Time: The Present Moment

Tuesday, January 1, 2013 -- 8th Day of Christmas
The Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ

[Go to http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html for an online version of the Daily Office including today's scripture readings.]

Today's Readings for the Daily Office
     (Book of Common Prayer, p. 940)
Psalms 103 (morning)       //       148 (evening)
Genesis 17:1-12z, 15-16
Colossians 2:6-12
John 16:23b-30

As we end one year and begin another, we feel a sense of time and of time passing.  We have a tradition about time -- about living in the present.  The late J. Neville Ward has something from his book Enquiring Within that I have found helpful: 

Jesus was a practical, one item at a time man, with no admiration at all for minds that rush ahead...  In the huge pile of stuff that is recommended to Christians for spiritual reading I have not found anyone who so clearly and practically interpreted this part of his teaching as J. P. de Caussade in his thoughts on the sacrament of the present moment. 

It is part of that idea that if the present is not exactly wonderful for you, then it's worth finding out why, finding out whether or not there is a problem at this moment, and, if there is one, doing now whatever can be done about it now.  If there isn't any problem just now, then there's nothing to stop us looking around to see if there isn't on the contrary something to be enjoyed, and simply enjoying it...

Whatever is present is in front of me now; it is also impermanently there; being momentary, it is fading, and it must pass away sooner or later...

If the desired situation is with me now, it is, even so, time-driven.  To live intelligently means to be ready, even if it is mostly at some great depth of being, for it to go. 

If it is not with me yet, let that be so too.  I must let it not be yet.  It's possible to use up all your days seeing happiness mistily in the future, unaware that you are always sure to see some blemish on what is present because your faith is that somewhere else is nearer the centre of joy.  In time I shall be a happier person...

God is the universally present one.  It's a belief that is at the centre of many religions.  The present moment is always his presence.  His presence is always the present moment.  The present moment invariably consists principally in something to be done or something to be put up with or something to be enjoyed.  Attending wholeheartedly to whichever of these it the case is what is meant by responding to God and doing his will.... 

[from J. Neville Ward, Enquiring Within, Epworth Press, London, 1988, p. 38f]

Lowell
___________________

Audio podcast:  Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week.  Go to: http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id244.html

About Morning Reflections

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.

Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html

Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location

-- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church

is to explore and celebrate

God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life: 

We aspire to...

    worship weekly

    pray daily

    learn constantly

    serve joyfully 

    live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Fayetteville, Arkansas