Jan 2008

Those Pesky Resolutions

As much as I enjoy Christmas and holidays, I get tired of the advertisements encouraging us to make resolutions to do something different in 2008. Whether it be lose weight, eat healthier, follow a budget, take more time with loved ones, these are all great ideas! Yet, it’s difficult to make many changes all at one time in our lives. No one can list five areas that they would like to change and know that they will wake up one day and suddenly be able to do everything just as they would like in that area for every day forward.

Every year, I do like to take some time and think about specific things that I would like to focus on during the next calendar year. Sometimes I make progress and feel good about it! Other times, I make progress for awhile and then it becomes easy to let things slide. I’ve made many, many lists for me to accomplish each week, month and year. Unfortunately, I quite often do not accomplish everything on these lists because I lose interest, I am unrealistic about what I can accomplish or other things become more important.

Whenever new people join Midland UMC, they are asked to follow these four following commitments:

Attend weekly worship.

Participate in at least one activity each year aimed at helping them grow in their faith apart from worship attendance. Current opportunities at Midland: Sunday School, short-term study, Circle Group, United Methodist Women, Men’s Group, Youth Group, reading the Bible at home, regular prayer, etc.

Give of your time in Christian service at least once each year through the ministry of the church. This is stewardship within the community by sharing your gifts and talents within the faith community. Current opportunities at Midland: help with Sunday School, help at the food pantry, actively participate in a worship service through ushering or being a part of those leading worship, help with Vacation Bible School, serve on a committee or Ad Council, help with Youth Group, help with an outreach event, coffee fellowship, prayer chain, mission projects or establish your own service concept.

Financially support the faith community in proportion to your income with the goal of tithing.

I realize that these priorities were not decided upon when most people became a part of Midland UMC. Yet, I feel that anyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ would want to do these four things. Therefore, I would like to encourage everyone affiliated with Midland UMC to be intentional about accomplishing these four priorities during 2008.

I am often asked what is the best way to study scripture. While I think there are many possible ways and it is best for everyone to determine his or her own desired way, enclosed in this newsletter is a sheet of paper that breaks down the Bible into daily scripture passages. If you follow this plan, you will read the entire Bible during 2008.

If this seems daunting for you, then choose to read either the Old Testament or the New Testament in 2008. There are four columns for each day. Two columns are dedicated to the Old Testament and two are dedicated to the New Testament. You could follow this schedule for two years and read the entire Bible. Or if even this seems more than you can tackle, just pick one column and follow these scripture passages for the next 12 months.

You will also notice that there are 25 days listed for each month. This gives you a little wiggle room in having a few days throughout the year in which you can take a break.

I pray that each one of us will take seriously our individual need to take responsibility for growing our own personal faith during 2008. One of my teaching/preaching priorities for this next year will be to provide very practical and realistic ways for each of us to growth our faith. This Bible reading schedule is one way that I pray many of us will choose to learn more about God’s Holy Word. Let’s work together to really develop a habit of reading some of the Bible every day during 2008. If you have any questions about the schedule or how to do this, just get in touch with me!

See you in Sunday worship!

Pastor Dianne