Daylight Saving Blah

I will make a prediction: Sometime this week I will yell at my children. I will get incredibly frustrated about something they are doing or not doing and I will yell. And yell again. And then only later will I realize that part of the reason for the overall grumpiness (mine and theirs) is the beast we know as Daylight Saving Time. (The yelling, of course, is my deal--and all mine.)

Experts say it takes something like three weeks for our bodies to adjust to the new time, because our bodies are tuned into things like the rising and setting of the sun, the rhythms of the earth and sun and moon. Even though it is only an hour difference, I think for many of us (children especially?) it feels like trans-Atlantic jet lag. And this makes us grumpy. [An aside: A great children's book for first Communion uses the term "crabby people" to describe the Scribes and Pharisees that challenged Jesus.]

At the same time, Daylight Saving Time and all the grumpiness it produces (or at least encourages) are a gift. DST is a gift because it helps us slow down, even stop, and gives us the opportunity to choose to practice grace. All this DST jet lag and the attendant harumphs give us occasion to choose the way of mercy rather than revenge, the way of love rather than destruction, the way of peace rather than strife. Daylight Saving Time is an invitation to me--even if a sideways one--to enter into God's grace and to allow it to flow through my life.

So whether you are up until 1 am (or later) or hitting the snooze button a dozen times for a week or so, take some time to drink deeply of the grace of God, that it may be poured out for others in good measure (Luke 6:38).

Preparing for Sunday
I do not have a magical formula for getting ready for Sunday. I do know that how Sunday morning turns out in our family is largely dependent upon Saturday night. On our best weeks Saturday night is when we get things together for morning worship, set out our Sunday clothes and get to bed on time. On our crazier weeks... well, you know how that goes.

For Christians, everything looks forward to Sunday and flows from Sunday, for it is the Day of Resurrection. In that spirit, I would like to offer a challenge. Would you be willing to take some time during the first part of the week to reflect on this past Sunday's Scripture readings and then sometime later in the week to "read ahead" for this coming Sunday? If you would like a folder for this coming Sunday, one is available here.

Online: Sermons, Bulletin, Newsletter
You can now find current sermons, the weekly bulletin and the monthly newsletter online. These are static links, so the new bulletin, newsletter, etc. will automatically replace the old one.

An hour off, I am...
Pastor Matt