Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The text on which this morning's message is based comes from our Epistle lesson (Colossians 3: 12-17).

I'm not too big about making New Year's resolutions. I'm not saying New Year's resolutions are a bad thing, I'm just saying that I've never made them a priority. The few times I did it when I was younger, my resolutions to do more exercise or read more classic literature generally fell by the wayside. My inner resolve was insufficient. When I need motivation to resolve to do something, that motivation works best for me if it is an external motivation. For example, when I was 40 I played on the Seminary intercollegiate tennis team. I lost often that year, including a couple of matches I could have won except that I was not in as good as physical condition as the 20 year-olds I was playing. I tuckered out. I resolved to be in better shape the next year so I could win more matches. At age 41 I won 8 matches and lost only 3. I needed an external motivation.

I'm not too big about making New Year's resolutions. Maybe you are. If I were, this morning's Epistle text would be a great place to start. If we were to rewrite this as a list of resolutions, here is what I came up with: Be more compassionate.......Be more kind

Be more humble.......Be more gentle

Be more patient.......Be more forgiving

Be more loving.......Have a stronger sense of peace

Let Christ's Word be more active.......Teach others more about Christ's Word

Sing with more gratitude to God....... Give thanks to God more

Do all these in the name of Jesus

Wooo! 13 resolutions. Sounds like a lot. And they're not really all that specific. Do I need to be more compassionate in all situations, or can I be a bit selective? Should I really try to be more kind and gentle with "Jane," that difficult woman at work? I never tried to take on 13 resolutions at one time.

If you are one who likes to practice New Year's resolutions, then this is a fine, but very daunting list. I hesitate to suggest this list to you, because I know how likely we are to fail at New Year's resolutions and I know that you would not want to fail at this list.

But in reality, this is the list we are all called to "put on" even though we will fail at it again and again. New Year's resolutions fall under the heading of "Law", self-imposed or God-imposed restraints to our sinful behavior. New Year's resolutions generally require will power, strength of human will to persevere through difficulty. This list is not "Law", but a list of the "fruits of the Spirit" that Christians receive through being God's chosen people, holy and deeply loved. These are the fruits that will spring from healthy branches that are connected, healthily connected to the Vine which is Christ.

In our Gospel lesson we learn of two of God's long-term followers who have their first direct connection with the Christ child. Simeon was described as "righteous and devout", waiting patiently for God to bring his salvation to Israel. He praised God, with words we will use in our liturgy again in a few moments, for dismissing him in peace (after the Lord's Supper, we have received Jesus physically as did Simeon, so we can say "Lord now let your servant go in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation which was prepared before the face of all people...). But he warns Mary and Joseph of the hard times that are to come for Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit Simeon foresaw the suffering that Christ would go through, the rejection by his own people, the thoughts of their hearts revealed. Simeon and Anna foresaw the ransom which Jesus had come to pay for his chosen people, holy and dearly loved. That ransom was paid on Christ's cross, so that we who respond to His saving Word realize that it is no small event that has changed the world and our lives.

Paul has had a similar message in the first two chapters of his letter to the Colossians (2: 9-10): "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority" and (2: 12) "(you were) buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead." We have been connected to the vine, and this list of spiritual fruits are simply there for us to observe and grow as we allow Christ's Word to dwell richly in us. When we realize the scope of his forgiveness for us and the cost by which it was purchased, then forgiving others becomes an automatic result. Even when their transgressions against us seem large, when we realize the extent of our own sin and the huge price Christ paid for our ransom, then and only then do we realize the strength of forgiveness capable for us. When we realize the depth of Christ's love shown to us, then and only then are we able to be bound together with our Christian brothers and sisters in like love. When we realize the magnitude of the peace that Christ brought between us and the Father, then and only then will our hearts, like Simeon's, be ruled by peace.

One of the downsides to New Year's resolutions is that when we inevitably break them, we're left with the sense failure "Oh well, maybe I'll try that resolution again next year."

So Paul is not giving us a list of resolutions to make, as good as that list might be. He is simply giving us a description of who we are, who we are constantly striving to become in Christ. The Vine is constant � The fruit are growing. We who are striving to be good fruit will at times produce bad. But then we don't need to have a sense of failure and despair. When we fail, we have the Christian opportunity again to go to our Lord for forgiveness. When we lack gentleness and patience with "Jane" we can go to God and "Jane" and seek forgiveness and reconciliation. As long as we are not taking that God's forgiveness for granted but honestly seek His mercy, He is willing, for Christ's sake, to grant it again and again.

We can do the same for others. Luther once wrote on this text: "whoever realizes Christianity is a progressive order will not be offended at the occasional manifestation of ungentleness, unkindness and impatience on the part of a Christian; for he remembers that Christians are commanded to bear one another's burdens and failings." When our Christian brother fails at one or more of those fruit, that doesn't lead us to conclude they are not connected to Christ or to be avoided by us. When our Christian brother fails at one or more of those fruit, their failure gives us another opportunity to show our fruit, our forgiveness, our love. Paul says "over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

At Christmas love came down from heaven for us in Christ. If ever you feel distant from God, look to the little Christchild Jesus. Nothing is more appealing to us and our love than a baby. Give thanks for the marvel, the glory of God embodied in 7 pounds of human flesh. The world is in the process of forgetting Christmas, but we know that Christmas has just started, not ended on December 25. We know that this Christchild Jesus continues to come to us through His Word and through the Sacrament we are about to receive.

I've never been too big into New Year's resolutions. I've always needed some sort of external motivation in order to "resolve." Thanks be to God that He has given us that external motivation in Christ's love and ransom for us. Through Him we can put on His compassion and love.

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4: 7)