The Church Year nears its Close

There are just so many calendars a person can remember... Let's see, the school calendar, the tax calendar, the football, baseball, basketball, hockey and golf schedule calendars, the general Jan - Dec calendar we use, the lunar calendar several religions utilize.

We are now about to end the church year which is always topped off by the last Sunday in Pentecost, often known as Christ the King Sunday. Christ the Lord rules over us all, rules the world, will bring appropriate justice in his good time at the end of time.

What has happened in your life since the first Sunday in Advent of 2004? What changes have taken place in your life, your family, your congregation, your town, your county, your diocese, this country, the church in the United States, the global psyche, this world? Take some time. Think on it, offer it all to God in prayer. Where do you want to be next year? With whom? In what people and organizations will you invest your time, talent and treasure? What do you aspire to accomplish? How would you improve? Who would you forgive? How can you make amends? What milestones did you pass this past year? How were you blessed?

It can be all a jumble, the things that have happened and the things you hope will happen. At the precipice of a new year we can still offer to God the bundle of contradictions we are and God will lovingly sort it out.

Gracious God who molded the heavens and the earth, hold us tenderly and supportively today as we carefully recall what has occurred during the last year. Help us to move toward healing and forgiveness, toward generosity and trust, toward wisdom and patience. While we doubtless will fall short of perfection, help us to remember that the very effort of trying will bring us closer to you,nearer to ourselves and each other in the peace we long for. In Jesus' name through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.