This 21- day cycle of Helping Out With God’s To-Do List was originally designed for Advent 2008 at Chapel Hill Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). There were a number of requests to post the entire series. So here it is! Have fun helping God.

As human beings, we are made in the image of God. We are made in God’s image in order to bring God’s presence into the world. As such we are uniquely endowed with the ability to represent God’s presence to the world. We are called to bring God’s kindom on earth, to do God’s will on earth as it is done in heaven.

In the Jewish tradition, these actions are called "repairing the world". In the Christian tradition, it is called "bring God’s Kingdom" on earth as it is in heaven.

During Advent we anticipate, prepare and wait for the return of Christ. We work to repair the world so that when Christ comes again, Christ will find a world prepared and repaired by humans.

During Advent, we are called to engage in the work of repairing the world. We are called to engage in the responsible activity of preparing ourselves for the return of Christ.

Dr. Ron Wolfson wrote a wonderful book titled God’s To Do List: 103 Ways to Be an Angel and Do God’s Work on Earth. Wolfson describes 10 Godly verbs – 10 ways that we can partner with God and do the work of God on earth.

1. Create
2. Bless
3. Rest
4. Call
5. Comfort
6. Care
7. Repair
8. Wrestle
9. Give
10. Forgive

Day 1

God is very creative. Because we humans are created in the image of God, we too can and should create.

There are a number of synonyms listed in the handy thesaurus for "create". Among these synonyms are words like "make", "produce", "fix", "generate", "fashion", "craft" and "formulate". What separates each of these words from "create" is intent.

When God created the world, God created with intent. When we add intentionality to our everyday tasks then we can transform these everyday tasks into creative moments.

When I make up my bed every morning, it is a chore and a bore. But, if before I make up my bed in the morning I intend the bed to be a cozy resting place that will nurture me that evening, I transform the chore into an act of creating.

Help God Out Today – Create

Transform an everyday task of making, fixing, producing, generating, fashioning, or formulating into an act of creating by adding intentionality to the task. Envision the outcome of your task before you start the job.
Suggestions:

1. Envision creating a healthy and loved filled dinner for your family rather than merely fixing dinner.
2. Envision sending love, good cheer, care, or a pick- me -up to a friend rather than merely answering an email.
3. Envision eliciting a smile from someone instead of merely adding a quirky note to your Facebook page.
4. Envision nurturing yourself with care rather than fixing yourself a cup of tea, a glass of wine, an icy soda or a cup of coffee.

Day 2

God blesses! It is the second act of God described in the Bible. First, God creates, then God blesses. In the creation story God blesses three times. First God blesses the living creatures and the birds. Next, God blesses humans, and finally God blesses the Sabbath.

Because we are God’s partners in creation, we too have the power to bless.

Help God with the to-do list today—Bless!

Today read the blessing contained in Numbers 6:24-26

May God bless you and watch over you

May God smile at you, and offer you kindness beyond what you deserve.

May God’s presence be with you always, and may you enjoy the blessings of peace.

Say or write this blessing to someone you care about.

AND

Look in the mirror and say this blessing to yourself. (If you absolutely can not or will not look in the mirror and bless yourself, then email me and I will send the blessing to you!)

Day 3

God rested! Following the arduous job of creating for six day, God rested.
Actually the text says something slightly different, the text tells us that "God ceased from all the work to be done". Rest is a by-product of the cessation of work. The Sabbath is a gift to the people of God, it is also on the original top 10 of God’s to-do list. "Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy" Deuteronomy 5:12.

We humans are made in the image of God but we don’t have the endurance of God. I think we need a little bit of Sabbath rest each and every day. I think every day we need to "cease" doing our human tasks and turn toward God for rest and restoration.

Help God Out Today – Rest
Suggestions:

1. Turn off the tv, turn off the computer, turn off the lights and put your feet up. Just be. Think whatever you think, feel whatever you feel, just be.
2. Plan when you can take a break tomorrow. Organize your entire day around that break. Do not let anything get in the way of your break.
3. Give someone else a break. Do something for a partner, friend, or work mate so that they can take a break. Tell them "sit down, I will clean up the kitchen, fold the laundry, rake the leaves, run to the post office, take that check to the bank, or write a memo."

Day 4

God calls human beings. God likes to call human beings. Not phone calls – but God calls. When we call God it is called prayer. Throughout the Bible, God calls and answers calls. If we want to help God out with the to-do list we will need to get into the business of "call and response". We will need to "call" and "answer calls."

Your purpose in life is to serve God, to be one of God’s messengers on earth, to do God’s work. When God calls, will you hear and answer – hincini – here I am.

Help God out today – call

Suggestions for today – do at least one

1. Call someone – just to check in. Call a parent, a friend, an aunt or uncle, cousin, friend, past co-worker, old boss. Call just to check in – call don’t email.
2. Return calls – all calls. Decide to return phone calls, emails, messages in a timely fashion. Start today.
3. Answer questions directly. Don’t hem and haw. Say "yes" and do "yes". Give someone a clear answer today.

Day 5

God comforts – you can comfort too.

God makes house calls, bringing comfort. We have a wonderful example of such a house call in Genesis 18: 1-5. God goes to Abraham to visit him when he was "healing" following his circumcision at the age of 29. (ouch)
Yet, when strangers approach Abraham he pops up, and goes to greet them offering them hospitality.

God comforts Abraham, and Abraham comforts the strangers. Abraham is showing us how to help God with the to-do list. Comfort! When you offer comfort you are doing God’s work.

Help God out today

1. Let someone go ahead of you – let someone ahead of you in line, let someone merge ahead of you, find some other way literally or symbolically or surrendering your place to them.
2. Put a "welcome sign" of some kind on your home door, your office door, your facebook page. Find some way of telling folks "you are welcome in my space!
3. Write a note that is not strictly speaking required of you to someone who is sick, grieving, or just plain unhappy.
4. Do something kind and comforting for yourself if you are sick, grieving, or just plain unhappy.

Day 6

God cares! You can help God care!

The Bible is literally chocked full of references to God’s care and kindness. The Hebrew term is "hesed"

The Bible is also chocked full of God’s expectation that her people will engage in the same care and kindness.

The prophet Micah states the expectation clearly

"You have been told what is good and what the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love kindness (hesed), and to walk humbly with your God. " (Micah 6:8)

In the Talmud, Rabbi Elazar explains that this means " to act in accordance with the principles or justice, to let your actions be guided by loving kindness," and to walk humbly with your God means to "assist needy families at their funerals and weddings by giving humbly in private."

Today, share God’s To-Do List Care
Suggestions

1. Intentionally do one simple act of caring: hold a door for someone, hug a loved one, write a note, say thank you. Act intentionally to show "hesed"
2. Do something kind and caring for yourself – you too are a loved child of God.
3. Think of acts of caring as lightbeams. Ask yourself the question "how can I brighten someone’s day" – answer that question - -and then do that action.

Sunday, Day 7

Rabbi Heschel says : The Sabbath, when understood properly, is a gift of freedom.The Sabbath is a carefully structured retreat from the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. The laws of the Sabbath are the spiritual architecture with which the "palace in time" is built.

Help with God’s To Do List – rest

Suggestions:

1. Consider how rest is a gift of freedom. Intentionally rest today. Luxuriate in the freedom to cease working.
2. Plan and implement a period of planned rest today.

Day 8

Share God’s To – Do List – Repair

God created our world but it is not a perfect world. People go to bed hungry, nations fight against one, another, family members bicker, people commit crimes – the world is in need of repairs.

In the Jewish prayers, there is a liturgy recited three times a day. It reads: " You are to repair the world for the sake of bringing God’s reign on earth . . ."

This is the call to social justice. This is the recognition that God left the world in need of repairs to become whole.

Help God repair the world today! Don’t just think about it. Do it!
Suggestions:

1. Fix something that needs fixing in your own home.
2. Conserve God’s earth – use less of some resource today – turn some lights off – turn the thermostat down.
3. Write a check to some organization that provides basic human services – food, shelter, clothes.
4. Take food, or clothing to a local organization that helps people.

Day 9

Get On Your Feet! – God Wants You To Wrestle

You can be God’s wrestling partner! You can argue with God. God doesn’t mind a good fight – in fact God welcomes you into the ring.

Abraham was the first of God’s children to argue. Abraham won the argument too. Check it out in Genesis 18.

Check out how Jacob wrestles with God in Genesis 32.

Wrestling with God will change you forever.

Wrestle with God today!
Suggestions

1. Praise God but also question God. Ask God a "why" question right now.
2. If you hear someone question God, or damn God, be sympathetic – they are wrestling with God.
3. Learn how to argue with folks you love – in a healthy way.

Day 10

God gives! You can give to!

God gives to her people, and God teaches how to give. God gave manna to the people in the dessert and Leviticus 19: 9-10 remembers this act and provides instruction on giving to the poor saying leave a corner of the field filled with produce for the poor.

God has entrusted to us a world of bounty, we are called to be God’s hands and feet and heart on earth and to ensure that all of God’s children are cared for.

Give today! Help God!

1. Think of something that you do well, something that you are passionate about. Decide how you can use this skill, this passion to serve.
2. Surprise someone with your presence
3. Buy JELLY cards today!!!!!! Give the gift of Jelly to IFC go to www.chapelhillchristianchurch.org

Day 11

God asks humans to do one thing that is extremely difficult, and that is to forgive

God forgives us, over and over, and over and over. We are capable of forgiveness because we are created in the very image of God. We are capable but that does not make us willing. We have to become willing to forgive those that have wronged us. We have to follow God’s ways not our human ways in order to forgive.

The process of forgiveness – asking for forgiveness when you have wronged another – and offering forgivenss when you have been wronged is the most difficult task on God’s To-Do List. But if you tap into the divinity that is within you – you can forgive, and you can ask for forgiveness.

Forgiveness for Today!

1. Forgive someone for being late today!
2. Make a list of people that you are becoming willing to forgive – pray for the courage to forgive today and everyday
3. Forgive yourself for one short-coming. God has!

Day 12

Create something for God – today!

1. Doddle for 5 minutes
2. Go to http://www.coloring.ws/christmas.htm and print out a coloring page and sit down with your crayons and color!
3. Take a piece of white paper, fold it, and cut out a snow flake. If you don’t know how to do this check out http://www.papersnowflakes.com/instructions.htm

Put your creation on the refrigerator! God wants to see it.

Saturday, Week II

God is calling you.

God asks the very first question in the Bible. God says to Adam "ayekah" which means, "Where are you?"

God is actually asking two different questions of Adam. The first is a geographical question, "where are you located" and the second is a relational question "where are you in relationship to me"

God is asking Adam about his relationship with his maker. God had asked Adam not to do something and he had done it anyway. God knows wants to know the existential question – where are you in terms of me?

So spend a few minutes considering that question – where are YOU in relationship to God. You might even want to write down your answer. I think it is a good idea to check in with ourselves every once in a while and ask that question and answer it.

Day 13

"Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy" is the fourth commandment. The Sabbath is a day away from work – a day of rest. We are often overjoyed to hear this Biblical demand to put our feet up and take it easy. We are often so overjoyed that we forget the second part of the commandment – "keep it holy".

Remember that Jesus healed the sick on the Sabbath – he kept the day holy by healing. Jesus found different ways to make the day holy in action as well as in rest.

Today, do something to make the day holy.
Here are some suggestions:

1. Read or re-read an inspirational book
2. Cook a meal and share it with someone else
3. Go out of your way to help someone out
4. Use your imagination

Day 14

Repairing the world – God started it, now it is your turn.

Tikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world" or "perfecting the world."

Be a repair person today.

Find a way to stick your neck out – to be a visible and audible voice for an organization/institution/group in need.

Day 15

Giving Is Life!
Israel is surrounded by two bodies of water. To the north is a large lake called the Sea of Galilee. The lake is alive with fish and people enjoy the lake and its breezes. The River Jordan flows into it in the north and out in the south. There is another body of water at the Southern end of Israel it has no fish, it smells of sulpher. No one lives around this body of water. The River Jordan flows in but does not flow out. It is called the Dead Sea.

The Sea of Galilee gives and lives
The Dead Sea gives nothing.

There are two kinds of seas in Israel. There are two kinds of people in the world.
Give of your God given gifts.

Give something away today

Wednesday, Week III

This Sunday our scripture will focus on Mary and God’s invitation to her. Mary must have wrestled with herself and perhaps with God. There are many moments of struggle in our lives – the question is "will you trust God to be with you during that struggle?" will you let God be with you as your wrestle?

Wrestle for God, Wrestle with God today!

1. Ask God a hard question, listen for a response
2. Ask someone in your faith community for support as you wrestle with a circumstance in your life
3. Support an underdog!

Day 16

God comforts, you can also, help God out today.

Practice radical hospitality. Hospitality is the core value that drives all of God’s To – Do List. As we look forward today to Christmas a week from now, promise yourself and God that you will do an act or radical hospitality.

Suggestions

1. Do something kind for someone who is sick – or just not feeling well
2. Offer a tangible sign of comfort to someone experiencing a loss
3. Welcome someone you do not like into your life – reach out across the barriers that normally protect you from "others"

Day 17

Caring is an internal state. In order to manifest you care, your concern you must take action – you must "do" something. All too often people get stuck on the warm feeling of "caring" and fail to operationalize that feeling.

Show you care today – this is God’s To Do List

1. Make a list of people, causes, organizations, etc that you care about.
2. Close your eyes and point to one of these –
3. Do something to show you care – do it now!

Day 18

When God calls us we experience God’s presence in real and vibrant ways. When God calls us it is a personal experience. When God calls us we know we have been called!

Because God calls humans, we also have the capacity to call someone else.

On this last Saturday before Christmas I want you to CALL SOMEONE in capital letters. I want you to reach out to someone in love and care in a way that they will truly experience You Calling Them.

Don’t ask for anything
Don’t give anything
Don’t fix anything
Just reach out and call someone else by name.
Let them know how important they are to you – and to God

Day 19– REST

It is the Sabbath --- and what you can do for God today is rest. I want you to create for yourself a kindergarten rest period. I want you to decide when to have a rest time – and fiercely protect it.

Here are the rules:

1. Rest periods have a beginning and an end, carve out time for your rest period.
2. You don’t have to sleep but you need to be quiet. If sleep comes, welcome it.
3. You can not talk with others around you – you can not use the phone, or the computer, or text, or use any other communication tool.
4. You can read a book, or use your crayons but no other playing.
5. Put on some nice music!

Monday, Week IV

God cares – You can care in God’s likeness

You may have heard the story of the star-fish saver. It goes like this:

One morning after a particularly fearsome storm, a man arose early and decided to go for a walk along the sea. As he neared the beach, the early riser saw an old man in the distance slowly, yet purposely, ambling down the shoreline. As he watched, the old man stopped, picked something up, and tossed it into the ocean. Then, the old man slowly straightened himself up, walked several more feet, stooped down, and once again picked up something, which he tossed into the sea.

Intrigued, the early riser moved closer. As he drew near, he realized suddenly what the old man was doing. Littered all down the shoreline, as far as the eye could see, were thousands upon thousands of starfish cast out from the ocean by the fury of the now-passed storm. As the early riser watched, the old man bent down, gently picked up a small, helpless starfish, and tossed it back into the ocean. He repeated the same process every few feet.

After a minute or two, the early riser approached the old man. "Good morning, sir" he said. "I couldn't help notice what you're doing. I commend you for what you're trying to do, but the storm has washed up thousands of starfish on this beach. You can't possibly save them all! What possible difference do you hope to accomplish?"
The old man paused for a long time, pondering the early riser's question. Finally, without saying a word, he bent down, picked up a starfish, and tossed it far into the ocean. "It made a difference to that one," he said.

Now, it was the early riser's turn to be silent. As he looked at the old man with growing admiration, it seemed as if the years fell away, revealing someone wise, noble, and strong enough to stand up to any challenge. Deeply moved, the early riser struggled for the right words, but none would come. At last, he too, bent down, picked up a starfish, and tossed it into the ocean. The old man, watched intently. He spoke not a word, but his nod and a wink said all that was needed. "Well," the early riser said as he looked out at the thousands of starfish stranded on the beach before them, "It looks like we've got a lot of work to do."

Just then, the two men realized they were not alone. Others out for their Saturday morning walks and jogs had witnessed what had taken place. When they saw what the old man and early riser were attempting to do, they too bent down and picked up starfish of their own. Soon, the morning sun shone down upon hundreds of good Samaritans - young, old, black, white, rich, and poor; each working diligently to save as many starfish as he or she was able. What had started out as one, had grown into an army of kindness.
Some time later, an amazing thing happened. As the last starfish was tossed into the ocean, a spontaneous cheer broke out among the starfish rescuers. People hugged and high- fived each other. Some exchanged names and numbers and promised to stay in touch. Others walked off together to share breakfast with new friends. To a person, each one felt they had done something important and had made a difference.
That morning, in the span of only two hours, five thousand starfish were saved, and hundreds of lives were transformed. All because one person cared enough to try to make a difference.

The next time you begin to think that the good you are doing (or considering doing) won't be enough to make a difference, think back to the Parable of the Starfish. Remember... "What is impossible for one, is easily accomplished by many." But someone needs to be the first person to throw the first starfish into the sea.

For today:
Throw a starfish back – you can figure out what that means for you. You figure out the task!

Day 20

God forgives – you are free to ask for forgiveness

In the Jewish tradition, words alone can not right a wrong – action is required. There are six steps to asking for forgiveness.

1. Stop doing it. Whatever it is – stop it. Asking for forgiveness begins when with this action.
2. Recognize what you have done is wrong. Write down what is wrong with your actions.
3. Feel remorse. There is a reason to feel guilty when you are guilty.
4. Make good. If you have harmed someone, try to make it whole again.
5. Confess
6. Ask for forgiveness

Today, take as many steps as you can toward asking someone for forgiveness.

Day 21 Christmas Eve

God gives abundantly – God asks that we give also

On this Christmas Eve 2008, I want you to give something away.

I want you to make a donation however small to an organization/church/agency that you care about

Or

I want you to pack up some used items and take them to a local charity

Or

I want you to make a card, or make some cookies, or make a craft and give it to someone.

But the important part is I want you to give something and put work into it. Work is defined as moving mass through space. I want you to work to give.

So leave the house and go put some money in the Salvation Army pots
Or Write a note and write a check to an organization or agency and tell them how much meaning their work has to you. Or make some cookies with your own hands, or make a card with your own hands and give them to someone. Or go buy a jar of Jelly and bring it to our worship service at a 4:00 this afternoon.

You get the idea. Put your whole self into giving – not just your money.

Merry Christmas