Happy New Year!

Dear Friends:  This Sunday is the First Sunday of the New Year, and, if you are counting, the tenth "Day of Christmas" (do you remember what my true love is supposed to give to me this day!!??).  It is also the 2nd and last Sunday of Christmastide.

 

The Scripture passage this week is Luke 2:41-52, the only story from Jesus' childhood to be found in Bible.  It is a famous story:  the Holy Family goes to Jerusalem for the annual feast day celebration, as required by the Law.  When the celebrations are over, the family begins the return trip home, and then discovers that Jesus is not with them!!  Where could He be?   He is only a boy of 12!!  After three days of frantic searching, they find Him in the Temple, discussed elements of the faith with the doctors of the Law.  Mom and Dad are understandably mad!  You know the feeling -- when you've searched and searched for a lost child, maybe in a grocery store or maybe even in the neighborhood -- you are beside yourself with worry.  And then, when the child is found, you could hug him and kill him all at the same time!!  These were the feelings Mary and Joseph had at the time.

 

But when they chastised Jesus, He responded that they shouldn't have had to look very far.  He was "in His Father's house", "doing His Father's business".

 

As we look ahead to a New Year, we will probably be in the habit of making New Year's resolutions.  More likely than not, they won't last very long -- by the end of the first week, they might be faded memories of better intentions.  Old habits take their place again.

 

This morning's passage of Scripture reminds us that perhaps the best resolution to make is to be "about our Father's business".  And to do that, we need to make a habit of going into the Word and going out into the world.

 

Join us for Sunday worship to find out exactly how to do that!!!  I'll see you there!!

Keith Almond