Worship Preview, Sunday January 2, 2011

While a new year arrives as a matter of course, a new life arrives as a matter of grace.  Changing a calendar is one thing; having a changed life is something else all together.  As 2011 makes its entry, the gospel invites us not just to mark the passage of time, but to embrace this moment as the time to say Yes to God in a deeply, transformative way. So as we gather for worship in the first Sunday of this new year, let's do so determined to live in the faith, hope, joy, and love that God extends to us. To prepare for worship, I invite you to read Luke 2:8-20 and to think about these questions: --what other choices could the shepherds have made besides going to Bethlehem? --why do you think they took the journey to see the Christ child? --if you think of the life of faith as a journey, how would you describe your journey? --what have been some of the memorable points along the way? --where do you sense the journey might be heading in this new year? Blessings to one and all as the journey continues!