I am off for a few days of vacation with family. Our attempt is to do as little as possible, which may be aided by a couple of days of storms.

As I enter into a very short period of “rest,” my reading for the week will actually be JEREMIAH. What a combination!

In this time of rest I am reminded of a stirring of the Spirit I have sensed all summer long. As we approach the tenth anniversary of 9/11 I have a greater sense of urgency in my spirit that a radical shift is happening for the Church again. It is something I believe the Church in America largely ignored after 9/11. The sense of urgency in my own heart is even stronger this time, though I don’t know exactly why.

But I do know this: It’s not about “America coming back to God”. It’s about the Church being the Church… finally. Regardless of political games, regardless of who is in political power, regardless of whatever else this culture is doing, the Church is failing to be the Church. Subversive. Powerful. Light.

And I turn to Jeremiah, the rage of the prophets, to hear once again. Walter Brueggemann helped me with this. He refers to them more as “poets.” But the pictures of the Old Testament are meant to show us the disruptive power of God. He is just not who we think he is at times! (The gospels certainly show us that, too, but the prophets paint much more vivid pictures!)

So, in my “rest”, I am out to have the disruptive power of the prophet stir me once again. I fell down on the job last time (ten years ago). I have a sense in my spirit I do not want to fall down on this again!