Jesus talked about being ready or keeping awake....about continuing to be ready and vigilant. When he talked of such, was it because, I wonder that the disciples were becoming a bit tired or complacent. Was the early church who first heard the written words of Jesus starting to get complacent or to even question if their faith was worth it. Surely, we all wonder as well if faith is worth it...... we all question at times. IN this passage, Jesus warns the disciples strongly about being ready - he says And what I say to you, I say to all: KEEP AWAKE!!! And the warning to keep awake is in the midst or the end of a early list of things to remember to do such as sharing, caring, prayer, loving neighbour, devotion to God and then, the warning to keep awake. These words of Jesus are the last words of Jesus in Mark before the scribes decide that Jesus is to be arrested ....Jesus last teaching words - TO KEEP AWAKE.

During the summer, with its lazy evenings and the quieter pace, we might be lulled into a lifestyle of relaxation - and that is good. I have heard people say that they are taking a break for a couple of weeks - well, people traveling, meeting old friends or family. Wonderful, but we must, amid our times of relaxation, not forget to continue to be vigilant in our continued devotion to God. We must not forget to hold in prayer our family and friends and our lives as worthy responses to God’s loving actions that got us here in the first place. As you take time for yourself and that is a great thing, but do not forget about your continued call to trust in God and to serve God’s loving call in the here and now.

I mentioned that Beverly and I and the children are camping. Camping in the park - beautiful park - pond, campfire, fresh air - yet, at night the sounds of road across the pond...well, after a couple of weeks, I no longer hear the sounds of the traffic....but also started to not hear the birds in the early morning wake me up. Last week I started to hear the birds again. This morning, I heard: Chich-a dee - dee - dee and then I started to try to listen and I heard the lap of water at the ponds edge. The sound, softly at times, of the wind shaking the leafs and the sound of the leaves softly scrap the tent. Sometimes, hearing things can make us tired and then we shut them out. Sometimes, we have to refocus and hear the sounds again - thanks be to God when our ears continue to hear even when there are many noises in our world. In the demands upon our time, we might forget to continue to listen to God and to seek’s God reassuring guidance. Do not forget to listen to God when you feel like you need a break away.....remember to take God with you in your own hearts and minds. The being ready that Jesus talks about is being grounded with God.

This past week, I have heard, as all of you have heard of young lives coming to an end and the preciousness of life becomes ever more apparent. We all have only one life to live - we are called to live it fully, lovingly and with a vigilance to the task of serving God that is a worthy response to Jesus’ call to keep awake. But that call to keep awake should not be an onerous one, but joy-filled.

If you are doing something as a faithful response - something in the church that you need a break from, then change what you are doing. If you are a UCW member or in some group and it is tiring, then do something else for GOD......if you are serving on a committee and you can not longer stand it, and you love helping young people or you see a need in our community, then do it........ If going to church - this church even, if it is onerous, then go to another church. Your serving of God should and has to be something that gets you hopping and makes life worth something - faith is not something to be endured, but experienced and celebrated. Being ready does not mean suffering in your soul. You have only one life to live and you are called to live it passionately, fully, enjoying it all the while doing so for God - serving with joy.

That is keeping awake for God...... What makes people complacent is when they do not change something that needs changing and instead, drop out of church. I challenge you all to think about what you are doing and what you love doing - what grants you joy and see if that thing that gives you joy can be used for the enrichment of God’s Kingdom and then do that very thing for God. If you love gardening, then plant a garden and share the fruits and vegatables with someone in need. If you love talking on the phone, then do not gossip - use that love of conversing

to brighten someone’s life who might be lonely or mourning. If you love to cook and eat, well cook a little more and eat a little less and share that food with someone in need. If you love the idea of organizing a drive to help one of the schools, then do it - if you love teaching, then get YOUR CHURCH to be a center for adult learning. Keeping awake is always easier when we are doing the very things we love to do and that is what God wants for us in ministry.

Yes, we can all agree - we have only one life to live. In all you do and where ever you be, be found ready in loving service to God and with a joyful heart. May we be so blessed that when our life on earth is over, our hands should be found in the thing that we love doing and doing it with joy and gusto because of our love of God. And so, in the words of Jesus What I say to you, I say to all - KEEP AWAKE

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