Morning Prayer ... Evening Prayer

 A quiet corner of the breakfast room in the early morning light ... actually ... there was no natural light at that stage.  

It was one of those days when Eliot thought that five o'clock was late enough to be in bed!  His timing is unusual.  Some days he bounces out of bed in what I prefer to call "night".  On other occasions I have to kick him out at seven thirty.  

The mug was given to me at Christmas and depicts a Collie with pups (on the back).  It was only after the photograph was loaded that I realised the maker's sticker is still on the dog's ear!  The book is well travelled and well thumbed; it is a pocket version of the Franciscan daily office with both morning and evening prayer ... all the readings are printed out so it is very handy when you're on a journey.  The dust of Kenya still sticks on some of the pages ... and using it today I remembered those early morning prayer times at Oltiasika from a shelter that looks out towards Mount Kilimanjaro.  

Sixteen hours later the scene has changed.  There is again no daylight ...  

... And the coffee has become an evening glass of red wine ... otherwise things are much the same in that wee corner!

A line from the opening prayer struck me as I read it earlier: 

"Stir up in us the fire of your love..."

Sometimes when an open fire dies down a bit it needs a good stirring with the poker to bring back the dying embers into life.  Then, with fresh fuel it will again burn brightly.  That creates an interesting picture for a person's spiritual journey ... the need to be "stirred" from time to time .... 

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,

Shepherd of your pilgrim people:

their pillar of cloud by day, their pillar of fire by night.

Stir up in us the fire of your love

which shone forth from your Son enthroned on the cross,

that we may be cleansed of all our sins

and be made ready to come into your presence,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

Blessed by God for ever!

Celebrating Common Prayer

Evening Prayer - Form 6