“5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Rom 5:1-11 ESV)

Timing means that it isn’t on our call as to when the ship sets sail. Two prophets, and there are differing timelines; two lumberjacks, and one cuts the tree a bit lower to the earth than the other, more efficient, more accomplished, more wrapped up in that Prophetic Decision that today is the day.

And to that ship under sail: teambuilding exercises aside, the Prayer Warrior—in deference to any and all prophecy if it be God-fearing, cheerful, apocalyptic perhaps but cheerful—makes do, makes amends, makes team built with those the Good Lord has placed in her or his path. Suddenly it is just us. Suddenly we are heave-ho’ing with newly minted Friends, and who could have asked for any less of a Cohort? Who could have sought more in friendship than these… these weird folks across the aisle seen through a squint for all the halos and bright lights and big church city stuff?

Decanting in time, decisions made in time, breaking free from Mothership in time, there are seasons for everything. There is a season to mourn, a season to learn, a season to prepare. There is a season for that ship-under-way Mentality and Mentalist’s trick, yes all excitement due and acknowledged, but a Goodbye most salient: stop leaning on You twenty-years ago and start leaning on You Now. Learn to brandish the New Arsenal of your spacecraft, your sea-worthy ship, your church Body humming along to the rhythms but not Remorseful for that Port just abandoned for the high seas.

Our timing is a timing belt for Readiness, and Christ dictated just how and when the spirit reversed its course: “Anyone not against us is for us”; “those not for us are against us”. Christ dictated the Time for communal huddling, tears a bit, sad denials but tears, as He owned the sad show, owned the Walk to Golgotha, owned the all-eyes-on-me mentalism but sad mentalism. And He owned Resurrection Morn, again, dictating—but paying His fee with His own body—the time for celebration and the time for five hundred witnesses, the time for disciples sent forth after one last Seaside fire and baked fish in the dawn light.