THE SUNDAY OF THE EPIPHANY

(Christmas II)

January 5, 2025

“About Those New Year’s Resolutions . . .”

     Create in me a clean heart, O God, 

          and put a new and right spirit within me.

     Do not cast me away from your presence,

          and do not take your holy spirit from me.

     Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

          and sustain in me a willing spirit.   (Psalm 51:10-12)

     Well, here it is.  A brand-new fresh year.  Do you feel any different?  Try to recall what it was like a few (or a lot of) years back, when you first managed to stay awake long enough to welcome in the new year, perhaps falling asleep in front of the TV or listening to a broadcast in bed, just to hear the countdown followed by “Happy New Year!”  And there are people cheering, singing, dancing, tossing confetti, and then . . . what?  It does seem that something of significance should occur at the stroke of midnight, but in reality, the party winds down and the guests go on their way. So what are we really celebrating?

     I was curious as to when and where the practice of making New Year’s resolutions began, so did some searching and found that the earliest form of this self-improving behavior goes back to ancient Babylon, about 2,000 BC.  These people had developed a calendar, and the new year began with the vernal equinox, when planting crops began, a new king was crowned, and people made promises to return borrowed farm equipment and to pay their debts.  Later, the Romans adopted the practice of observing an annual new year and making resolutions.  In 46 BC, the Julian calendar was adopted, shifting the start of the new year to January 1.

     At the beginning of a new year, many of us might feel that this is a time to start over, or to do better at something we find challenging.  It’s not unusual that as we make resolutions, they turn into more of an “I Should Do” list, but getting intentional in making that list is a step in the right direction.

     Resolve is a good, strong-sounding word, and it got me to thinking about similar words — such as renew, refresh, restore, repent, which interestingly show up in various contexts in both the Old and New Testaments.  The Psalms include prayers asking God to help us change our sinful nature and to re-create a new and willing spirit that will keep us in his presence.  

     Throughout his ministry, Jesus preached a message of the endless nature of our heavenly Father’s love.  We fall short of perfection each and every day, but as we repent and ask for his mercy, God hears us and will restore us to a right relationship with him.  Repent does not just mean being sorry; rather, it means to turn around, to turn back to God, and to change one’s whole attitude and mindset.  

     So here we see the difference between a resolution and the experience of being renewed and restored.  The first is a human plan, which may or may not succeed.  The second is a gift from our heavenly father, as by his creative power we are restored and renewed.  And there is no limit on how many times this gift is given, because there is no limit to God’s grace and love for his children. 

Happy New Year!

Your friend in Christ,  Mary Rogers