Marking Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year

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Mark i ng T ime : Formi ng Sp i r i tua l i t y through the Chr i s t i an Year

3. Linking spirituality to called community , meant that the spiritual formation of the individual and the family could never be severed from the acts of God for his people. God’s institution of the Jewish year is a communal structure of remembrance , designed to remind the entire nation of what he created, covenanted for his people. A family’s sense of spiritual connection was not rooted in their own experience, but rather in their family’s embrace of the people’s place in the overall redemptive story of God . a. Exod. 19.4-6 (ESV) – You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. [5] Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; [6] and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel. b. 1 Pet. 2.9 (ESV) – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 4. Linking spirituality to biblical story , meant that an integral part of all Jewish spirituality would be telling again the story of God’s saving grace for the nation, remembering and participating in the story year after year after year. The heart and soul of Yahweh’s redemp tion for his people must be remembered and told in the context of story! a. Deut. 16.1-3 (ESV) – Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night . [2] And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place that the Lord will choose, to make