Of course, there are tasks that I have to complete, regularly, and on schedule. (For instance, folks might notice if there’s no sermon on a Sunday morning.) If there is a crisis, then that takes precedence. Otherwise, it’s a matter of discernment: what work God has given me to do on this day?

What work has God given me to do on this day? That may be a different question than asking “What’s next on my checklist?” Instead, it’s working with the faith perspective that God is present and moving, through the commonplace events of each day, through the people that I see and talk with – and so, maybe the next thing on the checklist I generated first thing in the morning isn’t the most important work I need to do.

How hard it is to give up control!

How do you discern what work God gives you to do on this day?

Recently, Dorothy Day has been teaching me how to do that, even though she died in 1980. I’ve been reading her recently-published letters. They are full of her daily concerns. Each day’s “to do” list was longer than what she could possibly accomplish in a single day. She was better than me at seeing her work as coming from God. But she also struggled with giving up control, most days. She was often frustrated by what she was having to do because she wanted to get on to doing something else. But here is what she trusted, on her best days: that this work that she was having to do was the work that God wanted her to be doing.

At one point, I noticed that she had referred several times to an obscure little book by a little-known 17th century French spiritual teacher named Jean-Pierre de Caussade: Abandonment to Divine Providence. Well, you know me: I have that obscure little book on my shelf! And so, de Caussade has become my teacher, too. His faith perspective is radical. He writes, for instance: “The duties of each moment are shadows which hide the action of the divine will.” In another place: “The activity of God is everywhere and always present, but it is visible only to the eye of faith.”

God is in everything. Where is God in the work that is in front of you? Where is God in the person who is in front of you? Even though you’re feeling frustrated because there’s the next thing on the check list you’ve created that you feel the need to get to, could it be that the work in front of you is the work God is giving you to do on this day?

“Do not worry about tomorrow,” Jesus taught his disciples. In other words, “Be present to today. Be present to the blessings of this day. Be present to the work God gives you to do on this day.”

I do much better when I can sit outside on the screened porch, listening, watching.   I’m much better able to center in God’s gift of the day, and to live the day in gratitude.  I don’t know how many times I’ve been reminded of this  just as the sun is rising in the early morning.  The birds sing so boisterously just as the sun rises!  They are so glad that it’s a new day!  They remind me to be thankful for the new day, too.

Right now it is early evening.  The birds aren’t so noisy.  There’s a feeling of peace, of respite.  This is a seam, at the end of the daylight, before darkness falls.  I give thanks for the day, especially for the good I was able to give and to receive.  I remember that it is all gift.

It is good to be re-grounded in God’s grace as I turn to the work I’ve brought home to do this evening.

Neither of those things has happened.  Ever.  Even a week ago Saturday, when we did have a beautiful and successful wedding, even though the Williamsburg Symphonia and Youth Orchestra was performing in a tent in front of Phi Beta Kappa Hall.  Or, even this past Sunday, when there was great demand on parking because it was graduation day at the College.  It turned out that everybody who wanted to get to worship was able to, and our attendance was close to normal!  Some stayed away, I know.   In fact, I was amazed to see that there were three or four in worship who rarely gather on Sunday mornings!  How strange — that they would choose a day when they would have more difficulty!  (Knowing that some would need to park farther away than usual, and that they might not allow enough time, I did decide to delay the start of worship by five minutes each service, and stood outside the church building doors to soothe and welcome those who were rushing down the sidewalk, thinking they were late.)

My first years here, I worried a great deal about parking for our church activities.  In fact, many nights, I lost sleep worrying about it.  But I have learned that it always works out.  I have learned to let go.  It is all grace.

The new novel is entitled, “Benediction.”  Reading it, I was again and again stunned by the quiet depth and beauty of the writing.  Love each other.  Don’t be judgmental.  Be a blessing to others.

From the frontispiece: “Benediction — the utterance of a blessing, an invocation of blessedness.”

What it means, though, is that I have an unscheduled morning.  That’s a rare thing.  I was originally scheduled to spend today in Richmond, as chaplain to those meeting with the Virginia Synod Candidacy Committee (the committee that approves candidates to enter seminary, and then for ordination at the end of seminary).  But, with all the deaths in our congregation over the past six weeks and the necessary pastoral care that entails, and with the demands of Lent, I have been feeling deep in the throes of burnout.  So I regretfully told the leaders of the committee that I would simply be unable to give energy to that work today.  My plan was to spend today caring for my physical and emotional health with a long bike ride with friends instead.  The rain has interrupted those plans.

I’m caring for my emotional health this morning, at least.  Patty made from-scratch scones and we enjoyed hot tea and marmalade, to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day.  We did that this morning, because there certainly will not be the leisure tomorrow morning, a Sunday.  (The tea and marmalade were as high quality as the scones — although, alas, they were from England, not Ireland.  I do have a quiet album of Fergal Scahill’s guitar music playing, so that’s authentically Irish!)  I do have to finish the homily for tomorrow afternoon’s Memorial Service for Anna Lou Hobday.  But no agenda for the rest of the day.

It’s important to slow, to think, to pray.

I’ve been thinking about that in particular since an experience a week ago Friday.  On that day, I was re-reading an essay in the December “Atlantic” magazine by the novelist Ann Patchett, about the independent bookstore she and a partner have opened in her hometown of Nashville, TN.  The bookstore is an anomaly.  It is thriving in the face of Amazon.com.  The essay is very interesting to a book junkie like me.  In the essay, she referred to her appearance on the “Colbert Report” to talk about the store.  I decided to Google that appearance — which means, you see, that I entered into a different way of thinking, compared to reading words on a printed page.  We have been socialized to value speed in electronic communication, and that makes all the difference with how we process information we encounter electronically.  I find that is true, for me, even when using an electronic reader.

I think most people have a difficult time being contemplative when they’re looking at a screen. I find that that is because there is so much information available electronically.  I want to get to the next link as quickly as possible, to read and see and hear as much as possible!  Sometime in the process, I discover that I’m racing through one thing to get to the next link, and I’m not taking time, slowing, thinking about any particular thing I’m encountering.  So, a week ago Friday: I watched the Colbert Show clip.  Then I thought to Google Parnassus Books.  On that site I discovered that Ann Patchett writes a monthly blog about what she’s been reading, so I clicked that link.  I read about books that sound fascinating, and I Googled different ones, wondering if I should order them.  Of course, I have a pile of books that I already have ordered but haven’t taken the time to begin reading, or have only partially read before opening another one. But all of that would take time to slow, to think.  I can’t spend the time to do that!  There’s so much to get to on the Internet!  I click a link in one piece, scan that as quickly as possible so I can click the next link to read that as quickly as possible, …  Soon, I realize that I’m reading hypertext at hyper speed.

It’s important for me to create space in time for the reading of print material so I can slow, think, and even, often, pray.  Since we value speed in electronic communication, most electronic writing consists of short phrases, quick thoughts.  I often receive e-mails from college students who apologize when they’ve written more than one paragraph.  “Sorry this e-mail is so long,” they write.  (There are many thoughtful essays that have been written about those who spend all day with electronic information rather than print, describing their inability to write well, using complex sentences to express linear thoughts.)  When I am reading print — especially writing such as that in the new Kent Haruf novel, Benediction — I find that it is easier to calm my mind so I can become contemplative, even prayerful. I have to work harder to be that way when reading from a screen.   It is simply the way I’ve been socialized.

So, I’ve mentioned the title of a new novel.  Go ahead!  Google it to learn more!  The Internet allows us to explore, learn, make connections never before possible.  It’s wonderful!  I would not want to be without it.

But, also, take regular time for the counter-cultural activity of slowing, thinking, praying.  Sabbath time.  That’s what will nourish your soul.

So, now, back home. Let’s see. Since February 9, Bill Dickerson, Jo Austin, Ben Wright, Anna Lou Hobday John Warner and Ray Crocker have died. Anna Lou died while Stan was in the hospital himself! Doug did the graveside for Bill on Ash Wednesday. I did the funeral for Jo on Saturday morning, February 16, and the graveside for Ben Monday morning, February 25. We’re trying to contact John’s family in North Carolina to see what their wishes are. I’ll do the funeral for Ray this Saturday morning. Stan is out of the hospital and gaining strength, so we’re talking about what and when to do a memorial service for Anna Lou.

Daily prayer. Daily exercise. Doing the work that I am given to do, day by day.

My phone is a stupid phone. It allows me to make and to receive telephone calls, and to make and receive texts. (When I asked the question, “How is the new phone better than the one I have?” the chirpy voice replied, “Oh, Mr. Ballentine! You’re kidding, right?” Further confirmation that I am a direct link to the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth.)

But, the thing is, I think this level of technology is all I need in a phone. I don’t think I’m a luddite. (To understand that reference, you still have to read books. No, wait, you could Google it!) I think I use facebook to great effectiveness, not only for fun, but as an evangelism tool. Reading the New York Times, with all the related links and features on the iPad, is a marvelous thing. I can see where a smart phone would be very helpful if I traveled out of town a lot.

But I have found that don’t need a smart phone because I don’t need to have more information instantly available. I find that too much information is available to me as it is.  I find that much of that information is misinformation or, at least, misleading; appealing to the emotions.  What seems to me to be more important than information is wisdom.  I find that I receive wisdom when I unplug, when I practice prayer that is listening, stillness (what the Eastern tradition of Christianity calls hesychia).

Blessings to you in what you are discovering along your own journey of faith.

And I am embarrassed — because in the news coverage, most people will register the fact that the “offending” pastor who was reprimanded by his superior was, simply,  “Lutheran,” without knowing the vast differences that have developed between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (which is my tradition), and the much smaller Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (of which Matthew Harrison is a leader).

What a bad name this gives to Lutheranism!  This only reinforces the stereotype among those who are not part of a worshiping congregation: that they’d better stay away because they’ll be judged and condemned.

(For those who have no idea what I’m so worked up about, I have copied a news article below, by  Dan Merica, taken from the CNN news site.)

I want to say that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a Christian tradition of compassion and grace.  In fact, we in the ELCA have made ecumenical and inter-faith outreach central to our mission because we see God at work, attempting to heal the world, through people of good faith in all religious traditions.  We understand that a passage like Romans 16:17 which Harrison cites below (entirely out of context, by the way) does not witness to Jesus’ actions and words and teachings.  As an ELCA pastor, I would never in a million years be censured by my Bishop for participating in an inter-faith service such as this one, during which the God of compassion and healing, the God of Jesus the Christ, was most certainly present and active in the midst of that grieving community.  Indeed, I did participate in such a prayer service of Christians, Jews and Muslims in Williamsburg on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01.  Many from my congregation attended and thanked me for my leadership in it.

Here is Dan Merica’s article:

“A Lutheran pastor has apologized after being chastised by his denomination’s leader for offering a prayer at an interfaith vigil for the victims of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

“Pastor Rob Morris, who leads the Christ the King Lutheran Church in Newtown, violated the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s rule against taking part in joint worship services, said the synod’s president, Pastor Matthew C. Harrison.

“Participation could be seen as endorsing ‘false teaching’ because some among the diverse group of religious leaders at the vigil hold beliefs different from those of synod.

“The vigil, which was attended by President Barack Obama, was a high-profile part of the healing process for the families of the 20 children and six adults killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14.

“One of the victims of the shooting was a young congregant of Morris’ church.

“In an open letter posted online, Harrison wrote that because of ‘the presence of prayers and religious readings’ and the fact that ‘other clergy were vested for their participation,’ the event was a ‘joint worship with other religions.’

“‘I could draw no conclusion other than that this was a step beyond the bounds of practice allowed by the Scriptures,’ Harrison wrote. ‘There is sometimes a real tension between wanting to bear witness to Christ and at the same time avoiding situations which may give the impression that our differences with respect to who God is, who Jesus is, how he deals with us, and how we get to heaven, really don’t matter in the end.’

“Harrison then ‘asked Pastor Morris to apologize for taking part in the service’ because he ‘violated the limits set by Scripture regarding joint worship’ and ‘gave offense’ to the Lutheran leadership.

“A day after Harrison’s letter was posted, Morris apologized in another open letter.

“‘To those who believe that I have endorsed false teaching, I assure you that was not my intent, and I give you my unreserved apologies,’ Morris wrote in a letter to the Lutheran leadership. ‘I apologize where I have caused offense by pushing Christian freedom too far, and I request you charitably receive my apology.’

“In the same letter, however, Morris defends his decision to participate, writing that he believed his participation was ‘not an act of joint worship, but an act of community chaplaincy.’

“‘Those who have followed the news reports are aware that this event is not quite like anything that has happened before,’ Morris wrote. ‘I believe (and I fervently pray) that my ministry will never involve a parallel situation to the one that faced my congregation and community that weekend.’

“According to the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, participating in joint worship events, particularly with religions that ‘reject Jesus,’ is forbidden and violated the synod’s constitution. In his letter, Harrison cited Romans 16:17 as the justification for this rule.

“‘I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned,’ the passage reads. ‘Keep away from them.’

“Morris is not the first Lutheran pastor to be reprimanded for participating in an interfaith event. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2011, a New York pastor was suspended for participating in a similar interfaith event memorializing those killed in attack on the World Trade Center.”

In that last paragraph, please know that “Lutheran” means “Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.”

• First: “Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate.” (So, most importantly, the Word of God is not something printed on a page. The Word of God, most importantly, has come to us in the flesh and blood of Jesus the Christ.)

• Ready for the second meaning of the Word of God? It is in “the proclamation of God’s message to us as both Law and Gospel.” This is what happens in teaching, in preaching, in the conversations that we have with each other and also those who are not part of a church, as we invite each other to follow Jesus more deeply as the Savior of the world.

• And then, only now, is the third way to understand the Word of God; that it is presented in the Bible: “The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God. Inspired by God’s Spirit speaking through their authors, they record and announce God’s revelation centering in Jesus Christ. Through them God’s Spirit speaks to us to create and sustain Christian faith and fellowship for service in the world.”

Notice: the Word of God is presented in the Bible when stories “record and announce God’s revelation centering in Jesus Christ.” The Bible is Word of God when it witnesses to the Christ. How do we know what God is like? We look at Jesus, God in human flesh. How do we know what God wants? We are instructed by Jesus, God in human flesh.

Thank you for the hot coffee I poured into my mug.

Thank you for the furnace that’s heating the house.

Thank you for the warm fleece clothing I have put on my body.

Thank you for the newspaper that was at the end of the driveway — and for the strength to walk down to the end of the driveway to pick up the newspaper.

Thank you for Mary Oliver’s poetry.

Thank you for my functioning eyes.

Thank you for the teachers who taught me to read, and for the teacher who taught me to type.

From Luther’s Small Catechism, “The First Article: ‘On Creation’

“I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

“What is this?

“I believe that God has created me together with all that exists.  God has given me and still preserves my body and soul: eyes, ears, and all limbs and senses; reason and all mental faculties.

“In addition, God daily and abundantly provides shoes and clothing, food and drink, …”

I find that I can measure my spiritual health by how much gratitude I feel.