Today the church begins its new year,Pastor Bo Giertz wrote this in his devotional book by first quoting the Hosanna story which describes Jesus entering into Jerusalem: “This is the church’s New Year’s Day. Someone is coming to us, a merciful King with the promise of yet another year of grace.

A year of grace? Wishes like those can be just as unfulfilled as conventional New Year’s Day wishes normally are.

A year of grace? This year I won’t only wish for it and hope that it comes by itself. I will pray for it. I will open myself up for it. I will attempt to follow Him so I don’t miss anything He has to give.”

Those words drive me to expect the mercy of our LORD and the coming year of grace . Finally let’s join the prayer from Pastor Giertz and wish you a blessed new year:

So here I stand, Lord, among all the people who sing and rejoice when You pass by. And now, Lord, I don’t want to just stand aside and look on. I want to come along so I may see and hear. I know You will come and enter the city, and go up to the temple. You come to speak to us. I want to stand there and listen. I know that strange things happened, terrible things, important and critical things happened there in Jerusalem. I want to see it with my own eyes. So I pray to You, that this Church Year will be a year with You, full of what You have to give, full of the word that comes from Your lips, and full of Your own presence. Lord, help. Lord, may all go well. Hosanna in the highest.