Will You Join Us?

 Last Monday morning, I came into the office a little earlier than I normally do.  I had a meeting scheduled at 9am and wanted to be here in plenty of time in the event the person I was meeting came a little early.  I needn’t have come in early, however, because the person I was meeting was actually late getting here.  My Monday wasn’t starting out very well, it seemed.

A little later in the morning, our youth minister, CJ, came into the office.  He walked past my office door toward his office, and as he passed my door, he greeted me and asked me how I was doing.  CJ usually does this when he comes in, and I have begun to respond to him with something other than, “Fine,” or “I’m OK today,” or some other of the usual phrases that people give to that greeting.

That day, I was feeling kind of down.  The early arrival that day along with the late meeting didn’t help that any, but there were other things on my mind that were weighing me down that day.  We have a number in our congregation who are ill or fighting chronic health issues.  We just had a memorial service for a long-time member the week before and have other members whose time on earth is numbered.

We had the lowest attendance at worship services the day before that we’ve had in a long while.  The class I taught on Sunday didn’t seem to “flow” very well.  And I’ve been fussing with some kind of a pinched nerve in my hip that hurts whenever I walk.

Additionally, there is the constant barrage of political stuff, shootings, COVID-related issues, and other societal ills that come our way on the news and in social media.  Sometimes, it seems that things are getting worse and worse with no end in sight.

And, for perhaps one of the first and only times since I’ve been part of the church staff…that’s been 10 years now…as I was coming in to work that morning, I wasn’t very enthused about doing so.  I think I would much rather have stayed home that day.

Normally, I very much enjoy what I do here.  I look forward to the day and the work of the day.  But on that Monday, I was not in that kind of mood.  I would much rather have gone for a drive in the country and forget about work that day.

So, when CJ came by and asked me how I was doing, I asked him to step into the office and close the door.  He did and after I said to him, “You asked,” I proceeded to tell him how I was doing…not well.

I won’t go into the conversation in detail, but I will tell you that it struck a nerve with both of us.  We commiserated regarding the state of how things were, both in the church and in society, and took the conversation on side trips that touched on several aspects of life and living.  We talked about the future and what that means for those who are Christians.  We talked about the passage of time, acknowledged past regrets, and future apprehensions.  We spoke of the heaviness of burden-bearing as ministers and pastors.  I spoke of the relatively short time I have left on the earth, and we both recognized that we have squandered some of the time we’ve already been given, and that time and opportunities for making a difference in the lives of our families, friends, and others were growing shorter for the both of us.  And we talked about the fact that we both like to be in control of our lives…and that when the end comes, we will have no control over anything…that we will have to rely on the promises of God that we find in the Bible to bring us into the eternity that we believe He has promised for those who are His.

We ended that impromptu meeting with a man hug and a prayer.  And we both felt much better the rest of that day…and on into the next days, for that matter…because of our honesty with each other and “getting it out,” so to speak, getting out into the open those things which were building up inside us over the last weeks and months.

I don’t know where you are in life right now.  I don’t know if you have it all together and are merrily going on your way down life’s path, or if you are wrestling with the issues of the day and how they affect you physically, mentally, emotionally, and yes…spiritually.  I don’t know if you often look at your life past and dwell on the regrets or if you look at the past with great joy and peace.  I don’t know if you gaze into the future and find joy and excitement there, or if you see apprehension and fear of the unknown.

Or maybe you aren’t concerned with the past and the future and are just trying your best to get through the next hour or two.  You may be looking forward only to tonight when hopefully the cacophony will calm down and let you rest a little.

Whatever your situation, and wherever you are in life, know that you are not alone.  Seek out someone you can talk with who will understand and share life with you.  If you’re a Christian…a Christ-follower…find time in your day or your week to just be…no doing…just being.  Let God’s love overflow you and bring you contentment and peace even in the midst of the chaos.  Make it a priority to spend time with the One who created you and knows you better than you know yourself.

I don’t know how you best can do that.  It isn’t necessary that you sit in a dark closet for all of that time unless that’s your thing.  Different people have different ways of connecting with God.  Find the way that you enjoy and that brings you into communion with Him.  Make it a practice to meet Him regularly.

Our church staff will do that today…this afternoon.  We all will stand down this afternoon as part of our work day to just be.  The office will be closed.  The phones will not be answered.  Our social media will be shut off.  We will not be in our offices or even at the building.  We plan to, in whatever ways work best for us, be in touch with our Creator for three hours, from 1pm to 4pm.  Will you join us?