Pastor’s Corner (1/10/19)
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:13
It seems a bit ironic that the last book of the Bible talks about God as the beginning and the end. As we move into the beginning of a New Year, many of us are undoubtedly mindful of what has been as we look forward to what might be. Many people make resolutions with the hope of changing “bad habits” into more healthy ones in the coming year. Gyms are bursting at the seams with new members and it seems that more people attend my Wednesday morning Weight Watchers meeting. Perhaps we’ve resolved to pray more and spend more time in scripture. Our resolutions, formal and informal, invite us to make the coming year even better than the last.
Our penchant for looking back and forward at the beginning of a New Year seems particularly fitting in 2019 as FCC prepares to celebrate its 150th year. During the upcoming months we’ll spend time looking back as we celebrate our history. We have several events during the coming months that includes a visit from the General Minister/President of our denomination, Rev. Terri Hord Owens. She’ll be coming for a weekend in September. We’re also planning a joint Pentecost service with First Presbyterian Church, as they’re also celebrating their 150th anniversary. Other activities and events are scheduled throughout the year. This process of looking back also invites us to look realistically at our present and ponder our future. The recent launch of our updated website is a significant event that helps us celebrate our present and lays a foundation for our future.
Throughout all of this we are invited to remember that God is our foundation. God is the beginning and the end of it all. Not only is God the foundation of all creation, God is the foundation of each of our lives and of our life as a congregation. Just as God was present as each of us entered this world, God was also there in our founding as a congregation. God is also present with us now and guides us into the future.
As we make resolutions for ourselves and come together to celebrate our anniversary may we do so with confidence because God is “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
With joy and love,
Pastor Karen
