Christmas
January 1, 2015

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. — Ephesians 1:3-8

It is New Year’s Day in the United States of America and in most places around the world that follow the same calendar we follow. It is a good day to rid ourselves of the chains that keep us from being and doing that for which we were gifted in creation or gained through life experiences. Whether we celebrate such a new beginning on January 1 or any other date the cleansing of past failures and, perhaps, successes and the setting of new quests are good things. One of my oft quoted favorite scriptures, Psalm 51:10, deals with it: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. To me this scripture elicits a new year every day. But it is also good to look back at blocks of time and consider future actions.

The Hebrew Bible introduced the Day of Atonement and Christians have been struggling with what that actually means to us ever since the resurrection of the Christ. It makes us uneasy. While some are able to hold tightly to the idea that Jesus died for our sins like the sacrificial lamb, others seek broader understandings and some no understanding at all.

There is no question in my mind that Jesus died trying to show the world in which he lived a different path toward relationship with God and among all people. We inherited that legacy of his death. Thanks be to God, we also inherited the legacy of his resurrection. Part of this bequest from God is forgiveness of sin, experiential growth from past mistakes when we open ourselves to learn from them, and the renewal of opportunity to follow that path. Happy New Year!

Prayer: God of New Beginnings, forgive us of our sins, wash us thoroughly, and re-establish our faith compasses toward your future through and in us. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.