A New Year’s Prayer for St. Timothy’s

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us!
(Left to right: Mayra, Dan, Fr. Peter, Matt, Mia, Fernando, and Maria)

Hau‘oli Makahiki hou! Happy New Year! After an eventful and meaningful Christmas and New Year’s Day (and I’m grateful for all of you who warned us in advance about the New Year’s fireworks!), we now look ahead to the new year, committing ourselves to follow the Spirit of God at work at St. Timothy’s.

This Sunday is Epiphany Sunday, and during our 9 a.m. service, our keiki will present the Epiphany Pageant. They will share in word and song the story of the birth of the Christ child as the Magi, having followed the star from afar, finally make their way to the manger to worship Jesus and bring him gifts. You won’t want to miss this delightful retelling of the beloved story! Many thanks to our children’s Sunday School teachers for preparing and rehearsing for the pageant, and to our keiki for sharing their talents. May this special presentation fill us with joy, hope, and love for the new year ahead.

Thank you for welcoming Rev. Richard Shields as our supply priest on December 29. I’m grateful that Fr. Richard filled in so I could spend more time with my visiting family members.

As I mentioned last week, I videotaped a Prayer for the New Year and it’s posted on our St. Tim’s Facebook page (see the link below). Below you will also  the words of the prayer, and you might wish to pray it yourself from time to time as we move into this new year, trusting in God’s guidance, provision, and safeguarding for each of us and our church.

Dear sisters and brothers, may blessings abound in this Christmastide and in the year ahead. You are in my prayers, and I ask for your prayers for St. Timothy’s Church, for our dedicated staff and our devoted lay leaders, and for your vicar. May God bless you and your loved ones. 

Aloha Ke Akua!
Fr. Pete+ 

Watch Rev. Peter’s Prayer for the New Year Video

​A New Year’s Prayer for St. Timothy’s

Almighty and all-loving God, we come to you at this pivotal moment in our lives as we
conclude one year and welcome a new year. We praise and thank you for the many
blessings you have so generously bestowed upon us over these past twelve months.
We acknowledge that even in the midst of difficulties, trials, and pains, you are with us.

The loss of a loved one, health concerns for ourselves or those we love, financial
stresses, all the crises and struggles that make us human, they all encourage us to turn
to you in faith and hope, knowing within our bones that you are always with us, that your
Holy Spirit dwells within us to heal us, comfort us, and guide us.
​
We thank you for our beloved St. Timothy’s Church, and all who are part of it. Our
wardens and the Bishop’s Committee members, our staff members, and the lay leaders
of all the ministries happening in our midst—the Altar Guild, Daughters of the King,
Sunday School teachers, our Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, and Acolytes, our Music
Team, our AudioVisual team, our groundskeeping crew, our Outreach volunteers, we
are so grateful for all their dedication and good work. We thank you for every single
person who comes through our chapel door—each one has blessed us and served you
in meaningful and lovely ways.

We thank you for our neighbors in need whom we serve through our Outreach ministry,
and we ask your blessings upon them. We thank you for the community service
organizations on our church campus who serve so many people, young and mature,
every day of the week. Please continue to bless their work here on our campus.

Loving Lord, this has been a tumultuous year for many of us, for many reasons. But we
know that you love us, that you are always present with us, that you are graciously
willing to provide the support, care, and comfort that we need to get through this life.

And now we face this new year 2025. We have no idea what it holds for us as
individuals, as families, as a church, as a nation, as citizens of this world. But we know
within our hearts that you know, and that your wisdom and love will lead us forward. We
entrust our planet to you, we entrust our lives to you, and we commit afresh to love and
serve you and our neighbors to the best of our abilities, that we may encourage others
to know you and follow you.

“O God of new beginnings, of hope and liberation, in this new year bring us fresh
opportunities, equip us for new tasks, fill us with eager longing, encourage us with
fresh starts, that with the past behind us we may look to all that lies ahead with utter
faith in Jesus, hope in you, and love for all.”*

“Most gracious and merciful God, you have reconciled us to yourself through Jesus
Christ your son, and called us to new life in him. Grant that we, who begin this new year
in his Name, may complete it to his honor and glory; who lives and reigns, now and for
ever.”** 
Amen.

* Adapted from a prayer by the Very Rev’d Andrew Nunn
** From the Book of Common Prayer