A Year That Begins in Hope

Revelation 21:5 See, I am making all things new.

Summary: As we end one sacred cycle and step into another, we remember that the Church’s year teaches us to live by God’s time—where every ending becomes a doorway into new hope.

Dear Beloved in Christ,

Last Sunday marked the quiet ending of something precious—the final day of our liturgical year. It’s easy to miss it. There are no fireworks, no countdown, no parade. Yet in the rhythm of the Church, this ending is deeply meaningful. It’s a moment to pause, breathe, and take stock of where God has met us in the past twelve months.

The liturgical year is more than a calendar. It’s a spiritual journey that carries us through the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus—and then beyond, into the long season of learning how to follow him in the world. It shapes our imaginations, centers our worship, and quietly forms us into people who move at God’s pace rather than the frantic hurry of the world.

And now, we stand on the threshold of something new. This coming Sunday, Advent begins—the first day of the Church’s new year. Advent invites us not into frantic preparation, but into holy expectation. It is the season where hope leans forward, where light dawns gently, where we practice the sacred art of waiting. In a world that tells us everything must be instant, Advent dares to teach us slow wonder.

So as we shift from one sacred cycle to the next, I invite you to notice what this rhythm stirs in you. What have you learned in the past year? Where has Christ surprised you? What holy longing rises in your heart as you look toward the coming of Emmanuel—God with us?

May this new year open in you a spacious, tender place where Christ can be born again.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Anny+