NEW YEAR 2009

The beginning of a new year around a church holds natural hazards. One can easily get trapped into "snappy sayings for the new year" mode in which things like "church is mighty fine in 2009" come too quickly to mind. Bold, new, world-changing initiatives tempt always: we promise that this year we are going to eliminate poverty and homelessness within 25 miles of our building, or we begin here and now a year without an ambiguous statement from the pulpit. At the beginning of the year, I can fall into the traps of empty exuberance. 

On the other hand, and you knew there would be an "on the other hand," another kind of trap looms at the beginning of the year: the trap of informed, smug cynicism.  The bitter cynic looks at the new year as an illusion of hope against the backdrop of the meaninglessness of the universe. The cynic says nothing is going to help. Nothing new is better than any of the things that have failed before. All the optimistic plans and words are just the brass band at the front of the parade. At the end of the day all that will be left will be trash in the gutters and horse manure in the street. Rosy, huh? Don't want to be that guy either.

So here at the beginning of the year what is the right thing to do. For most of us the right thing to do is take the opportunity to begin again. Go ahead, against all the cynical wisdom of experience. I think it is better to risk failure than to fail to try at all. Living a life of limiting losses by refusing to hope can hardly be the Christian approach to life. 

God is all about new beginnings. "This is the day the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it" sounds like we get to begin anew every day. The phases of the moon preach monthly renewal. The coming of Spring heralds seasonal hope. "Happy New Year!" is an annual breath of fresh air. But our renewal is based on more than celestial mechanics. Our renewal is based on our faith in the One Who Makes Things New — not on our ability to forget our past failures and try again with the same old self. 

Our new days are possible because we ourselves can be different. We ourselves are not who we were in 2008. Already in 2009, the Father, Son and Spirit have transformed us in some way. We may be pessimistic about our ability to have a better year this year looking at our own limited capacities. But we can be optimistic about the future knowing God is making us fit for it. Between shallow optimism and bitter cynicism stands new life in Jesus. Let's take his hand and walk into a happy new year.