Pastor's Ponderings                                                                                                  Rev. Mark Willig

Making a New Start – Not Just for New Year Anymore

“Making a new start.” Is that the theme of the New Year? Or the theme of every time we get together in Church?
We are at the end of the year, and at the end of a decade. Part of the celebration of the New Year is to make resolutions. “I will exercise more regularly.” “I will eat healthier foods.” “I will spend more time with my family.” Each one is a worthy goal. And each one points to where we should be growing and what we should be turning away from. And it is a constant refrain that New Year’s resolutions might last almost the whole week. Such is the way of our human nature.

But that means that each resolution is a little taste of repentance; a little seeking to put to death the old Adam. It has to do with seeing ourselves as we are, with the stuff of the grave – and with the empty tomb. It’s a matter of dying and rising; and that means that our New Year’s resolutions have to do with the basic stuff of Christianity.
This is the same thing we share Sunday after Sunday, dying to sin and rising to new life in Jesus. It’s never the wrong time, and it’s never too late. It’s what we do. We’re Christians.

But we know that we cannot make new life start on our own or in our own power. It has to be given, and it has to come from someone who said about the old, “It is finished.” But look also into the Book of Revelation, chapter 21. There you find God saying, “Behold, I make all things new.” That includes you. So when we come together and we “speak together with God” (the word for “speak together with” is “confess”); we are saying that everything is starting over new in Jesus Christ.

Are we serious about that? Do we really believe that it is possible to start again new? Can people actually change? Well, God is serious about that. And God gives us the new beginning in Jesus: on the cross and on Easter; in our Baptism; and every Sunday through forgiveness of sins and the sweet Gospel. And not only does God believe that it is possible for people to change. He’s in the business of changing them. It’s what He does. He’s God.

So, with God leading us into the New Year and the New Decade, what do we want to look at as a congregation? What new beginnings is God leading us into this year? There are three things I want to set before you at the beginning of this year:

Tithers of St. John – This is an idea begun by one of our Congregation’s Officers. You will be hearing more about it in the month of January. It has to do with Stewardship. Very simply, we need to begin talking more freely about what tithing is. And there are a number of members of our congregation who are ready and willing to make a commitment to tithing, because they want to be involved that much in the work of God’s Kingdom and in bringing the Gospel to our community and to the whole world.

To be like Barnabas – The name Barnabas means Son of Encouragement. Barnabas is the one who brought Paul into the Church at Jerusalem. After Paul had persecuted the Church, and had been involved in the martyring of Stephen and many others, he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul became a Christian and began to witness to his faith in Jesus Christ. But the Christians were still afraid to trust him.

Barnabas is the one who stepped in, encouraged Paul, told others of his genuine faith, and brought him into the congregation. Later, Barnabas brought Paul into the work at Antioch, the congregation that sent them on the first Great Missionary Journey. Then Barnabas spoke up for John Mark, and in many other ways encouraged his fellow believers.

Read the rest, and our Newsletter. See our January Calendar. Long Range Planning Committee Report.

Listen to or download sermons, Click here