Awake thou that sleepest.......

Recently I've been reading through the 52 Standard Sermons of John and Charles Wesley (what I should have been doing in school). The Wesley brothers are very practical theologians who never let their listeners/readers simply reflect upon ideas about God, but are constantly challenging them to bring these ideas to life in fulfilling the two great commandments. The third sermon in the series is called "Awake Thou That Sleepest," and is based upon Ephesians 5:14. Like many of their sermons this one is directed just as much at people who self-identify as Christians as it is at those who have never heard the gospel. The sermon is a challenge to awaken from the spiritual complacency and satisfaction in which we so often live; it is an exhortation to awaken to renewed love of God and neighbor. These are things which I find very easy to neglect and this is why I was really intrigued and also shaken when Thomas decided to take a snooze during our Saturday evening fellowship meeting. As we opened up the scriptures and began to read together, my mind was immediately carried back to Charles Wesley's words as Thomas began to snore in the lounge chair behind me. It was a very powerful combination of sounds, words, and images. I heard God speaking to me in this moment. I thought about my life, I thought about our community, and I thought about Thomas'current situation. There were so many things rolled into this moment. There were no clear answers or solutions, just a call to awaken from my own slumber, call upon God, and be a part of helping to make our community a "city of refuge (which it certainly has been for me)." I would ask for your prayers as I continue discerning what this means. Thanks.....