Well, now that everybody’s exhausted all their Christmas toys, finished off all the eggnog, and binge-watched whatever TV shows they received, it’s time to get back to the Minor Prophets!  I know that everybody has been putting up with Christmas festivities just so they can find out which Minor Prophet we’ll be preaching each Sunday.  Well, wait no longer!  We’ll be looking at Zephaniah, one of the two most popular prophets that start with the letter Z.

Not everything in the prophets is lovely to read, as there are many dire pictures painted of both the sin that has been happening and the results of God’s judgment on those sins.  And Zephaniah has plenty of that early on, but Sean Michael Lucas called Zephaniah 3:14-20 a “beautiful Gospel text.”  God’s people will sing glorious songs in response to our Singing Savior, who stands in our midst and sings love songs over us.  I love to sing, and I know many of you do as well; but what an amazing picture that God loves to sing too, reminding us that we are safe in Him.

I’m looking forward to saying goodbye to 2017 this Sunday.  In many people’s eyes, 2017 was a terrible year between all the natural disasters, abuse/harrassment scandals, ugly politics, protests, and racism.  But there is always hope on the edge of the New Year.  And our hope is that God works here in the world, in the lives of His children, and also that He is drawing us to Himself, one day to be forever with Him, forever home.  Let’s celebrate that together Sunday!