“Turn Aside”

John Ortberg in his book The Life You’ve Always Wanted talks about “turning aside” for God. As Moses “turned aside” to look at the burning bush, so must we be willing to interrupt our daily routine and pay attention to the presence of God. Today I was supposed to be in Second Kings according to by Bible reading plan. Instead, I turned aside, and went to Leviticus (of all places), and shared some scripture via email with a new Christian who is hurting from years of sexual abuse. She was on my heart this morning. And instead of plowing through my scheduled Bible reading, I turned aside, and went somewhere else, hopefully following where God was leading me

“Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.”
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I want to go back to bed.

The pastor is away on vacation. I need to lead the Sunday School opening and songs. I’m teaching the adult Sunday School class. I’m running the PA for the morning service, though that’s no real big deal. I’m leading the 11am worship service with my wife. I’m needed at church today.

This afternoon at 2pm is my brother’s funeral.

If ever there was a day I would want to skip church and go back to bed it’s today. If ever there was a day I was needed at church it’s today.

The Spiritual Discipline of Sleep

“Get plenty of sleep” the book said. “You can’t minister appropriately if you don’t get enough rest.” The professor said “Try to get one day a week where you sleep as long as your body wants to.” For me, that was today. Is was supposed to be today. It’s Saturday. I didn’t set an alarm. My body woke up around 5am, as I’ve trained it to do; that’s around my usual wake-up time. I went to the bathroom, but then proceeded to go back to bed. I thought perhaps I’d get another couple hours of sacktime in. I fell back to sleep, but not for long. Nothing wakes one up faster than the sound of a 90lb labrador retriever chortling in one’s bed. My wife and I both lept up. She pushed Deuteronomy (yes, my dog is named after an OT book by way of TS Eliot) out of the bed. I grabed a box that had been filled with Christmas socks. Deut hacked and wheezed, and I stood ready to catch a belly full of nasty, but it never appeared. But now, fully awake, knowing getting more sleep wasn’t going to be happening, I figured I’d start my day. Deut and I took our walk. He ate his breakfast. I read from my Bible, and decided to start the online journal for my Spiritual Formation and Transformation class. Here’s entry #1.