12-16-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
December 16, 2025
I took a nap yesterday. I don’t take a lot of intentional naps, though I have been known to sit down after a long Sunday and be asleep before my backside has sunk too far into the couch cushion. I did not sleep well the night before, and though Monday was my day off, I spent the morning visiting with two separate clergy and working on a funeral. And suddenly, midafternoon, I found myself dozing off at the computer. What I thought would be a quick nap on the couch ended up being a nearly 90-minute deep sleep. 

I’m sure you are wondering why I am giving you the details of my Monday, but along with that deep rest came some rather strange dreams. I often forget that, unlike Mary who encountered the angel Gabriel while she was fully awake, Jospeh experienced his angelic encounter in a dream. Matthew 1:20 says, “…just when Joseph had resolved to do this (dismiss Mary), an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream…” This raises a question for me. How do you know a dream is from God? My strange dream during my nap was a sort of continuation of some dreams I have had over the last week or two. In these dreams, I have been a secret agent or spy, and many of the Cypress Creek Christian Church folks have been a part of these rather bizarre adventures. I apologize for taking you into some very dangerous situations. To be honest, I have found them to be sort of funny, as I’m not too sure what their origin might be, though I’m not looking for any sort of significant meaning. Yet I return to the question: How do you know a dream is from God? And does a dream from God necessarily occur during sleep, or can God’s dream come to us during our waking hours as well? I believe it can, though again, I struggle to know how best to discern what is from God and what is nonsense… though I feel pretty confident that God is not inviting Cypress Creek Christian Church to a new mission, which includes being international spies.

Speak clearly and make your sacred revelation ever-so-clear to me. Holy God, Giver of Unconditional Love, I desire to share in the fulfillment of your dream, yet there are days when my prayerful discernment leaves me feeling a bit uncertain. Help my uneasiness. Amen.