The way people and cultures perceive the flow of time fundamentally affects attitudes and behavior. What do we see when we look at the strange, shattered world we live in.

If we think things are bad, getting worse, and will end in total failure we adopt a tragic view of time, resulting in pessimism.

Or perhaps, we might think cyclically, that all things return to their beginning and will start over again, time after time. This leads toward resignation. It’s just the way things are. What will be will be.

Western culture tends to view time linearly, fostering an optimistic sense of progress toward a technological utopian heaven on earth. Really?

After considering these basic perspectives, the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks declared that Judaism (and I would say Christianity as well) “believes in something else, neither endless repetition nor inevitable progress, but covenantal time, the story of the human journey in response to the divine call, with all its backsliding and false turns, its regressions and failures, yet never doomed to tragic fate ….” A covenantal time perspective looks ahead toward “…the consummation of the covenant that we call redemption.”

“Covenantal time gives birth to hope.”

The text for this Sunday’s sermon, Ezra chapter 4 may seem to reflect despair, discouragement and disappointment. However, viewed with a covenantal perspective it is a passage ready to give birth to glorious hope!

Join us this Sunday as we set our covenant clocks toward hope.

The Lord is Gracious!

Bob Landon

TREASURE SEEKERS

On 4 August there will be no Treasure Seekers groups.  There will be activities for (primary age) children during the ICF Delft service, in the Discoverers room.

Treasure Seekers resumes as usual on 11 August, with the book of Daniel.

ICFD Kids and Youth Ministry
“Every child knowing Christ’s love”