We are graced not only in the summer but all year long to be led in worship by these ministers of music, instruments used by God to help us know God better. But even if you're tone deaf, or not a great musician, each one of us can make the most of the time by finding opportunities to celebrate and participate in the beauty around us. They will help you make the most of the time. Finally, the letter to the Ephesians says that in all things and at all times we are called to give thanks. That may be the hardest part.
Thanksgiving is another way to make the most of the time.
I hear the voices that legitimately say that there are plenty of things, plenty of times when thanksgiving is just not possible. When the author and holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel received the Nobel Peace Prize, he spoke about gratitude, revealing that he knew something about making the most of the time he'd been given. And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. In this community, we try to live into that spirit as we celebrate the Eucharist each week. The word Eucharist really means thanksgiving.