Early one winter morning at the Prince of Peace Abbey I got up to pray. It was still dark. I stood at the edge of the hill and looked out over the valley below and the mountains in the distant horizon.
As the birds chirped, I stood in the dark, shivering, and waiting for the sun to rise. I prayed my psalm for the morning: Psalm 67, which is a benediction that goes back to the original one that God gave to Moses 3,500 years ago to bless the Israelites (Numbers 6:24-26).
As I prayed I saw the Son of God smiling in the sun! What joy to see Christ’s smile! Ever since this is what I see when the sun is shining. (To remind myself I created an icon of this and put it in My Psalms Prayer Book and here for you.)
I was inspired to write some Benedictions, including this one called “God Dawns on You.” The meditation that led to this prayer poem is an example of Praying a Psalm in its Nature Setting.
Today I enjoyed praying this for many groups of people including you. May God use it to show you the smile of Christ in Psalm 67 and in the sunshine. And may you shine God’s light through your face and your person to everyone you meet.
God Dawns on You
May God be gracious to us
And bless us
And make his face shine upon us
Selah
In the darkness that was
And the dawning that is
And the daylight that is to come
Selah
May we praise God today
And join the angels of heaven
And all of creation
Selah
In the name of the Father
And the Son
And the Spirit
Amen
