Wesley United Methodist Church, Orange TX

Happy New Year to All

Well here it is, a New Year already! As we look back on 2016 and all the turbulence we experienced we should be able to remember the reason we were able to make it through the this year with so many ups and downs. Remembering the reason for the season we just went through. And that is of course our Savior Jesus Christ. So if we learn from our past then we should just focus on our Savior Jesus Christ for whatever this New Year will hold for us. Pretty simple advice for us to follow but not so simple if we are not focused on that guide we claim as our Savior.

There are two seasons of the Christian year that really help us to increase our focus on our faith and the Bible Stories that help to build that faith. We just went through the Season of Advent where we are to focus on the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. The four Sundays before Christmas Day give us the opportunity to focus on Love, Joy, Hope and Peace. To hopefully experience the rebirth that we all need after so many distractions this world can and will throw at us. The second season is that of Lent that leads us up to Easter. We have forty days to focus on the depth of the sacrifice that Christ has made for us.

So what do we do for the rest of the year? Well of course we still focus on those many blessings that God greets us with each and every day. We look to the birth, life and death of our Savior for love, hope, joy and peace in all stages of our lives. No matter what the season of the year, Jesus Christ is never out of season. He is our Way, Truth and Life.

Have a very Happy and Blessed New Year,

Pastor Randy

As I was thinking about the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Wesley United Methodist Church this evening at 5pm I remembered that it is also Hanukkah for my Jewish son in law Jeremy Parzen. So that means that it will also be Christmas Eve and Hanukkah for my grand daughters Georgia Ann and Lila Jane. They will get to celebrate both of these holidays that are so important to our faith traditions. Again as I was thinking about Christmas Eve and our candlelight service, I remembered that there will be candle lighting going on for Hanukkah also. Both of these celebrations are about miracles given to us by a God that loves us enough to share His love with us in miraculous ways.

The Jewish tradition celebrates the miracle of oil for a Menorah lasting for eight days when there was only enough for one day. The miracle we of the Judeo-Christian faith celebrate is the birth of the Christ Child into this world. We light a Christ Candle on this evening to represent a light shining out into a world and providing an everlasting light for the world. Both are traditions that use light to symbolize the faith that God is with us, has always been with us and always will be with us. Both traditions have much more to them than what I have shared here so do a little research (Google it) and learn for yourself.

I want to wish each and every one blessings from the God that sent His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life. Amen!

Pastor Randy