For God alone my soul waits in silence, from him comes my salvation. (Psalm 62:1 nrsv)

One of the great challenges of ministry in daily life is to set and observe boundaries. We can be busy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks per year. And when a tragic event comes along like a Hurricane Sandy, we tend to relax the boundaries and plow right into what is urgent. The first priority to drop by the wayside is a little time either at the beginning or at the end of the day for creative solitude.

In my life, especially a life surrounded these recent days by frequently anxious persons and numerous tasks, it is even more necessary to carve out time for mindfulness before God. To be energized, to be effective, it is critical to our sanity and faith to pause and examine each day's priorities in God's merciful presence.

I relish and cherish the great comment by management consultant Stephen Covey: "Do not be too busy sawing to sharpen the saw!" In these days of needing to clear trees literally and figuratively, it behooves us all to take time to sharpen the saw, to wait in creative solitude, and to examine our daily priorities before God. We need to give ourselves permission to do so.

Let us pray...God of life, give me the resolve to pause and sharpen my saw today before I rush into things. Help me to distinguish between what seems urgent with what is actually necessary to tackle. Amen

Contributed by Pastor Dan
Monday November 12, 2012
Liturgical Year B: Week 51
Liturgical Color: Green
Sunday Gospel reading:
Lectionary 32 (Proper 27)
Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost