Most Sundays I preach as part of a worship gathering. That means, most weeks I am preparing a message to be delivered come Sunday. There is prayer and scripture study and notes and discussion and a dozen more things that go into bringing a sermon to life.
But…I’m not preaching today and I’m feeling a bit out-of-sorts.
My usual routine. My usual preparations. My usual work flow and weekly rhythm are off.
Of course, I’ve had plenty to do. Many tasks that I might otherwise back-burner or delay until I had more time received some attention. Still, I’m at church wondering, “what do I do?”
Perhaps you’ve thought something similar?
When the pattern of your life changes, even if for just a brief moment, what do you do?
My identity and yours can be reduced to a job description or a task list, but when it is I suspect we miss out on something bigger, something beyond our little worlds. Sure, we have jobs and roles, but we are more than any one of these. At least we are invited to be.
So today, I will not preach. Instead, I’ll get to have more conversations. I have an opportunity to visit a small group. I’ll watch my daughter as she shares the Gospel as part of a children’s musical. I’ll continue to be a part of the body of Christ, not the part I normally think I am, but in many ways a bigger part. I’ll enjoy this day and the ways God uses me.
That is our challenge, to allow God to work in and through us beyond our schedules and responsibilities. Wherever we are and whatever we are doing, to surrender to the moment and find our place in the larger picture.
I’m off to enjoy such an adventure. Best wishes for yours.
Life is better together,
Shawn
Big Rubber Band Ball 