TIME, TIME, TIME

The New Year is a time when we think about time. Over two thousand years ago, the writer of Ecclesiastes put it this way: To everything there is a season. However, in our society, time has become a commodity. We package it and make it seem to be something in and of itself. Living by schedules, we are afraid to lose or waste time. Look at how we talk about time. It’s as if we are talking about money. We save time; we count time; we invest time. In fact, the business world has a phrase: time is money.

In light of these two truths, that time teaches and time disappears, it seems that the purpose of time is clear: it is to alert us to what we can become, not in the material sense, but in a deeply spiritual sense. Real spirituality demands that we care enough about all the moments of life to live all of them fully. The only thing we cannot do in life, Ecclesiastes teaches, is to ignore it.

The New Year is a time for us to reflect not just about the opportunities we missed in the year gone by but to reflect on possibilities for our lives in the year to come. One of our New Year’s resolutions should be to savor time by seeing time as a gift and not a commodity. We are now past the darkest day of the year and each day we will get a little more light. As a people of faith we should take the light as a gift of time and resolve to use that time – just about two minutes each day – to breathe in deeply and fel the presence of God in our lives.

RIOTOUS READERS

Sunday, January 15 at 2 PM we will discuss State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. This novel raises questions of the limits of ethical behavior, the use and abuse of human beings, and asks us to consider the limits of our desire to have whatever we want no matter the cost.


MISSION IS TO THE CHURCH AS A FIRE IS TO BURNING

Help the Calico Cat Thrift Shop, a store for the community operated by the Community Outreach Group that sells gently used items to persons who cannot afford even discount prices. It also has a food pantry. If you have a few hours during the week, the Calico Cat could use your help. Call (732) 671-0550 if you would like to help in this important ministry.

Shop FAIR TRADE in the New Year

As you think about shopping for items during this New Year, check out Ten Thousand Villages in Red Bank, a Fair Trade Store. Located at 69 Broad Street (close to the intersection of Monmouth Street). Beautiful things and the artisans get the money!

You can also find Fair Trade on the web at www.serrv.org and your money does a world of good.

THE BEST FOR THE NEW YEAR