In my family, we had a tradition I’m sure many of you also had: In the seconds before the new year would arrive, my mother would get out her broom, open the front door, and symbolically “sweep out the bad” as she looked forward to the coming of the new year. Bidding a not-so-fond farewell to the difficulties of the previous year prepared her for anticipating the blessings of the new one.

For many of you, when the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve, you’ll be saying “good riddance” to 2024 even more than you are saying “Happy New Year” to 2025. That is understandable. The year 2024 will go down as the year of the double whammy hurricanes that tore through our neighborhoods and our lives. I think I can speak for many of us when we say we’ll be glad to see the door close on this year.

But certainly 2024 wasn’t all bad, and we’d do well psychologically and spiritually if we can focus on the good things we experienced. St. Paul advises us in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” And there is good psychology behind that. We can literally train our brains to seek out the good in life.

So what was good in 2024? We’ve been blessed with more new families and more than our normal amount of potential members from visitors this year. We got the maximum amount of grant money given out by the Synod’s V2A Program to improve our Family Worship service.

The Sixty for Sixty Campaign raised money to get hurricane-proof windows, which were conveniently installed right before Hurricane Helene. Despite the hurricanes, we were able to have our On the Way to Bethlehem Advent Fair, which was well-attended, featuring a pancake breakfast, crafts and lots of fun. We hosted many events for children, and our last event saw more than 30 children in attendance! This, in spite of the fact that the event couldn’t be in the Fellowship Hall (because of the flood). We had a bit of a roller coaster ride with musicians, but through it all we maintained and even improved the quality and diversity of our music in worship. 

These are but a few of the highlights of 2024 that we as a church can celebrate, even as we are hoping for better days to come in the new year. How about you? What is there in your own life that you can look back on and smile? Was there a new addition to your family? Did you have any memorable get-togethers? Is your health relatively good? Did you get to spend some good times with children or grandchildren? Did you accomplish anything professionally over which you have satisfaction? Did you take any steps closer in your relationships with God and with others?

Our sincere prayer is that you can identify at least one thing to be thankful for when you think back on 2024, and that you will have many, many more occasions to be thankful in 2025. May God richly bless and protect us all. 

With much love,

Pastor Lisa and Pastor Bruce