Auld Lang Syne

Auld Lang Syne

Scripture – John 13: 34-35

Romans 8: 11-18

Headlines!

KEY MORTGAGE BILL DEFEATED IN SENATE

OUTPUT EXPANSION AT FEDERAL RISK STUDIED IN CAPITAL; Administration Aides Weigh Plan to Put People to Work.

CITY VOTES REFUND IN MONTH'S PAY CUT; FURLOUGHS TO END

Search for French Air Liner Proves Vain

GOUGING CHARGED TO CITY PHYSICIANS

Episcopalians, in Heated Debate

Forest Fires Again Sweep Suburban Areas

2009 – What a year this has been. We look around at our world and we wonder what the heck is going on. With unemployment at 10% nationwide and even worse in Florida we are left with a feeling of uncertainty and even dread that comes from not knowing what the future holds.

2009 was also a year, like all others. We woke up each morning to face the challenges of the day… but not before that first cup of coffee. We ate our breakfast, got ready for work or school (or, if you are unemployed – another day of job hunting) and went out of the front door to face whatever this world had to offer. Throughout the day there are numerous challenges, opportunities, tests, aggravations, misunderstandings, laughs, tears, and on and on. There were sometimes moments of great beauty and visions of terrible tragedy. News that makes us think or fills us with dread.

We have leaders and those who we have come to look to as examples or role models regularly disappoint us with their humanness. Every day we are bombarded with news that this or that celebrity or sports figure or politician has done something morally reprehensible, or illegal and a bit more of our faith gets eroded. And of course then there are the terrible tragedies that happen to ordinary people. How can we bear up under the news that yet again another parent has taken their own child’s life or someone that we know has a terrible disease or a wonderful program that helps many members of the community is about to be cut because of budget problems. 2009 was NO exception in the amount of terrible news.

Is it any wonder that so many of us try to find escape from the regular assault that is our daily lives? Here’s something to ponder – in 2008 people in the United States spent over $42 Billion on Electronic games components and software. In a report issued at the beginning of 2009 it was estimated that the average American watched 151 hours of TV every month – that’s 5 hours or 21% of each day. Social networking sites like FaceBook and MySpace currently have 164 Million users in the United States which is about 53% of our population. You see, we want to forget about our troubles and the challenges of the day and so we lose ourselves in forms of entertainment and socializing that generally do not require us to consider the deeper implications of our lives or even of the day we just spent.

It is human and natural to do this. It is very difficult to be “tuned in” all the time. Yet, it is also true that we have a basic need to ponder the deeper things of life. An active, stimulated brain is a very healthy thing and for our spirits it is essential. As Christians we require the interaction that comes from exploring and cultivating our relationship with God. More importantly, He wants us to know Him better. He has so much to teach us and yet, we so often do not want to hear what our Master is saying. I believe that we shy away from this relationship because we fear what He may ask us to do.

Being a child of God is not easy. Jesus Christ, during His entire ministry challenged His followers to love God with everything they had and to serve Him with equal passion. And He put an exclamation point on that service by saying that we need to love our neighbor 2^nd only to God.

First and foremost God is looking to have us know Him better. You see, He already knows everything about us. No matter how hard we try to hide things about ourselves He knows – He always knows. In Acts we are told: God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. Now, understand that this passage is specifically directed at us Gentiles because at that time in very early church history there was a huge debate about allowing Gentiles into the ranks of those who are covered by salvation without forcing them to first become Jews and therefore being required to follow the law and be circumcised. In this passage Peter is saying that God purifies and calls us all to communion with Him and therefore salvation by Jesus atoning blood is given freely to all, without the old conditions.

So God wants us, no matter who we are and He wants us to know Him better, every day. In that increasing knowledge comes a peace that we cannot really understand because there is not tangible reason for it. By tangible I mean you cannot reach out and touch it, nor taste it nor even see it however, as certain as I am standing in front of you it is real. Roman’s 5:1 says: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. You see, it really only requires faith. Now for us “I have to see it to believe it American’s” that is not the easiest thing in the world.