Text: Second Corinthians 5:16-6:2
Prayer Pointers: To recognize the time, and God’s work in your life
For blessings upon the coming year
WE TYPICALLY FOCUS our religious attention on “holy spaces,” but as we turn from one year to another, be aware that God is active in time. After all, God introduces himself to Moses as “I AM” or “I WILL BE.” God takes action in time, and, as we discover, the right action at the right time.
The Church is an expression of God’s work in time. We are, in the words of the New Testament, an ecclesia, a people “called out,” gathered by God for a purpose. We all know the half-joke, half-serious statement that the “church is not a building,” but we must remember that we are the church because of a series of actions. The first, and most important, is the act of salvation on the cross by which Jesus Christ sets us free. The second is whenever we respond in faith to the call of Jesus Christ on us and our lives. We gather around Word and Sacrament—and we are the Church. We serve the neighbor—and we are the church. We share Good News—and we are the church. All of these are actions in time.
As you look to the new year, pray that God will give you both the vision and the Spirit to boldly take action in the time that is before you.
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May you know Christmas joy ~ Pr. Dave Brooks