A Concord Pastor Comments: Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY 1/24

I'm grateful, Lord,
so very grateful for your gift of time...

I'm grateful
   for morning and a new day just begun;
   for noon time and a welcome break for lunch;
   for the evening and for rest and sleep and dreams...

I'm grateful, Lord
   for time to work - and for having work to do;
   for vacation time with carefree nights and days
   and for weekends and the sabbath call to prayer...

I'm grateful, Lord, for all kinds of time:
   for down time and for extra time;
   for ordinary time and special times;
   for old times and the pledge of time to come...

I'm grateful, Lord,
   for time to dream
      and times when dreams come true...

I'm grateful, Lord, for time to hope and pray
      and times when prayers are answered;
for time to seek and time to find,
   for time to ask and time to understand...

I'm grateful, Lord,
   for time to roam and wander,
for time to find my way
   and for time to find my place...

I'm grateful, Lord,
   for time to share and time alone;
   for time to spare and time to spend,
   for time to rest and time to grow...

I'm grateful, Lord,
   for time to worry and time to be consoled,
   for time to grieve and for time to heal,
   for time to fall and for time to rise...

I'm grateful for all kinds of time, Lord:
   time to tear down and time to build up;
   time to plant and time to reap;
   time to scatter and time to gather in;
   time to be silent and time to speak;
   time to rend and time to sew;
   time to laugh and time to cry;
   time to repent and time to be pardoned;
   time to mourn and time to dance;
   time to be born and time to die,
   time to die and time to be born again...*

I'm grateful for the gift of time, Lord,
   a gift from you, the timeless One,
you who always were, always are
   and ever more shall be...

I'm especially grateful, Lord,
   for the time I spend with you
and for all the time you spend with me:
   you never leave my heart, my soul, my side...

Let me waste not a minute of the time that's mine, Lord,
   and give me the grace to spend and share my time
wisely, generously, freely and fruitfully
   with all I meet and know...

Amen.

Judy Collins sings "Turn, Turn, Turn"


* Ecclesiastes 3