Awake and unable to sleep last night, I turned on the radio to listen to late night sports talk radio. While adjusting the station I was interrupted by my girlfriend, awakened and wondering what the heck I was doing so loud that late at night. I eased her back to sleep and returned my attention back to the radio, earbuds in place. Instead of hearing the latest sports trending stories of the day, like Tom Brady and the Pats winning their umpteenth home game on Monday Night football, I was met with the touching and teaching voice of a Christian minister relating the biblical story of Jonah.
With my fingers still in position to turn the dial back toward 95.7FM the game, I paused and listened.
About an hour later I found myself spiritually uplifted and reminded once again of the love of an Almighty Deity. The minister, Pastor Bryan Loritts, had captured my spirit with his unpretentious, unassuming, scholarly delivery of a lesson in faith. Who knew the story of a man, the sea and a big ole fish could teach life lessons to live by. The sermon, which I posted above, is titled "When God Loves You Enough to Interrupt you."
It's a talk about how those stormy and challenging times in our lives, as in Jonah's crisis, can easily be interpreted as the Almighty intentionally interrupting our lives in order to redirect us toward something greater and more purposeful. Think "Thy Will Be Done." The power of a clear message from a faith-filled messenger shouldn't be missed. One should incur a penalty for ignoring or turning away from such a message; a message that can save souls, as well as lives. I say lives because one's mental and physical health are also ministered to when receiving spiritual lessons.
Listening made me pause and evaluate my current purpose in life and my relationship with the Almighty. No, I'm not selling my Raiders season tickets and repenting for being a fan of one of the most reviled sports teams on the planet. Lord forgive the haters for they know what they do. But I am recommitting to practicing and living more Christian-like.
We can all do better in our spiritual faith. Maybe if we practice being a brother to our brothers and sisters more, the divisive fears and prejudices that have taken hold of so many of us today will simply turn to dust and get blown out to sea.
Pastor Loritts interestingly brings the Bible and it's stories of faith, wisdom and love to today's audience with style and meaning. And yes, it's personal! I hope to visit Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, a non-denominational evangelistic church in Mountain View, California, immediately following this Raiders Super Bowl season.
Win, Lose or Tie,
I'm a Believer til I Die
ALCF Sermons (mp3, video, pdf)
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