The aim of this session is to look at the time that God has given us. As we get older how we spend our time changes and so do our gifts, so taking the ‘time’ to align these as disciples of Christ is worthy of our time. Enough of the ‘time!’ ‘Time’s up!’
Who am I?
Play a game of ‘Who Am I?’ with everyone taking a turn. This can be done with ‘Post-It’ notes, or for added fun can be downloaded on a smartphone. Each player puts the Post-It note on their forehead and has to guess the name of the person on the Post-It note by asking questions.
Just a Minute
Everyone speak for a minute on the topic: ‘The best day of my life’. Unlike the Radio 4 game, you can use hesitation, repetition but not deviation.
Take a moment to think of when you have used the term ‘I have had the time of my life!’ Maybe it was a holiday, birthday, party or wedding? If you struggle to think of a time when you have said this, then perhaps share a special moment in time.
Which of these quotes is your favourite and why?
‘Be attentive to time and how you spend it. Nothing is more precious. This is evident when you recall that in one tiny moment heaven may be gained or lost. God, the master of time, never gives the future. He gives only the present, moment by moment.’
Albert Einstein
‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo. ‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’
The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
‘For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same; there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it.’
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Eric Roth
‘Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.’
Marthe Troly-Curtin
‘When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me”.’
Erma Bombeck
‘Time is lost when we have not lived a full human life, time unenriched by experience, creative endeavour, enjoyment and suffering.’
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
There is a time for ‘everything’. These words call us to action. To act, to do, to give of ourselves in certain ways, to dance…to mourn!
Accepting that there is a time for everything reminds us that changing times requires a changing response. With changing responses come changing gifts and talents.
In Isaiah 43 God reminds his people of how he delivered them through the Red Sea and brought them to safety in such a mind-blowing way! Remember, this is an epoch-making event in the history of the Jewish people – one celebrated to this very day. Yet God tells them to forget that, not to dwell on the past because he is doing a new thing.
We acknowledge that life has brought us on a journey to this point in time. It is good to give thanks to God for all he has done and all he has allowed us to do, but now it is time to look for a new thing, look at the gift of the ‘present time’ and where we find ourselves now.
Read Matthew 5:13-16 (The Message)
There are many different ways to bring out the ‘God-colours’ in the world and to shine for him.
Our talents are the gift that God gives to us…What we make of our talents is our gift back to God.’
Leo Buscaglia
Thinking about what we have discussed in the previous weeks:
What things will bring you delight and in turn delight and bless others?
How can you offer your time and talents to God?
Are you being generous with your life?
Song by Judson Van de Venter
All to Jesus I surrender, all to him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily
live. I surrender all, I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all.
Amen