It’s a new year and many of you are anxious and excited about starting, and eventually, realizing your New Year’s resolution goals.  Well, as for me, I have already started my resolution for 2016, which is to lose the 30 pounds which I somehow gained last year.  Honestly, it wasn’t really my resolution; it’s a must, as I cannot fit in a lot of my clothes anymore, and my budget doesn’t include a new wardrobe.  Whatever New Year’s resolution challenge you choose to take on is fine, and I wish you much success.  However, I do want to encourage all my friends and colleagues to include one other resolution: to make a purposeful and consistent effort to attend and be a vibrant part of a church this year.  If you are already attending regularly, then my encouragement is for you to increase your participation in the ministries of your church. If you are already actively involved in your church home, I encourage you to mentor someone and be a blessing to them.

I am driven to make this suggestion as I do have concerns with our generation’s approach to Christians living.  Many Christians have stopped attending church on a regular basis for reasons that vary. This has resulted in a people who are ignorant to the Word and it.sound doctrine. The scariest thing is that a high percentage of Christians are getting their information on social media.  I have seen so many well-meaning people accepting watered-down religion and heresy on Facebook and other site.  I have noticed that more and more are being influenced by misinformation and misguided trends on these sites.  This has led to a slow abandonment, and in some cases even total recanting of their beliefs in the foundational truth of God’s Holy Word. Somehow,  many of the influencers are able to spout their opinions as gospel truth, and people just run with them as facts.  This includes miscommunication in areas such as history, politics, race, and even medical matters.  However,  the most grievous is the manipulation of biblical passages to further a cause.  Those who want to believe these causes, good or bad, accept the inaccuracies as truth to further their agenda.  Why would we do that? Why would we accept biblical information from any John Doe or Jane Doe from who knows where?  Most of us are not even willing to check for accuracy. If it fits our preferred narrative,  we will accept it as truth.

To quote a line from my Bishop’s sermon this past Sunday, “Would you go to a doctor for legal advice, and would you go to a lawyer for medical advice?” You would not seek professional advice from someone who is not qualified in his or her field, so why would you accept theological claims from a person who is not trained in biblical interpretation.  Where do you find true theologians?  They are in a bible-based church near you!

So, for the New Year, foster a relationship with your priest or pastor in a liturgical communion. Give these people who are dedicated to the Word a chance to impart the Gospel to you.  Be purposefully active in your participation within the communion of saints as you partake in the liturgical activities and ministries of your local church. I promise, you will be blessed. 

There is no better time to start this New Year’s resolutions than this week.  Wednesday the 6th of January is the start of the Epiphany on the liturgical calendar, which is the celebration of the manifestation of Christ. Just as the Magi journeyed to seek His manifest presence, I also encourage you to head out to your local church and gain a greater experience and understanding of Christ’s manifestation in each of us.

So whether your resolution is to lose weight or to gain riches and everything in between, all that is just vanity, and can be lost in the blink of an eye.  Be resolute in that which is eternal: the inerrant Word of God.