The Psalm appointed for this day's prayer (in the daily lectionary of Evangelical Lutheran Worship) begins

I give thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;

I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your
steadfast love and your faithfulness;

for you have exalted your name and your word
above everything.

On the day I called, you answered me,
you increased my strength of soul.
(Psalm 138)

It is striking how often a passage from the daily lectionary speaks directly to me in my prayer. As it happens, this morning, when I first woke up, lying in bed, I was flooded with thankfulness -- for a new day, for health, for the ability to breathe, for the ability to lie on my left side in bed (for months after I came home from the hospital, the feeding tube was still "installed" and I couldn't lie on that side).

Thankfulness should be my first resposne to each day when I wake up! Each day is a gift. Of course, often that is not my first thought of the day, as my mind races with what needs to be done that day. That's why my daily morning prayer is so important for me: it reorients me in God's grace. Then I can get on with the day's work with joy -- because I have been reminded by the Spirit that it does not all depend upon me. It is all done in grace.

This is a big day around the College of William and Mary: freshman move-in day! Suddenly, with the college students returning, there's lots more energy in town. And we'll enjoy that on Sunday during worship, too. The students add so much to our worshiping community!

And I'll be excited to be back leading worship at St. Stephen for the first time in three months. My first days of "re-entry" have gone well. I've been telling people that I'm "being African" about all that needs to be done, to catch up with people, to prepare for fall programs, even to clear away the piles of stuff on my desk and on the floor. (I got to the surface of my desk yesterday!)

What I mean by "being African" is this: it will get done when it gets done. I am my worst enemy when I burden myself with the pressure of a self-inflicted schedule. And so, over these past days, I've been remembering the Tanzanians I spent time with, and their absolute lack of an attitude of obssessive-compulsive accomplishment. Of course, many Africans represent the opposite extreme from our American cultural malady: of all the time feeling driven to do. For many Africans, if nothing gets done that day, that's ok! I was chagrined to see that attitude, for instance, among one pastor I met, and a hospital administrator, and a hospital matron. So, I'm not close to that extreme and I don't want to be!

Somewhere in the middle sounds healthy, don't you think?