Christ of the New Year...

When I was a kid growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I used to like to sit around on New Year's eve and watch Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve. Nowadays, I go to my local church's new year's celebration. Whether or not it is Dec 31, any day is a great time to worship the Lord Jesus Christ - His majesty, His authority, His person.

But this year, I was thinking... "I do not believe The Lord really cares about the New Year...at least not in the way we regard it." It is not a biblical celebration. It is not a a time the Lord told us to commemorate. It is not in line with the Hebrew calendar which is the calendar identified in the scriptures. It just doesn't seem like the type of thing The Lord would regard. I am saying that based on what the scriptures teach, not my own opinions. And I would have to say, the scriptures are mainly silent on this issue.

I thought about this passage... "Let no one judge you in food or drink, or regarding festivals or a new moon or sabbaths" (Colossians 2:16). So then too, I will not judge any of my brothers or sisters who choose to celebrate the new year. When you gather to "celebrate the New Year", I simply hope it is a time dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether it is January 1, 2 or 3 doesn't really matter. What is enjoyable is the opportunity to reflect on the goodness, the mercy, the faithfulness, the splendor of our King.

Christ is all-