“New Year - New You?”

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Greetings Christ Church!

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In all the advertisements we see at the beginning of the year, we are reminded of New Year's resolutions - commitments to improve our health, exercise more, quit smoking, stop swearing, and so on. In my experience, a resolution can feel unproductive without patience and consistent practice. However, from a Christian perspective, falling short of a goal doesn’t mean it is unattainable. Breaking a resolution once does not mean failure, it is an opportunity to recommit.

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Many of our resolutions reflect areas of life we hope to change. Often, these are behaviors or habits we use to mask our own hurt, such as alcohol, drugs, or destructive actions. These substitutions rarely lead to genuine fulfillment or healing.

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In this new year, let us consider the words of Saint Athanasius, an ancient church leader, who said, “You cannot have God as your Father if you do not have the Church as your Mother.” How ever we order these two parental figures the truth remains: practicing Christianity without the support of a community of believers makes the journey far more difficult, if not unattainable. Every member of the Church, from the youngest child to the oldest elder, is an example for others to emulate.

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The spiritual life is not a program, it is a RELATIONSHIP. A relationship with our Trinitarian God, three distinct divine persons one of which became human to fully relate to us. All we need to do is embrace this relationship and understand how it fits into our lives. God loves you exactly as you are and simply desires to commune with you.

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Will you choose to commune with God this year?

 

God wants to communion with you. Will You communion with God?

 

Tenderly in Christ,

Paul