"Wake... Salvation Is Nearer."

I ask for the grace to be centered and focused.  I ask for the grace to attend faithfully to the stirrings of the divine.  I ask for our hearts to be moved to know and trust and pursue something new.


Romans 13:11-14
11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; ¹²the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; ¹³let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. ¹⁴Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.


1) "...you know what time it is; " "...wake from sleep;" "...salvation is nearer;" "...the day in near;" "...put on the armour of light;" "...live honourably;"


2) A timely text as we prepare for the first Sunday of Advent.  I'm terribly grateful for sunshine today.  The fist we've seen in a while.  In this part of the world, even when the Sun is up, it is behind dark rainclouds.  The Coquitlam is running fast and high.  I do like that.  It's exhilarating walking next to it... and it no longer smells of rotting fish.  Paul is pointing out that "the time" is just short of Jesus' immanent return, "salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers."  It is the time for living honourably.  How honourably do we live?  Sometimes, not so.  We don't like being woken us.  Slumber is so much more comfortable, and being shaken awake from deep sleep is not prone to make us behave honourably.  It occurs to me that I'm not waking well these days.  I used to be much better at waking in the morning.  But the last month or so... maybe since I've returned from Nova Scotia?  My mornings are later, slower, less enthusiastic.  My morning practices are more sporadic.


3) What is the invitation in all this? To seek to behave honourably, even when being rudely awakened.  Maybe seek to waken more "sharply."


"Holy One, Wake us from sleep."


Breathprayer: "wake... salvation in nearer."