How Do We Number Our Days?

 

 

How do we number our days?

These last few Sundays of the church year we hear story after story of end times. The Gospel of Matthew is on a roll: two people in a field- one taken, one left; bridesmaids with and without oil; management of talents. These end time parables fit Matthew’s character, where discussions centre around the Law and righteousness, with Jesus – as a teacher- being asked for his interpretation. Jesus’ interpretation fits into the discourse of the day, yet there is always something that stretches the listener, turns the argument upside down, and if one really pays attention there is shock and surprise. Of course we know that Jesus’ practice was to do this through parables.

 

For centuries the parables have been interpreted at a surface level, where the master – even if being less than kind or just in the tale- is God; and the other characters are judged by their actions or inactions. This is so human of us.

We get so tied up in judging the characters, and then judging others and ourselves, that we are distracted and do no step back to look at the whole picture. We miss the common thread: TIME- the shortness of our time, the eternity of time, the cyclical nature of God’s salvation at work through time recorded from Genesis on, and to the early church and now us the common thread -Christ will come again.

God’s salvation is at work, Christ will come again – the promise of the parables is that God will come again; return. God will surprise us at an unknown, unexpected time. In the meantime, hearers of the parables are to direct their attention to continually wrestling with what it means to live in faithfulness; reflective living where a person numbers their days. Accepting an end date allows us to live faithfully in the present.

 

I am reading a book called ‘the Worship Architect’ by Constance Cherry.  She begins by stressing that when we gather, we gather for Christ-centred worship: Christ is the foundation of worship and devotion. In fact, the service is bookended, to the focus: the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all and go in peace and serve the Lord. Worship orients us in time, a faithfulness of time, where we mark time following the life of Christ. This weekly Sunday pilgrimage draws us to focus on putting Christ at the centre of numbering our days. When Christ is at the centre we mark our time living gospel.

 

I don’t get all caught up in the end time parables, in the judging, in the fear of being left behind or without oil, instead I have accepted that my days are numbered and because of this will focus the time I have to the eternity of time. The eternity of time – the cyclical work of God’s salvation from generation to generation- to freely live my time as eternity I do a couple of things: I come and participate in Christ-centric worship, I live the seasons of the church year – Jesus’ life, death, and life; and I tithe, giving 10% to Christ focused community.

When my life contains these ways of living, my entire life -decisions, relationships, actions/inactions – spring from Christ.  It means I live free – without guilt, shame, fear, judgement. I live in faithfulness. Christ has set me free.

How do you number your days?