The Paper October 2015
Reboot!
Most of us get that
sinking feeling when our phone comes up with the message saying an update is
available – “Do you want to download it now”.
My first thought is always – but will it come back up again if I do! What
will I do if I am confronted with a blank screen after the “update”! Will I
remember the required passwords to get the service running again! The fact is that the manufacturer has come up
with an improved design, and we can only get the benefit of this if we
close-down the existing system (let go of what we have) and upgrade (accept to
promise of something better).
Now I know Apple
owners will probably not agree with me, but I find that if I try to leave my
computer turned on permanently after a few days something does not respond
properly, but after I turn it off and on again, all is well and it goes back to
operating normally! I guess this reboot is somewhat like giving the computer a
rest.
One of the most frustrating
times is when you are in a hurry to turn off your computer, and the message
comes up “Don’t turn off your computer it is installing new software updates
- Installing update 3 of 27” or some
similar message. Even computers need
time-out – either to reset or update!
But what about us?
Do you include time in your schedule for “rebooting” or “updating”? Some people
seem to be like that battery powered toy in the add – that keeps on keeping on
…until it stops! At a very basic level
the Bible has always recommended a weekly rest for each of us. One of the Ten Commandments is “Remember the
Sabbath (seventh) day, to keep it holy”.
(Exodus chapter 20, verse 8) This
is acknowledging that each of us needs to include time to divert from our
regular routine activities and do or think about something different for a
change. This diversion from our routine will
refresh us and when we return to our regular activities we will be able to cope
better with the challenges that face us.
A theological
question that people ponder over is, in accordance with the Bible account, how
many days did God take to create the Earth.
The most common answer is six, but others will say seven – the seven including
the Day of Rest at the completion of the task, it being included as an integral
part of the process. If the Creator of the Universe saw fit to take a day of
rest after completing His job, how much more, then, might it be to our benefit
to do so.
Generally we can
categorise the running of our lives into three main general areas summed up
under the old adage that we would like to be “healthy, wealthy and wise”. If we would like to use three W’s these might
translate to - Wellness, Wealth and Wisdom. Within each of these
life areas we need to stop and consider (rest) to assess where we are, where we
have been and where we want to be, and then plan the most appropriate way to
bridge the gap to the future desired state.
Whilst together these three areas form a holistic life style, we can
better develop our approach by considering them separately, then bringing them
together. For example, if we want to be
well we must plan to have both physical exercise and rest, if we want to be
wealthy we need to review our financial strategy (perhaps including the process
of multiplying by division) and if necessary reboot activities which seem to
have stalled and not be afraid of change, and to reboot wisdom we need to adopt
an attitude of life-long-learning, refuting unfounded or ill-founded attitudes
for proven and traditional approaches which have worked for past generations. The working together of the outcomes from each area will bring an
integrated life-style which will be of great benefit to each individual.
With Christmas fast
approaching (we will probably be hearing Christmas Carols in the shops again
soon after this edition of The Paper
is issued) we will no doubt again be reminded of the Three Wise Men who made the
epic journey from “The East” to see the Baby Jesus. They are well known because of the gifts they
brought – gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Interestingly enough, whilst based on some conjecture and possible
symbology, these three gifts can be equated to the three aspects of life we
have referred to above. Gold represents
wealth, frankincense can be seen to represent wisdom – used in praise and
prayer rituals in the Old Testament - and myrrh represents wellness, being
recognised for its healing power.
Over the coming
Festive Season why don’t you try to plan to take a rest from your routines and
reflect on the key issues of life. Through
such a rest you may be able to reboot or upgrade your life routines to help you
to be able to work better and more effectively afterwards. Christians believe that the birth of Jesus
represented a water shed in the history of this World, and that the subsequent
events of His death and resurrection brought reconciliation with the Great
Creator, and His eventual return to this Earth will usher in a period referred
to in the Bible as a time of “promised rest”.
We
would like to invite you to come and talk more about the true meaning of
Christmas, and the gift of God to all people that was made possible through the
birth of Jesus, and the promises in Scripture for the times ahead. We would like to invite you to contact us, or
a Church in your local Community, to discuss these issues. Feel free to contact us at any time. We will be holding our Pre-Christmas
Celebrations over the weekend 5-6th December and invite you to join
us at the Church. Please see other
details in this Paper for times of
Meetings at the Christian Israelite Church Sanctuary at 196 Campbell Street –
we have been in continuous service there since 1853 helping to meet the needs
of people in a changing society.
Rodney Gray – Pastor Christian
Israelite Church, 196 Campbell Street, Sydney (www.cichurch.com or visit
cichurch.blogspot.com.au)
