Did you remember to set your clocks back before the time changed yesterday? Did you wake up like me wondering, “did my phone automatically update – can I trust what time it’s telling me it is?” If you woke early enough, the relative amount of daylight was a helpful clue. But if the sun was already higher in the sky, how can you be sure? If you have manual clocks on the wall or the oven, are you confident that you changed them, and in the right direction? Does anyone besides me go through this thought exercise every fall and every spring?
The importance of knowing what time it is becomes remarkably clear whenever we can’t just glance over and, well… know. That we order our days and our lives around the clock is no surprise. When do I get up? When should I eat? When do I take this pill? When am I supposed to be there? When will this start or that end?
Measuring the time of day is a part of the creation story (God created an obvious day and night) and humans have used our intellect to break that down into even smaller increments, primarily for relational reasons. Paying close attention to the time is often because it helps us coordinate our lives in relationship with others. We have agreed that worship starts at 8:30am and 10:30am on Sunday mornings so that we can share these experiences together. We know that the store will be open at 8am and close at 8pm so we can expect to get what we need during that time. We meet at noon for lunch so that we can spend the next hour connecting with a friend.
Today, as we continue adjusting to a new time and are making sure all our clocks are correct, let’s give thanks to God for time. Whether it’s the one extra hour we just gained or the remainder of each day, the time we have to be in relationship with one another is a gift.
May God’s peace come to you this day. -Pastor Peter
Let us pray…
God, you created the hours of both day and night. Help us to use every use hour in the best possible way, whether it be for work, play, or sleep. May our time draws us closer together and to you. Amen.