Think Big

Well, Christmas Day has come and gone.  So has New Year’s Day, for that matter.  Epiphany is even over.  It’s time to get serious about moving into 2016.

So how do you feel about that?  Are you excited about it?  I hope so.  I can understand, though, if you’re not.  You may have financial problems that you’re dealing with.  You may have family problems that you’re dealing with.  You may have health problems that you’re dealing with.  You may not even be sure if you’re going to make it all the way through 2016.  And in fact, none of us can be sure about that.  We’re not even guaranteed tomorrow, much less a whole year.

Still, I hope you’re excited about 2016, because it is a New Year.  And when we head into a New Year, there are all kinds of things that could happen.  Yes, some of them are bad, but there are a lot of good things that could happen this year, too.  This could be the year everything comes together.  This could be the year when all kinds of things go right.  This could be the year we make a lot of new friends, do a lot of new things, and have all kinds of fun. 

Even if we have problems, this could be the year we make progress toward solving them.  This could be the year we get a lot more money.  This could be the year our family gets closer to each other.  This could be the year that a breakthrough is made and our health suddenly improves.  All kinds of things can happen in a new year, and all of them could happen in 2016.

So let’s think about some of those things.  And as we do, let’s think about what God might want for us in 2016.  Let’s think about what God might want for the churches of our parish in 2016, too.  We know that God wants us to make disciples of Jesus Christ—Jesus himself told us that.  So let’s think about how God wants us to do that.

And as we think about that, let’s not be afraid to think big.  After all, we know God thinks big.  A God who would create the entire universe out of nothing, a God who would send the divine Son to die for the sins of everyone, a God who would tell us to make disciples of all nations, is a God who is not afraid to think big.  So we should not be afraid to think big, too.  After all, there’s no idea that’s too big for God.

 There’s also something I wish for each of you in 2016.  My wish is that this is the year you get closer to God.  That’s my wish for me, too.  Maybe 2016 will be the year that we really believe in Jesus as our Savior in a way we never have before.  Maybe 2016 will be the year we finally learn to surrender everything to God, trusting that God will take care of us.  Maybe 2016 will be the year we truly do love our neighbors as ourselves.  Maybe 2016 will be the year when the Holy Spirit really comes into our hearts, our souls, and our minds.  Maybe 2016 will be the year we make the Holy Spirit a part of everything we do, no matter how routine or trivial the things we do seem to be.

May 2016 be the year we truly understand what it means to be children of God, and may it be the year we truly feel the joy that comes from that.  Now that’s a big thought. 

            Happy New Year!