Morning Devotion

I have attended church services faithfully all my life, rarely missing a Sunday even when on vacation. But I have never been successful at establishing any kind of personal devotional practice despite repeated attempts, usually at the beginning of Lent when I have picked up a booklet of daily readings or prayers and persisted at most for a week or two.

That changed several months ago when we sang a hymn I particularly like and I realized that it is usually through the words of a hymn or anthem that I am drawn most deeply into spiritual reflections during a worship service. I made a copy of the hymn, number 11 in the Episcopal Hymnal 1982, and took it home with me.

Since then, each morning when I wake up, before I turn on the radio or raise the shades, I sing this hymn aloud.  I am not a morning person. I rarely speak before I’ve had my coffee. But now I sing, first thing upon awakening. I know the hymn by memory now, but each morning I find new meaning in a selected word or phrase as it passes through my lips.

Awake my soul and with the sun thy daily stage of duty run I have new duties every day. Each day is only one stage of a long course. They keep coming around. Awake!

Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise— OK, it’s time to rise and shine, you slugabed. And be joyful, dammit.

Disperse my sins as morning dew- My sins accumulate in darkness, but dry up in sunlight. Let the light into my life. Stay transparent, honest.

Guard my first springs of thought and will and with Thyself my spirit fill — Goodness comes up spontaneously from within, but an unguarded spring can become clogged with dirt and debris. If I keep the spring clean and open I can be filled with the spirit. The first springs can become a clear pool to refresh and calm me.

Direct, control, suggest this day, all I design, or do, or say — I have trouble with this line. I get hung up on direct. Not to mention control. Suggest I can live with. How do I let myself be directed and controlled by a higher power? Breathe deeply. Listen. And it’s all I design. Oh, I should be intentional. And the things I do, and especially say, could uses some outside supervision.

That all my powers with all their might, in thy sole glory may unite — I have powers. I am strong. Yes. I have superpowers! Do I use them to God’s glory? Only? Sole? Wow.

The last verse is the doxology, so I conclude my sung devotion in praise. Then I turn on the radio, and open the blinds, and head downstairs for coffee.