor.”  The first time I read it, I thought for sure it said path of the poor.  But path is what I wanted it to say.  “Path” only calls the righteous to compassion, while “rights” calls the righteous to the work of justice.  Now compassion and justice work are conflated too, however much I might wish them cleaved.

            Turns out that wisdom-righteousness is not an attribute we choose alongside favorite food or sports team.  We are not fans of righteousness.  Wisdom-righteousness is a way of life where we enter and remain, that changes everything we ever thought before.
​
            I pray you stay warm and safe in this week’s freezy weather.  Watch for ways to help others who are suffering.  I made this easy soup yesterday.   You probably already have most everything to make it, and it really warms the belly.
 
~ peace & prayers,
pastor annette

Chicken Pot Pie Soup - Serves 6 * 15 minutes Prep * 35 minutes to cook
INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 5-6 fresh mushrooms sliced
• 16 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (can use gluten-free flour)
• 2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
• 1 1/2-2 cups milk or half & half
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 cups shredded chicken (or leftover turkey)
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• Store-bought pie crust

 
DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large soup pot, heat the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery, carrots and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic, bay leaves, and potatoes.  Sprinkle with flour and stir until veggies are coated and flour starts to dissolve.
2. Add in the chicken broth, 1 1/2 cups milk, sour cream and fresh thyme.  Stir and reduce the heat to low.  Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
3. Stir in the shredded chicken & vegetables..  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes.  If the soup is too thick, add the additional 1/2 cup of milk.
4. Remove the bay leaves.  Ladle the soup into bowls.  Serve with pie crust crackers, if desired.

Pie crust crackers ~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Roll out the crust and carefully transfer pie crust to a large baking sheet that is lined with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper.  Brush the pie crust with a little melted butter and sprinkle with a little salt.  Cut into thick strips.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until pie crust crackers are golden brown and crispy.  Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.  Break into pieces and serve with the chicken pot pie soup.