Pastor's Column 10/19/2025

PASTOR’S COLUMN

⁹ “As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. ¹⁰  Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, he’s alive!” Acts 20:9-10, NLT

“Awakening of a New Generation!”

In Washington Irving’s tale of Rip Van Winkle one compelling aspect of the story is how Rip, on his way to chores, fell asleep. When he awoke things had changed. Rip lived in colonial America, which was under the authority of the King of England. The inhabitants of the colonial settlements were under constant surveillance. While Rip took his nap, unknown to him, a period of 20 years had passed. Rip slept through the Revolutionary War and the colonies had become the United States of America. When Rip went to the Village Inn, the picture of the monarch, King George III of Great Britain, was replaced by George Washington, the first president of the new nation.  Often a person can drift off and become unaware of the changes around them. Sometimes it is sheer exhaustion, or impatience with the speed of change that causes us to temporarily fall asleep. Indifference to where we are and the possibility of change, also can cause us to take an unplanned “nap.” On the occasion of a final visit to a church in the ancient city of Troas, the Apostle Paul was invited to preach. By all accounts, the sermon was quite lengthy. The congregation met on the third upper floor of the building. It was a crowded, very bright, hot and stuffy room... Perhaps because of those conditions a young man feel asleep and tumbled from a windowsill some three floors. Believing he was dead, the Apostles and others rushed to his aid. The Apostle declared “life in him,” The young man was awakened and welcomed into the company of believers. We also must be prepared to offer life and acceptance to others who “doze off.” It isn’t the church’s purpose is wrong, but it’s how we create an atmosphere for the exhausted souls who are seeking life!