Gone Fishin'

I am so sorry to have been absent for so long.  Once the schedule gets ahead of me, it is a struggle to pull it all back into place and begin to write again.

It was exactly that sentiment that prompted my thoughts about aspects of our spiritual lives.  It is so easy for it all to fall away and so difficult to bring it all back into focus again.

For some it is Sunday worship.  Or worship any day of the week.  First it is an event that conflicts.  Then it is a late night and too early morning.  Then.....well, fairly soon it doesn't take anything earth shattering for us to choose not to make the effort.  The longer we are away, the harder it is to go back.

Or possibly your prayer life.  Perhaps it was easier when I was a child and every night before my mother turned out the light we would recite our bedtime prayer.  It was more than habit or routine; that nightly practice shaped my expectations and experience of talking with God.  Now I drop into bed thankful that I have finally come to that point in the day when I do not need an excuse of any kind to not do one more thing.  Too often that is exactly what I do....not one more thing.  Whatever prayer concerns had cropped up throughout the day die when my body hits the bed and my head finally has a chance to stop spinning.

For some of us the practice that falls away is searching God's Word.  Let's be honest right up front.  I have never been one of those folks who pick up the Bible every morning (evening) and spend time just reading it.  For me, the Bible is never a snack; it is always a meal.  I like to sit with it, think about it, explore possible meanings and implications.  I actually like to gather for Bible study because I always learn something new and meet God in a new place.  But when I am  not teaching a group, I too fall away from this rich and valuable practice.  Because I am called to preach weekly, my lapses are generally limited to days and not weeks, but you get the idea.

Hear the Good News.  You can start again.  You can fire up your computer and write a blog post.  You can throw on some clothes, get out the door and into worship.  You jump start your prayer life with a printed prayer, a memorized prayer, the listing of folks you are concerned about.  Just start.

And the Bible?  Folks, it is such a rich story of God's grand story of creating and calling people to life through love.  Those stories are filled with folks just like you and me.  The psalms speak of ancient times that parallel feelings and losses and longings that I have today.  If you are starting back up on your own, start with Luke.  Otherwise, meet us at Panera on Route 11 on Tuesdays at 9:30.  We are always talking about something.

The Holy Spirit continues to tease us into relationship.  Start again today, and blessings on the way.