Photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash

Dear Saints of First Lutheran,

At this time of year, the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, we often reflect on the old year while awaiting the new.  As we reflect on the year just past … we also hopefully await what the new year has in store for us.  I have some plans for the coming year … a trip to Michigan for the annual “Manchester Chicken Broil.”  A vacation to Maine, one of our favorite places to get away from it all.  These are my plans … we’ll see what happens though.  As 2018 passes and 2019 approaches, the only thing truly certain is the promises God makes to us.

God promised Israel that He would lead them into “The Promised Land.”  The Book of Numbers begins as the Israelite’s stay at Sinai is coming to an end.  The journey to the Promised Land is beginning.  God tells Moses to tell Aaron to bless His people.  As they set out on their journey, God makes sure His people know that He is with them wherever they go.  The well known “Aaronic Blessing” reminds Israel that God will be with them … He will shine on them and help them through their difficulties … and He will give them His peace (Numbers 6:24-26).  By God’s authority, Aaron is given permission to bestow God’s blessing on His people as they go into the world.  They aren’t certain exactly what lies ahead … only that they are on the way to the place God promises to them.  Regardless, they go with God’s blessing.

As we depart our worship each week, we have plans for the week ahead.  We generally know appointments we might have.  We know what work and school assignments are going to be due.  And, as we think further, we might even know what vacation and other plans we have for the year coming up … graduations, births, weddings, and anniversaries.  We generally know where we’re headed.   The words God spoke to Moses are also familiar to us.  We close each worship as, by God’s authority, confer His blessing on each of us as we head out into the world.  “The Lord bless you and keep you.  The Lord make His face shine upon you can be gracious to you.  The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26).  With these words, we depart with God’s blessing into the world to be His light in a dark world.

God doesn’t promise us our plans will always go as we hope.  He also doesn’t promise us everything will be good.  But, God does promise us this … He will keep us safe from eternal harm.  He will forgive us by His grace when we slip up on our journey.  And whether things are going smoothly, or the road gets bumpy, He will lift us up by giving us strength to endure in faith and live in His peace no matter what.  As we leave worship each week … and as we leave 2018 and journey into 2019 … by the power of the Holy Spirit may you live secure in your faith in the Father’s promises to you through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

                                                                                        Happy New Year!

                                                                                        Pastor Jim