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Dear Saint Mark Family,
A Blessed and Joy-filled New Year to you!
I pray you have entered this new year in a spirit of gratitude, thanking God for the gift of life, and for the Spirit’s continued presence and guidance throughout the weeks and months to come.
A new year offers many opportunities for growth, gaining new perspectives on life, taking worthwhile and necessary risks, and setting goals. This is why it’s customary for many people to make resolutions at the start of each new year. If you are one of these persons, I gently caution you to be wise and realistic about the resolutions you make.
Since most resolutions ultimately are about being our better selves, I share with you tips from an article in The NY Times on the 7 keys for how to best care for ourselves:
- Move more
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Get more sleep
- Don’t smoke and don’t drink too much
- Manage chronic conditions
- Prioritize relationships
- Cultivate a positive mindset
Whatever resolutions you have made, what benefit might be added by incorporating two or three of these, if they are not already a part of them? Whatever your resolutions are, they can only be accomplished by steadfast commitment. I pray you the grace and endurance needed for that commitment.
Speaking of commitment, did you know that when you become a member of any local United Methodist Church, you make a commitment to support that local congregation with your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness? This Sunday we will begin a new sermon series titled, Covenant Promises, and over the next 5 weeks we will look at what it means to be in covenant with each other as Saint Mark and to honor these commitments we have made. This Sunday we will look at supporting Saint Mark with your prayers.
We are continuing this year with our overarching theme of “Discipleship,” and our focus for 2024 is to “Be Fruitful.” In John 15:8, Jesus tells his disciples, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
My prayer for us as we journey through this year together is that we will do all in our power to be fruitful disciples of Jesus Christ.
This Sunday we will welcome Rev. Andy Peabody, our new associate minister, in worship. Please take the time to speak with him and welcome him to Saint Mark.
I look forward to worshiping God with you this Sunday.
Blessings,
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