by Christine Sine
One of my favourite epiphany practices which I have done for the last 5 years, is the chalking of the door. I first came across this practice when I was in Germany several years ago, a first puzzled by these strange patterns over the doors which spelled out a hidden code. Now I display the same hidden code over my own back door, and people often ask what it is all about.
Either on Twelfth Night (January 5), the twelfth day of Christmastide and eve of the feast of the Epiphany, or on Epiphany Day (January 6) itself, many Christians in Europe chalk their doors with a pattern such as this, “20 † C † M † B † 24”. The numbers refer to the calendar year (20 and 24, for this year); the crosses stand for Christ; and the letters have a two-fold significance: C, M and B are the initials for the traditional names of the Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar), as well as an abbreviation of the Latin blessing Christus mansionem benedicat, which means, May Christ bless this house. Taken together, this inscription is performed as a request for Christ to bless our homes and stay with those who dwell in them throughout the entire year. This year I found this simple graphic that helps explain it. Of course we don’t really know the names of the Magi. We don’t even know if were three of them, or if they were all men, but it is still a fun way to bless our homes and welcome others into our midst.
I love the way that people use their own creativity to chalk their doors. Some do it across the top. Some do it down the side and others, especially if they have small children, do it across the bottom. My favourite image of chalking the door was sent to me last year by a Godspace follower who had never chalked her door before because she always thought it had to be done across the top. But as you can see, when she learned otherwise she went to town and decorated the whole door.
2011 chalking the door
Here is a simple but effective blessing to go along with your chalking of the door. Thank you Emily Huff who originally posted this
A Blessing of the Home
(L=Leader, C=Community)
L: The Lord is with you;
C: And also with you.
All: Peace be to this house and to all who live, work, and visit here.
L: Let’s take a moment to remember the friends and family who have passed through our door during the past year and give thanks to God for them.
C: (say the names of friends and family who have visited)
L: The three wise men came to Bethlehem in search of Jesus. They brought to him precious gifts: gold to honor the newborn king, incense to the true God in human form, and myrrh to anoint his body, which one day would die like our own.
L: Let us pray. O God, you once used a star to show to all the world that Jesus is your Son. May the light of that star that once guided wise men to honor his birth, now guide us to recognize him also, to know you by faith, and to see you in the epiphanies of the daily experiences of our lives.
L: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord — Jesus born of Mary — shall be revealed.
C: And all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.
All: As the Wise Men once sought your brilliant light, O Lord, so may we seek to live and work in your splendor.
L: O God of Light, bless this (our) house and this (our) family. May this be a place of peace and health. May each member of this family cultivate the gifts and graces you have bestowed, dedicating our talents and works for the good of all.
L: Make this house a shelter in the storm and a haven of rest for all in need of your warmth and care. And when we go out from this place, may we never lose sight of that Epiphany star.
C: As we go about our work, our study, our play, keep us in its light and in your love.
A Blessing of the Chalk for Marking the Door
L: Lord Jesus, through your Incarnation and birth in true human form, you have made all the earth holy. We now ask your blessing upon this simple gift of your creation — chalk. We use it as a tool to teach our children, and they use it as a tool in their play and games. Now, with your blessing, may it become a tool for us to mark the doors of our home with the symbols of your wise servants who, so long ago, came to worship and adore you in your first home.
People in turn mark the doorway with one or more of the symbols:
20+C+ M+ B+24
L: May we, in this house, and all who come to visit, to work, and to play, remember these things throughout the coming year. May all who come and go here find peace, comfort, joy, hope, love, and salvation, for Christ has come to dwell in this house and in these hearts.
All: May we be Christ’s light in the world. Amen.
(Copyright © 1999. The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. Used by permission
We are invited to Follow the Star in 2024
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. MATTHEW 2: 1-12 NIV
When you think about Following what things come to mind? What do you feel,think about, or see?
Is it a positive or a negative word for you?
The Dictionary defines FOLLOW:
transitive verb
1: to go, proceed, or come after
followed the guide
2a. to engage in as a calling or way of life : pursue
wheat-growing is generally followed here
b. to walk or proceed along
follow a path
3. a.: to be or act in accordance with
follow directions b. : to accept as authority : obey
followed his conscience
I think of :
Following the Leader…like in a line at school
Following Directions like in baking a cake or going to a new place.
Following the rules
Following people on social media
Following the sunset when I travel or as I walk my dog.
Following the Star …like the Magi
The Magi, the Magicians, Astrologers, Wise Ones, followed a Star for two years in order to go worship a new King. They left everything familiar and all the comforts of home to go seek out this King and worship him.
They were on the road for a long time. They were in unfamiliar territory, most likely hostile to them and their beliefs, yet they CHOSE to keep going and to seek out this new king.
Since they knew that the Star was forecasting the King of the Jews, they sought him in the main city, in Jerusalem at the palace of King Herod. Yet Herod hasn’t heard anything about this new king. Herod hasn’t been paying attention to the heavens. To the signs. He’s been too busy being greedy and violent, seeking power and prestige. When this Entourage from the East arrives at his palace, his world is disrupted. He is scared. And it must have been a big group, not just three kings/magi because ALL of Jerusalem was frightened with him.
Are they being overrun again? Is this group of foreigners friend or foe? Is this new king a threat?
Herod asks his wise ones where a new king might be born. And they let him know that Bethlehem in Judea is the place the Messiah is to be born …so not just any old King! But the KING OF KINGS! The ONE WHO SAVES, the Deliverer they have waiting for for 400 years! The KING OF THE JEWS!
These Magi have followed a Star that may be forecasting the birth of THE KING!
But rather than celebrate and go along with this group of seekers, rather that FOLLOW, everyone stays put in the palace. Herod asks the Magi to send word back after they find this child but we don’t have record that ANYONE goes and FOLLOWS the STAR with the Magi.
This has always bothered me! Wasn’t anyone the least bit curious?
Wasn’t anyone interested?
Or were they just too busy with their regular lives to be bothered with an adventure?
Were they all just too comfortable in the palace to take a trip to Bethlehem?
Was it because these guys weren’t Jewish that they didn’t believe them? Or were they afraid of them because they were different? Or was it that they didn’t want to “pollute” themselves by traveling with them? Or being seen with them because they were Gentiles?
It was less than 7 miles to Bethlehem. 10 kilometers or so, so not a very big commitment to just go and see.
It makes me wonder how often I miss the invitation to FOLLOW when it doesn’t fit my schedule or when the invitation disrupts my comfort zone or comes from someone I don’t know well or looks different from me.
How often do I refuse the invitation to FOLLOW?
Do I receive and OPEN the invitation to go seek and worship Jesus? or like Herod and his wise ones do I stay stuck in the palace?
Jesus says “Follow me” over 20 times in the Gospels. Am I paying attention? Are we listening? Are we receiving that invitation ?
We are all invited to Follow the Star in the NEW YEAR.
What would make you Follow the Star in 2024?
What makes you want to stay at home? Talk to Jesus about the things that are keeping you stuck.
King Herod wasn’t curious. He wasn’t looking for the Messiah. What would help you get curious about FOLLOWING AGAIN?
The Scribes in Herod’s court could look up information, but they didn’t do anything with it. They didn’t take action. We who have known Jesus for a while often have a lot of information about Him, we have memorized scripture, read lots of books, etc, but how are we FOLLOWING ? How are we doing the things that Jesus did?
Think about the Wise Ones, the Magi.
They were looking for something, they were expecting something BIG!
They were trained to read the stars and they chose to PAY ATTENTION!
They were willing to take a risk, to take ACTION! Are we willing to RISK?
How do we want to be Followers in 2024? What is Jesus inviting us to in this next few weeks and months?
WHAT IS THE INVITATION Jesus has for you and me? How is Jesus inviting you to FOLLOW him and his star in the new year?
Where are you today?
What would it take for you to follow the STAR?
Like the Wise Ones of Old, are you willing to go on an Adventure to find the King?
Even if no one else goes along?
Are you willing to leave your comfort zone to find King Jesus?
Are you willing to risk?
What is God’s STAR calling you to?
Are you willing to take your treasure to the King?
Even when things don’t look like you expect them to look, are you willing to follow?
TALK TO JESUS ABOUT THIS
ACTION:
What two things do you need to do less of in order to follow the Star in the New Year?
Less Netflix, less social media, less shopping, less anger, less comparison, less wasted time, less judgment of others, less prejudice, less shame, less busyness, less judgement, etc. What do you need LESS OF?
What two things do you need to do or do more of …in order to follow the Jesus this year?
Examples:
More compassion, more serving the poor, more honesty, more prayer, more trust, more love, more creativity more rest/Sabbath, more________?
You might write these on paper stars or post it note stars and put them in your journal or somewhere you will see often to remind you.
Ask Jesus to help you follow Him in 2024…and invite some friends to journey with you! The Magi didn’t travel alone. They were in a group! So maybe you need a gather a new group and Follow together!
Tell Jesus where you are on your journey…He is not afraid of how you feel or where you have been. He knows we get stuck in the palace. He knows that we are exhausted by the world and all it’s pain and conflict. He knows that even 10 km feels like a long walk.
Know that Jesus just wants to be with you NOW and ALWAYS! You are not alone. You are GREATLY LOVED! You are invited to FOLLOW!
James Tissot’s Journey of the Magi in the Minneapolis Art Museum
CREATING
My Bible begins,
‘When God began creating…’
I’m doubtful though
that when the worlds were born in a big bang
and life burst forth,
that God, at sweep of hand,
announced it as good.
And question
that she then sat to rest,
her task completed,
laying down her tools.
I know no artist who stops
out of inclination,
the need to create an upswelling urge
breaking with the dawn,
returning under starlight.
The work that is true
is never complete,
and ‘good’ to the artist
is ever a faint representation
of the possible ahead.
No, my God is a God of seasonal changes,
like the writer making endless amendments,
inspired revisions.
How the trees tell us this,
and the weather with its benign blue mantle,
its wild winter storms.
Sometimes God appears
all quiet and receptive
as a garden under a soft golden haze.
While every now and then
she will shake the foundations,
wipe clean the canvas,
start again.
AT THE HORIZON
Sometimes we need go to the sea,
where no line is drawn between earth and sky,
and the waves, the colour of the sun,
dance against heaven.
Here the horizon is limitless,
a passage for the setting of the day,
that she might rise on a new dawn
with no obstacle.
Our knowledge that the sun travels on
beyond her disappearance,
is a reminder for us to believe
in continuance, and in beginnings.
Tomorrow she will bow out again,
as a guest aware of not outstaying welcomes,
like most good things
of which the gloss wears off
without loss, the great balancer.
Here by the ocean, the largeness
of everything is the counterpoint
to the small and mundane,
the minutiae we get caught up in.
Anything too small cannot be seen
against the magnitude of heaven.
Except for us walking into the light,
breathing and dreaming of tomorrow,
as though it all depended
on our conspiring, when really
we are given countless opportunity
every day, endless openings,
to all the ways the light finds us.
WHAT YOU DIDN’T DO
What didn’t you do?
Did you not stop a flood
or save a forest from fire?
Did you not stop yourself from falling,
or the careless word from slipping?
Did you not protect another from themselves,
or keep the phantoms from their heels?
Did you not preserve the peace,
or keep your own triggers from rearing?
But who are you? Just human.
And though you’ve given yourself
the role of reconciler,
saver of days
you try in your own might,
like the labouring builders
seeking purchase upon sand.
Perhaps we are to task ourselves
with the holy work of healing
our own selves first,
acknowledging our intrinsic worth,
alongside our human frailty.
Perceive ourselves forgiven,
that in the awareness of our own broken walk
we might find compassion to lend,
and the mercy which saves,
in the way it mirrors
the love we’ve each inherited,
can hardly believe we needn’t earn.
photos by Ana Lisa de Jong
The Gate to Heaven: Poems for Contemplation – Download
Free book of poems by one of our community writers, Ana Lisa de Jong called “The Gate to Heaven: Poems for Contemplation”. Enjoy this collection of beautiful, contemplative poems.
by Barbie Perks
Isaiah 40:1-11 is read in conjunction with Mark 1:1-8 as the lectionary reading for the second Sunday in Advent this year. It is usually read as referring to John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus.
This year for my Advent practice, I purchased a copy of John van de Laar’s The Making of a Messiah and have been blessed in using it. I have been challenged to re-think what it means to hope (week 1) and now in week 2 I’m challenged anew by what it means to be a peacemaker. One thing that strikes me is that I can’t pretend to be a peacemaker (much as I would like to) if I’m not at peace within my own heart.
I have known for some time that I tend to overthink things, especially things that bother me, and the thinking/arguing/justifying conversations that I have in my own head at times can drive me up the wall! The devotional reading this week, and the questions to help me work through it, provided an insight into my heart I had not perceived before. I am responsible for the chaos, the conflict, the violence I do to myself with and through my thought life, and until I make peace in my head and heart, I will not be able to make peace in my relationships or even in the community around me.
My daily walks have been interesting as the week has progressed. I have been talking to God about this insight, and inevitably my thoughts will wander depending on what I am seeing around me. I have been able to recognise and bring those thoughts back to order, to banish the conflict I sense coming at me. A result is a new sense of peace flooding over me at that point. It is a journey I’m embarking on, preparing the way for a new Peace-filled walk with God.
Two days ago, I spotted and picked up a discarded birds nest. It was intricately made and even had soft grass flowers lining the inside of the nest. I thought it would have been quite soft and comfortable. But for some unknown reason the nest had been discarded. A thought popped into my head, asking how many times we as people, I as a person, tend to discard God’s comfort without reason. Sometimes we just flat out don’t even know what that comfort looks like because we are so focussed on what we want, how our issues could be resolved, that we are oblivious to what God is doing in our lives. I know I am guilty of this.
I have hung that bird’s nest on my Christmas tree to remind me to look deeper for the comfort God provides, to be more aware of the peace that comes when I address and banish the conflict that rages in my thoughts and to welcome the opportunities to build peace into my relationships when they present themselves.
May God lead you into peace this Christmas season, may He fill you with hope and joy, and may you feel His love as you celebrate anew the birth of Christ this year.
Welcome to 2024 and all the hope and promise that it holds. This is a time to rethink, refocus and renew. What spiritual practices gave you the strongest connection to God in 2023? How might you adapt, change, refresh them as we begin a new year? The new year seems to hold so many possibilities and it is easy to grab hold of too much and become overwhelmed before January is over. I love the way that June Friesen expressed it in the Facebook Godspacelight Community Group. Each of the 366 days of the year (yes it is a leap year) is a gift. 366 opportunities to embrace life in fullness and I pray that all of us will
In this week’s Monday Meditation – Rethinking 2024 I wrote about the process I use to reorient myself at the beginning of each year. I am very excited about the potential the year holds, in spite of challenges we face in the world around us. I highly recommend that all of us take time at the beginning of the year to reorient in this way, to bask in the sun of new possibilities and new opportunities. In her Freerange Friday – Remember, Lilly Lewin posted another process, an excellent Examen exercise for the beginning of the year. Yesterday Elaine Breckenridge posted another such process in Another Year of Grace. I do hope you will take time to read through each of these, as they all discuss different practices and approaches that you might like to adapt to your own process for discernment at the beginning of the year. I love Elaine’s suggestion of sweeping out the old year last thing at night on December 31st through the back door and then welcoming the new year through the front door at dawn on January 1st. You may have missed the deadline, but it is still a great practice for any day this week.
The 12 days of Christmas are an interesting time, as I find my focus and the focus of many of you is on the new year rather than these days when we should continue our Christmas celebrations. Not surprisingly, that is reflected in the Godspacelight posts from this last week. On Saturday I posted a beautiful poem In Memoriam by Alfred Tennyson, sent to me in words by Tom Balke and musical form by Michael Moore. Such a beautiful addition to the prayers and poems on Godspacelight for the Christmas/New Year season. I really appreciate it when people make me aware of such enriching material that will nurture all of us.
There are two Christmas themed posts that I recommend too. Sheila Hamel wrote a very intriguing post A Christmas Message For Our World – the Rubik’s Cube and June Friesen contributed Bathing in the Son I love the way she uses her photos as a focusing point for reflection and the writing of poetry.
Next on the liturgical calendar is the Feast of Epiphany, celebrated on January 6th. There are lots of practices to consider for this day. In some cultures, this is the day when most gifts are exchanged, usually in conjunction with a yummy Three Kings Cake. I am getting ready to Chalk the Door – and combine it with a house blessing, my favourite practices for the day.
Because discernment and renewal is such a good place to start the year, we will launch our upcoming webinar series with one on Spiritual Discernment. Make sure you have these dates on your calendar. Spiritual Discernment: Finding Direction in a Confusing World, Saturday January 27th; Lent Quiet Day March 2nd and Spirituality of Gardening – May 11th. I am very aware that Saturday morning Pacfic Time is very inconvenient for those who live in Australia and New Zealand. Please let me know if you would be interested in another event at a better time. I m very happy to arrange one on Friday afternoon for me, which would be Saturday morning in Australia and New Zealand.
A big thank you to those who responded to my questions about Substack. It certainly sounds as though this might initially be a good addition to what I do and probably a switch from mailchimp as it appears to provide more options for interaction. It will also provide me with the opportunity to post what does not make it to Godspace, without dealing with the whims of the Facebook and Instagram algorithms. We will probably try to accomplish that in the next month so stay tuned for future developments.
My big news for January is the launch of my new podcast Liturgical Rebels. Forrest Inslee and I will meet later today to record the first introductory episode and next week I expect to interview Kelly Latimore, Drew Jackson and Scott Erickson. So exciting! No definite launch date yet, but I hope that this will be a birthday celebration for me on January 18th.
I love the freshness and hope that a new year brings. I pray that yours might be as hope filled as well. Perhaps you would like to start with a centering prayer like this one I wrote several years ago and continue to use when I am working through a discernment process.
God of creation, God of the earth
Holy and mighty One
Righteous and faithful One,
I centre myself on you today.
God of the heavens, God of the universe,
Compassionate and generous One,
Gracious and just One,
I centre myself on you today.
I sit in the presence of eternal love.
I breathe in the rhythm of eternal breath.
I delight in the joy of eternal presence.
I centre myself on you today.
My soul is at rest.
My spirit finds peace.
God is in me,
God is around me.
Behind and before, on left and on right.
God is with me wherever I go.
Many blessings
by Elaine Breckenridge
The sun has set on December 31 bringing closure to another year. And of course, having risen on January 1, the sun has launched us into 2024. In her book, Kindling the Celtic Spirit, Mara Freeman notes that because the new year follows on the heels of the winter solstice, the new solar cycle represents both closure and renewal. She also describes how the turning of the year gives us the opportunity to create new space in our lives to live in a more sacred manner.
There are many rituals associated with the turning of the year. I observe the New Year’s Eve custom of opening the back door, taking a broom and sweeping out the old year. In the past I have swept out the remains of the old year and closed the door quickly, as if to make sure the year was both finished and banished into the past. This year I felt called to be more reflective, to take time to process what could be understood as having survived a year of trauma.
This passing year was marked for me by two joint replacement surgeries, a dog attack which has left permanent disfigurement and scars, a partial mastectomy and a grueling round of radiation treatment for breast cancer. And yet, remarkably, I have experienced both physical and emotional healing this past September and October. While the Earth was letting go of her leaves and preparing for the long winter’s nap, I was entering springtime in my heart. With a new hip, I was happy to walk again and still feel green and born anew.
I am at peace and am thankful for the prayers and love I have received from family and friends. I did not slam the door shut on 2023! Yes, there is closure, but with it, I am humbled and in awe for how suffering has changed me. Indeed, I am grateful.
The renewal aspect of the New Year custom is to rise at dawn on January 1 and open the front door to welcome the new year. I have done so (though I missed the dawn!) with anticipation and I admit-a little anxiety. After having been housebound for a year, I wonder. How will I choose to begin not only a new year but what feels like a new life? It is clear that I cannot resume my previous life. No. Too much has changed. I have been changed.
I am unclear of what my next steps should be. Should I resume an active ministry in the church? Find a way to volunteer in my local community? Devote all my time to my grandchildren and their parents? Find a new vocation? Travel? Honestly, I am a little nervous to do anything. I am not used to having the freedom to make choices.
It seems fitting then that my sacred word for the coming year is “courage.” Rather than making traditional New Year’s resolutions for the past few years I have instead asked God for a word to live by throughout the coming year. The word courage seems to have chosen me.
On one level, I should be ecstatic like the healed lepers in the Gospel story of Luke (Luke 17:11-17). Healed by Jesus, each of them immediately left Jesus and headed back to their hometowns, presumably to be reunited with loved ones and to resume their former lives. One leper, however, made the decision to turn back, to go to Jesus to give thanks for the healing.
Perhaps, as an antidote to my anxiety and confusion about what to do next, I am being called to simply spend some time giving thanks for the physical, emotional and spiritual healing that has happened to me in the last few months. As Freeman wrote above, I will give myself space to find new ways to live my life in a more sacred manner.
I opened my front door today and simply raised my arms in gratitude to God for the new life that I have been blessed with. I will offer this prayer daily through January 6, written by John O’Donohue:
May I have the courage today
to live the life that I would love
to postpone my dream no longer
but do at last what I came here for
and waste my heart in fear no more.
I am not sure what my dream is and what it is I am called to do next, but with courage as my mantle, with love in my heart and with enthusiasm for the continuing journey, I do vow to practice letting go of fear. I greet the coming new year with joy and anticipation as I let it unfold, moment by moment, day by day knowing that God is with me.
May you my friends, also know that God travels with you, especially during this time of sacred turning. Happy New Year!
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by Christine Sine
Happy new year, and welcome to 2024. Can you believe it? Yesterday we laid the old year down with all its sorrow and joy mingled together and today a new year dawned with all kinds of hopes and expectation. We all know that it could be another challenging year with much sorrow and pain, but that is all the more reason to look forward with a positive attitude and some good spiritual practices that will help us weather the storms.
A Time for Review – The value of Retreat
Last week Tom and I enjoyed three days at Anacortes just north of Seattle. We go there every year at this time for a refocusing retreat to reflect on the year that has past and prepare for the year to come. I find it is good to make an effort to walk slowly through all I am leaving behind before looking ahead. I always start by reading through my journal for the last year, highlighting the high and lows of the year. It is good to walk back through the key things I did, as well as the events that most shaped the year. I like to reflect on what I learned about myself, those around me and also the world in which I live. I love to remember the joy and shed tears for the sorrows. Some people like to make a list to help them on this journey. My artist friends even enjoy using different colours and embellishing their reminiscing with doodles and sketches. I prefer just to make a rough outline to think back on.
It was the changing light of the sunrise and sunset different each day, yet always the same beautiful golden orb hanging on the horizon, that held my attention. It became my image for the new year. It contrasted with the rising and setting of the moon full on our first night, obviously waning by our last. The moon changed so quickly, like the year that was passing, fading quickly into what would in a few short days be a moonless night. Our rhythm through the year looks more like the moon than the sun I thought. It will not be constant, it will wax and wane. Sometimes it will be invisible. Quite liberating that! Don’t try and force God or your coming year into a rhythm that does not belong.
Looking Back With Gratitude
As I looked back, I was amazed at what an encouraging journey the year held. It started on a real low point. Severe headaches and neck pain made me think I should give up gardening and knitting, two of my favourite activities. It soon became obvious however that it was more a process of rethinking rather than giving up. I purchased some new raised beds that sit at 2’6′ and mean I can garden without bending over. They are wonderful. I also started a whole new series of stretching and strengthening exercises that improved my pain considerably and meant I could once more knit. It was with great delight that I recently finished a baby sweater for our downstairs tenants.
Looking back made me realize that 2023 was a year of bounty, productivity and reconnection. Just saying that gives me joy. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza overshadowed the year and fulled me down, so that it was easy for me to end on a negative note, but when I looked back negativity was not what struck me about the year. I reconnected to friends, I reconnected to the garden and I reconnected to my creativity and now I am reconnecting to some of my dreams for the future too. I am very excited that next week I will record my first interview, an introductory one, with Forrest Inslee for my new podcast Liturgical Rebels. The following week I hope to conduct interviews with my first three guests – Kelly Latimore, Drew Jackson and Scott Erickson. I am very excited about this. Liturgical Rebels is all about helping people to think outside the box with their approaches to spirituality and practice, and these three artists and poets can really help us find our ways forward.
New Podcast
Reflect Prayerfully
A lot of my friends like to use the Ignatian Prayer of Examen or something like this ecological examen as a framework for reflecting back on the year. To hold each high and low point in our hands, examine it, rejoice in the right and confess where we went wrong, before we release it to all the detritus of the dying year can be a great practice of release and freedom. Others prefer to use a labyrinth or a lectio exercise – lectio divina, visio divina or lectio tierra are all possible approaches that can help us to reflect and release the year that has passed.
When I asked myself “What spiritual practices gave me the strongest connection to God in 2023?” it was not any of these processes that came to mind however. My use of embodied exercises that use breath prayers and circling prayers, the writing of poetry and my creation of my Advent/Christmas wreath, and sacred space stand out for me. There are also my awe and wonder walks which continue to be a mainstay of my spiritual practices. I am already thinking about how I can adapt these practices for the beginning of 2024. Looks like a lot of different practices doesn’t it, which is great for me as I love variety.
Rethink the Future
Each new year seems to provide a blank slate on which to rethink how we do things.It is also, I suspect, my theme for 2024. I can rethink ministry, rethink spiritual practices and in some ways rethink priorities as we move into a new year. It is important for all of us as we look ahead, even though we think we may very quickly forget the resolutions we make. that’s why I don’t make resolutions anymore. I focus on intentions.
As I do this so there are several questions I ask myself:
How might I become more like Jesus?
How do I look after my own physical and spiritual health?
How might I become more considerate of others, especially the most vulnerable in society?
How might I become more active in the preservation of God’s good creation?
Self, others, creation. All of these need to be considered as we look to the future.
Circling prayer exercises, like the one I created for Advent last year are a wonderful way to rethink our focus. Here is a prayer I wrote over the weekend after reflecting in this way. It both helps me put the old year to rest and prepare for the new year.
As the old year dies,
And we lay it to rest.
Circle us God who is above us,
Circle what is good within us,
That we might grow stronger each day.
Circle us, God who is beside us,
Circle us with your wisdom,
That we might discern right from wrong.
Circle us God who is within us,
Circle us with your love,
That we might show compassion for the vulnerable.
Circle us God who is above us,
With the brilliance of your light.
Circle us God who is beside us,
With grateful and repentant hearts.
Circle us God who is within us,
With the comfort of your abiding.
As the new year is born,
And we welcome a new day,
Circle us God who is above us,
With the knowledge of your faithfulness.
Circle us God who is beside us,
With the trust of your presence.
Circle us God who is within us,
With the hope of your renewal.
Light bringer, joy filler, love incarnate,
You who are One,
You who are three,
Circle us with the wonder of your life.
(c) Christine Sine 2023.
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