New Year 2023

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

Having Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall on Sundays this year has had me discombobulated for most of December. I was forever asking, "Are we there yet?" and then scrambling to catch up when we arrived at "there." To add to the confusion, Epiphany Sunday will occur two days after Epiphany. 

Another reason I've felt out of kilter over Christmas was the snow storm that derailed our pre-Christmas routine. Not only did snow need to be cleared from the parking lot,  the roof needed attention too. Melting snow and ice clogged the gutters and overflowed the edges of the skylights. On Christmas Eve day, there were leaks and wet carpets in the narthex. 

 

Snow on the roof 

Snow in the parking lot

Slush in the parking lot on Christmas Eve Day

Anyway, we are now at the beginning of the new year, 2023. Anyone remember the panic in 2000 with predictions of system failures over Y2K? The clocks struck midnight that year and the world did not stutter to a halt. The pundits and the doomsayers should have turned to Ephesians 1: 9-10 , a reminder that the earth and time are under God's command. .Computer systems have rejigged for a four digit year instead of a two and our communications network remains robust -- unless you're an airline passenger caught up in the fiasco of airports during our December storm.

As 2023 begins, are you looking at the bathroom scales and resolving to starve yourself until those extra pounds come off? Are you sorting your Christmas cards and resolving to cull your list for next year? Or are you basking in the glow of loving tokens from family and friends? Perhaps you are looking at an empty calendar and resolving to fill it with meaningful days.

I hope this little bit of nonsense will inspire you to make 2023 a key year.

 XvXn though my typxwritxer is an old modxl, it works quitx wxll xxcxpt for onx kxy. Thxrx arx forty-six kxys that function wxll xnough, but just onx kxy not working makxs thx diffxrxncx.

Somxtimxs it sxxmx to mx that our class is somxwhat likx my typxwritxr; not all thx kxys arx working propxrly. You may say, "Wxell, I am only onx pxrson, it won't makx much diffxrxencx," But you sxx thx class, to bx xffextivx, nxxds thx activx participation of xvxrty pxrson.

So thx nxxt timx you think you arx only onx pxrson and that your xffort is not nxxdxd, rxmxmxbxr my typxwritxr, and say to yoursxlf, "I am a kxy pxrson and nxxdxd vxry much." Charles Carnes, Choir Director, Des Moines, Iowa.

Happy New Year to all. May we  fill the calendar with acts of kindness, moments of joy, and hours of service.