Richard Kuns
Greeting the Morning
Lord, in the morning You hear my voice, in the morning I lay it before You and wait. Let all who shelter in You rejoice, let them sing gladly forever -- protect them! (Psalm 5:4, 12; Robert Alter)
Good morning!
I often pray the words of an ancient poet when I lay down to sleep: “…You are my source of sustenance. In Your hand I place my spirit for safekeeping…” (Psalm 31:5b-6, Pamela Greenberg). The anxiety or restlessness may not go away, but I go to sleep confident in the One who gives me breath will guard my sleep. Each morning as I wake from sleep, I am aware that the breath I take at that moment is a gift and I am like a new creation.
Rising from my bed, I realize I am faced with choices. When I view my image in the mirror, I am faced with choices. How am I to respond to the image of me in the mirror? Do I see a unique expression of God’s image or something less? How do I greet the day? What words will I choose to speak and to whom?
Take special care to guard your tongue before the morning prayer.
Even greeting your fellow, we are told,can be harmful at that hour.
A person who wakes up in the morning is like a new creation.
Begin your day with unkind words, or even trivial matters-- even though you may later turn to prayer, you have not been true to your Creation.
All of your words each day are related to one another. All of them are rooted in the first words that you speak.
Your Word Is Fire: The Hasidic Masters on Contemplative Prayer, 1993 - Cited by Wayne Muller, Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest, p224
The following compendium of Psalm verses may be helpful as the day dawns, you breath in the breath of life and make your first choice of the day. The translator of these verses is Pamela Greenberg (The Complete Psalms: The Book of Prayer Songs).
I lay down to sleep, but in the morning I awake because you help me stand upright. (Psalm 3:6)
God, hear my voice in the morning, for each dawn I offer my prayer before you and wait. (Psalm 5:4, the word “wait” in Hebrew means to “watch expectantly”, as a watchman “waits” for the dawn)
Allow me to behold Your face, for I am righteous. I will be sated with Your image every time I awake. (Psalm 17:15; an alternative paraphrase by Stephen Mitchell reads: And let me, when I awaken, see nothing but the light of Your face.)
My heart is turned toward You, God, my heart is steady in direction. I will sing to you and make melodies to Your name. Awake my innermost glory! Awake, O lyre and harp! With You I will awaken the dawn. (Psalm 57:8-9)
I will sing of Your strength; I will cry out Your kindness each morning. For you have been a place of comfort for me, a refuge to flee toward when troubles approach. My Solace, it is to You I make melodies -- for You are my tower of strength, my Healer, a source of eternal kindness. (Psalm 59:17-18)
Make known to us the portion of our days, so we may gain a heart of wisdom… Fill our morning with acts of Your kindness and we will sing and rejoice all our days… May the sweetness of the Holy One, our Creator, be constantly before us… (Psalm 90:12, 14, 17a)
It is good to be thankful to God, to sing praises to Your name, Most High, to proclaim Your kindness in the morning, Your faithfulness throughout the night, upon the ten-stringed instrument and the lute, upon soft voice accompanied by harp. (Psalm 92:2-4)
Let me hear Your kindness each morning because it is You I have trusted. Let me know which road’s shoulder I should cling to, because to You I raise up my soul. Lift me away from my troubles, God, for I have concealed them from you until today. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. With Your enlivening spirit lead me to level ground; for the sake of Your name, Holy One, restore me to life.(Psalm 143:8-11)
Go back now and slowly read these verses aloud and mark the choices the poet makes as he greets the morning. As you mark the poet’s choices, consider your own choices today.
I share these verses with you this morning to model a way that you can pray with the Psalms, greet your day, and find sustaining life in the words of these poets. The poets experienced the same issues of life each of us face today. The time and the culture are different, but the fundamental issues of life have changed little. Make these words your own, or find others, and pray with them as fits your situation and personality.
May your life renew each morning as you greet the day in the presence of The One who desires you, embraces you with fortuitous grace and love, and gives the breath of life to you. Breath deeply and raise a cup of gratitude for His unfathomable grace.
The beginning of wisdom is wonder at God, good knowledge for all who serve you. Your praise stands present forever. (Psalm 111:10)
Shalom - Richard Kuns