Embracing the Work to Come
Today the annual symbol of our new beginning and new opportunities. You’ve probably seen the plethora of “best of 2024” articles and shows – everything from food to music to movies. Culturally, we often spend this week or so reflecting back on all that’s happened in the previous year – the best, and even the worst – and looking ahead to the coming year with anticipation.
On Sunday, I invited you to take some time to reflect on what God’s done in you during this most recent Advent Season, but feel free to stretch that out and take some moments to reflect on all that God’s done in you and around you over the course of this past year. Write some of it down – share it with a friend or family member. Even if you don’t think it’s all that special, I promise you, it will be a blessing and encouragement to them!
Now, this coming Sunday, we’re going to start a new series going through the Exodus story. Over the next six weeks, we’ll do our best to dig into the story of freedom from slavery and bondage that not only was the driving narrative for the ancient Jewish people, but it remains the driving narrative of the people today, and of the gospel message. It’s all throughout the gospels and Paul’s writings in the New Testament too.
We won’t have time to read every word in worship, so I encourage you to read along ahead of time. This Sunday, we’ll be setting the stage with the first two chapters of Exodus – it’ll take you less than ten minutes. At the very beginning is a few verses that make the transition from the Joseph story into what will end up being the Moses and Exodus story.
What’s really tricky… is that Joseph’s saving of his family… doesn’t last. Sure, his father and brothers and their families (70 in all) find food, safety and security in Egypt… but a few generations pass and it’s slavery and bondage. We have a way of making a mess of good things, when we’re being guided by something other than God. But let me leave that for Sunday, and spin into the positive:
You have an opportunity today, this week, this year to allow your thoughts, your words, your actions, your life to be guided by the very God who hears, who saves, who loves and who leads to life. And I encourage you to lean into Him, to embrace the work, the good work, whatever that looks like, that God will inevitably put before you, so that you can live into more freedom and more life and more love in 2025 than you experienced in 2024.
Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus this New Year!
Pastor Don