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"O God, you made of one blood all nations, and, by a star in the East, revealed to all peoples him whose name is Emmanuel. Enable us to know your presence with us so to proclaim his unsearchable riches that all may come to his light and bow before the brightness of his rising, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen." - Laurence Hull Stookey (#255 UMH).

Happy New Year! How will you celebrate this weekend? Tis' the time for New Year's resolutions! Throughout your life, what kinds of resolutions have you made . . . and have you been able to keep them? It's always interesting to hear what goals people set for themselves this time of year. I wonder when I hear over and over again goals about getting to the gym or eating healthier if people make goals that matter to them or that they feel like they need to make to better be accepted by others.

Advent is the waiting period before the return of Christ. Christmas is one of the greatest parts of its fulfillment as Mary and Joseph heard God's commands for their lives as people who God favored. Through their obedience, they each served as conduits of God's great love and favor for this world and for one another, yet I am sure there were times when they did not feel favored and loved.

This Sunday, our 8th-grade confirmation students will learn about the Christian calendar and the different seasons and holidays we honor as a church. Sure, Christmas and Easter are quite familiar. My guess is that most if not all of our youth could give a brief explanation of these holidays. Ordinary Time, (our green season) is that which we spend most of the year in, yet it is less familiar, probably because it is, well, ordinary. Then there are the seasons of Lent and Advent, seasons of waiting and preparation.

During this season of Thanksgiving, we are drawn to the underlying structure of what we believe as people of God. We take part in the blessed and honored ritual of giving thanks to God for all that God prepares, protects, enriches, and preserves for our lives, which is not expressed nearly enough throughout the year.

Being a human is complicated. Being in relationship with one another? Even more complicated. I have a favorite professor from seminary who also terrifies me a little bit! It's complex, but it's real. I'll never forget walking into her class for the first time with lots of anticipation. She was tough. This is what I heard over and over and over again. A few other friends were in this class and we planned on celebrating #NoTearsTuesdays when we made it through classes without crying. All of this had been thought out even before we'd gone through the syllabus with her!

I have read that "A saint, also historically known as a hallow, is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness or likeness or closeness to God." (Wikipedia)

I am interested in what we think about when we become committed to a belief that is foundational to our life? How much of our commitment to that foundational belief is experienced in our everyday lives? I have done some reading regarding commitment based on a foundational belief, and how it is demonstrated in the lives of the average person and I discovered there is a distinct difference between being an advocate of something and a witness to it. That is also true of how we express our commitment to a foundational belief that we hold dearly.

Fall is here. We see it in the changing colors on the trees, in the brisk temperatures especially at night, and in the daylight ending a little earlier each and every day. I love fall. I love the colors, the smells, and the activities. Yet, I find myself getting more and more tired as light turns into darkness a little earlier each day. My body takes the darkness as a signal to sleep, to rest... but do I? Though nature is cyclical, journeying in seasons, often we resist these patterns and seek to continue producing and working, doing all of the things at the same pace always.

In what way should we live out our faith? In our Bible reading for this week from 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, we're returning to the teachings of Paul in his second letter to Timothy. We may have read this gut-wrenching scene as Paul writes from prison for the last time, or have seen it portrayed in a play, a film, or on TV, but for many of us it is not our favorite part of the Bible to try and model in our daily lives.