Monday, January 01, 2007

New Year's Resolutions anyone?

Happy New year to each of you!

Are you making New Year's resolutions this year? I'm not. I quit doing them a couple of years ago. They became a set up for dissappointment for me, being the perfectionist I am. So I don't make them anymore. I do however have goals I hope to work toward this year. I am having trouble writing this, I keep getting distracted by having to stop the kids from fighting or aruging or I have to help them with something. I keep losing my train of thought. Can one keep their resolutions or make their goals with all these interruptions and loss of train of thought? We will see. It seems to keep getting harder.

Yesterday, I preached on the Colossians passage, 3:12-17. I also had the opportunity to baptise a baby, which fit right into the scripture and sermon. Here it is in the NRSV: 12As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Sounds alot like the fruit of the Spirit. I found myself praying that God would clothe me with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forebearance, forgiveness, and love. And as I was praing I began to e aware of how much God had already clothed me in these items. And yet I also saw how mcuh more I needed to let go of and let God to continue to transform me. And so I asked God to forgive me and to contine to be at work in me.
Paul begins Col. 3 with these words; 1You have been raised to life with Christ. Now set your heart on what is in heaven, where Christ rules at God's right side. [a]
2Think about what is up there, not about what is here on earth.
3You died, which means that your life is hidden with Christ, who sits beside God.
4Christ gives meaning to your [b] life, and when he appears, you will also appear with him in glory. (CEV)
I like that, "Christ gives meaning to your life."
10Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better.
11It doesn't matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian, [d] and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. (CEV)
It is sort of like the TLC tv show What Not to Wear. We take off the old clothes, and we get new clothes, that really fit us well. (I know, that's a simplified version of the show and the scriptures.) But maybe instead of a New Year's resolution, that's my goal that I become more like Christ by being transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Colossians chapter 3(CEV)
Colossians 3:12-17(NRSV)

1 comment:

hip2b said...

For several years my resolution has been "trust".
Its working for me I think.