Dear Church, I thank God for you. I am grateful for the love people have for our church. I am grateful for the trust and unity we experience. I am grateful for the friendships that have been cultivated over the year. I am grateful for the openness people have to God’s work in their life. I am grateful for the seen and unseen ways we serve one another. I am grateful for people’s patience and grace in our relationships. I am grateful for the care and comfort that is given when a sister or brother is in need. I am grateful for the embrace of people new to faith and our church family. I am grateful for the challenge and stretching that is possible because people love, trust and respect one another. I am grateful for the generosity which sustains our church and serves our wider community. I am grateful for the generosity with heart and words, when people thank one another.  

There is a lot to thank God for. I know these blessings result from the sum of our personal choices and behaviours. Yet each of us confess this is because God is at work with within us. At times too, we admit we haven’t always got things right. By the grace of God, the conviction of the Holy Spirit, God is at work bringing us back to his way. 

Dear Church, I thank God for you. As we begin a new year, let us ‘not become weary in doing good’ (Gal 6:9). Afterall, living this way together is something we can always thank God for. 

In Him, 

Jason 

Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash