Samantha’s reflection on taking on disciplines in Advent moved me to want to do something as well. This is such a busy time for most of us, and for my wife, Brenda, and myself we’ve added a few things like retiring, moving and trying to find places to store or donate a lot of belongings we’ve accumulated over the years. Plus the upcoming holidays, and plus taking on a church as a “part-time” appointment — we can create a lot of “busy” for ourselves, and I can easily forget to stop and turn to the Lord.
Brenda and I both make time in the morning for prayer, for scripture, for other things to set the day on a Godly path, but the evening often goes unchecked.
I have used some form of the Daily Office for many, many years, but primarily I’ve limited my use to Morning Prayer. For those who may not know, the Daily Office is an ancient form of giving our time, giving our day, over to the Lord. At fixed times of the day we stop and praise and pray. Monastics and others fix their day around the prayers, stopping to pray several times a day and ending the day with the beautiful Compline service. For Advent, my goal is to add an Evening Prayer service, around 5 pm, to have a time of reflection and repentance as we prepare for the evening.
The one thing we share is time, and for Advent I hope to be more intentional to offer my time to the Lord. We remember the coming of the Lord to Bethlehem, and we await the coming again in glory. In the meantime, at least for a while, I hope to set aside the busyness to give thanks for what is important.
Frank is an Inspire Missioner in Texas, USA
