SUNDAY MEMORIES
Judy Wills
I guess I am just like most people when it comes to New Years – “I AM going to lose those _____ pounds this year!” “I AM going to get the house in order!” “I AM going to scan all those pictures and get them in an album!” etc., etc., etc.
So, resolutions not-with-standing, what are my memories of New Years past? I guess my favorite memory is of growing up in my church in Albuquerque.
For many years, on New Year’s Eve, the church would have a program that started about 6:00 p.m. with a dinner. Now, this was a fairly large church, and we had a paid staff who made the meals every Wednesday evening, before the regular activities began. And those ladies made the BEST dinner rolls!!! Nothing I’ve ever been able to duplicate!
Anyway, dinner started at 6:00 p.m. After that, I remember either a movie shown on a large screen in the sanctuary, or games. Perhaps there were games for the smaller children – I just don’t remember. But then there was a time of “remembrance” or sharing. Just being thankful for the year that was passing away, and looking forward to the new one approaching.
But the best thing about the entire evening, was that, after the sharing time, we would – literally – ring the outer edges of the sanctuary, holding hands to make a funny-shaped circle, and pray in the New Year. We could hear the fireworks going off, and people yelling outside the church building. But inside, we were asking God to bless the New Year, and us in it, and our part of it. It was an extremely wonderful time.
And then I remember some New Year’s Eve’s in our small church in Virginia. We would gather for a time of sharing and remembrance, then share the Lord’s Supper together, and then pray in the New Year. The pastor would try to do the Lord’s Supper differently some times, to make it more meaningful for us. I remember a time when he had a loaf of bread, and we pinched off our own little piece. I also remember a time when there was a community cup for each family to share the “wine” (grape juice in the Baptist church!).
But in all the memories I have, it always culminated with prayer for the New Year. And I can’t think of a better way to start any New Year, than asking God’s blessings upon it.
May YOUR New Year be blessed beyond measure.
Old Things R New 