Sunday, January 2: Christ

More often than not, the new year is treated as a reset - a chance to start over completely from scratch. But what if this year, we take it as an opportunity not to reset per se, but to recenter our lives and refocus our vision? What if, instead of bemoaning all the missed opportunities of the past year, we embrace everything that was good about it and double down on those things?

Confession, Community, & Commission. These are central to the life of the church. And the foremost truth we confess is Christ. Christ the King, whose humble entrance into the world we commemorated barely a week ago in the Christmas celebration. Christ the Prophet, who revealed - and continues to reveal - the character of God to a needy people. Christ the Priest, who offered Himself for the sins of those same people.

This Christ is the cornerstone of our faith. All the questions that matter find their answer in Him. — “Who is God?” We understand God as we understand Christ. — “What has God done?” Christ’s deeds are God’s deeds. — “Who are we?” Our identity is found in embracing Christ. — “What are we to do?” Christ has taught us how to live.

If you belonged to Christ in 2021, don’t fall victim to the mentality that He is disappointed with your year, but this year will be the year you really start following Him. Acknowledge the work that Christ has begun in you, and as we kick off this month of prayer, commit to pray for that work’s intensification in the days to come.