A holiday thought.
While we are enjoying our various celebrations, please give thanks for those who work through the holiday- some to advance their own livelihood or whose work will not wait, like my farmer-neighbor who was out at 5 AM this morning in his field to get his work done (who knew tractors had headlights?)- and others who, by virtue of their position, offer services for our welfare without interruption: police, firefighters, hospital employees, gas station attendants, fast food restaurant workers, toll booth attendants, mini-mart employees, hotel workers, airport personnel and more.
Our service of Compline has a prayer written for these folks. It was penned by the Rev. Dr. Charles Guilbert, a priest who served on the committee to compose the 1979 BCP and was given the interesting (and since lapsed?) title of “Custodian of the Prayer Book” which he held as a lifetime appointment- 35 years from the time of receiving the title until his death in 1998. (Episcopal trivia, right there, friends.) Here is his prayer:
O God, your unfailing providence sustains the world we live in and the life we live: Watch over those, both night and day, who work while others sleep, and grant that we may never forget that our common life depends on each other’s toil; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer, pg. 134)
May your holidays be rich with love and joy.
May you revel in the company of family and friends,
Enjoy quiet and peace,
Be filled with gratitude for our many gifts,
And hold up those who need extra comfort, love and hope this season.
I’ll be taking a holiday break and will resume blogging in 2019!
Blessings in the name of Christ, and in the Way of Love,
+Audrey