New Years Day 2022: a blessing

Passage for reflection for this blog:

Numbers 6: 22 - end of the chapter 

The TV programmes as 2021 turned into 2022 oozed positivity. BBC1 had Olly Alexander of Years and Years in a skirt bopping about with the Pet Shop Boys and Kylie. 

Remember back in 99'? 

Oh, we danced like maniacs all night, oh
Now the world is turning
Faster with time
And I'm slowly going outta my mind
Yeah, I, I think we're the same
Yeah, I think we're the same.

And oh-oh, where do we go, oh?
I gotta know, show me your page
Cause the clock keeps ticking the tock
I ain't gonna stop, no how, no way.

I'm chasing after midnight
Show me the way to your heart
Ready for the start of my real life
To shine like a light in the dark
Waiting for this moment to work right for you
I'm done hesitatin'
Oh yeah, only got a second to midnight.

Then there were fireworks in London lighting the night sky around Greenwich I think. And on BBC2 was the usual Jools Holland gathering, which is always good fun. While we were watching this, friends were sending us messages wishing us a happy and blessed New Year. We always start a New Year well and with confidence in each other and that this year might just be better! One of my friends on Facebook posted about midnight these words:

“Happy new year! Get in the bin 2021, you will not be missed!”

We begin 2022 believing it isn’t just friends who want the best for us, that’s what God wants too. The whole point of the Christmas story is that despite ourselves, God sends his Son into the world not to condemn the world but that we might believe… he wants to bless us. 

I looked up the lectionary for January 1 and was pleased to see the Old Testament passage is part of Numbers chapter 6. In this chapter God instructs Moses to speak to Aaron and his sons and he says “thus you shall bless the people of Israel, you shall say to them…”

Then we get what we now call the great Aaronic blessing. What does God do?

He blesses us and keeps us.

He makes his face to shine upon us.

He lifts up the light of his countenance upon us.

He gives us his peace.

We so need this stuff! We need blessing. We need keeping safe. We need light. We need someone to notice us and love us. We need some peace. Some people think the year changing will be like that sickly Christmas song: from now on our troubles will be out of sight. We need this in January! Once we’ve forgotten the good wishes and fireworks, we face uncertainty. Apparently, January 18 is the most depressing day of the year. That day we notice our financial situation and our waistline and we recognise that we have hard graft ahead of us…

Here is good news: the Lord blesses us and keeps us. He’s working his purpose out. So today, celebrate how you can see the blessings and then be them for others. We are kept - for eternity and when we can’t see the way this year the light of his countenance will do its stuff and perhaps when it all gets too much we just need to stop and find his peace again. 

I wrote a service two of our churches are using tomorrow for an own arrangement. My final prayer talks about asking God to show us the stars. Maybe 2022 will be better if we worry less about the things in the world and look up a bit more and see the good things about and remember them. 

Happy New Year everyone. May the Lord indeed bless you and keep you.