Coming in the New Year

The first Sunday of January we'll renew our covenant with God as Methodists have done for 300 years. You're probably familiar with the concept of "coasting." You work hard, put in extreme effort to achieve something, but then you "coast." Some people do that when it comes to their jobs. They work hard for years but then as they see the finish line (retirement) off in the distance, they decide to "coast." Perhaps the thought is, "I've worked hard for many years, surely what I've done to this point will carry me to the finish line."

Sometimes "coasting" works. When I'm driving and see a red light up ahead, I take my foot off the gas and coast. No use burning gas accelerating into a stop.

Many times, however, "coasting" doesn't work. From the point of view of my profession, I've seen pastors "coast." Pastoral "coasting" can kill churches. I don't want to "coast."

We Christians in general have to watch out lest we "coast." It might be that we grow up in church, go through confirmation (or not), make our own commitment to Christ, join the church, maybe serve in various roles. But then we start feeling the urge to "coast." We think, "We've served our time [that line in this context brings to mind the older brother's complaint in the story of the Prodigal Son], we've done our share, now it's time for others to step up. I'm going to kick back and 'coast."'

In annually renewing our covenant with God as we do, we're consciously and intentionally rejecting "coasting." We're saying to God - and to each other - that no matter what someone else may do, we're going to stay "all in" for Jesus. We're determined to walk in his ways and make our allegiance to him and to his kingdom primary in our lives.

That Sunday evening we'll join for a Concert of Prayer at 5pm Sunday. This will be a congregation-wide time of prayer for the church, community, nation, and world. We'll be praying for a fresh move of God in our lives and families - for Awakening! If you're apprehensive because you feel like you don't know how to pray well enough, take this as an opportunity to practice with teammates who love you and will encourage you. By praying together like this we model for each other how to pray. Also, if you have prayer needs, bring them to this event and we'll take time to pray for you. This is one way we fulfill our desire to be a church of prayer.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Rev. Richard Heyduck