Orthodox Bucket List

Christ is Risen!

The other day I saw a meme about aging. It said something to the effect of, “With age every day becomes more urgent to get right with God.” I laughed, because today we normally associate fewer days ‘left’ in life as fewer days to have fun. We are encouraged to have bucket lists and travel before it is too late. What if we looked at fewer days ‘left’ as fewer days to repent?

The Lord said to the Jews who came to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of the Father who sent me.”

John 5.24-30

Today’s Gospel lesson, also read at every Orthodox funeral, is a poignant reminder that earthly death will come to each of us. It is a reminder that judgment will come for each of us. It is also a reminder that true life will come to us from God because He is life. That is the message of the resurrection.

So, I thought maybe today we could think of ideas for our Orthodox Bucket List. I invite you to think about things that will help your salvation ‘before it’s too late’ to repent. Just for today, forget about that dream vacation and think about heaven. Does it really matter if you miss that trip to Europe, so long as you’re in heaven? Here are some ideas to help you start your bucket list.

• Go to Holy Confession
• Reconcile with my enemies
• Forgive those who have wronged me
• Rework my estate plan to include the work of the Church
• Preplan my burial to ensure a proper Orthodox funeral and burial
• Attend more church services
• Commit to being in Divine Liturgy EVERY Sunday unless I’m sick
• Be prepared for Holy Communion at EVERY Divine Liturgy
• Go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Lands (see? At least there’s a trip on the list)
• Spend a week at a Monastery (there’s another trip)

The point of any bucket list is to accomplish things you always wanted to accomplish before you die. An Orthodox Bucket List is more about what will happen AFTER we die than before. I’m pretty sure that I will regret skipping Holy Confession much more than skipping that dream vacation, especially if I’m “resurrected to judgement” as today’s Gospel warns.