1st January 2025

Have you conducted your own personal review of 2024? Perhaps you started off by writing letters to accompany Christmas cards, and then the thinking back led to further reflections? We think of the Tyndale folk we’ve loved and lost in the past year – with huge gratitude for our time with them, and for all they have meant to us.

The Psalmist looked back too:

I recall all you have done, O Lord;
I remember your wonderful deeds…
They are constantly in my thoughts.
O God, your ways are holy.
(Psalm 77: 11-13a)

‘Constantly’ may be something to aspire to (!), but we can perhaps try and discern where God has been at work in the past year. Maybe our hearts are full of gratitude for all His goodness to us; or if it was a tough year, it might take more work to recall any small glimmers of light in the darkness? How does this looking back help us as we look forward? Where might God be calling us onwards?

Somewhat further north than Bristol, people go from house to house at New Year, wishing each other a good year ahead. Perhaps we can ask Christ Himself to come and ‘first-foot’ for us, to welcome Him into our homes and invite His blessing for the year to come:

Enter Lord Christ – we have joy in Your coming.
You have given us life;
and we welcome Your coming…
Be with us Lord,
we have joy, we have joy.
This year is a new year,
the opening door.
(Extract from ‘The Opening Door’, Celtic Daily Prayer, The Northumbria Community)

Ruth Allen