One: We gather - all our moments coming

together in this moment

All: all our days coming together in

this day

One: we gather, all our breath coming together in one breath

All: In all our moments, in all our days,

all of our breaths

One: We find God and God finds us

All:  We have new life,

as we live this day, in this

New Year

The following slides are a modern version of a

covenant the John Wesley had early Methodists say at the beginning of the new

year

I AM NO LONGER MY OWN, BUT YOURS.

YOUR WILL, NOT MINE, BE DONE IN ALL THINGS,WHEREVER YOU MAY

PLACE ME, IN ALL THAT I DO,

AND IN ALL THAT I MAY ENDURE;

WHEN THERE IS WORK FOR ME,

AND WHEN THERE IS NONE;WHEN I AM TROUBLED

AND WHEN I AM AT PEACE;YOUR WILL BE DONE

WHEN I AM VALUED; AND WHEN I AM DISREGARDED;

WHEN I FIND FULFILLMENT AND WHEN IT IS LACKING;WHEN I HAVE ALL THINGS,

AND WHEN I HAVE NOTHING

I WILLING OFFER ALL THAT I HAVE, AND AM, TO SERVE YOU,

HOW, AND WHERE, YOU CHOOSE.

GLORIOUS AND BLESSED TRIUNE GOD

LOVE, LIFE AND POWER

YOU ARE MINE AND I AM YOURS

MAY IT BE SO ALL DAYSLET THIS COVENANT NOW

MADE ON EARTHBE FULFILLED

WITHIN THE UNIVERSE.  AMEN

Today we acknowledge that

time is an artificial construct. It is a way to order our

lives, which is important,

but it is fleeting.

We want to challenge ourselves to be in rhythm with the seasons of life,

not marked by weather or holiday

times, but by the knowledge that this

is the right time, the right season.

In order to do that we seek the ancient inspiration of the

desert monastics of Christian tradition

This wisdom has been a part of who

we are as Christians.

As you read these 12 resolutions let them

become a part of your faith and drown out the judgemental,

“you must be born again” trends of the

last century.

Our faith is about life and

transformation.We don’t have to live

by business as usual. We can

become something new.

This list was inspired by the

sermon “Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World,"

The Journey with Jesus: Notes to

Myself, Daniel B. Clendenin, Journey

with Jesus Foundation, 2006

Never stop

starting over

Live intentionally Not aimlessly(This is not a list of things to do but a

reminder that what you do…you do because it is what God needs you to do for the betterment of the very earth, and all

within it. What you do matters…

Never despair

Pray simply

Not stupidly (pray for help

and hope, not a list of things you

want)

Renounce all self-

justification(stop making excuses

for you behavior based on what is happening around you or how

others are behaving)

Stop judging others

Stay Put

(if you want to know what you

should do…do what you are doing the

lessons you need to learn are all there)

Celebrate theological modesty

(you don’t have to have all the

answers)

Theological modesty put another way

As a 20th century

Beatle sang..

Read the

Obituaries (as a reminder

that life is precious)

Acknowledge brokenness(Nobodies perfect

stop expecting yourself to be)

Be Ruthlessly

realistic(Life is not perfect. It’s just life and you

are living it…"Saint Anthony said to Poemen, 'expect trials and temptations until

your last breath.‘)

Always think good

of everyone

(Be kind everyone you

meet is fighting some kind of

battle)

One final bit of

ancient wisdom