I have so many books on time management and no time to read them.

There seems to never be as much time in the day as we need.

We lay everything out so neatly, in columns, with checklists.

We put everything in the palm computer, the I phone, whatever

We plot. We plan. We spend a lot of time, managing time

And then we are caught out.

The phone rings. Someone needs something. This project took too long. We are distracted. Marilyn is losing it.

I have one thirty minute appointment available in April … of 2012.

There is never enough time to accomplish all our work.
Much less time for the quality of life that somehow us supposed to make all the labor worthwhile.

No one knew that better than Jesus and his apostles

They just wanted a day off for goodness sake.

But the work of discipleship never ends.
Why?

Because the work of discipleship is all consuming. We can never preach the Gospel enough.

While our lives can be taken up with all kinds of projects, plots, plans. When all is said and done, there is only one thing to do. We must be FOR GOD.

Placing God first in our I phone, our palm thingy, our schedule assures that we will understand our lives, because we can never comprehend life’s great mystery until we interpret all the work, all the business, all the chaos, in light of the ever-consuming vocation of being a Christian.

Simply put, in the words of Abbot Lambert, we are called to

Grow up
Put away the God of Childhood
Put aside the comfortable God
Put behind you the assurances of things attained and live into the substance of things hoped for
Be militant
Be bold
Be courageous
Speak the truth
Live the faith
Live the Faith without compromise

The sheep without a shepherd are not just Jesus’ responsibility they are ours.
And his mission to reach out, to solve the overwhelming issues that confront us are ours
And we have the power to accomplish that mission.

If we only could believe for a moment the power of Jesus to change our lives. If we knew the strength of mind and heart and body and spirit that he wants to give us. If we knew for a minute what is happening here, would there still be war, crime, violence, abuse. Would we not be able to stop it? IF we really believe what is here in this chapel, would we ever be able to stop talking about God, loving God, loving one another. It is a militant love that we see broken for us and poured out for us in this place, in this chapel. This altar gathers all the blasphemies of our lives and makes them beautiful. It puts time in order. It takes all the confusion and turmoil and suffering and stress of our lives and makes them One bread, one cup, one body for the life of the world. It gives us the heart of God and the mind of Christ. He was a great time manager, that Jesus, he simply gave all his time to the Father.