This Year Will Be Different
January 4, 2009
Communion
Happy New Year!
We are 4 days now into a new year – a year filled with new possibilities – new potential – - new opportunities.
Some of you may have made New Years Resolutions – promises to yourself and possibly to others to improve some area of your life.
Maybe some of you have made a resolution to lose weight. That’s one of mine for this year – but it has been one of mine for several years now – with little success.
This year – though – will be different!
Maybe some of you have made a resolution to exercise more. That’s been another one of mine for the past several years – with little success.
This year – though – will be different.
Maybe some of you have made a resolution to spend more time with your loved ones.
Some of you have made a resolution to spend more time with God or in serving others.
We have a tendency to make New Years resolutions.
Some of you may be doing really well with your resolutions so far.
I mean – we are lonely 4 days into the year!
But – then again — some of you may have already be struggling.
And some of you may have not even made any resolutions at all – knowing that they are hard to keep.
But every year – we tell ourselves –
This year will be different.
This year will be different.
I remember one December 31st when I was with some friends – and we happened to met another friend. This one turned to one of the others I was with and said:
“Well – I know you’re misbehaving today – you’re probably getting it all out of your today – because I’m sure your New Years Resolution will be to behave next year.”
We all laughed.
But – whether you made a New Years Resolution or not – whether you are keeping your resolution so far or not – it can not be denied that it is a new year – and it indeed can be – if we will let it be – a time for new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities.
We can truly say that this year can be different.
And – if we let it be – we can truly say that
This year will be different.
This year will be different.
But we have to let it be that for us.
We have to let it be different.
We have to let ourselves take advantage of the new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities that may be before us this year – or this year will not be any different than any other.
When I was young I used to want to stay up until midnight on New Years Eve and “see the New Year in”. When I was four we not only were celebrating a new year – but a new decade—the 1960’s! I was just sure that it would be different – look different in some way – and I begged my parents to let me see the new year – the new decade – in. Finally, they decided to let me stay up.
I was excited!
I was ready to stay up to “see the New Year’ – the “new decade” – “ in” – but around 10:00 my tiredness caught up with my excitement.
I decided I would lie down for awhile – but slept through the whole thing.
On the morning of January 1 , 1960 I awoke – disappointed that I had missed the New Year – the new decade — coming in – but raced outside to see how this new year – this new decade — looked.
I think I expected things to look different.
A New Year had come in.
A new decade, for that matter.
Surely things would look different.
But – guess what.
Things did not look different.
Things looked the same.
Disappointed again – I went back inside – and told my parents that I did not know what the big deal was – everything looked the same to me.
Is that how this new year will be for us – just the same?
Is that how it will be for us personally?
Is that how it will be for us as far as our personal relationships with God go?
Is that how it will be for us as far as how we do as a Church – how we serve God in the Church – the community – and the world?
Will 2009 be for us – as individuals and as a Church – just more of the same?
Or – will it be different?
Will we see and take advantage of the new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities that lie before us?
Will we commit ourselves to letting God make a difference in our lives – then making a difference in the Church — the community – and the world?
Will this year be the same – or indeed – will it be different?
Will your commitment to God – to the Church –
to loving God with all your heart – soul – mind and strength – and your neighbor as yourself –
be greater – or different – this year?
Or will it be the same?
We all have the opportunities to make it different – but will we?
If you are like us – you have not only been involved in celebrating a new year and maybe making resolutions this week – but have also been involved in taking down Christmas decorations and sorting through Christmas gifts.
You know the process – you go through the gifts – decide which ones you really like and will use – and put the rest away.
Christmas gifts can be very nice – and with many we remember the one who gave them to us every time we see them.
Others are not as special – and are put away – either to be brought out at some other point in time or forgotten about forever.
But – when putting away all the Christmas gifts — there is one Christmas gift we should not just “put away” – should not just put aside and maybe look at again next year.
That’s God’s Christmas gift to us –
The Greatest Gift of All
God’s Son – Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ –
as John writes – THE WORD –
the one who is part of the Godhead –
who was with God from the beginning –
who was part of the creating force that created the world. –
who came into the world to show us God –
who came into the world to save us from our sins –
who came into the world to give us life
Jesus Christ – God’s gift to us of salvation – of peace – of love – of justice.
Jesus Christ – God’s gift of Himself to us.
I remember a sign I once saw outside a church in Greensboro, NC before one Christmas that read:
THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT
IS NOT UNDER THE TREE – BUT
ON A TREE.
The best gift we can ever receive is not one that will be wrapped under our Christmas trees – but Jesus Christ – the Son of God – who died on a cross – on a tree – for us.
THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT
IS NOT UNDER THE TREE – BUT
ON A TREE.
God’s great gift to us of Himself – Jesus Christ – God’s gift to us of salvation – of peace – of love – of justice.
That’s the greatest gift – isn’t it?
Here’s something to remember for the new year –
If you want the New Year to really be different –
If you want to really see a difference in this year –
If you really want 2009 to not just be the same as every other year –
If you really want things to be different this year –
If you really want your life as a Christina and as a member of Hopewell to be different this year –
If you really want to see and take advantage of the new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities that lie before you this year –
You have to open the greatest gift of all —
You have to open yourself up to Christ – and the salvation – love – joy – and peace Christ can bring for you.
When you open yourself to the greatest gift, you life changes.
You experience God’s love, joy, and peace for this life – and salvation for the life to come.
The year – in fact your life – cam not be “business as usual” – but the year – and your life – will be filled with the new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities that God will lay before you.
As John writes – you will have the power to become a child of God –
born not of blood or the will of man – but of God
You will be blessed in a special way.
If you will open yourself up to Christ, and let Him change your life, you’ll see a difference in your life. And – a number of us will do that – we will see a difference in the Church.
This year will be different.
Our lives will be different.
The Church will be different.
You’ll be blessed with a different life – a different way to live – and a different way to love God and others.
You’ll be blessed with an ability to share the richness of God’s love – grace – peace – and salvation with the community – indeed a world that is hurting and needs to experience Jesus Christ in a new way.
Jesus Christ – God with us –
God in our midst –
God in our world –
God’s will for salvation – justice – mercy – and peace –
is God’s greatest gift to you.
Jesus Christ is the way to make your life different – the Church different — the community different – the world different.
Jesus Christ is the only one who can give us the assurance to say:
This year will be different.
This year will be different.
Accepting God’s gift – with the salvation – love – mercy – justice and peace Jesus brings – is the way to make your life different – the Church different – the community different – the world different.
As we accept that greatest gift –
as we begin to let God change us – and through us change our Church – our community – and our world – things will indeed be different.
Committing – or recommitting — your life to serving Christ – is the only way you can insure that this year will not be “business as usual” – but will be filled with God’s love and blessings for us as a individuals and as a Church.
Committing – or recommitting — your life to serving Christ – is how you insure that you can take advantage of the new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities that God will lay before you.
Make that commitment.
Make it your New Year – or maybe we should say New Life – resolution to accept God’s greatest gift — Jesus Christ – and either commit or recommit yourself to sharing Christ with others.
If you can do that – you will be able to receive – and share the greatest gift God offers — and can have a happy –
no – I think it better to say – blessed –
New year
And new life.
That’s indeed how we can make sure that this year will be different!
Amen.