From the Pastor’s Heart

So who among our church family has made, or plans to make a New Year’s resolution? Resolutions are great if you keep them. But what happens so often
is that New Year’s resolutions last for about a week before they are broken. By the second week, most resolutions simply amount to wishful thinking. And finally, by the end of the first month, New Year’s resolutions in many cases are all but forgotten. Why is it that so many people have such difficulty keeping their
resolutions?
The reasons we make New Year’s resolutions are varied. There are those who  make resolutions in order to live a healthier lifestyle. They resolve to lose weight, exercise more, quit smoking, eat healthier foods, and eat less junk food. You get the idea.  Throughout my life I have made and broken more of these resolutions than I could shake a stick at. I have never been any good at keeping this sort of New Year
promise to myself.
Other people look past their physical lifestyle and make New Year’s resolutions that might help them in their spiritual journey. Through the years, I have also joined others in making such resolutions. Many folks resolve to develop better faith habits; attend worship each week, pray every day, read the Bible, or attend Sunday school. All of these are great resolutions but, just like the ones that pertain to physical lifestyle, resolutions regarding faith require discipline if one is truly going to keep them. Heading into the New Year, congregations are much like people in that they recognize that some changes might be needed in order to remain healthy.

Especially following the previous two years that were greatly impacted by the pandemic, it may be a good time for St. Jacob’s to make a congregational
resolution. Certainly, we can all look around and notice that we are not the same church we were heading into the pandemic. But by God’s grace, we have come
through the COVID crisis and have the opportunity to renew our ministry with enthusiasm. So, how can we accomplish this? Well, by following through on a few
commitments (I won’t call them resolutions) to grow in our relationship with Christ, and with one another.
Commitment #1 – I hope that St. Jacob’s would commit to becoming a congregation filled with people who are committed to daily prayer. So many churches have what they call their “Prayer Warriors.” We could do that. We could commit to daily prayer
either together as a group, or as individuals and families. In 2023, let’s be intentional in praying for our church. I will make sure the church is open each Monday from 12:00PM – 5:30PM, beginning on January 9th, for anyone who would like to come
in and pray for St. Jacob’s. Let’s pray in confidence for God’s blessing upon us, that we would become a congregation that invites and welcomes others into our midst. And once they are here, incorporate them into our daily life as beloved people of God.

Commitment #2 – I pray that, as a church family, we will experience a greater commitment to weekly worship. If you are reading this article but have not been regularly active in your worship here at St. Jacob’s, I invite you to begin developing
the healthy habit of worshiping God each week and receiving the life-giving Sacrament of Holy Communion. There truly is no better time than the beginning of a new year to renew or refresh your spiritual life through worship and prayer.

Commitment #3 – And finally, I pray that St. Jacob’s would become known to the community as a congregation that enjoys robust and vibrant fellowship with one another. Especially following the pandemic years, seeing the Fellowship Hall
filled with people is a joyous blessing. We have begun making some strides towards this commitment, and everyone I have spoken with about it agrees, we need to be a church family in fellowship with one another, enjoying our life together.

These are but a few items that I believe will help us to rekindle the flames of a dynamic faith following two difficult years. Yes, they were difficult, but they were not so difficult that we cannot grow more spiritually and faithfully healthy. Please make these commitments with me, and pray that God will bless us with His assurance as we grow together in faith, hope, and love.

Grace to you and peace,

Pastor David Nuottila