What Will Be New This New Year

With the 2024 celebrations come the inevitable challenges to make a “new you” for yourself. The commercials push for us to remake ourselves in our own new image; whatever image that might be.

So often, I think back to Adam and Eve and even though they were made in God’s own image and likeness, they wanted to remake themselves, as the devil promised, into their own little gods. One of my favorite hymns as we finish up the Christmas season is Joy to the World. One of the verses hits home every year for me:

“No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found”

This stanza takes us back to the beginning, back to Genesis. It reminds us of the “curse” of the Fall into Sin. It speaks of what can happen in a New Year – both the condition of sins, sorrows, and “thorns” but also speaks of Jesus coming and bringing blessings.

We have no idea what will be new this year of 2024. We pray that it will be a time where missions continue to be a priority, ministries expand to meet the spiritual needs of the congregation, and the Calling of a new Associate Pastor comes to fruition.

I am so thankful that Jesus Christ helps us deal with our sins, sorrows, and “thorns” and He speaks of so many of the blessings that we have with the hope of the resurrection of the dead which provides each of us such comfort.

As we begin this new year, may all of us here at Faith Lutheran Church, remember that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. As we prepare for the adventures God has in store for us in 2024, may we now and always, give thanks to Jesus Christ who continually brings newness to our lives. For it is in Him that our blessings flow.

Pastor Don Treglown