February seems like a good time to begin something new!

Recently, I started a new daily spiritual practice, offered by Marilyn McEntyre in her devotional book Word by Word. She invites us to focus on a single word for an extended time. Her series of meditations on a single word is an invitation to dwell with, and reflect on, a single word over the course of a week. She says in this process we focus on the word in new ways as we consider the word’s personal, biblical, and literary context. She challenges us to be more attentive to the word in conversations and in our prayers. “There is a power in a single word to open a window or path, to incite an epiphany or an insight, or let in a feeling we did not know had been buried.”

Over the past year, lots of new words have been introduced into our lives: pandemic, coronavirus, distancing, masks, isolation. You may feel like Lucy in the Peanuts cartoon when she grumbled to poor Charlie Brown about the awful New Year she was having. She complained that problems abounded, and she felt that difficulties were around every corner. Then she said, “I don’t think this is a New Year at all – I think we’ve been stuck with a USED year!!!” Given the serious nature of the pandemic and ongoing restrictions, we need to be creative in connecting with each other. Our words used to encourage and support each other mean more than ever. Words of kindness, compassion, unity, steadfastness, perseverance are aspirations we desire.

Some churches on Epiphany Sunday give out star words to people. These serve as an abiding presence of God’s light in our lives and our opportunity to participate. If you want to check out a “star word” for yourself, here is a link: epiphanystars.neocities.org. For 2021, my “star word” is boldness.

The apostle Paul recognized that to remain faithful in times of trial is grueling. His encouraging message to the Romans says, “And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:2-5).

Hope does not disappoint! Every day when we put on our mask, navigate the new normal of day-to-day living, we are strengthened by the Spirit who resides with us and in us. As a faith community, we long to sing, worship, learn, pray, and share a cup of coffee together. Until this becomes a reality, we continue to move forward, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.” – Psalm 119:114

Together on the journey,

Louise