Brothers and Sisters,
The old year is done and a new year has just begun. Before us lies a whole year of what might yet be; a whole year untouched by missed opportunities to follow God to something amazing, empty of moments of regret for that which we have done or failed to do in service to God and one another, empty, and yet full of hope.
It is appropriate then, that as we gather this Sunday, the first Sunday of the new year, we hear the story of Christ calling his first disciples. In John 1:35-51 we see Christ seeking out ordinary people and inviting them – not commanding them – to “come and see” what it is that he is and will be doing. “You will see greater things,” he promises to his disciples. Come and join us for worship on Sunday morning at 10:30, come and see the places where Christ will call us to, the things he will call us to be a part of.
Also, as this will be the first Sunday of the month, all are encouraged to support the St. Paul’s Pantry program by bringing in items that we often take for granted. Some of the most needed items right now include laundry detergent, kleenex, toilet paper, cheeze whiz, canned fruit, granola bars, relish, mustard, mayonnaise, coffee-mate, juice, and white sugar. Help our Pantry workers help the community! A pantry box is located in the narthex (in the front doors off George St) for any donations.
The new year also comes with new beginnings in some of our programs. The women’s group ‘Spirit Sisters’ starts up again at 7 pm on Monday, January 8th. The men’s group begins meeting again the following week on Wednesday, January 17th. Both groups will continue their journey through the book Bullseye: Aiming to Follow Jesus. Whether you have been a part of these groups since September or just considering coming for the first time, know that you are welcome to drop in and share in the conversation.
We all might be taking a breath from the business that was the holiday season, but it won’t be long before life takes off and pulls us in all sorts of directions. Keep an eye on our eNews updates every week. Over the coming months we will be inviting you to come and be a part of what we are doing as we always have and we hope you, like the disciples from this week’s reading, come and see what God is up to here at St. Paul’s United Church in 2018.
Happy New Year!
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Richard & Rev. Michelle
Also, the bulletin for January 7th is available for download here.