Whether back-to-school or Christmas, the Stanley Cup Finals or St. Valentine’s Day, our cultural calendar is laden with metaphorical observation, spiritual opportunity, and community interest. Don’t waste these. Authenticate them. Explore them. Invite the Spirit into these moments to change and transform all you do.
Eventually, you’ll realize that life is an endless parade of possibilities once you learn to trust the calendar. September 11th , for example, will elicit different emotions, expectations, and needs than other days. Sadly, most people will minimize the significance of the calendar in favor of their planning. 9/11 will be acknowledged with a throwaway comment. Halloween will be renamed and celebrated on October 28. Valentine’s Day will get a post on Facebook. But anytime we prioritize pre-prepared material rather than prayerfully considering what comes next, we miss the low-hanging fruit God has provided to nourish our people, our family, and ourselves.
Parents, pastors, and promoters are smart to acknowledge how God moves through rituals already established within our culture, and the church of the future will cooperate with the calendar rather than competing against it.
Adapted from the upcoming book Then. Now. Next, about the future of the Church. When published, the book will be available at David’s Amazon author page.