Pastor Dan’s Musings
Thursday,
January 19, 2012
Pardon the Interruption
Hi, friends- I’m writing to you this week from a meeting in
Orlando, Florida. As I’ve mentioned, I’m
here for another meeting with the Fellowship of Presbyterians. This is a national evangelical group of PCUSA
pastors and elders who are trying to make sense of, create options for and
dream about our troubled denomination. I
will be making a full report after I return.
But that’s not what I want to write about. As I sat in a ballroom this morning with over
2,100 elders and pastors, I found myself thinking about “interruptions.” I committed to coming to this meeting months
ago. Naturally, when the time came, it
was an unwanted interruption to my schedule.
I have a memorial service to lead on Saturday, a sermon to preach on
Sunday, a Tuesday session meeting to prepare for, and an annual meeting next
weekend. Leaving LA right now was a huge interruption. Yet as we worshipped together- 2,100
followers of Jesus singing praises- and as we prayed together around our tables
I realized…I really needed this. I
needed to be out of my office and off our campus and away from my routine to
get some space, to have time to reflect and dream. I’m thankful for this interruption.
Interruptions are unexpected, unplanned for and inconvenient. They throw us out of our normal mode of
living life. And oddly enough, God often
finds us in them. Scripture is filled with
interruptions. King David had a great
plan to build God a house in Jerusalem, but God stopped him. David was
compelled to sit and pray. Peter and
Andrew had their routine in the family fishing business down to a science, and
along came Jesus saying “Follow me.”
Interruptions.
C.S. Lewis said we need to “… stop regarding all the
unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s “own,” or “real” life. The truth is
of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life—the
life God is sending…day by day…” I’m
pretty sure that today, yes today, you will be interrupted. Someone will call, you will meet someone who
needs something or you will be forced to consider an issue in a new light. It will seem like an interruption. But I encourage you to keep your eyes open,
and see where God shows up. We call them
interruptions. God might call them
opportunities.
See you soon,
Pastor Dan
