Greetings from Pastor - January 2008
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"Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

This time of year we hear much and read much of New Year's resolutions. You may even think on it quite a bit yourself. I bet many of you have made a resolution to change something or improve something in your life this year. Some people refuse to make resolutions because they know that they won't be able to stick to it, so rather than fail, they don't resolve to anything. I resolve each month to start on the newsletter earlier than last month. Sometimes I am able to follow through; sometimes not. That is how it goes with many resolutions: sometimes we are able to follow through and sometimes not. According to some experts, the key to success is not becoming discouraged when we fail to keep our resolutions, but instead to simply restart or resolve yet again to keep it.

Many of you are familiar with Luther's Morning Prayer in the Small Catechism and some very well, since we pray it together each week when we conclude our Sunday School hour. As part of that prayer, we make a resolution. That is, we resolve to not sin and to please God this day in everything that we do, with His help through Jesus Christ. It is a resolution that we find impossible to stick to, for not a day goes by that we don't sin and in some way displease God. That is why in the Evening Prayer we ask for God's forgiveness and through Jesus, He does forgive us.

Our confession and God's forgiveness actually makes our resolution of a sinless and God pleasing life a reality for us because of His perfect resolution to send His Son as our Savior. As we are continually clothed with the sinless and God pleasing life of Jesus through the forgiveness of sins, our resolution is upheld despite our own failures. God has resolved to save us and He has done so through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I would suppose that many of you that have made resolutions this year, have included a resolution to improve your spiritual life in some way. Maybe it is to be more diligent in devotions, prayers, reading your Bible, helping others, or being kind to someone that you find it difficult to be kind to. I encourage you in your resolutions, to do them in the name of Jesus Christ, that God may be glorified in your life. Rejoice in your successes, giving thanks to God and repenting in your failures, not becoming discouraged, but instead receiving forgiveness and starting anew.

The Christian life is about daily resolutions. Everyday we confess that we have fallen short of God's expectations and gladly receive His forgiveness won for us in Jesus. Paul encouraged the Colossians with a resolution to do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus. I also encourage you this year, that in whatever you do, in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, and in this way you will live God pleasing lives in witness to His glory.

O God our heavenly Father, we give thanks that You have sent Your Son to us, that He might save His people from their sins. Grant us Your grace, that in this new year we may begin all that we do, in word and deed, in the name of Jesus, and through Him give praise to You, our Father; and continue and increase therein all the days of our life until at last, when time is ended, we may praise and adore You in eternity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

God's blessing of mercy be upon you, strengthening you in your resolutions this year and always,

in Jesus Christ,

Pastor