New Year's Thoughts: A Preacher's Wish List

Revelation 21: 1-6

To sort of quote a song, So this is New Years, and what have you done?

What do I wish for New Year's? As a preacher, I don't wish for praise. I don't wish for control. I don't even wish for a positive review from my DS or the Board of Ordained Ministry.

I wish for faithfulness. I wish for commitment. From myself and my people. I wish for God to make all things new. I wish for people to come to Sunday School and Bible Study. I wish for faith to not just be a Sunday thing, but a Monday through Sunday thing.

I wish for families to worship together. I wish for churches and Christians to remember that as we have done to the least of these, so have we done to Him.

This is a New Year with so much potential, so much hope. How will we use it?

What do I wish for? Faithfulness. Dr. Barry Bryant, one of my seminary professor would quote Wesley as saying, “Do not tell me you are a Christian. I shall follow you for six weeks, observe your life, and then I will tell you if you are Christian.”

Faithfulness. That is what I and every preacher have on the top of our wish list.