The reason was because I was doing a graveside service today for a friends mom. I always feel nervous doing a service for someone I don't know, but she knew Jesus and he knows me, so we got on alright. Besides, the people were generous people, and this lady seemed to leave a good legacy.
But as I was saying, that all resulted in me getting up in the morning and suiting up for the day, then the service and then we went to the open house a bit and met some older souls and had a good chat over coffee and shortbread cookies. By the time we got home and out of the suit, it had the distinct feel of being a Sunday.
Tomorrow is a worship service out at camp, so the church here is not having a meeting, instead we'll meet out there. That's where Micah has been for a couple of weeks and it will be great to see him again. Perhaps it's alright then that today felt like a Sunday, a working day.
But as I sat here to close the day with a prayer, I clicked on BBC Radio Cumbria and the live audio feed is playing their early Sunday morning programming, which amazingly enough to me, includes worship choruses and some hymns.
The world awakens there and goes to sleep here. Same with the never sleeping church, arising there, resting here. So I thought of this prayer which is also a hymn.
May God be close to you this night as you rest. May he give you good dreams and amazing visions. And above all, may he grant you a legacy of grace to leave your children and those you will leave behind.
Blessings, and good night.
The day Thous gavest, Lord, is ended
The darkness falls at Thy behest
To Thee our morning hymns ascended
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest
We thank Thee that Thy church unsleeping
While earth rolls onward into light
Through all the world her watch is keeping
And rests not now by day or night
As o'er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day
The voice of prayer is never silent
Nor dies the strain of praise away
The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren 'neath the western sky
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high
So be it, Lord! Thy throne shall never
Like earth's proud empires, pass away
Thy kingdom stands, and grows for ever
Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.
:) Darkness is falling at God's behest here now. Thanks for the reminder of a favourite hymn - and for the truth that our timeless inter-connectedness was celebrated long before the internet !
ReplyDeleteOur day God gave us is ending here. We had another amazingly good day starting with worship at Nigel and Kate's church and then food and seeing the local sights. Now it is off to bed so we can be on the move again tomorrow.
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