Unclogging the Spiritual Drain

Dear Church Family,

If you're a parent of daughters with long hair, you know about one of life's most glamorous tasks: the quarterly "Clearing of the Drains."

This ritual happens every time those long hairs become too much for the drains to handle. Armed with a special tool designed for just this purpose, I wrestle the bundle free from deep within. And then, like the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, the water suddenly falls away.

I have found that over the years, the same thing can happen to our spiritual life. The stuff of life begins to collect in our spiritual pipes. And over time, less and less living water makes its way to our souls. We can easily find ourselves clogged.

Has this ever happened to you? I can tell you it happens to me — yes, even pastors get spiritually clogged. The troubling thing is how slowly it occurs. You barely notice at first because a little bit still gets through. Maybe you're in a busy season and think, I can pause my time with God until I get through this. From there, it's easy to let other things creep in, and before you know it, your God time has faded away.

Here’s the good news. (See, there’s always good news when it comes to our faith life.) The good news is that spiritual clogs are much easier to clear than bathroom drains. Spiritual clogs melt when we stop and spend a moment with God. It doesn’t have to be long. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just needs to be.

That’s what God seeks from us. We believe in a God who reaches out to us. God didn’t stay at a distance. Instead, God came to earth through Jesus to remind us that the living water of God’s Spirit is always near. And it never runs out. But it can’t make its way through a clog, so we must keep the path clear.

This year, I began using a new prayer book, and I love it. It’s called The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer. It has prayers for every day of the year and aligns with the church's liturgical calendar. Each day has morning and evening readings, as well as a morning prayer of petition and an evening prayer of gratitude. And here’s the thing: I think it’s really good!

Prayer books can be hit-or-miss, and I am loving this one. In fact, it was out of stock for quite a while, but it looks like it is available once again. Now, this isn’t advertising. It’s just me, your pastor, sharing a tool that I find works and keeps my spiritual pipes clean.

Whatever your practice looks like — a prayer book, a daily devotional, a morning walk with God, or simply sitting in silence — I pray it fills your soul, connects you with the living water, and allows the Holy Spirit to guide your heart.

With God’s Peace,
Pastor Karl