Remember

I hope this week has been filled with times of rest and reflection. I hope that you are finding time to celebrate with those you love and remember the Christ child being born. It is always funny how fast the year goes and around October we start to think…

“oh man, it is almost time to file my taxes…”

I never thought that as a child, but the older I get, the faster time moves. Not only is time moving faster, but it feels like I have to hurry up to accomplish what I need to accomplish…or think I “need to accomplish”. I end up operating or thinking I need to operate at a breakneck speed to be able to keep up with everything and everyone around me. That constant state of hurrying is taking a toll on each of us…and we likely need to think about how we can live differently in this new season. Now a lot of people are hurriedly spending this week thinking of things they want to change about their life or put into practice or intentionally do or not do as we get ready to begin a New Year. We think because the last number on a year changes, it is a cause to make a massive change in our lives. So we work to do some sort of major transformation, hoping that it is the keystone habit we are adjusting that is going to change our life inside and out.

The truth is, more than once, I’ve realized on New Years Day that I hadn’t made a resolution yet…so I was assessing what I had or had not done that day so I could just follow suit.

I haven’t had donuts yet today…so maybe I’ll give up donuts this year.

I went on a short walk earlier…so maybe my resolution is to walk everyday.

These “resolutions” aren’t thoughtful or intentional.

Whether it’s resolutions like these or even more intentional ones, most of our resolutions tend to be forgotten within a few days. We fall off the band wagon, throw in the towel and think,

“there is always next year…”

When it seems as though we bail so easily, I think it’s because we forget. We forget what is important, we forget what we value, and we forget why we made those resolutions in the first place.

So I want to remind you of something that is very important.

I believe Jesus knew we’d forget. I believe God was aware of how prone we are to have little to no memory of things that are vitally important. We are easily distracted and choose what is instaneous or gratifying instead of what is life giving.

This is why in the scriptures over and over again there is a call for us to remember. There is a call to stop, to rest in God, and remember. We see God constantly remembers us and there is a call for us to remember as well.

In fact one of Jesus’ final times with his disciples before he went to the cross, he was gathered remembering the Passover. They were remembering how God led the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt to freedom journeying towards the Promised Land. In this beautiful meal and time of remembrance, Jesus shared with them bread and wine as the New Covenant and as often as they shared in that meal together they were called to remember.

So this Sunday, you may have resolutions that you are trying to uphold, you may fall short and start to reassess your resolution, but no matter I want to remind you to stop and to remember.

Remember that your faith is not based on works or achievement.

Remember you are more than what you produce or create.

Remember you have life and rest in Jesus.

Remember that he has chosen you and called you to have life to the fullest.

Join us as we remember what Christ has done as we share in communion. At 9am we will have a brief communion service, about 15 min or less and then we’ll have our regular service at 10am. We use individual elements to continue to keep everyone safe and healthy.

We are prone to forget…so let us remember together.

See you Sunday, January 1st at 9am for communion and/or 10am for worship.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Blessings,

Andrew