From the desk of Pastor Jim

I believe the snooze button is one of humanity’s most tempting inventions. The alarm rings, we know it is time to get up, but that little button whispers, “You don’t have to face the world yet. Nine more minutes will fix everything!”

Of course, nine minutes later, nothing has changed. We are just nine minutes older and slightly more annoyed.

In Romans 13, Paul gives the church a spiritual wake-up call: “Now is the moment for you to wake from sleep.” Paul is reminding us that following Jesus is not something we should keep putting off until tomorrow. There is too much love to share today.

Maybe we have been meaning to call someone who is lonely. Maybe there is a relationship that needs forgiveness. Perhaps someone needs a word of encouragement, a helping hand, or simply someone willing to listen. It is easy to think, “I’ll get around to it.” Paul gently reminds us: Why not today?

He also tells us that “the night is far gone, the day is near.” That is a beautiful message of hope. We certainly see darkness in our world—anger, division, fear, loneliness, and suffering. But Christians are not called to complain about the darkness. We are called to carry the light.

And carrying Christ’s light does not always require doing something spectacular. Sometimes it is as simple as being patient with someone who is having a bad day, checking on a neighbor, welcoming a stranger, forgiving an old hurt, sharing a meal, or offering a genuine smile.

A small light can make a surprising difference in a dark room.

So perhaps Paul's message for us is simple: Wake up. Look around. God has given us another day to love somebody.

The alarm is ringing, church! Let's resist the spiritual snooze button, get up, put on Christ, and see where God might use us today.

And if you still need the regular snooze button in the morning, don't worry. God's grace covers that too!

Grace and peace,

Pastor Jim