A Needed Timeout?

Picking up from my Wednesday devotional, I am fascinated by the timing of our unexpected snow days. As I have talked to people about this unplanned, unstructured time, many have been cleaning out closets, baking, spending time on the phone with family and friends, and generally getting to things that would have been postponed had it not been for this timeout. For many, it has been a reset. Timeouts and resets have good biblical grounding.

• God calls Abraham apart.

• God gives Moses pause with a burning bush.

• God calls Moses to a mountaintop—alone.

• Jesus is driven into the wilderness.

• Jesus calls his disciples to a quiet place.

• Jesus goes to pray—alone.

• Saul winds up in a home where he realizes his call as an apostle.

All of these were timeouts that resulted in course corrections or reinforcement. With the temperature of our culture running high right now, a collective timeout is in order – to pause, reflect, and reset. At its best, this is what planned worship does, even without snow days.

After last week’s snow day from in-person worship, we will again gather Sunday for a spiritual timeout:

• Listening to instrumental music

• Confessing our harried hurriedness

• Listening for God’s word in the biblical text and sermon

• Staying at the prayer rail as long as we need before receiving Holy Communion

• Thanking God for the reset by the end of the service

Timeouts – both unintended and designed – can be wellsprings of new hope, strength, and peace. May it be so for you, our church, and our world.

Amen.

Connecting God and grace …

Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor