Life,  Ministry,  Missions

Time Change

I hate losing things, and I especially hate losing an hour. Daylight savings time is about to hit us again, and we are all about to have to go through the struggle of giving up an hour. True, we’ll get it back on November 2, but in the meantime, Sunday, March 9, could be a bummer. How many people will get their hour back by sleeping in and skipping church? How many people will physically attend church but mentally check out during the sermon because they are too tired to really engage? How many people across America will glibly go through the motions of worship but actually not really be present because they would rather be taking a nap? Okay, so maybe I’m approaching this thing like a preacher. I can’t help it. I’ve got something really important to share on Sunday, and the potential for disconnect is even greater than normal because we all lose an hour the night before.

 

When I think about it, this hour of worship on Sunday, March 9, is not the only important hour of our lives. The truth is, we lose hours all the time. We may be present at an event, but we’re really not present. We disconnect as a habit and miss the golden opportunities God gives us for life-change and ministry. We may cheat on a night’s sleep, and when we really need to be alert and engaged, our brains have checked out. Maybe this transition to Daylight Savings Time needs to be a not so subtle reminder that we have to choose to engage with our mission and purpose every day of our lives. If we do not make this conscious choice, we may be present but not really there. We might be present at a spiritual encounter with God but not really there when it comes to realizing this is a Kingdom moment. We might be present at a divine appointment but miss it because our spirits were not engaged in the moment, and we therefore miss the opportunity to impact a life for eternity.

 

These thoughts underscore that every day is important. Losing an hour this Sunday makes me even more aware of how important every Sunday is, and for that matter, it underscores the importance of every day. Our motto should be: “Wherever you are, be there.” Maybe we should spend some time reflecting on Psalm 90:12 as we prepare for time change Sunday: “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”

5 Comments

  • Mike Laster

    I know that lot of people talk of losing this hour of sleep but I can’t understand it. Many nights I am out a little later than normal and life goes on just the same. I have had nights that I missed several hours of sleep and thought nothing of it. I used to go in to work 4 hours early 2 or 3 days a week and never had a problem. I plan to enjoy the sermon from Dennis Sunday morning and I think that I will hear all of it. If someone wants a reason to miss church, this will make a good reason. If they want to go in and worship the Lord, they will be in church.

    • timriordan

      Great point, Mike. We lose hours all the time to staying up late, watching movies, working a little extra, etc., and we never give it another thought. I think for me this year, tomorrow’s time change has challenged me to value an hour a little more than I have in the past.

  • Edwina Cowgill

    Pastor Tim,

    “We have to choose to engage with our mission and purpose every day of our lives” was like a splash of cold water in my face. So many days, I hit the ground running with no thought of my mission or purpose, only thoughts of accomplishing what I need to that day, or even worse, just “surviving” the day. Thanks for the wake-up call!

    Edwina

  • jan lea

    time is lost on a regular basis. working late, long meetings, sleepless nights, early mornings, being angry is a waste of time. If we are eager to encounter GOD time will not be a factor. when i think about not having enough time or im tempted to not get up early to study and pray, i remind myself of the…time…Jesus spent nailed to the cross for me.

  • Beth True

    This time change makes me think of mom, she hated that it would get dark so early, she would be like a kid on Christmas morning right now just knowing that we were going to have an extra hour in the evening.

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