Readings:
Sermon:
I must admit to being a little mystified by the celebrations which will no doubt take place this evening.
From around lunchtime today you’ll be able to watch lots of firework displays on the 24 hour news channels. The New Year begins in the Republic of Kiribati, in the Pacific Ocean, but really steps up as the day passes through Auckland and Sydney, Beijing and Singapore. From my observations, interest then dulls significantly until it becomes New Year’s Day in Stourbridge, picking up briefly in New York, before finally reaching Hawaii, which incidentally is on the same meridian as the Republic of Kiribati where it all started the day before.
My mystification is in regard to what exactly is being celebrated. It seems to me to be just the passing of another second, and as that happens, literally every second, I wonder what all the fuss is about.
I imagine that those celebrating the transition from 2023 to 2024, could be doing so for quite opposite reasons. Some will be thinking, “Thank God that’s over”, whilst others are super grateful for all the blessings that have come in the past year.
The readings set for this Sunday are full of expressions and thanks and rejoicing. Different people at different times giving thanks to God for different things.
The Shepherds are rejoicing, after hearing the glad tidings of the Angels, and finding the Messiah born in Bethlehem. They return, glorifying and praising God, for all they had heard and seen.
Paul writing to the Galatians, rejoices in the implications for us, of God being born human, and lifting us into divine relationship.
David sings God’s praises in the psalm, seeing the glory of God reflected in every aspect of creation.
And Isaiah, rejoices in the vindication of Zion, the restoration of God’s faithful people, after years of devastation and disappointment in exile. Only when this passage was written, the restoration hadn’t yet happened. The exiles had returned, but the land was still ruined from years of occupation and exploitation. Isaiah is looking forward to what God will do; faithful and confident to speak of it, as if it has already happened.
Today may well be the last day of the year, but it is the first day of the week.
It is the day on which we celebrate that our Lord rose from the dead.
If presently you are surrounded by the ruins of what happened in 2023, remember that today is the day of resurrection. Hopefulness and faithfulness are there to be rewarded. Praise God for what has been promised, and look to it with confidence.
If you, are looking backwards upon heaps upon heaps of blessings, remember that today is a day for gratitude and for glorifying God for all that you have heard and seen. Let your gratitude transform into generosity. Praise God for what has been received, and sing like the Angels proclaiming “Peace on Earth and goodwill among all people”.
It’s probably worth a firework or two.
Questions:
- Is today, for you, the last day of the year or the first day of the week?
- Have a good long think about this one. Casting aside all of the truly awful stuff that has happened this year, bring to mind all the things that you really are most grateful for?
- Finally, spend some time praying like Isaiah - with faithful confidence. Ask God to transform those things which you see as ruined on Earth, by the glory of his coming Kingdom.