Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! A wondrous phrase we use in our culture to express enthusiasm, joy, hope, longing, and so much more in just three words. So what will make this a happy year?

I have hope that the celebration of Christ's birth will make this year different for many people. I have hope that this year will be made more happy for many persons because God is actively transforming the world through each word shared. So, words shared must be important! In just three words, we express so much. I wonder, what other words shared might make big differences in the lives of all people?

Part of my vocation is to share words each week from Holy Scripture. As a preaching pastor, I have a weekly opportunity and challenge to express in holy words what the Lord is leading me to say to the people of Hunt United Methodist Church along with its friends and neighbors. But that is just one day a week on Sunday or on other special occasions. What about the other days of the week? What words are important to share on those days?

I believe that is the key to having a happy new year. Using the words that the Holy Spirit gives us to say to build community and to encourage shared ministry, each of us get to participate in that grand adventure - a journey of words selected and shared for the benefit of the community.

So have a happy new year! And do that in the name of Jesus Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit of God using holy words that enrich the lives of others!

​Along the Way with Pastor Paul

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