Dear people of the Northwest Intermountain Synod,
Only a few weeks ago most of us across the country and all of us who reside within the boundaries of the Northwest Intermountain Synod took part in the biannual ritual of changing our clocks as we moved to Standard Time from Daylight Saving Time. Personally, the sun setting well before 5:00pm each day is the most noticeable and enduring consequence of this time-shift. The extended time of darkness in the evening is evident.
Oftentimes, darkness is seen in a negative connotation. This is true in Scripture as well. That said, there are also instances when darkness is seen in a more positive light (pun intended). There are occasions in the Bible that night and darkness are times of revelation, of divine presence, and of promise. Take, for instance, God appearing to Abram at night in Genesis 15 to affirm God’s promise to him by showing him the stars. Additionally, one could look to the dreams of Joseph or even Jesus’ parable of the 10 bridesmaids from Matthew 25. In that parable the bridegroom arrives in the middle of the night. These are only a few examples when darkness functions as an opportunity for blessing.
At this fall’s Bishop’s Convocation we had the opportunity to sing “Bless This Night” together. Bless This Night is a new setting of Vespers (Evening Prayer) created this past year in Holden Village. It is a lovely setting, and is described on the website as a “service [that] seeks to honor twilight, dusk, night, and darkness as times of blessing and renewal in our lives. The service also has themes of creation and justice, and recognizes all bodies as holy.” You can learn more about this setting, place orders, and even listen to the music here.
As we continue to live through these days of longer evenings and nights, may this time of darkness also be a time of blessing, revelation, and assurance of God’s promise.
God’s peace be yours,
Pastor Phil Misner