Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Our Psalm this coming Sunday is Psalm 13. It begins with the plea to God, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me for ever? * how long will you hide your face from me?” and ends with the affirmation “I will sing to the LORD, for he has dealt with me richly.“ I wonder how often when we pray do we forget to thank or at least acknowledge the Lord for all that we have? This past Sunday at Calvary, we had a Levon with us during the service. He was so quiet throughout the beginning of the service until we got to the words of the Prayers of People where we bid “We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life” at which point there was a squeal of laughter from him, bring smiles to the congregation and grandparents, but I suspect embarrassment to Natalie who was holding him. Imagine joy during an Episcopal service. No, we often have moments of joy and even chuckles, some even intended, but too often I fear we focus on our wants, our needs, our sinfulness. We are right to ask for what we need, and others need. I believe it is right for us to ask for what we want, and others want, but we must recognize the difference. What I believe we all too often forget is to give thanks for all we have. Watching the news of the recent tornadoes and floods, we hear of the loss of so many, the anguish the storms bring, even the death of loved ones, but we also hear many giving thanks for their lives which should have been taken away. The person whose home was destroyed, and yet, a picture of their long-deceased parent or child is found in the next town and returned. Family members who have lost someone to cancer, and still give thanks for the time they had together. It is so much easier for some to ask rather than to say thank you. In our worship services, we often see the words silence or silence may be kept. In some cases, the wording is Members of the congregation may ask the prayers or thanksgivings of those present or the People may add their own petitions or thanksgivings. These are times for us to offer up our own requests or thanksgivings, either silently or aloud. Before confessing our sins, they are opportunities to reflect on where we have fallen short of Jesus’ call for us to be his embodiment here on earth. They are not times where the officiant has lost their place as we often wonder. We are uncomfortable with silence. They are times to make the prayers personal. In the busy lives we live today, silence is a gift from God. I believe we all need to avail ourselves of more often. I know I do. Yes, we can find God in the thundering voice from a cloud, but also in the small still voice. For many of us, it’s not easy to accept the words, “be still and know that I am God.”
Peace,
Bryant+
