A Fresh Start

Happy New Year! As it happens, I had the privilege of providing the column for my church's January newsletter. So I get to start off the year in a lazy mode and just share what I've already written!

A Fresh Start

Happy New Year! And happy new YOU – if that is your desire.

January often arrives quietly, especially when it brings new snow. Overnight, the world can be transformed—yesterday’s footprints softened, tire tracks smoothed away, familiar paths made new again. A clean slate stretches before us, inviting us to begin again.

We talk a lot about “fresh starts” at the beginning of a new year. Resolutions are made, calendars are empty, and hope feels a little closer to the surface. Yet as Christians, we should know that God’s gift of new beginnings is not limited to January 1. God is in the business of renewal every single day.

Martin Luther reminded the church that baptism is not a one-time event locked in the past, but a daily reality. Each day, we die to sin and rise to new life. Each night, we come before God honestly, carrying the marks of the day—our worries, our regrets, our sharp words, and missed chances. 

And each night, Jesus meets us not with condemnation, but with grace. Forgiveness falls gently, like fresh snow, covering what was and preparing the ground for what can be.

This is good news for those of us who didn’t end last year the way we hoped. It’s good news for anyone who already feels behind on resolutions or burdened by habits that won’t disappear overnight. God’s mercy does not depend on our willpower or our ability to “do better this time.” It depends on Christ alone.

As we step into this new year, may we notice the small signs of grace around us: a quiet snowfall, a kind word, a moment of peace at the end of a long day. May we trust that God is always offering us a clean slate—not just once a year, but again and again.

Whatever tracks you carry into this January, know this: God’s grace is deeper, wider, and more enduring. In Christ, every day begins with mercy, and every morning invites us to start anew.

Amen.