A New Year—2024

We are eight days into 2024 now and this is our first E-Gram of the year. What do you have planned for this year? What are you expecting? Of course none of us now exactly what to expect. There are always unexpected difficulties that will come up. Just think back over the past year and it’s clear we had no way of knowing all that this year past would bring. Of course there will be unexpected blessings that also surprise us in the year ahead and we are thankful for those as well.

Unexpected is what I’m calling this series through the Gospel of Luke. A week ago the sermon was titled “An Unexpected Birth,” but Luke’s Gospel is full of the unexpected. There’s the story of a father’s unexpected reaction to the return of his rebellious son. There are unexpected requirements to enter God’s Kingdom. There’s an unexpected arrival into Jerusalem and an unexpected appointment on that first Easter Sunday. God’s work in his world has always been surprising. I hope he will do some unexpected things in our midst this year as well.

Just a reminder that the Annual Meeting is slated for the last Sunday in January. There will be a potluck that Sunday as well. If you have a report that you haven’t turned in yet, please do so. The reports are supposed to be in the mailboxes two weeks ahead of the Annual Meeting.

I know there’s a lot of the seasonal viruses going around. Be sure to pray for all of those who are in need of our prayers.

Hope to see you soon.

God bless, Brian

Scripture readings for next Sunday

Luke 4:14-30—Why would the people of Nazareth had difficulty accepting Jesus’ teaching?

1 Kings 17:7-24—Why does Jesus mention this story in his response to the people? Romans 2:1-11—How would you express Paul’s main point here?

Jeremiah 44:1-14—What is the nature of God’s warning to his people in this chapter?