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Friday, January 01, 2010

Fresh starts and covenants- Friday Five


As I prepare this post I am aware that it will be posted on New Years Day. We stand at the beginning of 2010 looking not only at a New Year, but at a new decade full of promise and possibilities. For some of us this will be exciting, but others will approach it with trepidation and probably most of us stand on this threshold with a mix of emotions and reactions.

It is at this time of year that many (British) Methodist Churches celebrate their Annual Covenant Service, a service that will include this prayer:

I am no longer my own but yours,
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing,
put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you,
or laid aside for you,
exalted for you,
or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty,
let me have all things,
let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
And now glorious and blessed God,
Father , Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
May it be so forever.
Let this covenant now made on earth
be fulfilled in heaven. AMEN

This prayer is said every year, and offers every member an opportunity to renew their covenant with God. This is no soft or easy prayer, it states in the company of others our willingness to worship God come what may, not that we should become doormats, but that we place God above all else. ( And every year if we are honest we have to acknowledge that we fail).

With this prayer in mind I bring you this Friday Five:


1. What will you gladly leave behind in 2009?

2. What is the biggest challenge of 2010 for you?

3. Is there anything that you simply need to hand to God and say "all will be well, for you are with me"?

4. If you could only achieve one thing in 2010 what would it be?

5. Post a picture, poem or song that sums up your prayer for the year ahead....


As always, let us know in comments if you play. Post a direct link to your blog entry in your comment using the following formulation in the comment box: <a href="the url of your blog post goes here">what you want the link to say goes here</a> For a complete how-to, click here.

30 comments:

  1. a href="http://hearthside-angela.blogspot.com/2010/01/friday-five-new-years-traditions.html">Here<;/a> is my short, quick play. we're off to do Christmas with the in-laws, so i've got to go pack. promise to catch up on reading and commenting when i get up there.

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  2. Looking forward (literally) to the year over here!

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  3. Beautiful post, great reflections. I will play as a reward for cleaning off my desktop (my resolution for today).

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  4. Here is my first Friday 5 of 2010

    Thanks, Sally!

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  5. going back to this far by faith that's been dormant for a while seemed very appropriate for this one... thanks, Sally and a Blessed New Year and New Decade to everyone!

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  6. Celebrating New Year's Day at my computer; I played here.

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  7. I played here and check out my photo reflections on 2009 in the two previous posts...

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  8. Nice one Sally! My play is here.

    Blessed New Year, everyone!

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  9. I looked back at 2009 and forward to 2010… here.

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  10. I'm watching football and playing here...

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  11. What a wonderful Friday Five challenge. I played here - but not before writing this

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  12. Did it . And it's STILL Friday. Wonders will never cease!

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  13. Happy New Year everyone! I played over here.

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  14. Chiming in late, I am praying for God's purposes in 2010, and I played here.

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  15. I played here

    Word verification: coldun
    Yep. it is.

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  16. Happy New Year ya'll, and thanks Sally for a great Friday Five.
    I : played late this evening.

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  17. I played but can't remember how you do the link thing! http://revruth.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/new-year-and-covenants/

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  18. I played! Because I'm a day late it became a birthday post instead of a New Years post!

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