Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! What a blessing it is to get a new start every 365 days. We can brush off the old and set a new course.  I hope you can take some time in these next few weeks to look back and assess 2011. What gave you pleasure? What do you want to repeat? What didn’t work? What did you learn from?

I hope a smile comes to your face as you remember some moments. I know a shudder may move through your body as you remember other times. It may be a lunchtime meal with a friend that comes to mind or a moment holding a new infant while it sleeps. It may be the memory of saying goodbye to a loved one or a misspoken word that brings a deep sadness to the heart. You may remember the forgiveness that still needs to be asked for or given.

Our lives are such a journey of successes and failures, pleasure and pain, surprise and routine. Some of it we can control. Some not. It is the fullness of life. We live, we learn, we forgive, and we live, learn, and forgive some more. Thanks be to God for the experience of life in its fullness.

I give thanks every day that I serve in a community that is so open about the joys and challenges of life. Some places in our society people try to hide their failures and disappointments. They try to only present the “good life”. It is as if failure and fault make one less lovable or acceptable. Shame is a strong undercurrent that guides what can be seen and known. I grew up in this kind of culture and we did everything in my family to hide what was dysfunctional or wrong. That takes a lot of energy and doesn’t allow ones full humanity to be shared.

I have learned through faith and through those around me that there is no shame in who we are or what we do if we are honestly and faithfully doing our best. Sometimes our best leads to failure. Sometimes we are embarrassed and feel like hiding but in the grace of God we learn we are still accepted and only encouraged to learn and do better (if we can) in the future. We don’t need to hide. In fact our honesty can lead another person to their own acceptance and wholeness.

As we go into this new year my hope for you is that you can look back and repair what needs to be repaired – broken relationships, hurtful actions,… and then let go of regret. Learn from the past and move boldly into the future. Repeat was has been good. Set a new course that will bring joy and peace not only to you but to those around you. Maybe it will even ripple beyond your knowing.

Live in the knowledge of the love of God and share that with all those around you. We all live with the ups and downs of life. In the sharing we are able to help one another through the tough times and enjoy those moments of pleasure. Life is a gift from God. We are the gift to each other. I’m excited for what the future will bring.

 In love and hope,

Rev. Jan