Scripture Lesson

From the Book of Proverbs, Chapter 3:

¹My child, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments;
²for length of days and years of life
and abundant welfare they will give you.

³Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them round your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴So you will find favour and good repute
in the sight of God and of people.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
⁶In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
⁸It will be a healing for your flesh
and a refreshment for your body.

⁹Honour the Lord with your substance
and with the first fruits of all your produce;
¹⁰then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.

¹¹My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
¹²for the Lord reproves the one he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.

"I Prayerfully Resolve..."

A Communion Meditation Preached by
The Rev. Jean Niven Lenk

at the First Congregational Church of Stoughton

United Church of Christ

When I was a little girl, waiting anxiously for my birthday, or Christmas, or summer vacation to come, I sometimes lamented, “Time goes so slowly! I wish time would go quicker!” And my father, with the wisdom of years, would answer, “Don’t wish away your life, honey; the older you get, the faster time will pass by!” Well, indeed, my father’s words ring truer with each quickly-passing year. I become especially cognizant of time’s passing at the beginning of January, when we say good-bye to the year just past and welcome in the New Year.

The month of January is named after the Roman god Janus, and in traditional art, Janus is depicted as facing two ways, both to the past and to the future. That is an apt description of what we do in January. We take stock of the year just past, reflecting on what the year has brought and what we have accomplished. And we also look ahead to the new year, which offers a fresh beginning and an opportunity to renew, improve, or change something.

I will confess that, for many years – until I was well into my 30s – I found New Year’s to be the most depressing time of the year, because I would ask myself all sorts of questions: What had I accomplished in the year just completed? Was I more joy-filled than a year ago? Was my life more meaningful? Had I made a difference in the world? Was I better person?

Sadly, my answer to all these questions was usually “no.” No, I was not joy-filled. No, my life was not more meaningful. No, I had not made a difference in the world. Clearly, I had some serious work to do, and that’s when I let God into my life. When I focused first on my relationship with God, when I finally got into right relationship with God, and my relationship with God became the priority in my life, everything else seemed to fall into place.

Many of you may have made some New Year’s resolutions for 2009. This may be the year you decide to improve your eating habits, continue your education, change your career, or work on a relationship. This may be the year you reassess your goals or rearrange your priorities, kick a habit or change the circumstances of your life.

According to one list I found on the internet, the Top Ten Resolutions for 2009 are as follows¹:

Get out of debt.
Lose weight and get in shape.
Quit smoking.
Spend more time with family.
Get a raise or promotion at work.
Find a new job.
Take a vacation.
Help others.
Learn something new.
Go back to school.

This list of Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions hasn’t changed that much in the three years since I last looked it up². Losing weight and exercising more are always on the list. Getting out of debt is usually there, too, but it’s probably a more urgent priority for people this year. Spending more time with family also keeps showing up.

But one resolution has dropped off the “Top Ten” list. Three years ago, the resolution to “become more spiritual” squeaked in at #10. This year, it has disappeared; in fact, none of the top 2009 resolutions have anything to do with faith or God, and only one – helping others – is even connected to the kind of activities a faith community does.

It seems that almost all New Year’s resolutions fall into three basic categories: (1) things to make us look better and live longer, (2) things that enable us to have more, and (3) things that will help us get along with others. In broad terms, we can label them Longevity, Prosperity, and Peace.

In this morning’s scripture lesson from Proverbs, all of these – longevity, prosperity, and peace --are promised to those who have a relationship with God. In other words, even if God is not specifically mentioned in the 2009 Top Ten List, God’s Spirit weaves through them all – if we let God in.

As you look back over 2008, how was your relationship with God? Can you honestly say that your life was joy-filled? Did you do something meaningful with your life, something that made a difference? And do your New Year’s Resolutions for this year include God?

I’d like to share with you my resolutions – or perhaps more accurately, my prayers – for this coming year.

1) I prayerfully resolve to help you grow closer to God through Jesus Christ this coming year.

2) I prayerfully resolve to offer opportunities for you to grow in faith through inspiring worship, meaningful educational programs, outreach and service opportunities, and fellowship activities.

3) I prayerfully resolve to speak the truth in love to you in all circumstances.

4) I prayerfully resolve to be a conduit for God’s holy love to all within and beyond these walls.

5) I prayerfully resolve that this church will be a place that reaches out to and welcomes all in holy and accepting love.

6) I prayerfully resolve to comfort the afflicted.

7) I also prayerfully resolve to afflict the comfortable!

8) I prayerfully resolve to help anyone who is searching to find God, and to help even those who don’t realize they are searching to find God, too.

9) I prayerfully resolve that whatever conflict and turmoil may be occurring in the world, that the love and grace of God will be visibly present within this faith community.

10) Relying on God’s grace, I prayerfully resolve to do everything I can to ensure that the First Congregational Church of Stoughton, United Church of Christ, continues to be a beacon of Christ’s light and hope in this community and the world for generations to come.

OK, so those are my prayerful resolutions for 2009. What about you? What are yours hopes, your dreams, your resolutions for your church, your faith, your relationship with God? I can help you develop your relationship with God, but I can’t do it for you. Only you can do that. So why not get started? Beginning later this month, on both Sunday evenings and Tuesday mornings, I will be offering a six-week study on the book The Disciple’s Joy: Six Practices for Spiritual Growth. A sign-up sheet is out in the lobby, and for more information, read the January Link. I mean what are you going to be doing with your Sunday evenings now that the Patriots aren’t in the play-offs??!!

The author of the book, Michael Foss, identifies six practices as the key to spiritual growth: weekly worship, daily prayer, reading the bible, serving others, generous giving and spiritual friendships. You have heard me talk about these six practices before, and through this book study, we will explore how to make them a fundamental part of our life. During Lent, I will offer an additional six-week study on the book Real Faith for Real Life: Living the Six Marks of Discipleship.

A year from now, as you look back, will you be able to say that your life was more meaningful and joy-filled in 2009? That you had made a difference? That you were a better person? That you had focused on your relationship with God?

The year 2009 lies before us, a clean slate, a fresh start. I invite you – no, I challenge you – to prayerfully resolve to make your relationship with God your top priority in 2009. Begin there, and everything else will fall into place. Amen.