God's Rhythms for Relationships

Have you ever noticed how significant seasons and cycles are in our lives?  The physical seasons play a huge role in how we order our activities.  School cycles dictate vacation schedules.  We count down to holidays and use them as markers along the year.  How often have you heard, "Wow, I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving already"?  

Some rhythms of our life are weekly or monthly.  Some cycles run their course every year.  Some are longer.  We have the Summer and Winter Olympics every 4 years.  Elections typically run on 2, 4, and 6 year cycles.  Some things cycle around entire generations, which is why the older generations see clothing styles come, go, and come back again.  

In Leviticus 23:1-24:9, we see how God set rhythms for the people of Israel.  These rhythms were set in cycles to continually remind the people of their relationship with God.  It's a bit like a weekly date night and celebrating wedding anniversaries.  Birthdays and other relational holidays.  Even the lamps and the bread in the tabernacle were perishable items that would need replaced on a regular routine.  Some of the structured events God put in place were daily, some weekly like the Sabbath, and some annual like the many feasts. 

God wanted his people to order their lives in such a way that they would be regularly reminded of their relationship with God.  

This Sunday we are going to see how Jesus fulfills the Law even in these festivals and feasts.  They were designed to point the people to Jesus.  So while we no longer celebrate the feasts in the same way, we are still called into specifics rhythms that continually draw us into relationship with the Lord.

Is your relationship with Jesus set into regular rhythms or do you only remember Jesus when things are bad.  Or when things are good?  Do you feel like your life is like a roller coaster or do the rhythms Jesus calls you to keep your life on a stead track?  We'll be talking about some ways you can life your life in relational rhythms with Jesus.  

I hope to see you Sunday!
Pastor Bryan Catherman