A year ago, many of us went into our houses and wouldn't come out again for weeks--and those of us with underlying health conditions probably still haven't left our houses much, if we have been allowed to stay sheltered. As we went into lock-down, we experimented with broadcasting a variety of activities, from school to church to fitness classes.
My church had already been doing some live-streaming of Sunday worship service, so making that pivot to broadcasting worship wasn't hard for us. My pastor added some evening Compline services to the mix. Those of us who are early risers wanted something on the other side of the day, and I volunteered to be the one to do it.
I thought about choosing texts for the day, but then I wondered why I would do that, since we had common lectionaries. I took the path of least resistance for me, which was using Phyllis Tickle's The Divine Hours. I used the Facebook Live feature and used the church's Facebook page, which meant that people could tune in live or they could watch the recording later.
I planned to continue until Easter and maybe a few weeks beyond. But as the weeks went on, I found that being the one responsible for doing morning watch enriched my day in ways that it didn't when I was alone. At the end of the time together, after the closing prayer from The Divine Hours, I give a benediction of sorts. Some days it's more like a reminder of how God is working in and through the world, in and through us. Some days it's a connection to the church calendar--I'm particularly fond of feast days of saints that most of us have forgotten or never heard of. Always I stress that God is with us, rooting for us, delighting in us, waiting patiently for us, pointing us in new directions.
My view of God is not the view of God as angry judge or of us as helpless children in need of a parent. The image I come back to again and again is one of God as a creator in the middle of a big project, and we get to be part of the creative team, if we say yes. And if we don't say yes, God doesn't go off in a huff. God is there, each day, inviting us again and again.
In short, I finish morning watch each day by sending us off into our separate lives with words that I need to hear.
Has it made a difference? I do hear from church members about how much they appreciate my efforts. There are a few people who tune in every day, day in and day out, while others watch the recording. There are some I'm sure I know nothing about.
I have not missed a morning except for the one time I didn't have connectivity at Lutheridge. I have never been that devoted to a practice in my past. I've usually taken days off, and sometimes, the practice has fallen away altogether.
It's also been good for my sketching. Each morning, I've spent 5 minutes on a sketch--and it shows in my "realistic" sketching. There are still plenty of ways I'd like to be better, but I wouldn't have seen the improvements that I have without my daily appointment.
I plan to continue doing morning watch--let's see what year 2 brings!
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