Here is the big idea, the Life Rhythm we focus on during Life Season:
God is a Life-giver, the Source of everything we see--our bodies, our planet, our universe.
God loves life, and he loves to give it. To him the universe is like a flower garden or a playground. He is creative, and he is good to the core. He loves to promote life in all its forms, and he sets himself up against anything that demeans, reduces, or destroys what he has created.
The Bible is more about life in this world than it is about religion and the afterlife. The biblical story is much more about how to live in this world than how to prepare for the next one.
Here is the other half of the big idea of Life Season:
The forces of death are running loose in our world, and people don't agree on who to blame or what to do about it.
The world as we see it today is obviously messed up. The forces of death are doing their worst, and they seem to be getting away with a lot of it. Why doesn't God do something about it?
Actually he is, but it's not the quick fix that people are looking for from him, so lots of people conclude he isn't doing anything at all. Or perhaps they think all he is doing is a little damage limitation by sending a few religious leaders like Jesus to urge people to be better and kinder.
They do not see that God is furious about every attack of Death against Life and he has master-minded a global campaign to deal with it. The Bible tells us how he is executing his plan through Jesus and the Holy Spirit right up to today.
Why hasn't God's campaign succeeded yet? Because timing is everything. On God's calendar we are living in a global grace period. God's campaign strategy for the present time is to hand out second chances, and third, and fourth, and fifth. It looks like the forces of evil are getting away with everything, but when the grace period ends, they will be wiped out and everything else will be connected, healed, and blessed.
In the meantime our job is to listen to God and carry out the assignments he gives us to promote authentic life. We already have one foot in that glorious future life, and we get to show the world some of what it will look like.
Of course, that puts a target on our backs because the forces of Death don't like us saying their days are numbered. They promote their own views of who to blame and how to make a better world.
Bottom line of the big idea:
We "see ourselves in Christ" as life-bringers, participating in God's campaign to reconnect the world with his Life, to heal all wounds, and to bless everyone we can, even if we have to give our lives in the process.
In SYNC with Jesus, we are connected to life itself. "The one who has the Son [Jesus], has life. The one who does not have the Son does not have life." (1 John 5.12)
When you SYNC (See Yourself iN Christ) as a life-bringer, you realize you are participating in the life-giving, life-healing, life-restoring campaign of Christ. That is your cause. You are caught up in it, energized by it, and delighted every time you have even a small success. Say goodbye to any feelings of insignificance.
Our role as life-bringers, carrying the water of life
Jesus Christ is the Spearhead or Pioneer of the current phase of God's campaign to bring life to the world and to make that life permanent and good. If we see ourselves in Christ, we see that we are receiving his life, and we will never run out of it. He gives us surplus life, plenty to share with others who need it. Then we become life-bringers in his connect-heal-bless campaign.
Of course, God gives some life to everybody directly too. He makes his rain fall on the good people and the bad ones alike. (Matthew 5.45) But life is hard sometimes. We all get banged up to some degree as we go along. And sometimes we chase something for a long time, assuming it will make us feel really alive, but when we finally get it, it lets us down.
We feel worn out, half dead. We want somebody to listen to us, to care about our story, to stick with us, and stick up for us.
If we see ourselves in Christ, we are able to bring life to half dead people because we have time to listen to them, and Christ helps us care about what they tell us. We are not as locked into our own careers, our own families, our own pleasures and pastimes as we used to be. They are no longer the things that make us feel really alive.
What we really enjoy at a deep level and find significance in is participation in Christ's campaign, bringing life to others. We look for chances to do that, and we usually don't have to look very far.
Of course, not everybody wants help, and we don't have to force the water of Life down anyone's throat. Our job is only to offer it as appealingly as we can. Part of the appeal is that we are drinking the same water we are offering. We keep refilling our lives with Christ, the water that quenches our thirst for life.
Some people see God as a scorekeeper, tracking our good deeds and our evil deeds. He is way more helpful than that! He has already given life to everybody who is alive, healed many who were scarred and broken by life, and sent out millions of messengers like us. Why? To make sure everyone has a chance to become truly alive in Christ and truly blessed by people who are in SYNC with Christ.
When you SYNC (See Yourself iN Christ), you also see Christ inside you. He is your life, and you don't have to chase life any more. You can relax, enjoy it, and share it because you already have it inside as a gift.
How Life Season fits into the SYNC annual cycle
As the first season in the SYNC annual cycle, Life Season starts it all, and it does this in a way that shows that the Real God cares about much more than religion. He cares about everything that make life worth living, and he gives it all to us.
The next five SYNC seasons each focus on one part of God's gift of life.
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What would Life be worth if we have no Roots to give us security, identity, and a sense of belonging and purpose?
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What good are Roots if we have no Freedom to express and enjoy our identity?
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What good is Freedom if we have no Power to use it and build on it?
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What good is Power if we do not combine it with Mercy? We will be tyrants!
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What good is Mercy if we have no Worth? People will take advantage of our kindness. We won't have any positive influence on them.
As we receive God's gifts that make life meaningful--Roots, Freedom, Power, Mercy, Worth--we look forward to Vision Season, which brings all these gifts together.
And all through the process we remember that we humans did not deserve any of the gifts at all. The human race had a glorious start but human disobedience to the Creator put everything under a curse.
All the blessings in the SYNC cycle are God's ways of restoring what the first humans forfeited by their lack of trust and loyalty. As we embrace these gifts, our lives are transformed. The curse is broken. We get to participate in God's campaign to spread life everywhere. We get to be life-bringers.
Life Season parallels the final season, Vision Season, in that they both are comprehensive. The vision is of total, permanent peace and joy in all levels of life once Jesus reigns over all. So last year's Vision Season paves the way for this year's Life Season.
On New Year's Day we go back to the beginning again, but with the vision still fresh in our minds. And this year as we go through the SYNC cycle from Life Season to Vision Season, we discover more of the life God has waiting for us.