Yesterday in the first of these podcasts for this new year, I mentioned the indelible impression

that was made on me by a New Year service at which I preached when I was a student, and I

mentioned how moved I was by the way after the sermon the whole

congregation joined together in the words of a personal covenant.

The service was in a Methodist church, and we sang from the Methodist hymn book.

I had never used it before.

But I was so struck by the words that we were singing that sometime later I bought a copy

and found a bonus that has lasted all through my life.

The Methodist hymn book not only had the first line of a hymn, it had the first line of

every verse of a hymn, which meant when I could remember how the third verse

began but couldn't remember what hymn it came from, I went straight for the Methodist

hymn book to help me. But the really important thing was the hymn that we were singing. It

was written by Charles Wesley. His brother used it as the opening item of praise at the annual meeting of the Methodist

societies to help them to praise God for the blessings of the previous year. And its first lines

expressed that. And are we yet alive and see each other's face? Glory and praise to Jesus give for His redeeming grace.

I wonder if you'll feel that way at the first church service that you go to this year.

Even better, shouldn't we really feel that every week when our church family meets together?

We tend to live very much outside each other, don't we?

And you remember how Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 that no one knows a person's

real thoughts except the person himself.

We're very much individuals.

And yet the wonderful thing that happens to us when we come to faith in Jesus Christ

...