Happy New Syllabus

Call me a little peculiar.

Some of my fondest memories in school were related to the first days of the semester. It was in this week that professors would often distribute the semester's syllabi. With syllabus in hand, I would review the course outline and a summary of topics to be covered. I would consider the books to be purchased and the chapters to be read. And I would anticipate - with great expectation - all of the learning objectives that would be realized in my life over the course of the next couple of months.

I told you I was a little peculiar.

What thrilled my soul were not the tests for which I would prepare or the papers over which I would agonize. What excited me was the promise of all the learning that would take place during that semester. I could see a road-map that would lead me through challenging exercises and open up a whole world of new knowledge for me. I could imagine how much wiser and better prepared I would be at the end of this course of study.

As we stand on the precipice of 2009, I am nostalgic for such a syllabus. What does this year hold in store for us? What challenges will we face? How will you and I learn and grow in the coming months?

Though I long for a day when there was a clearer road-map for the months ahead, such direction does not exist - at least not in syllabus form. Rather we step out into the New Year, trusting that God will be moving ahead of us. We put our faith in The One who will not only direct our steps, but give us everything we need to face the challenges in the days ahead.

Perhaps our learning objectives for this coming year could be summarized in the hymn by Hugh T. Kerr:

God of our life, thorugh all the circling years, we trust in you;
In all the past, through all our hopes and fears, your hand we view.
With each new day, when morning lifts the veil,
We own your mercies, Lord, which never fail.

May God grant do you and yours - and to God's church - a New Year filled with learning and growth, faith and understanding.