At the beginning of each new year, many of us make our annual “New Year’s Resolutions”.  At the Baguio Lutheran Seminary in the Philippines, I was invited to speak at the graduation ceremony. It was a very hot and humid day.   As the graduates walked across the platform and received their diplomas from the seminary president, he smiled, shook their hands and said loudly, “Congratulations!”  I was standing next to him and heard him then say in a much lower voice that could be heard only by those on the stage and by the graduates, he would say, “Keep moving.”

He was only trying to keep the line moving across the stage, but his words are good advice for a new year: “KEEP MOVING!”   Wherever you may go, and whatever you may do in 2026, keep moving.  Don’t stagnate. There is more to life than you have seen so far.

In the matter of our ministry and missions together, God is saying to us, “This is a new beginning. Keep moving. Keep growing. Keep caring.  Keep sharing.  Keep forgiving.  Keep loving.  Don’t stop. Don’t stagnate. There is more of God’s grace to come.

In an old “Peanuts” cartoon, Sally is a toddler crawling around on the floor.  “How long do you think it will be before Sally starts to walk?”, Linus asks. Lucy replies, “Good Grief!  What’s the hurry?  Let her crawl around for a while. Don’t rush her!  She’s got all the time in the world. Once you stand up and start to walk, you’re committed for life!”

We who call ourselves Christians have already stopped crawling around, have already started to walk, so to speak. We are committed to the journey.  We are committed to growth. We are committed to a whole lifetime of participation in the school of learning how to minister in love.

Look at Psalm 90:  “ Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.”   (14-15)  In other words, “Let us awake in the morning filled with Your love and sing and be joyful all our days; make our future as full of joy as our past was sad.”

Be it resolved; that we shall, with assurance, awaken each morning filled with God’s merciful love.

Be it further resolved; that with God’s love in our hearts we shall awaken each morning thankful and rejoicing.

Be it finally resolved; that we shall each day demonstrate our love for God in and through our love for one another.

Happy New Year!

Pastor Don Treglown