Dear Friends in Christ,

     What a wonderful celebration of the birth of our Savior we shared over the Christmas holidays as we heard the marvelous story of Jesus' birth told in so many different ways. The Cantata was magnificent, the White Gifts service under the leadership of our youth was a blessing, and our Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service always feels like the high moment in our observance of this sacred event in human history.

     One of the things Linda and I had an opportunity to do this year was to see a few more Christmas movies on television as we both were recovering from surgeries. There was a recurring theme in many of them—someone had been alienated from the family, and the story revolved around the recovery of a relationship of love that had been lost, in some instances for years. The movies were heartwarming and made us wish that good endings could always happen in real life.

     Another thing we noticed was that there was a recurring question in these movies this year as well: "Do you believe that someone really can change?" For indeed, for reconciliation to occur in relationships, change is often required. We tend to think that people will always be the same way they have always been, and as a result we sometimes give up on them (or ourselves) prematurely. But if we were to look closely, we'd see that change happens all around us, all the time. How many of us have known recovering alcoholics whose lives have been redeemed by their commitment to sobriety? Linda and I have a dear friend who is celebrating over a decade of sobriety and his life has changed in marvelous ways. He has been truly blessed. I know another man who, when I first met him, appeared to have always been a devout believer; but everyone told me if I had known him years ago, I wouldn't believe he was the same person. I have even known a former high official in the Communist party in Cuba who gave his life to Christ and was transformed into one of the most Spirit-filled Christians I've ever met.

     The Bible tells us that we can become "new creatures" in Christ, and that we can grow and mature in Christian love. New beginnings are possible; John Wesley said that "a decisive change can and does occur in the human heart" when we receive the love and grace of God within. And that change can often bring healing and hope to relationships that have been fragmented.

     Linda and I want to wish each of you a Happy New Year, filled with happiness, love, peace, and joy and we pray that in the New Year, God will bless us all in such a way that we can become agents of change and blessing in the lives of others as well.

Yours in the love of Christ,

Bob

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