Changes and Chances
“Protect us … so that we who are wearied by the changes and
chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness.”
“The Book of Common Prayer,” A Collect for Compline, p.133
I was ordained as a deacon in the Diocese of Texas 16 years ago this month. In that time, I have been the deacon in four parishes and had two Diocesan roles that required I me to travel within the Diocese. At my ordination, I promised to “make Christ and his redemptive love known, by your word and example, to those among whom you live, and work, and worship” and “to interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world.” (“The Book of Common Prayer,” p. 543)
Wow. When I reread my vows, I know that I have fallen many times and not fully kept my promises to God and the Bishop. However, it was not through a lack of trying. Do you sometimes feel that you are in an unending assault of changes and chances? I believe that the all-loving and changeless God knows us individually and calls us, knowing that we will not always be able to fulfill His wishes for us and our wishes for ourselves. And He will give us protection as we do our best.
It is in the changes that we experience in our lives that we learn and grow. It is in the chances that we may take that we find the opportunities for that growth.
If you need to enhance your prayer life, consider using Compline. It is a short contemplative service that emphasizes spiritual peace. It is used at the end of the day.
