12/31/2021 - God’s Plan For Our Future
NEW YEAR’S EVE
Christians have typically preferred to worship as the year draws to a close. New Year's Eve worship, then, often focuses on a review of God's faithfulness in the past year. Other times the service anticipates God's blessing in the year to come. Tonight's service is devoted to the latter.
You'll find the structure of this service somewhat unusual. The devotion is placed near the beginning of the service for emphasis. During the course of the service, we will read the entire book of Ephesians. After a lesson, the congregation will sing a hymn that underscores and reinforces what we just read. As we read through the book of Ephesians, God will lift our hearts from the celebration of one day (New Year's Day) to the faithful grace that has backed us every day of our lives, and we trust will continue to support us into the future.
It's abundantly true that whether our souls are caught up in the celebration of the moment, or whether we are wistfully reflecting our many years of life, God's grace is the thread that ties it all together. By grace we have life. By grace we have faith. By grace we hope for eternity. John Newton, author of the famous hymn "Amazing Grace" says it well in his third stanza:
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come.
'tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead us home. (CW 576:3)
God's grace to you this new year, and God bless your worship of his grace!