“The Church Asleep and Slumbering Soundly – But Always Hope, Salt and Light”
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Wednesday was an odd sort of day with the sun always shining at unusual angles and the lingering rains of Tuesday still hanging about in the air – Collette hoped they might return with snow over the weekend. But it was also the sort of day, in which Collette would have done well to stay away from the think-tank. She had slipped into it many, many days over the past six months, and sometimes, when the thoughts were exceptionally deeper than usual, she found herself in a sort of trance throughout the day. Being reminded of God’s grace and complete sovereignty was truly the most reassuring thing for which she could hope. But there were days, such as those… where she did not rest in it as she should. Because what did she do? She forgot – she forgot. She was convicted yet again.
Meanwhile, as she introduced Joe and Rose to their first week of psychology and sociology college classes, Mom was carting the kids off to choir once again (and dropping by Home Depot to pick up sand paper). Once again, pine wood derby had come to the Cub Scouts. And this time, Linnea was to enter her own pine wood alongside with Frances,’ as the Scouts made a special category for sibling vehicles.
Sometime in the late afternoon, Rose was cleaning the fish tank and grooming Troops while Collette listened to Johnny O.’s sermon from Sunday concerning the sleep of the church and the hypocrisy of its members. Meanwhile, everyone else was gone to work and choir. Collette washed the dining room windows as the sermon was preached; better to be doing something than just sitting there, she thought. She listened hard, rather heavy of heart, staring at a patch of something black on the floor which looked like a baby dinosaur sitting on its rump.
“Awwww!” Rose exclaimed in the middle of Collette’s thoughts, “All the baby fish died.”
It was yet another day that Collette was reminded of God’s hand in every aspect of life, of everything to have ever “been,” to “be.” That He was Lord over all things, from the smallest of molecules, to the greatest of angelic beings… He was Creator and Sustainer and Justice and Grace. It made her blood run cold at times to think of such things. And there was always hope for the Church – God was at work through it still.
“I want to be light because of that cross, I want to be salt because of that cross, I want to be awake because of Your cross.”
– John Onuoha