Newton Cowan, Transitional Director of Pastoral Care
Ever had a plan to get up at a certain time to go exercise, or get some things done around the house before the day really begins? Then the alarm goes off, and the bed, where you are, as they say, snug as a bug in a rug, and you don’t want to move. So you hit the snooze button, not once, but multiple times. Been there and done that? I know I have.
Mel Robbins, whose slogan is “you can change your life,” is a life coach, author, and has her own podcast. She shoots from the hip and tells it straight. I read a book of hers a few years back called, Stop Saying You’re Fine. She begins the chapter The Snooze Button this way: ”Right now, resistance is winning. Just consider how you start each day. The alarm goes off and to your sleeping self the sound seems to start somewhere behind your eyeballs. You instantly press the snooze button. Silence returns and you consider your options. Today was supposed to be the fifth day of your new exercise program. But it feels awfully early to be getting out of bed and walking across the cold floor in your bare feet. The mere thought of it makes your head throb.”
You get the idea. The chapter continues with this series of hitting the snooze button and more excuse-making, or at least trying to rationalize why staying in bed is a better idea.
So again, I ask, have you been there and done that? Maybe, just maybe you are sitting in your bed reading this Monday email after hitting the snooze. Hitting the snooze is so easy to do on a variety of things in life whether we are literally about to throw the alarm clock/phone across the room to make it stop, or we hit the virtual snooze in the choices that we make.
Over the last many months, I have had conversations with friends who attend a variety of congregations from Greensboro to other places around the county and the conversation goes something like this: During COVID we got out of the habit of going to church, much less being involved on any level, and it is hard to start back.
Let me say, I get it. I really do. I would think that if I were not a pastor and serving in a church that I would be all in, but I am sure I would have had some of those thoughts. So what about you? Have you pushed the snooze button on growing your faith, in coming to worship or anything to do with the church? I have a feeling that deep down there is part of you that is yearning to re-engage.
I listen to a fair number of podcasts, and one recently offered a quote from Bill Wilson saying, “Spiritual life is not a theory, we have to live it.” Please know that FPC is open, we are here, and we care about each of you. We are all better together serving the living God.
As we move into the season of Advent, we live into Emmanuel, God with us. Come, the doors are open, come, the table is prepared, come, music that speaks to the soul is playing and the Word is being read and proclaimed. Come, O come Emmanuel.
