Happy New Year! Sunday, November 28 marked the first Sunday of the New Year in the Church calendar. It is a special day meaning Advent has begun. The time where we celebrate the birth of our Savior and remember that Christ will return. We live into a new hope while facing the fears that come with the Holidays, a pandemic, family struggles, and seasonal depression. So here we go. We are giving it another try on this trip around the Son (that was intentional). We have so much to look forward to in this new season. We have each other. Being small and mighty is nothing to be ashamed of or feel bad about. God is working in us to prepare us for the Holy Spirit’s prompting in our lives and the life of our congregation. The     question is: will we be bold enough to embrace the newness and challenge of it all? Another question: will we be brave enough to hear the story of Jesus’s birth and hope that it can continue to change our lives? A new year is a new opportunity to have faith in the God that willingly became human for our benefit. Jesus knew what it was like to live in a crazy, disrupted world full of fears and love. We can take on the New Year together as a community. You do not have to do it on your own. As one of my favorite singers sings, “On a Wednesday in a café, I watched it begin again…” Here in the sanctuary on Sunday, I watched it begin again as we light the candle called Hope. Take those New Years Resolutions and be wild enough to     believe there is hope. Get out the poppers, eat your black-eyed peas, and try something new. You have little to lose and a lot to gain.

Anticipating Hope,

Pastor Joy