Dear Friends,
I am writing this on the day of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Today is three minutes longer than yesterday was and three minutes longer than tomorrow will be. Three minutes by themselves don't seem like much, yet there is something about those extra three minutes that makes this day significant. It's the longest day of the year, so we make sure we watch the sunset. It's the longest day of the year, and we feel an urgency to use those three minutes wisely and productively.
As significant as the three added minutes of the sunlight of the summer solstice may seem, they are probably no more important than any other three minutes. In just three minutes we can give directions to the summer tourist who wonders where the state park is. In just three minutes we can say a prayer that God's will be done on earth – as it is in heaven. In just three minutes we can write a thank you note, or a note of condolence, or a postcard to a friend we haven't seen in a while. In just three minutes we can stop and take a deep breath and feel the Holy Spirit filling our being. In just three minutes we can find the pennies we need to catch up on our 2-cents a meal contribution. In just three minutes we can offer a helpful word instead of a critical one.
In other words, we can act as Disciples of Christ in any three minutes of any day of the year. While it would be wonderful if we were able to do this every minute of every day, may I suggest we begin by taking three minutes each morning to offer a prayer of thanks for the dependability of the sunrise and to use the sun's light to remind us of the light God sent to dwell among and lead us in sharing God's love. May I also suggest a three minute prayer as the sun sets in which we remember that, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it" (John 1:5). And, of course, any three minutes used in prayer and caring for God's creation throughout the day would be just fine too.
With Joy,
Pastor Cindy
