Pastor Speaks
June 14, 1999
Dr. Keith Wagner, Pastor
St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio

I don’t know about you but I’m getting a little tired about all the hype about Y2K. Computer wizards, politicians, corporate executives, even church leaders are warning us about the impending dangers the world faces when the year 2000 arrives.

I know of a person in nearby Springfield who is stocking their basement with bottled water, canned goods and cash. They are filled with fear that come January 1st their bank account will be gone, super market shelves empty and the cities’ water system in complete disarray due to computer melt down.

"Don’t fly," some are saying, since airplane computer systems will go haywire because of failed time changes. "Don’t drive," others are saying, since traffic control systems will decide not to work that fateful Saturday morning in January. "Get a wood burning stove," still others are suggesting since they expect the electric and gas companies to be exhausted of any potential power.

What’s worse, some preachers are proclaiming that the "end will come" at the beginning of the new millennium. To them I would simply refer them to Mark 13:32, (concerning the end of time.) "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

I must confess that I was concerned about the Y2K problem in our church computers. So I contacted my son-in-law who is a computer expert and asked him what I should do. He suggested I reset the clock to 11:59PM, December 31, 1999 and see what happens. I did as he instructed and after 60 seconds had passed the clock changed to 12:00 midnight, January 1, 2000. And absolutely nothing else happened.

Unfortunately we have folks like Jim Bakker telling the world that a giant asteroid is going to smash the earth early next year. (Notice not even he committed himself to an exact date) Can you believe people are gullible enough to send this man money?

When it comes to TIME, (not the magazine), we live in linear time. We measure everything in terms of minutes, hours, weeks, months and years. In both the Old and New Testament there is no general word for time. Time is essentially a moment in time at which something happens. For example, in the spring of the year we will plant our crops. When the Bible speaks of time it uses phrases like, "in the days of Noah," or "in the day of the Lord." Exact dates or linear time are not used.

God is timeless. Time means nothing to God since God is the beginning and the end. This is best illustrated in II Peter 3:8. "But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day."

But, we are mortal human beings who have to have a measuring stick for everything we do. We punch time clocks, keep millions of statistics, and live by our watches. The year 2000 is very threatening to folks because it means change. If you look at history you will discover that the world was afraid when the year 1000 occurred. That was 1,000 years ago.

This past week I attended the kindergarten graduation ceremony for my grandson. He is in the class 20ll. I look forward to attending his high school graduation. It happens to be the same year I will be eligible for social security. As long as I am healthy I expect to be present for both.

I believe that God will be with us in the future just as God has been with us in the past. God is infinite, and God’s creating power is far greater than our electronic toys. If you are still overwhelmed by all the Y2K chaos in December just unplug your computer.

Realizing that many of you are worried about what may happen on January 1st permit me to make a prediction. It will be cold outside, be sure and wear a coat. Oh, and you might want to buy a snow shovel. There is a good chance you will need it sometime next January.