January 2025
Dear Church Family,
Happy New Year! I hope the closing of 2024 has been a helpful
time of reflection for you, and that you are finding space to consider
what you hope for in 2025. I’ve appreciated reading some practices
people have of exploring different questions for journaling as they reflect
on the year - What surprised you this year? What was just plain hard?
What is one thing you are proud of? If this year taught you anything,
what did it teach you? I like these questions because I like to have
some guidelines as I think back on the year, but I also like these questions because it reminds me of all that is unknown in the things to come. They help me hope.
Our lectionary readings in January take us into Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, particularly chapter 12 and 13*. The way Paul writes to these early church communities always includes his reflections in gratitude for what God has done in the church and through the people, as well as ushering in his hopes for the future of the body of believers and the sharing of the gospel. Something that I can’t stop thinking about is how this letter is intentionally encouraging the body of Christ to really work on what it means to love one another centered on the gospel. It is a full acknowledgment that each person (whether we agree wholeheartedly with them or not) is part of this body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27). The early church was rife with divisions, which is why we have these letters from Paul! Paul’s encouragement being, truly following Christ can help us heal those divisions and see each other as necessary parts of the body. That doesn’t mean convincing others you are right and they are wrong, it is more about coming to the table about who God is and what it means to reflect the character of God in our lives - our actions, words, and contemplation. It is about valuing each of our neighbors as beloved children of God.
This is a big hope of mine for 2025 - intentionally caring for our neighbors, and helping the whole body of Christ reflect the goodness of God. Not just theoretically, but in real practice. It is easy to say ‘love your neighbor’ but it is always a harder thing to do, especially when you might vote differently, have very different life experiences, or wide socioeconomic differences. Many people are coming into 2025 with quite a bit of fear and anxiety about what will happen next - I have friends and family for whom this takes up a lot of rent free space in their minds. If you don’t, it may be a season to widen your connections to see from angles and perspectives different from your own. One piece I’m reflecting on from Paul’s writing is that we must pay attention to the experience and reality of every part of the body, not just the people that are familiar and comfortable to us. Because if one part of the body suffers, all parts suffer (1 Cor 12:26).
I pray the Spirit stirs up in each of us creative ways to pay better attention to the whole body of Christ. May we listen for ways to participate in the healing work of the Spirit to care for one anoth- er better, and see each other as God sees each of us - beloved! May God heal the divisions among us, and help us to see one another with fresh eyes, so that we might live out the good news of Christ right where we are.
Blessings, Pastor Becca
