Barbara Brown Taylor is an Episcopalian priest and preacher who has written and published several books, including collections of sermons. I have not yet read her book “An Altar on the World: A Geography of Faith,” but understand that it shares how she learned to find God beyond the church walls by embracing the sacred as a natural part of everyday life. I am intrigued and inspired by the title of one of the chapters of her book, “Waking up to God.” It is a concept that is familiar to me.

During the summer especially, I have learned the practice of waking up to God. Most days I rise in the wee hours when much of the rest of the community is sleeping. I quickly get dressed and publish my daily blog and then head to the lake for my early morning paddle. If I get on the lake early enough, I have time for breakfast and a shower and still can make it to the office by 7:30 a.m. or so. It is rare for me to have a meeting before 8 a.m., so I have time to get in my entire routine.

I arrive at the lake and unload my boat and slip it into the water. These days, I don’t need to bother with a paddling jacket or dry suit. The water is relatively warm and the air temperature is such that a light hoodie is sufficient. A wooden canoe and a wooden paddle makes for a very quiet journey across the surface of the lake. Since I frequently paddle in the same lake, I know exactly where to sit to wait for the sunrise. The predawn light often reveals a mist rising from the surface of the lake and the various birds and animals are just getting going.

The glory of a sunrise from the surface of the lake is not to be missed. When the water is calm, your eyes are treated to two of everything because of the perfect reflection on the surface of the water. A glorious sunrise is doubly glorious on the water.

It is, for me, most frequently a private devotion. Although I could take someone else with me, most of the time I’m the only one who wants to get up and get going at that particular time of day. My life demands a balance of time spent in community and time alone. Since my work is primarily about forming community, I get a lot of intense time with people during my work day and appreciate the opportunity to spend a little time alone first thing in the morning.

Of course, I’m not really alone. That’s why I like Taylor’s title so well: waking up with God.

There is an old African-American Spiritual that begins, “Woke up this morning with my mind, stayed on Jesus.” I’ve heard it explained that during the time of slavery, just waking up in the morning with one’s mind was a major accomplishment. The cruelty of slavery was enough to drive some people mad. So to wake up with one’s mind at all was a sign of resilience and character. Then, to wake up with one’s mind on Jesus - the central character of the religion of the slave owners, that had not only been adopted by the slaves, but in a real sense was better understood and better practiced by those slaves.

Some mornings I am blessed to wake up with my mind stayed on Jesus.

There are, to be certain, many opportunities to witness the glory of God.

Last night, on my way home from Vacation Bible School, I stopped along Omaha Street and took a few pictures of the wildfire burning on M hill. It was an awesome sight from my very safe vantage point. I could see the firefighters working the edges of the flames and knew that they would be feeling the intense heat as well as hearing the loud crackling of the flames. A helicopter was later brought in to assist with the firefighting, but I didn’t stay that long. It was pretty impressive just to see the power of the flames. I don’t know if I was experiencing God in those moments of watching the flames, but I was aware of how powerful the forces of this universe really are. It was a dramatic and impressive display.

The natural world is chock full of examples of the glory of God and I really appreciate being able to live in a place where I have so much access to the beauty and glory of God. On the other hand, I am no less aware of God when I sing with the children at Vacation Bible School, or work with one of the committees of the church. People who are giving so generously of their time and energy to build and sustain a community of care are a constant reminder of God’s glory and presence in the world.

Once again, I have been blessed to wake with God this morning. I haven’t yet stepped out of my door. I haven’t yet dipped my paddle in the lake. The sun has not yet made its first appearance in my neck of the woods, but I am confident that God is at work in the world ant that God will be revealed to me in the events of this day. It is indeed a blessing to wake with God to a new day.

I’m not good at poetry and I’ve never written the words to a hymn, but I admire those who possess such a skill. There are some wonderful hymns about the process of waking with God: “Morning Has Broken,” and “God has Created a New Day,” readily come to my mind as I write this morning. Add those to “Woke Up this Morning with my Mind Stayed on Jesus” and there should be a song on my heart all day long. Still, if I could, I’d write a new hymn about waking up with God. Already the concept didn’t start with me, but it is one that is rich in meaning and possibility.

Copyright (c) 2016 by Ted E. Huffman. If you would like to share this, please direct your friends to my web site. If you want to reproduce any or all of it, please contact me for permission. Thanks.