From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same,
the name of the Lord shall be praised.
From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same,
the name of the Lord shall be praised.
So praise ye, the Lord.
Praise ye, the Lord.
From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same,
the name of the Lord, shall be praised.
Sometimes prayers are for the now, the immediate, the “right now I need you, God”. Sometimes prayers are for the future, what “you have in store for me, God,” and “I hope I know it when I see it, God.” Sometimes we pray the same prayer over and over and sometimes we find we have new prayers regularly. We pray for ourselves and we pray for others. Prayers are whispered; prayers sound like conversation, prayers are hollered out when we don’t think anyone else is listening.
I find prayers in songs. I like to pray in the quiet of the morning. The beach is a nice place to pray. I don’t get there everyday, but when I do, my spirit sighs, leans into the holy, and I take a moment to breathe. I breathe in salted breeze and breathe out the leftover ick of yesterday.
I took this picture early in the summer, maybe it was still spring. The air was cool and refreshing. The blue sky danced with wispy clouds and the peeking out of a new day’s sun. This song became my prayer. A new day is here – praise God. The sun is coming out – praise God. I am here in the quietness – praise God (and, wow, it’s not 6:30 yet!) This prayer was in the moment, inspired by my surroundings, and encapsulated my time with God in the world: thankful, offering praise, grateful for this time.
I’m reminded how to be in the moment with this memory. Not all moments are quiet or are inspiring because of the surroundings. Some moments are hard to stay in. We often find something we need when we stay in them, are engaged with them. When we are living in the moment, we are taking note, we are breathing it in, and we are acknowledging God’s presence alongside us. I’m striving for more of that. May you find yourself fully in the moment and perhaps even a song to sing.
Thank you for the ways you continue to minister, serve, sing, love, and care for one another, for congregations and communities, and show the love of Christ to all you meet. May the peace of Christ be with you!
Please continue to check your emails for updates on Charge Conference zoom meetings. We are keeping the dates the same but moving times slightly as needed to accommodate all. Please reach out to me or to Mary Hartsell if you need assistance.
Peace,
Tara
If you would like to view past editions of Time with Tara, follow this link:
https://harbordistrictnc.org/category/from-the-ds/