“When my cats aren’t happy, I’m not happy. Not because I care about their mood but because I know they’re just sitting there thinking up ways to get even.” Percy Bysshe Shelley

On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting. ⁹ A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead. ¹⁰ But Paul went down, and bending over him took him in his arms, and said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” ¹¹ Then Paul went upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them until dawn; then he left. ¹² Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive and were not a little comforted.” Acts 20:7-12

What do my cats do most of the day? They sleep. What do they do most of the night? They run around the house – and pause once in a while to wake me up to tell me it might soon be time to feed them, or pet them, or pay attention to their needs. And what is going on in the mind of a cat is truly a mystery. Sometimes I am certain they are just waiting – plotting – seeking a way to do me in so they can take control – of the house – of the food distribution. We have one cat who will climb on your chest in the middle of the night and put her face within two inches of yours. She then will take her paw and place it on your face if you do not immediately respond by petting her. If that does not get your immediate attention, she will lick your nose. If you pet her, you better be prepared to continue, or the process begins all over again. Sleeping is not an option if she wants your attention.

Eutychus fell asleep while listening to one of Paul’s long sermons. He did not pick the best place to sit down – here it was in the window sill – and as such he fell to his death. Paul came down immediately and raised the young man back to life. And then, Paul began preaching again. Some might think his actions were not completely compassionate – going back to his sermon and all. But, at least Paul stopped long enough to bring the man back to life.

I attended a wedding a few months ago – I was not performing the wedding, I was simply attending as the pastor in residence. During the wedding one of the bridesmaids passed out. The pastor officiating the wedding stopped for about thirty seconds, just enough time to make sure the girl had not died – and then he returned to his preaching. He was not administering the vows, or the ring ceremony – not even the blessing. He was preaching a homily on why those in the congregation who did not have a personal relationship with Jesus had better get right with G-d. I was embarrassed and appalled that the pastor in charge did not at least pause for a few minutes to make sure the girl was really ok – but I was angry that he went right back to brow-beating the congregation.

Look, I agree that many of us have a sleepy faith. Just like my cats, we would rather sleep instead of getting up Sunday morning – we would rather nap than get out to help serve a meal, volunteer at the food bank, or stay up late to serve on a committee. It is hard to stay up late and read our bibles. But if we sleep through our faith lives, our regular lives may be that much more difficult – making our falls harder, and our journeys more difficult.

Pastor Dave