Sleeping in Church

I love the story of Eutychus because he reminds me of myself. When I first became a Christian, I was a ‘twicer,’ which meant that I used to go to church services twice each Sunday. I went to my Presbyterian Church in the morning, and then worshipped at an evangelical church in the evening. The preacher usually spoke for about an hour, and I always ended up sleeping against the church wall. I made sure that my seat was against the wall in order to do this.

Podcast version here

Bible Verse of the Day


Acts 20:9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.



Of course, it wasn’t the preacher’s fault. It was mine. I had a great big Sunday dinner just before the service, so by the time I reached the church, I was ready to snooze. I tried everything to stay awake. I would grip the pew in front of me until my knuckles were white. Sometimes I blinked my eyes really fast or opened them as wide as I could to keep awake. Other times, I would move my toes within my shoes in order to be attentive. Eventually, all of my efforts would fail me, and I would nod off to sleep. Thankfully, I didn’t snore; otherwise someone would have woken me up.

God has a great sense of humor. When He saw the Eutychus in me, He was also busy planning to make me a preacher. Now, on Sunday mornings, I get to look at the congregation and sure enough, during the sermon, someone’s fighting and fidgeting to stay awake. If they end up sleeping, I don’t mind. Perhaps they’ve had a busy week, or were up late, or the sermon is boring. Whatever the case, to sleep in the House of the Lord is a good thing. It’s the one place where peace and love, comfort and security are meant to be experienced.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for allowing us to sleep in church and for quietly refreshing our spirits in Your Presence. Some of us come to church looking for answers, needing encouragement, and seeking rest from all our worries and busy-ness. Grant us the blessing of Your Love, and enable us to become all that You need us to be. In Your Holy Name, we rest and pray. Amen.

Rest for the Weary

Scottish audio version here

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (NIV)

Have you ever had a wasp in your home and watched it struggle against a window pane trying to get out? It constantly buzzes and desperately attempts to find a means of escape. It can see the real world outside, but it doesn’t understand what a glass window is. I guess the wasp must think it’s some sort of impenetrable force field that prevents it from joining the real world. And unless someone opens a window or a door to the outside world, it will keep trying to scratch, bite or claw its way through the glass until it falls exhausted to the ground.

I’ve seen people in similar circumstances throughout my years of ministry. They feel trapped in their careers or marriages. They feel isolated and frustrated. They busy themselves in the belief that somehow something will happen and they will make the breakthrough into a better, more rewarding and highly successful life. Sadly, I’ve seen them exhaust themselves until there was no more fight left within them. Instead of leading a normal life, their hearts turn bitter and they end up becoming lonely.

One of my seminary professors at Glasgow University once said something like: “The world is full of restless people. They are always striving to make more money, be more successful, and to satisfy their desires. They don’t realize that they are empty inside – an emptiness that can only be filled by God.”

I guess this is why Jesus invites people to come to Him. He knows about our struggles with life, our wrestling with emotions, and our fighting against our feelings. He offers us rest for our restlessness, peace for our minds, and presence for our loneliness. He calls it a yoke, not a burden. Why? It’s because a yoke is shared, where two can carry and pull the burden easier. In other words, Jesus is telling us that He is willing to share our struggles and help us to carry our burdens.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are constantly applying more stress and pressure to our lives. We are weary of wrestling against ourselves; we are spiritually exhausted with the burdens we carry. Help us to come to You to take up Your offer of sharing our troubles. Grant us rest for our souls and hope for our hearts. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.