Out with the old...

The end of one year and the beginning of another is always a time of reflection for me.  There have been years when I found myself wallowing in a bit of self-pity at things that were not accomplished but such was not the case at the end of 2012.  Instead, I realized that a dream had been seen through to completion - that of launching a second recording out into the world. 

One thing that will definitely be different is that the pile of books full of Christmas arrangements, the pile that has been sitting on my Petrof since about November 2011, will now be put back on the shelf.  That feels both very good and very odd at the same time.

The journey that will be 2012

I don't suppose that I'm alone in feeling, especially on New Year's Day, that there is a path stretching out ahead of me for the coming year. The photo above (taken in the city park behind our place) illustrates my thoughts pretty accurately. I can see the first part of the path, but then there is a turn and, although I know there is a path there, I can't see exactly where it goes.

The year 2012 seems a lot like that path, particularly with regard to St. Andrew's faith community and the changes that will continue for us in the very near future. I found it very encouraging this morning to hear recollections from various people in the congregation of how they have seen God at work over the past year, either in their personal lives or in the life of St. Andrew's. Once again, Don Moen's words come to mind:

God will make a way where there seems to be no way.

Happy New Year!!

Accepting New Music

Yesterday at coffee time following morning worship, one of our elders was telling me about the Presbytery meeting the previous day. Part of the afternoon was taken up with a presentation of new music for worship and the elder was very enthusiastically telling me about what they had sung together. As the conversation went on, we both agreed that in such a presentation, there are bound to be basically 3 categories of music:

1. immediately appealing songs;
2. immediately unappealing songs;
   
3. songs which fall somewhere between the two extremes and after further examination will go one way or the other.

It also became evident to me as we continued to talk that how new music is presented is, dare I say it, as important as what the new music is. Is background information on the song or writer included? Are some ideas given of how to effectively use that particular piece in worship? Are resources readily available to find the song to add to the congregation's repertoire? As I happen to know the presenter, I know the answer to all of the above would be "Yes". In any case, it never hurts to be reminded (I'm talking to myself here!) that people don't like to be blind-sided with new worship music. A good thought on new music for a new year!

The more things change, the more they stay the same!

Today we sang a hymn that was new to me when I began serving in the Presbyterian church. I may have heard the words before then as Dad often quoted words by Fanny Crosby or Frances Ridley Havergal, the latter being the author of this hymn.

Standing at the portal of the opening year,
words of comfort meet us hushing every fear,
spoken through the silence by God's loving voice,
tender, strong and faithful, making us rejoice.

Refrain:
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day,
for God's word shall never, never pass away.

"I, your God, am with you: do not be afraid;
I will help and strengthen; do not be dismayed,
for I will uphold you with my own right hand;
you are called and chosen in my sight to stand."

God will not forsake us and will never fail;
God's eternal covenant ever will prevail.
Resting on this promise, what have we to fear?
God is all-sufficient for the coming year.

As we sang the third verse, I was overwhelmed by the truth of the words. God is all-sufficient for the coming year no matter if the year is 2009 or some year in the 1800's when the words were originally written. People then had fears for the future, whether they voiced them or not, just as today we do not know what the year ahead may hold, and may be fearful of the unknown. St. Andrew's is beginning a year of changes: change in leadership, a possible change of location - all unknowns at this point. I urge you, wherever you are to claim God's promise to be with us through the year ahead.

New Every Morning

Happy New Year!

I knew it was snowing when I went to bed last night - or maybe I should say very early this morning - but I was pleasantly surprised to see about 2-5cm of fresh snow when I got up today. There are many wonderful things about a fresh snowfall. It makes everything so clean and white, and especially on New Year's it seems to mirror the fresh, clean start we all get to the year. A new snowfall also sparkles like diamonds when the sun is out, as it is now, and it reminds me of the riches of God's grace and love in my life, and the beauty of the world around me.

One hymn that often comes to mind for me on this day is "Great is Thy Faithfulness". I remember singing this at a Watchnight service as a teenager. I'm not sure if that's when it became significant to me, but the words are meaningful still all these years later.

There's a more recent setting of words from Lamentations 3 by Edith McNeill that have also been running through my head today:

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
Your mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning, new every morning:
great is your faithfulness, O Lord, great is your faithfulness!"

I hope that on this first day of 2009 you will find time to reflect on the goodness of God and the fresh start that God's mercy and grace give us each day.