As 2024 draws to a close, some of us may start thinking about making a
few New Years resolutions for 2025. I think the practice can be useful, but
have found that making them is a lot easier than carrying them out.
Take exercise, for instance. Every January I vow to spend more time on
the exercise bike, and every year my good intentions soon go by the
wayside.

Therefore, I can readily identify with the character Hi from the
comic strip “Hi and Lois” on one New Years Day morning. Lois wakes up at 6 am with a big smile on her face and says, “a new day, a new year, and a new beginning! Right, Hi?” Hi opens one eye and grunts. Lois shakes him awake and says, “wake up dear. Today’s the day you begin your new exercise routine!” “Oh yeah, right,” Hi mumbles. “I’ll start with the sit-ups.” Lois goes to make coffee and hears the expected counting, “1…2…3…4…5… but then there’s silence. She then discovers that Hi has gone back to bed, and is fast asleep with a contented smile on his face. “Well, so much for that resolution,” she says, and goes back to bed herself.

Making and keeping New Years resolutions can be fraught. Nevertheless, taking some time to set some goals for another year can be a useful exercise. And that’s also true for the church. Indeed, research reveals that many thriving congregations engage in an annual practice of identifying one or two main priorities for the coming year, and then develop a plan on how to tackle them. Without specific goals, churches, like individuals, can easily fall back into familiar routines and neglect matters that may require more attention than they’ve previously received. So the coming of a new year can be a time to take stock, re-assess some existing practices and priorities, and focus energies on the things that matter most.

So, as this year of transitional ministry, we’ll be striving to do just that over the next several months. I believe that the Spirit of God is alive and at work here at St. Mark’s, and that some exciting possibilities for our future ministry may well exist. So I’m looking forward to the months to come!
It remains a privilege for me to work with all of you during this time of transition. May 2025 be a year filled with blessings for each one of us, for our congregation, and for the world.