Calendars, dates, and time are constructs. In the beginning measurement of time did not exist. It was not until about 1600-1500 BC that the Babylonians began to observe heavenly events and divided a year into 360 days. The Chinese created a calendar of 366 days around 3000 BC, and the Egyptians created the sundial, the precursor of the modern watch, around 1500 BC.
Peter said that time is really meaningless to God. “A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day,” 2 Peter 3:8. Nevertheless, we humans use the idea of time to measure and arrange our lives.
Including the once-a-year practice of self-evaluation and planning. We particularly like the beginning of the year as a reference point for looking at our future and making plans accordingly. The making of New Year’s Resolutions is a popular practice of setting, often, meaningless goals for the coming year.
On the other hand, the new year can also be a real-McCoy opportunity for soul-searching and evaluation guided by a sensitivity to God’s movement in our world. “What more can I/we do to align ourselves with the mission of God?
The point of all this? We have now emerged from the horrors of a full-blown Covid 19 pandemic. Rather than being in crisis mode, we can now return to thinking about the future rather than being consumed by the present, Zoom church, wearing masks, and being generally afraid. With that in mind, here are some questions that we should be asking of ourselves as a church and the point of this blog.
- Where do you think LifeSpring should be, in terms of numbers, at the conclusion of 2023: attendance, contribution, mission outreach, and showing compassion?
- For what should we be striving in regard to spiritual growth, personal disciplines, and wisdom?
- How do you imagine that you will be closer to God in the next year?
- What practices would you like to add to your life? Give up?
It is unlikely that our lives will change unless we intend for them to be different. Imagine that!