Problem.  What do we call the decade we are now living in?  All of a sudden, we’re halfway through it.  It was, of course, a no-brainer to refer to the 1960s as "the Sixties," followed by the Seventies, the Eighties, and the Nineties.  But now, as we enter the year 2005, we still haven’t figured out what to call this first decade of the new millennium.

Some have suggested the 2Ks, the Zeros, the Ohs, the Zips, the Ones, the Singles, the Digits, the Tens, the 2000s, the First Decade.  Still others have come up with The Twenty-Aughts … or Aughts, for short.

Aught is an Old English word for zero.  It is still in use in Britain, but not used very much on this side of the Atlantic -- folks have joked, you know, that we are "two countries separated by a common language."  But a few generations ago, people in America did refer to 1905 as "nineteen-aught-five."

Perhaps we should move into 2005 with aughts in mind.  And not just the aughts spelled with an "a" but the oughts spelled with an "o" -- the oughts that remind us of our obligations or duties.  There is a great deal that we ought to do as Christians as we move into the year “twenty-aught-five.”

Tonight’s text from Galatians suggests that Jesus came at the right time, "when the fullness of time had come" (4:4), in the year that was the unprecedented and altogether original aught: The year zero. At that time so full of mystery and possibility, "God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children" (vv. 4-5). This is, for us, the turning point of history, and it means that we are freed from slavery to the law, and adopted as children of God.

"So you are no longer a slave but a child," the apostle Paul assures us, "and if a child then also an heir, through God" (v. 7).  These are words of great comfort, for sure, but they lead to the question: How “ought” the children of God to behave in the year twenty-aught-five?

Let me suggest five Christian oughts to get us started in the new year:

OUGHT FIVE: THE PRAYER OUGHT. "The Spirit helps us in our weakness," promises Paul; "for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words" (Romans 8:26).  We are not orphans, cut off from the help of the Father as we face adversity.  No, God is with us in a powerful and permanent way -- his supercharging Spirit not only strengthens us in times of weakness, but maintains a communication link with God in every time and place.  

OUGHT FOUR: THE GRATITUDE OUGHT.  So many people make big plans for the new year, dreaming of doing business and savoring success in the days to come.  "Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring," says the letter of James. "Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that'" (4:14-15).

"We're so commercialized on this side of the world."  So said Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin.  "I wanted to detach, so I went to India.  There, a bed could be made of palm branches, and people are grateful for what they have.  There's something in their eyes that we don't have.  They just appreciate every second."  So should we, as we try to be grateful for the gift of each day ("Raves," Rolling Stone, April 29, 1999, 40).

OUGHT THREE: THE SACRIFICE OUGHT.  We ought to sacrifice for others, as Jesus did.  "We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us -- and we ought to lay down our lives for one another" (1 John 3:16).  For starters, small sacrifices will do.  Theologian Donald McCullough suggests simple sacrifices: listening respectfully, apologizing when you've blown it, noticing and appreciating people in service positions.  His premise is simple and straightforward: "People deserve to be treated with respect. The neglect of courtesy leads to the collapse of community"  (Armin Brott, "Family Issues," The Washington Post Book World, November 8, 1998, X10).

OUGHT TWO: THE SUPPORT OUGHT.  We ought to support those in ministry, writes John, "so that we may become co-workers with the truth" (3 John 1:8).  And we ought to support those doing relief work in South Asia, so that the work of healing and restoration will continue following the tsunami.  I know that Mission Outreach Ministry will be working tonight to develop a plan for us to follow.  Generous support of God's work in the world is an imperative for those want to spread joy and truth, healing and help.

AND FINALLY, OUGHT ONE: THE LOVE OUGHT.  "Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11). No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.  Reflecting the love of our Lord to one another remains the number one ought for Christians of any era.

So there you have it: The Top Five Christian Oughts for Twenty-Aught-Five.  Let’s be prayerful, grateful, sacrificial, supportive and loving … focused always on what we ought to do as children of God.  Amen.