January 2, 2025
Dear Central Church,
Happy New Year! I pray this upcoming year is filled with joy and blessing for you and your family.
There is something about the turning of the calendar that fills us with optimism. I watched several different shows on New Year’s Eve and everyone from singers to movie stars to celebrity athletes were telling me how excited I should be for 2025! Our culture fully embraces this scheduled “newstart” that rolls around every 12 months.
Many see this moment as a chance to leave behind the hurts and disappointments of the previous year and start over. As you look back on 2024, perhaps you are reflecting on some things you would do differently. Maybe you would like a “do-over,” or as we say in golf, a “mulligan.”
The reality is that true change doesn’t happen just because the calendar rolls over another year. The New Year may spur us on for a season, but true transformation requires more than a new calendar year.
Our theological ancestor, John Wesley, used to lead the people called “Methodists” in a Covenant Renewal ceremony. It included this prayer:
I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.
I have a list of things I’d like to change in 2025, and I know you’ve most likely resolved to change some things as well. Wesley’s prayer reminds us that change doesn’t happen on our own strength or by our willpower alone. Transformation is rooted in our relationship with Jesus. He not only wants to change our habits, but desires to transform our very identity, making us into a person that looks more and more like Him every day.
This is my New Year’s prayer for our church: that together we would become more like Jesus. We’ll begin that journey by a sermon series entitled, “The Cycle of Victorious Living.” This series of messages is based on a book by Earl Lee and Scott Daniels. It walks through a rhythm of life that is found in Psalm 37 that invites the people of God to commit, trust, delight, and rest. It’s a great way to start the New Year, and I’m looking forward to the journey together!
Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark
PS. Thanks to everyone who participated in our Food Pantry offering. We raised almost $6,000 in the month of December for this ministry. This will fund the pantry for 2 months! If you’d like to become a regular giver to this ministry, you can set up a recurring gift here. Our goal is to raise $75,000 to bless our neighbors in need.