One of the aspects of being creatures (rather than the creator) is that we dwell in time and space. (God is present at all places and at all times, because he is the source of time and space. He is eternally present everywhere and at every moment, but we are within time and space.)
This may seem odd to point out—who would assert otherwise?
Throughout the ages, though, the attempt to escape where and when we are has tempted humanity. We want to escape our creatureliness, and time and space perpetually remind us of it! The Gnostics saw the created order as lesser and evil, and attempted to escape through knowledge of the immaterial. Certain Eastern religions attempt to escape through meditation. The ancient Stoics attempted to escape the vicissitudes of life through an emotionless mastery of oneself in virtue. In the modern world, we see the created order as limiting, but don’t have the patience or self-control of Eastern mystics or the ancient Stoics. Instead, we escape virtually, via the internet. We even call what we do “disconnecting,” as if it were possible or good to disconnect from the place and time in which we are actually living by “living” in another reality.
Another way we attempt to escape time is the eradication of seasons. Again, this may seem strange to hear, but consider the most important thing in America—the economy. Wall Street barely closes, let alone acknowledges that summer is different than winter. Our market is on, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even if certain offices close, purchasing happens around the clock, thanks to the internet. (Mercifully, one of the other major aspects of modern life—education—still operates according to time. School is full of what time is: a regularly repeating cycle of seasons.)
One of the ways we can acknowledge our creatureliness, and thus live in dependence on God, is by actually inhabiting where and when we are. We have gifts for this! The church calendar is a gift, as are the regular cycles of work and rest we are given each day and each week. We should do things differently at different times on purpose. Sunrise is different than sunset; dinner time is different than work time. Church should feel different in Lent, and Sunday should feel different than Saturday. A rhythm that is both regular and multifaceted is good for our souls, because it honors that we are creatures. It is good for all of us to embody seasons of fasting, seasons of study, seasons of work, and seasons of rest.
This summer, we will enter into a new rhythm. Pentecost Season focuses on the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church for the sake of discipleship and mission, and we will live that out through activities that are different than the ones we use at other points in the year. Bible studies and small groups will shut down for a few months, and other things will take their place. Use this change as a reminder that we are creatures, and thus need regular seasons in space and time to flourish under God’s hand.
Be watching for the calendar of activities for this new season! We will send out an email next week with the full calendar.
Steven+