Happy New Year: See, I am making all things new...

Ecclesiastes 3:1-13

¹   For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:²   a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;³   a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;⁴   a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;⁵   a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;⁶   a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to throw away;⁷   a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;⁸   a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.⁹What gain have the workers from their toil? ¹⁰I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. ¹¹He 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. ¹²I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; ¹³moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.Psalm 8

1   O LORD, our Sovereign,how majestic is your name in all the earth!You have set your glory above the heavens.²        Out of the mouths of babes and infantsyou have founded a bulwark because of your foes,to silence the enemy and the avenger.³   When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars that you have established;⁴   what are human beings that you are mindful of them,mortals that you care for them?⁵   Yet you have made them a little lower than God,and crowned them with glory and honor.⁶   You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;you have put all things under their feet,⁷   all sheep and oxen,and also the beasts of the field,⁸    the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,whatever passes along the paths of the seas.⁹   O Lord, our Sovereign,how majestic is your name in all the earth!Revelation 21:1-6a

¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ²And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,“See, the home of God is among mortals.He will dwell with them;they will be his peoples,and God himself will be with them;⁴   he will wipe every tear from their eyes.Death will be no more;mourning and crying and pain will be no more,for the first things have passed away.”⁵And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.”

Gospel Matthew 25:31-46³¹“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” ³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ ⁴⁰And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ ⁴¹Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴²for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ ⁴⁵Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

• Light a candle to remember Christ's presence with you.
• Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying close attention to the deep breath.
• Breathe in new.
• As you exhale, turn closer to God.
• Breathe in possibility.
• As you exhale, lift your face to God.
• Breathe in opportunity.
• As you exhale, imagine yourself before God.
• Open yourself to hear God.
• What new thing is God creating in you this year?
• What do you need to leave behind to accept this new thing?
• What promise is revealed to you in this new thing?
• What fingerprints of Christ do you see?
• How are you to share this new thing with others?
• How does this bring glory to God?
• What is God's message for you?
• Give thanks to God for this time in prayer and for any new insights you have received.
• Share as you feel led in the reply box below.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Tuesday, January 1, 2013, New Year's Day (Year C)Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 Psalm 8 Revelation 21:1-6a Matthew 25:31-46If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings The Rev. Lil Smith, M.Div., DASD