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What does this New Year bring to us as a community of faith? As a Church, we can develop new ministries, foster more inclusiveness, and create ways of gaining new members, all the while nurturing each other. We need to go back to the small class structure that John Wesley used so that we can be involved in each others' walk with Christ. This will help us to communicate ideas that will continue to build the Kingdom here at Hamilton and the community that surrounds us.
Let us model unconditional love and grace with each other so that our youth and children know that when they may fall short, God's gift is the way to salvation. And may we not forget though that the children are often a witness to us.
What we bring into the New Year are testimonies, witnesses to the living Gospel. We bring in the love of Christ in our hearts and extend them to the community of faith. We bring our struggles, trials, and find strength in Christ and in each other. As a community, we shall use these things to make us stronger in the faith and in the witness we share. We bring to this New Year a renewal of our being and prepare ourselves to take steps of faith that can only be done through Christ.
We live in a time that is quickly changing for the church and the world. We must remember that through Christ the victory has already been won, but that we are to go forward and live that victory in all that we say and do. So, with all of this said, "Happy New Year."
Blessings,
Jim
Many of you know by now that I have made a few trips to the United Kingdom in the past couple of years. During my time there I came to appreciate and love some of the Celtic prayers and services that originated in that area.
In fact, one of the books that I use regularly in my daily offerings of prayer and meditation is a book called Celtic Daily Prayer. As I was preparing for the New Year, I remembered reading a service from this book. The service is called a "The Opening Door", and refers to a "first footing" prayer.
In Scotland, the New Year is given great importance. People travel from house to house wishing each other a good year ahead. As time went on, whoever became the first person to cross the threshold of the house, and bring in the New Year once midnight had passed, became important (thus the "first - footing" after the New Year). This person was considered as the bringer of luck and good fortune for the coming year.
Celtic spirituality (or at least the book that I am referring to), put a spin on the first-footing, and prayerfully asks Christ to enter the home through the open door just after midnight, thus allowing Christ to be the "first-foot" in the household.
The prayers:
This day is a new day, that has never been before.
This year is a new year, the opening door.
Enter, Lord Christ. We have joy in Your coming.
You have given us life;
and we welcome your coming.
I turn now to face You, I lift up my eyes.
Be blessing my face, Lord; be blessing my eyes.
May all my eye looks on be blessed and be bright,
My neighbors, my loved ones, be blessed in Your sight.
You have given us life and we welcome Your coming.
Be with us Lord, we have joy, we have joy.
This year is a new year, the opening door.
Be with us Lord, we have joy, we have joy."
-Celtic Daily Prayer, page 246
Copyright 2005, The Northumbria Community Trust
It is my prayer the each of your families, and that Hamilton Church itself, may offer Christ the "first footing" of this New Year.
Grace and Peace to each of you
David