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This Sunday in worship, we will be intentional about two things. First, we will take time to look back at the year we have just lived. We will lift up those times when we felt God's presence the most, times when we felt closest to our neighbors, and times when we felt most closely aligned with the work God is doing in the world. Many of these moments will be memorialized in the 2025 Annual Report, which will be made available during the Annual Meeting of the congregation. Looking back, we will thank God for all that has been done for us and through us as a congregation.
But this Sunday will be much more than a retrospective. Before worship, the session will meet with the candidates who were elected by our congregation to lead us as elders, deacons, and trustees for the next several years. During the month of January, those men and women have been preparing themselves for the blessings and responsibilities of spiritual leadership. Together, they will share their faithful vision with the ruling elders of our church. Later, during worship, we as a congregation will ordain and install them into their new positions. With prayer and the laying on of hands, we will bless them and pledge our support as they accept the mantle of leadership and begin the work of leading us faithfully into the future.
In scripture, the life of discipleship is consistently described as a journey. With every passing day and every passing year, we do our best to walk the path that leads to righteousness. Sometimes we move in the right direction; at other times, we stray. But wherever we may roam, with every step, we are blessed with lessons that stretch us, encourage us, and re-orient us. So, it is wise for us to take time to reflect upon the lessons we have learned in the year we have just left behind. But we must never forget that the purpose of this reflection is not to keep us rooted in the past. It is to prepare us and inspire us for the journey that lies ahead of us in the year to come.
We hope that you will join us this Sunday for these important moments in the life of Larchmont Avenue Church. Come and join us as we look back with gratitude and look ahead with hope.
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