‘I Make All Things New’
A New Year Reflection by Rev Dr Daniel McGinnis, St Hild Principal
At the very end of the Bible, there is a beautiful prophetic picture of a new heaven and a new earth, which captures God’s intention to redeem and restore his creation. This is where all redemptive history is heading, the great culmination of God’s purposes in creation. Amid this scene, God declares, ‘Behold, I make all things new,’ which is followed by, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true’ (Revelation 21.5). I believe this is an insight into the fundamental character of God – the Triune God is committed to renewing all things. And this is not just something that will happen in the end, it is something which God is continually doing in our lives and the rest of his beautiful creation.
It’s hard to believe 2025 is here – every year passes by more and more quickly! Happy New Year from me and St Hild College. The new year is the best opportunity to acknowledge a new start, and to pause and prayerfully consider what this might mean for you. No matter how 2024 has been, how disappointing or painful or wonderful, this is a new start.
I find that the best way to do this for me is to make space for a personal retreat around the beginning of the new year. I’ve been doing this for many years now, and it is always such a helpful chance to hear anew from God and seek to align myself with his priorities and renewal. Sometimes this looks like a word or theme for the coming year, sometimes it is a sense of focus, and sometimes it is simply a reminder of what you have sensed in the past. It usually takes a while for my soul to ‘settle’ in quiet, particularly after the intensity and busyness of the Christmas season. But waiting is always worth it, for like casting a stone into a pond, once the ripples have crashed and then settled, the picture becomes clear.
I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions – all the evidence shows that they are usually abandoned by the 18th of January anyway. But a clear focus for the year birthed in prayer and God’s presence is powerful and can be genuinely transformative. Practically speaking, it’s often best to get away to somewhere different for a day or two if you can and take the time to allow your soul to settle, but even if you can only set aside a few hours, this can still be extremely worthwhile. Writing down your sense of God’s guidance and vision for 2025 only adds to its effectiveness, and then you can make plans and set goals aligned with these priorities.
What is God wanting to make new in your life as the new year begins? There is great hope in this question. Take some time to pray about this and take hold of what emerges. Let’s approach 2025 with great faith and expectancy in a God who truly does make all things new.