Working with Ecclesiastes 3:1-13* I asked the church in Fairport, New York, where I am
the Interim Minister, to write down a New Year resolution for their life as a child of God and/or as the church... asking what they might need to leave behind or embrace in the coming year? What changes do you need to make?*For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.
Church members were given index cards to write their resolutions on-- and then invited to bring them forward during communion to offer to God as they also lit a candle. I have been reading those resolutions and I admire how thoughtful most of those gathered were. Of course, there were a couple of sarcastic comments…for example “Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way— But I will try. I will also try to be more spiritual and calmer. I’ll try to do more for the church.”
Most folks took it seriously and here are a few of the things they offered to God:
…to put God first in my life—
I resolve to stay positive in our church's transition and pray for our pulpit committee to bring us an inspiring new minister.
Resolved To not take for granted the blessings bestowed upon me and my family
…to continue to offer prayers for others
Resolution To think of the feelings of other before I speak.
Try to be open to new ideas and ways of doing things.
Eat less. Pray more. Love always. Give more than I take.
live with JOY so others may see the Light and Love of Jesus in my heart.
Change- myself (to be a better Christian)
Embrace- New ideas, simplicity
Let go of- Fear
To be less judgmental and more loving, giving and understanding.
Copied from Calvin and Hobbes “My resolution for 2016 is to wing it, like last year.”
to help with RAIHN’s work. (Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality Network—a division of Family Promise- helping homeless families)
This is a just a small sample of their resolutions. Church goers took a close look at themselves in relation to God and their faith community. It was good to take some time to reflect on what we can do better and what we might refrain from bringing forward into 2016.
I also shared with the faithful gathered that morning a Facebook post which was a reflection on the same passage from my colleague Maren Tirabassi.
New Year’s Eve (Ecclesiastes 3:1-13) A version for those of us chronologically advantaged
For everything there is a season,
but my joints creak a lot in the winter.
The time to be born is the distant past,
and it’s time I think about improving
what gets written in my obituary.
There’s a time to plant myself in front of the fire,
and a time to pluck up my behind from the recliner;
a time to kill the sharp response,
and a time to heal the family wounds;
a time to break down in public – who cares?
and a time to build up the confidence of some teenager.
There’s a time to weep, creep,
and unexpectedly sleep,
and a time to laugh at myself doing it;
a time to throw away … well, just about everything,
and a time to gather a little online savvy;
a time to embrace and embrace and embrace,
and a time to silently hope I will not soon
experience what it is
to refrain from embracing.
There’s a time to seek, to lose,
and to wonder why I came here in the first place;
a time to tear down any old walls that are still standing,
and a time to stitch up my lips;
lots of time to keep silence … in front of a sunrise,
a child’s smile, and several enthusiastic plans
that I know won’t work out,
and a time to speak kindly and with lots of love …
after that happens.
There are months and months and months for love,
and a couple hours to hate loneliness, cancer,
and Alzheimer’s Disease.
There is a time to really hate war, racism, intolerance,
and a time to work for peace,
no matter how old or tired or frustrated I feel.
What gain do workers or retirees have from their toil?
I have seen that many things fail or fade
or fritter away —
quite a few in the church I love —
but God has given a joy to being busy.
God has put past and future in our minds,
and sometimes they flip flop,
and my brain goes back to the beginning.
It’s OK. There is nothing better than to be happy,
spread happiness, but never be comfortable
while there is one unhappy story on the news —
one refugee, one heroin loss,
one broken police force
and remind everyone of God’s simple gifts –
food, drink and the pleasure of work well done. Amen
