Wake up, O sleeper,
Rise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.

One of the fun things about my job is watching people fall asleep in church. Folks often put up a valiant effort but then the eyes glaze over. The lids drop to half-mast. The shoulders sag. The body leans to the side. The head wobbles and droops. Then the lights go out. There are times when you want stop speaking, take a pillow and blanket down to their seat, and tuck them in.If that’s ever happened to you don’t feel bad. It’s not your fault. “If people in the congregation are falling asleep,” it’s been said, “someone should go up to the pulpit and wake up the preacher.”

Sometimes it’s the preacher. Other times sleep deprivation or poor ventilation will cause you to drift into the Land of Nod. So, falling asleep in church occasionally is completely understandable. Falling asleep in the Christian life, however, is a different matter entirely.

This week in Ephesians 5, the Apostle Paul warns us to not fall asleep at the wheel of what it means to follow Christ. Instead, he gives us a wake-up call, urging us to rise and shine in the way of life the Lord has for us. And, to help us stay awake he tackles what C.S. Lewis called, “the most unpopular of the Christian virtues.” See you on Sunday!