Starting anew. Again!
Dear Saints of Grace,
Yes, the seasons come and the seasons go. One year flows into another. And another. And another. Only one thing remains from season to season, from year to year, from generation to generation, and from age to age: GOD’S LOVE!
In the sequence of our Scripture reading on Christmas Eve we heard story after story of God’s faithfulness to Israel even in the face of their unfaithfulness. We read these ancient stories not to relive ancient unfaithfulness but to be reminded of our own. And to be reminded that despite our unfaithfulness, God’s faithfulness to God’s promises continues. God loved us in the beginning. God loves us now. God promises to love us through all eternity. Some things never change.
But some things DO change. Sometimes we are leery of change. Sometimes we leap at the opportunity to do new things. In every time and every place and every age since the beginning of the Church, we have evolved how we express the unchanging gospel of God’s love. The Church, at its best, has always embraced the challenges of new times and new ways of understanding the world. We are currently challenged to bring a word of hope and promise to an age that is filled with anxiety and foreboding. More people are migrating from their homelands all around the globe. More parts of the Earth are threatened by climate change. We sense a growing global trend toward authoritarian governments.
But God has not given up on this God-beloved world. And neither will we! We—the Church as a whole and individual Christians - can be beacons of hope, love, justice and compassion. We can proclaim our gospel-centered values IN WORD AND DEED.
Let this year, 2023, be the year that we at Grace take a hard look at our story—past, present and future. Let this be the year that we lead with the Gospel, letting all around us know that they - like us - are loved by a loving and forgiving God, a God who longs to embrace all creation in that love.
What’s your new year’s resolution? How will you let your light shine?
In Christ’s love, joy, peace and hope.
Pastor Daniel Schwick