Jesus’ brief question “Could ye not watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40) was asked of his disciples in Gethsemane. He went there to pray to God before his crucifixion. His disciples were given one job—to watch. To vigilantly support Jesus in prayer, to be spiritually undistracted, alert, awake, trusting in God. And yet he found them asleep. Three times.

Could that “one hour” question have implications for us? For instance, the Sunday service at a Church of Christ, Scientist, lasts one hour. Whether I am attending a service virtually or in person, can I commit to making that hour one of alertness, of openness to receiving fresh messages of inspiration from my pastor, the Bible together with Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy? Can I embrace it as an hour of communing with God? 

This would mean not focusing on “me” thoughts, such as “What do I need to get at the grocery store?” or “I wish this seat were more comfortable.” For that hour I would stop mulling over thoughts like this about others: “Why didn’t he smile at me as I walked in?” or “The Reader mispronounced a word!” I wouldn’t even indulge in wistful musings about church in general
—for example: “If only more people would attend.” Instead, I could really strive in church “to reach the Horeb height where God is revealed” (Science and Health, p. 241), rather than just fill a seat.