Having and Making a Happy New Year

Hollywood, along with Madison Avenue advertisers, intends to go to the bank in the New Year based on a single belief - consumers are creatures of habit. More than a dozen "new" movies set for release in 2007 are sequels. We're expected to pony up big dollars to watch the 23rd adventure of James Bond. Look, too, for more Shrek, Sponge Bob and Spiderman. While a few newly minted products will come available, most will be knock-off's, like fruity soft drinks, and "new and improved" versions of old stand-bys.

Is there a way your New Year could be less of the same? How might the year 2007 be more than a single, new digit we note on bank drafts?

Epiphany's Wise Men offer a process. These folks didn't bump into the manger scene. They were led there. And they were able to be led because they were seeking, expecting and watching for something new. They were certainly grounded in their own time and place, but they weren't stuck there. Their minds were open; their eyes were on the horizon and beyond; and, their hearts were longing for adventure.

They followed, as I see it, a four-step process. First, they wanted something different and stated it clearly. Second, they knew exactly what they were willing to "give up" in order to get what they wanted. Third, they had a sense of timing, that is, they knew it was "now or never." Fourth, from the beginning, they held onto a vision for how they would recognize when they got what they were after.

It's a process we might employ - as persons and as a faith community - to ensure that 2007 is more than a sequel, better than a new label on an old product.

What do you want to be different: at home, in prayer, where you work, in the congregation, among your neighbors, as you stand before God, the ways you spend free time, within the confines of your neighborhood, and in your relationships?

What are you willing to "give up," "put in," or, "do differently" to live in the vision?

Why is NOW a good time, not necessarily the best time, to move toward this new reality? How will you know when you've got what you're after? That is, how will you, your relationships, and your world look when you've "arrived?"

Notice, please, that there were THREE wise ones. They didn't travel independently. They found trusted others to walk with. No doubt they offered one another encouragement, support, and held one another accountable for staying on course. Seeing, walking, and traveling together is a big part of how we, by grace through faith, keep on Sharin' Plenty God News!

If you haven't looked, lately, to see the star God is shining on you and for you, you run the risk of spending the New Year the way Bill Murray spent Ground Hog's Day. It's much more grace-filled, godly, and joyful to celebrate than it is to hibernate!

Have, and MAKE, a Happy New Year.