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Written by Tom Donnelly, a contemporary pastor.

Today is the last day of the year. Many of us are looking forward to the end of this year… Today is a day commonly reserved for resolutions for the new year. It is a time for serious reflection of where our life has been, where it is, and where we want it to be. Deep down inside we know that our lives are not all doomed to fate. We know that our attitudes and actions have an effect on what direction our life goes. Read today’s verse (below). Paul is describing the process he goes through. I believe it is a process we should go through daily, but New Year’s Eve is a great day to start. The first thing Paul admits is that he hasn’t already obtained perfection. We need to understand that God is alright with our flaws. He doesn’t condone our sinfulness. He knows what effect sin has on our lives and that is why He sent His Son into the world to redeem us. It is OK that you are not where you thought you would be. None of us is. But here is the most important part! Paul says, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind…” This is a key thought. Paul is saying that there can be no significant improvement in his life until he forgets what is behind…he must forgive and forget what lies behind before he can move forward. If there is one thing we must do today, it is to go through the process of true repentance. We need to lay our wrongs before the cross of Jesus and find that there they are forgiven and forgotten… God has forgotten our sins and it is time for us to forget them too. Paul says that now that he has forgotten what lies behind he “strains toward what is ahead.” He presses on! … As we look to the coming year, Paul tells us not to be dragged along through time but to strain toward goals and plans that we have made. Here is where successful resolutions are made. Now that we have let go of the dead weight of the past we can move forward toward the things we want for the new year…Paul places first on his list his spiritual resolutions and I think we should, too. It will be tough to get our physical resolutions going right if our spiritual ones are not in place. Let’s agree to put spiritual things first.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 3:12-14]

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Written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident.  This is an excerpt from his book “Life Together.”

Often, we combat our evil thoughts most effectively if we absolutely refuse to allow them to be expressed in words. It is certain that the spirit of self-justification can be overcome only by the Spirit of grace; nevertheless, isolated thoughts of judgment can be curbed and smothered by never allowing them the right to be uttered, except as a confession of sin. He who holds his tongue in check controls both mind and body. Thus it must be a decisive rule of every Christian fellowship that each individual is prohibited from saying much that occurs to him… Listening can be a greater service than speaking. Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they should be listening. But he who can no longer listen to his brother will soon be no longer listening to God either; he will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God too.  This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life, and in the end there is nothing left but spiritual chatter and clerical condescension arrayed in pious words.

We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. [James 3:2]

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Written by Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), a French Carmelite nun.

A holy nun of our community annoyed me in all that she did; the devil must have had something to do with it, and it was undoubtedly he who made me see in her so many disagreeable points. I did not want to yield to my natural antipathy, for I remembered that charity ought to betray itself in deeds, and not exist merely in the feelings, so I set myself to do for this sister all I should do for the one I loved most.  Every time I met her I prayed for her, and offered to God her virtues and merits. I felt that this was very pleasing to Our Lord, for there is no artist who is not gratified when his works are praised, and the Divine Artist of souls is pleased when we do not stop at the exterior, but, penetrating to the inner sanctuary He has chosen, admire its beauty.  I did not rest satisfied with praying for this Sister, who gave me such occasions for self-mastery, I tried to render her as many services as I could, and when tempted to answer her sharply, I made haste to smile and change the subject, for the Imitation says: ​“It is more profitable to leave everyone to his way of thinking than to give way to contentious discourses.” And sometimes when the temptation was very severe, I would run like a deserter from the battlefield if I could do so without letting the Sister guess my inward struggle.  One day she said to me with a beaming face: ​“My dear Soeur Thérèse, tell me what attraction you find in me, for whenever we meet, you greet me with such a sweet smile.” Ah! What attracted me was Jesus hidden in the depths of her soul — Jesus who makes sweet even that which is most bitter.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [1 Corinthians 13:4 – 7]

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Written by Richard Foster, a contemporary pastor, author, and founder of Renovare.

Considering the relationship between the life of prayer and holy obedience in a war-wracked world is a massive task. In an existential sense, prayer brings us into the holy of holies in the Christian life. We move from the periphery to the center. Edward Payson said, ​“Prayer is the first thing, the second thing, the third thing necessary to a minister. Pray, then, pray, pray, pray.” Sir Thomas Buxton wrote, ​“You know the value of prayer; it is precious beyond all price. Never, never neglect it.” William Penn said of George Fox, ​“Above all he exceeded in prayer.” Archbishop Tait said, ​“I want a life of greater, deeper, truer prayer.” Martin Luther declared, ​“He who has prayed well has studied well.” Most pertinent of all are the words of William Carey, ​“Prayer — secret, fervent, believing prayer — lies at the root of all personal godliness.” Our task is to see how prayer opens us to this personal godliness and to meditate on that reality within the wider social context of war and peace…The primary purpose of prayer is to bring us into such a life of communion with the Father that we are conformed into the image of his son Jesus Christ. We are inwardly taken over, changed, transformed.

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. [Hebrews 5:7]

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Written by D.T. Niles (1908-1970), an author, ecumenical leader and evangelist in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). This is adpted from his book “Upon the Earth.”

The phrase that Paul uses, to describe the Christian experience, is the phrase ​“in Christ.” Christ is not a person in the past tense only. He is present Lord, and the Lord who is to come. To be ​“in Christ,” therefore, is to live by all that He has done, to be involved in all that He is doing, and to prepare for all that He will do.. Love is the very method of inheritance. It is the way by which one enters into and abides in the world-embracing love of God…Love is the way by which one enters into and lives in the light. It is the way by which one passes from the sphere of death into the sphere of life. It is the way by which one comes to the knowledge that this transition from darkness to light, from death to life, has taken place in one’s life.

Let us give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. [Colossians 1:12-14]

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Written by Paige Vanosky from The Village Church

Father, as we reflect on a busy but joyful holiday season, we stop to give you thanks for the miracles we have just celebrated: the miracles evidencing your power and love celebrated as Hannukah and the resulting peace that set the stage for the starlit birth of Jesus, your long-promised Savior. These celebrations allow us to remember how much you love us. They remind us that despite our obstinate ways and despite not seeing you at work in the world, that you are at work, committed to your plan to eradicate evil. These celebrations of your love and care enable us to overcome the fear and discouragement we are prone to have as we look at events both far away and close to home. The Christmas season allows us to remember that you know what is going on, that you care, that you are at work, and that you do fulfill your promises. Please humble us, Father, so you can show us how to be a part of your healing plan for the world. Father God, we celebrate you and give you thanks for all you have done and all you promise to do in our world and in our lives. May we live a life that celebrates you.
In your blessed name we pray, 
Amen.  

The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” [Zephaniah 3:17]

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Written by Celeste Bailey of the Village Church

This Christmas my thoughts drift to the situation in Lebanon, the country where many of my paternal relatives and dear friends live. The Lebanese people have endured so many hardships since the beginning of the civil war in 1975, the period where my family and I escaped. Even though the Lebanese people are known for their resiliency, a time comes when a feeling of despair sets in. I was wondering how the children are faring amid the war, so I turned to SAT-7 stories. (SAT-7 is a core mission at the Village Church.) I found an article with a music video of kids singing “Your Peace, Jesus, Is Our Joy”. According to the article, while filming the video, the crew could hear bombs exploding in the distance but that did not deter the kids and their parents from doing the project! One young girl said, “What we are doing here, we do it to glorify the Lord.” Listening to them lifting their voices with the message of peace in the midst of chaos offers a sense of hope that many fellow Christians, not only in Lebanon, but in the Holy Land, Iran, and other places will not dim their resolve and faith in our Lord and Savior.   

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. [Romans 12:12]

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Written by Kathy Loftman from the Village Church.

It was midnight after the Village Church Christmas Eve Service. Most all the congregation had filed out of the sanctuary. The organ was playing the postlude, a beautiful, almost haunting piece that sounded like a carillon. The room was darkened and still. I intensely felt God’s amazing presence as I had never felt it before. It was beautiful, overwhelming, and awe inspiring. This was His special night of celebration. This moment is one of those few special “snapshots” of life that I shall never forget. I felt alone with God, the beautiful organ piece, and the light dimly shining through our beautiful stained-glass windows. I shall forever treasure my special time in the presence of God.

God my maker, who giveth songs in the night. [Job 35:10]

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Written by John Bunyan (1628-1688), an English writer and Puritan preacher, best remembered for his work “The Pilgrim’s Progress.”  This is an excerpt from “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, from “The Complete Works of John Bunyan (Philadelphia, 1874).

One day as I was passing into a field, … suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul, “Thy righteousness is in heaven”… I saw with the eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at God’s right hand; there, I say, is my righteousness; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say to me, “He wants my righteousness,” for that was just before him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, not yet my bad frame that made my righteousness worse; for my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself, “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Now did my chains fall off my legs, indeed; I was loosed from my afflictions and irons; my temptations also fled away; … now went I home rejoicing, for the grace and love of God…I saw that the man Christ Jesus, as He is distinct from us, as touching His bodily presence, so He is our righteousness and sanctification before God. Here, therefore, I lived, for some time, very sweetly at peace with God through Christ.

It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. [1 Corinthians 1:30].

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Written by Vickie Stone from the Village Church. The writing was inspired by the book “Intimate Moments with the Savior,” which was written by Ken Gire.

I recently sent a delicate porcelain creche to my 10-year-old great niece for her birthday.  I thought Mady would enjoy setting it up each Christmas and it will probably be her first “grown-up gift”. In her birthday card I shared how the nativity reminds us of the night of Christ’s birth. Then I found myself really pondering that night, thousands of years ago when a weary Joseph was turned away by the innkeeper but offered use the stable. How Mary must have nodded, eager to slide off the donkey and massage her swollen ankles. I can imagine Joseph creaking open the stable door as a chorus of animals protest the intrusion, the pungent stench overwhelming. Such a shocking place for a woman in the throes of childbirth; far from her home and family. Far from what she had expected for her firstborn. Mary winces, fighting another contraction and Joseph desperately looks around the stable with no time to spare. He spots a feeding trough that will have to make do for the crib. Some hay will serve as the mattress. Blankets? He grabs some rags hanging out to dry and as Mary doubles over with the latest labor pain, he races for a bucket of water. Mary’s anguished scream cuts through the silent night and she pushes with all her strength. Joseph puts the garments beneath her and with a final push her labor is over, and the Messiah has arrived. The baby coughs and Joseph instinctively turns him over to clear his throat. When the baby cries, Mary lays him on her chest as his tiny head bobs and he gropes to nurse. Mary marvels at the tiny hand, a hand that sculpted mountains clings to her finger. She looks at Joseph and through teary eyes they smile. Together they stare in wonder at the infant Jesus.  Where one would expect angels, there were only flies. Where one would expect heads of state, there were only donkeys, a few haltered cows and some sheep, a tethered camel and the scurrying of barn mice. Except for Joseph, there is no one to share Mary’s pain. Or her joy. Yes, there were angels announcing the savior’s arrival – but only to a band of blue-collar shepherds. And yes, a magnificent star shown in the sky to mark the birthplace- but only three foreigners bother to look up and were following it.  Thus, in the little town of Bethlehem… that one silent night… the royal birth of God’s son tip toed quietly by… as the world slept.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. [Luke 2:6-7]

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