May 19, 2024
My father was a very disciplined man. Maybe he learned this trait from his father who was a bookkeeper or from his years as a Boy Scout or from his time in the Christian organization called The Navigators. Regardless of its origin, he created orderly habits and lived those habits throughout the vast majority of his 93 years. Habits.
One of those habits which impacted me was that of rising early to read his Bible and pray. My guess is he was simply attempting to do what the scripture itself described:
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. Psalm 63:1 (KJV)
And so, his alarm would go off at 5:30, he would get out of bed, brew a cup of coffee, quiet himself, read, reflect and pray. I remember the morning as a young boy when I woke up, heard some commotion and went out to find my dad performing his daily discipline. Without saying a word he opened his arms, took me onto his lap, snuggled me a bit and kept doing what he always did. Habits.
I guess I inherited this habit with some modifications from my father. For the better part of 42 years I have crawled out of bed on Sunday mornings at 5:30 AM, brewed a cup of coffee, sat down at my desk and finalized my research, thoughts and prayers for my Sunday morning sermon. How do you take the written Word of God (the Bible) that is meant to be a tool to reveal the living Word of God (Jesus) to a body of people from all walks of life with vast experience and history so the Spirit of God can touch their lives, giving them hope and direction? All week long this question has lived in the back of my mind. All week long the text for the sermon has been mulching in my spirit. All week long the events of our world with which I have dealt impact the text. Then, in those early morning hours when my father modeled listening to God’s Word, I listen afresh to the voice of the Spirit and write my final thoughts to share with those who will attend. Habits…
…until today…May 19, 2024.
My habit still woke me up at 5:30 AM. Actually, I had been awake a bit earlier in anticipation of the day. I could have stayed in bed. Last Sunday was my last day as a pastor of a church. Last day I officially retired (for the fifteenth time as a friend quipped to me). I may preach from time to time, to fill in the gap at a pastor/friend’s request. The title in the Presbyterian denomination for this function is called “Pulpit Supply.” But leading a congregation of folks as their “Pastor” has come to an end. I guess old habits die hard. Habits.
Please do not get me wrong. I am not lamenting this change. I am celebrating it. It is time for a younger person to take over steering the ship. Even though I still love preaching and teaching and probably always will, it is time for a person with a younger vision and more energy to step in and lead. Part of establishing that vision that will lead a body of Jesus followers into the future is the teaching that is done every week from the pulpit. That is where the thermostat of a congregation is set and regulated. It is an important time for God’s people as they gather. It is a habit that scripture tells us needs to be established by each member of the people of God as it says in Hebrews 10:23-25,
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Habits.
And so today, I will continue the habit of “meeting together,” as scripture teaches God’s people. It will be in a new place with new people which will be wonderful. It will be as a parishioner not as a pastor which may be a challenge. We will most likely be pilgrims for a while as we seek the right place to sink our roots. The habit will continue even though the place where we live out that habit will change.
What habits have you established in your life? How have they guided you over the years? How have they stayed with you even when circumstances in life have changed?
Habits.
Comments