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Bishop Peter Rogness knows about New Year’s resolutions.

“You may, like most of us, take a stab at some New Year’s resolutions,” he writes in the Saint Paul Area Synod’s January newsletter. He offers a list of possibilities:

“Only three desserts per week from now on. Read the Bible every day. No more yelling at the dog.”

He suggests the most important resolution may be something else altogether. Below is his column, titled: “This year, claim the promise!”

From the bishop:

“Behold, I make all things new.…” (Revelation: 21:5)

Whenever life is challenging, I turn to this verse. I quote it when I’m with congregations in deep pain or turmoil. This fall I’ve used it often as people wrestle with the future of our church. I quote it when I’m with individuals facing very dark times. I quote it to myself from time to time. I quote it whenever there’s a need to be reminded of God’s presence and power and promise.

(Bishop – CONTINUED)

In a world and culture that is strident in its pursuit of definite answers and sure successes, I like this verse in large part because it’s both promising and vague. It’s in the middle of an end-times vision that few of us take literally… though I take the truth of the promise very literally indeed. I’m not sure what the “new” that is promised looks like—only that it is indeed a promise coming from the Lamb of God sitting on the throne. I’m not sure whether its literal meaning is for life after death or for present dark time. Or both. But the words of the promise are unmistakable: “Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)

You’ll likely be reading this sometime around the new year. You may, like most of us, take a stab at some New Year’s resolutions. Only three desserts per week from now on. Read the Bible every day. No more yelling at the dog. Pray with the kids at bedtime. Walk 10,000 steps per day. Be more kind to the people I work with. Stay under the speed limit. The possibilities are endless.

There’s more to these resolutions than seeking every twelve months to muster a little more willpower. I think it can be an exercise in claiming God’s promise of constantly lifting us out (raising us up?!) of our doldrums and bad habits. Birthing something new in me that wasn’t there before. Shining a light in the dark night of the soul. Waiting for us at the end of life with what John Ylvisaker called “just one more surprise.” (ELW 732).

Tomorrow morning you’ll look in the mirror and think to yourself, “Same ol’ me!” Go to church and think, “Same ol’ church.” But not really. No two days are ever the same, and neither are you from one day to the next. God is always making all things new.

This year, claim the promise!

Pretty Good Lutherans reader question: Will you make a New Year’s resolution? If so, what? If not, why not?

_________________________________________________________

© Pretty Good Lutherans / By Susan Hogan

Pretty Good Lutherans: “ELCA News in Real Time”

Tigger Olson is an eight-month-old Havanese Lutheran from Cottage Grove, Minn., which is in the Saint Paul Area Synod. Tigger hopes that Lutherans everywhere will embrace Bishop Rogness’ suggestion to adopt “no more yelling at the dog” as a New Year’s resolution. Photo of Tigger courtesy of Pastor Rolf Olson, Richfield Lutheran Church (Minneapolis Synod). Rolf and Nancy Olson, a teacher extraordinaire, are Tigger’s owners.

Bishop Peter Rogness is the owner of a chocolate Labrador named Augie, according to staff members of  the Saint Paul Area Synod. “Augie” is the nickname for students at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., where the bishop studied philosophy and history as an undergraduate. (Augies are not to be confused with Auggies, students from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, or with Augies, students from Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.)

In the framed photo, posing as baby Jesus, is baby Elias. Photo courtesy of Pam & Andy Productions, St. Paul, Minn.

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Tags: bishop, change, dog, New Year's, paul, resolutions, Rogness

This entry was posted on Monday, December 28th, 2009 at 6:47 pm and is filed under Commentary, Issues, People, Synods. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.