Happy New Year!

Hello, everyone:

I want to wish you a Happy New Year. I would wish you a Happy New Year today on New Year’s Day 2022, except I’m too late. We already wished one another a Happy New Year on Sunday, November 28^th, the first Sunday of Advent. For Christians, our new year began four weeks before Christmas. The first Sunday of Advent is both our liturgical and theological new year because that is the day and time of year, we re-set the clock and begin re-telling the story of God’s saving love and mercy through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. So, even though the secular calendar tells us that today is the first day of the new year, we followers of Jesus are already one full month into ours.

Did you make any resolutions for your new year? Let me ask, “Do any of your new year’s resolutions include the Lord? How are you going to make the Lord an active part of your life this year?” Just as with any of your other resolutions, they will not get accomplished and cannot be successful unless you get to work on them. I often ask people when they tell me they can’t hear the Lord speaking to them, “When was the last time you talked to him?”

Here is some new year’s good news!

God’s love is from everlasting to everlasting! God’s mercy and love know no bounds! God’s mercy endures forever!

So, even if you are four weeks into the new year Christian and you forgot to make your new year’s resolution; and if you haven’t developed the daily habit of talking to the Lord, today is your new day!

Today is a new opportunity to let go of all the things that hold you down and tear at the fabric of your soul. Ask the Lord to free you.
Today is a new chance to begin daily conversations with Jesus. Ask the Lord to hear your prayers.
Today is a new day to forgive others just as the Lord has forgiven you. Ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins.
Today is a new day to center your life around the things of God. Ask the Lord to order your life in new, fresh, and bold ways.
Today is a new day.
Today is a new you.