Happy new year both Western and Lunar! There is a phrase I often hear during this time of year saying, “New Year, New Me”. We often approach the new year as an opportunity to make new resolution or new goals to become better versions of ourselves. As FECC, we adopt a similar mindset. We enter 2023 with new members in our board of directors and our board of deacons and we bring to God our hopes for growth within our church. We look to see how God will bring about a “New Year, New Church”.
And this is why we have adopted this theme of Renovaré. We look to see renewal in our church as God brings about fresh things to our community. Our theme verse in Isaiah says to forget the former things and do not dwell on the past. And it also invites us to see and perceive the new things God is doing. Seeing what God is doing is critical, but what keeps us from perceiving as we should? Here are three things that perhaps can keep us from seeing. 1. We are not looking. As individuals and as a community, we can be familiar and comfortable with our routines and be oblivious to what God is doing. We stay to what has worked and we do not actively see and look for what God is doing. 2. We are looking backwards. God is ahead of us making a way but we might be focused on looking at our past successes and how God showed up in our history. Isaiah says to forget the former things. While we thank God for His work in the past, we need to turn our eyes to the present and the future and see what God is doing now. 3. We are looking too narrowly. God might be doing a new thing completely different from what our expectations. We often times confine God to work in a particular context or a particular form. If we are to see what God is doing, we need to be open to notice God in perhaps some unexpected locations or means. As we embark on this journey into 2023 and follow God’s direction for us, my prayer is that we would have eyes to see. Let us ask God to give us clear eyes to see and may we be empowered by God to faithfully follow Him in the direction he reveals! Comments are closed.
|
Archives
April 2024
Categories |