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God’s Time
January 7, 2006
Ecclesiastes 3:1-14
Rev. Tonya Arnesen

I took some time off between Christmas and New Year’s – and with the luxury of time on my hands, I had time to think about time: up time, down time, half time, double time, work time, leisure time, spare time, wasted time.

Do you ever think about time? Hear these words of wisdom about God’s gift of time:

·        Lucille Harper offers a humorous view on its’ effects: “Time may be a great healer, but it is a poor beautician.”

·        Benjamin Franklin said, “Remember that time is money.”

·        John F. Kennedy said, “We must use time as a tool, not as a couch.”

·        Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us that “. . . the time is always right to do what is right.”

·        To those who complain about not having enough time, Arnold Bennett says, “You wake up in the morning, and your purse is magically filled with twenty-four hours of un-manufactured tissue of the universe of your life! It is yours. It is the most precious of possessions. No one can take it from you. And no one receives either more or less than you receive.”

·        Charles Darwin warns us, “A man who dares to waste one hour of his life has not discovered the value of life.”

·        And God’s word says, “For everything there is a season – and a time for every purpose under heaven.”

Typically, when we think of time, we are referring to chronological time – time measured by the ticking of a clock or the days on a calendar; time measured by the earth rotating on its axis, or the earth's journey around the sun. Our chronological time is subjective. For a youth awaiting his 16^th birthday (and his driver’s license), time moves ever so slowly. But for his father, who’s pushing 50, birthdays come way too fast and often.

Chronological time is subjective. And it is relative. Albert Einstein said, “When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute -- then it's longer than any hour. That's relativity!” Chronological time is relative and subjective.

The Bible refers to another kind of time, called "Kairos" – which means God's time. God conforms to no clock or calendar. There is no yesterday or tomorrow in eternity. St. Thomas Aquinas explained, “In the beginning, when God first created heaven and earth, God also created time. Because God created time, he stands outside of time. He is timeless; ageless; eternal.” Since God stands outside of time, God can see all of time at one glance. The past, present and future are all within God’s view. Why? Because it’s Kairos – it’s all God’s time.

That is such a comfort to me, because I’m convinced it means that God is never detached from, or disinterested in ANY of the times in my life. From the moment of our conception to our final breath – our time belongs to God: planting and reaping; hurting and healing; weeping and laughing; mourning and dancing; seeking and losing; loving and hating; making war or peace – ALL of the times of our lives are God’s time – that’s Kairos.

But Kairos also means just in time, or at the right time; or, “in the fullness of time.” Doing something at the right time is important – if you’ve ever missed an airplane, or turned in a late assignment, you know that’s true! Timing is important!

I was serving as Associate Pastor at Plymouth First UMC some years ago. It was Monday – the Senior Pastor’s day off – so I was to cover the hospital calls. I knew we had 2 members at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Ypsilanti, so I blocked out 1-4 pm in my planner, to allow time for travel and visitation.

But 1p.m. found me up to my elbows in paperwork, which I needed to finish before I left the office. The clock ticked away – 1:30, 2, 2:30. By 3 pm, I had cleared my desk and was feeling rushed – and more than a bit annoyed that I was getting such a late start. I pulled out my car keys and headed for the door, but something in my spirit said, “WAIT!” So I dawdled – poured myself a cup of coffee, flipped through a preaching journal, chatted with the office staff. The clock ticked away – 3, 3:30 – and still, I felt compelled to “WAIT!” Looking at my watch, I realized I’d never make it home before 7 pm, so I called David and asked him to be in charge of dinner.

Finally, when the clock read 4 pm, something in my spirit said, “NOW!” and all of a sudden, I felt a sense of urgency to get going. I grabbed my keys and headed towards Ypsilanti. The whole way, I beat myself up for not sticking to my original plan. “What’s the matter with you girl? Instead of driving home at 4:30, you’re headed in the opposite direction!” But the reason for my crazy timing was soon to be revealed. . .

I parked my car and as I walked into the hospital entrance, to my amazement, I met Sandy – one of our choir members – who was walking out of the building. Sobbing, she rushed towards me and crumbled in my arms. “Pastor Tonya! I can’t believe you’re here! Bob had a heart attack at 2:30 this afternoon and they couldn’t save him. I just finished signing all the paperwork – I can’t believe my husband is gone!” I took her up to the hospital chapel and we prayed together. It was a holy moment – a divine appointment.

Now, if I had stuck to MY original plan and arrived at St Joe’s by 1:30, I would have missed Sandy; would have missed the opportunity to minister to her in that Kairos moment. Timing is important!

It is also true that time is short. According to Psalm 90, our days on earth are numbered – God allows us 70 years and some beyond, if we are strong. How do we occupy our time? When you consider that the first 15 years are spent in childhood and early adolescence; 20 years are spent in bed; in the last five, physical limitations start to curtail our activities – well, that means we have about 30 years in which to live as adults. If we take time out for eating, shopping, cleaning, and other chores, we’re down to about 15 years. Now suppose you spend 7 of those years watching television (which is about the average adult viewing habit). Well, you do the math!

How would your life change, if instead of living each day as if you had all the time in the world, you began to live each day as if it were your last? Would you be more careful about making every moment count for something? Would you spend more time celebrating and less time complaining? Would you take more care to nurture important relationships? Would you invest yourself more in things that have eternal value, and less time on trivial pursuits?

You know, the most important things in life are the things that are eternal – timeless. True love is timeless. Beauty is timeless. God’s Word is timeless. It is not some dull history of ancient, long-dead people. It is a living document, which describes the redemptive activity of the living God.

And Jesus Christ is timeless. He is the Word of God who was with God at the inception of the universe – and in the fullness of time, at the Kairos moment, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He was crucified, dead and buried – but was raised again on the third day and lives forevermore. Our Lord Jesus Christ is eternal and timeless!

That is why the sacrament he instituted – Holy Communion – is timeless. While that first Lord’s Supper took place some 2,000 years ago, Christ has promised that every time we eat the bread and drink the cup, He will be with us. What’s more, he told us to keep on celebrating this sacrament until the times comes, when we will feast together with him in the Kingdom of God. Holy Communion is the celebration of what God has done, what God is doing, AND what God is yet to do. And no matter how disappointing or sorrowful our lives might seem at this moment, we know that God will win the final victory.

The story is told about a fellow who loved to read mystery stories but he didn't like to be kept in suspense. He would jump ahead and read the last chapter first. That way he could read the book in the assurance that in the end good would triumph over evil. To the villain he would silently announce, "Don't get too sure of yourself, buddy! I already know the ending of the story. You'll get yours later."

We can read the Bible with the same confidence, because we know the end of the story! John’s Revelation tells us there will be a new heaven and a new earth. There will be no more death; no mourning, no crying, no pain – for God will make all things new.

But until the end of time (or at least until the end of our days), we have been given these sacred moments, these precious days, another New Year on the calendar. How will we spend God’s time? How will YOU use God’s time in the coming year?

John Wesley, founder of the “Methodist Movement” knew the importance of time. That is why, at the beginning of each year, he encouraged Christians to ask themselves, “Am I investing my time in that which will crumble and decay with time, or am I investing my time in that which is eternal?”

In a few moments, we will stand and renew our covenant with God, using the same words that Methodists have recited for generations. As you say those words, I invite you to remember these two things:

1.     God is WITH you in ALL the times of your life.

2.     Your time is not our own, it is God’s time!

Together, let us vow to give thanks to God for each precious moment He gives us and to dedicate our time to those things that will bring glory to God! Amen.

Rev. Tonya Arnesen

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