I like morning. My family thinks I am crazy, and I am sure some of my friends question my sanity as well. For me, morning is a sacred time. I either take a long walk or jog about 6:30 most mornings. I see the faint blush of color in the east, the dark starts to give way to light, a glorious ball of red slowly rises behind the New York skyline. A new day dawns filled with hope, promise, energy, and life.  The Psalmist says: "Joy comes in the morning," "I will sing of your steadfast love in the morning."

In the morning, my mind is not yet cluttered. It is open. Often my best thoughts and the forgiving presence of God are most real in the morning. Following is a poem I used in a sermon a few weeks ago:

I met God in the morning
When the day was at its best
His presence came at sunrise
A glory filled my breast
All day long his presence lingered
All day long he stayed with me
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O'er a very troubled sea
Other ships were blown and battered
Other ships were sore distressed
But the winds that seemed to drive  them
Brought to us both peace and rest
So I think I know the secret
Learned from any a troubled day
If you meet God in the morning
You will know him through the day.

The angel came to the shepherds "keeping watch over their flock by night." By the time the angel left and the shepherds got to Jesus it was morning.  In this Advent season, may you too find the birth of Christ in the morning.