Category: Journaling

Sacred Word for New Year 2021

On By Julie McCartyIn Art and spirituality, Christian spirituality, Contemplative Living, Journaling, Spiritual growth, Spiritual practicesLeave a comment

New Year’s resolutions are fine, but if you’re like me, they won’t last beyond a couple weeks. For the past decade or more, I’ve engaged in what some call a “sacred word” for the year. As I wrote about in 2011, this spiritual practice has some grounding in ancient Christianity. The word itself isn’t an idol or divine, but rather a spiritual theme for the year. One can reflect upon the deeper meaning of the word and draw strength and wisdom for one’s own beliefs, decision-making, and actions from dwelling on this theme over a longer course of time.

This past week, I put out a request on Facebook for 2021 sacred word ideas. Some responses were these words: hope, gratitude, acceptance, healing, empathy, forgiveness, mercy, wisdom, and worship. I have heard of others using words like consecration, birthing, welcoming, question, grace, wonder, beauty, recover, relinquish, or joy.

Often I have chosen a word that is something I want more of in my life, like beauty (inner, soul beauty). Once I broke with the single word idea and used a short bible verse: Speak, Lord: for your servant is listening (see 1 Samuel 3:10). One time I selected a word in early December, but then felt that the Holy Spirit gave me a different word later in the month. This past year I used two words: pray first, which helped me to develop more discipline (combating laziness) when it was my planned time for prayer.

To keep your special word in mind during the year, here are some ideas:

  • write or draw your word in a decorative doodle
  • photo your decorated word and place on homepage or screensaver of cell phone or electronic device
  • tape your word to the mirror in the bathroom where you get ready in the morning
  • put your word at the beginning of each journal entry
  • insert your word on the first day of every 2021 month in your electronic calendar
  • tape on your refrigerator
  • paint your word
  • reflect on your word while exercising
  • find prayers, quotes, or bible verses about your word
  • write a prayer or letter to someone using your word
  • share your word with trusted friends or faith group: listen to their ideas about the theme

I can say from experience that pondering or ruminating on one word, theme, or bible verse over an extended period of time produces inward — and outward– fruit. Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, we can treasure these virtues, truths, or themes in our heart with the help of the Holy Spirit.

…Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean. –Luke2:19 (NET Bible)

Until next time, Amen!

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Invitation: Contemplative Spiritual Practices Group

On By Julie McCartyIn Contemplative Living, God in everyday, Journaling, Prayer, Spiritual aerobics, Spiritual growthLeave a comment

Sunrise beach walk--photo by Julie McCarty--click to enlarge

Every now and then, I find I have to do something to spice up my relationship with God. Like any relationship, God and I can get stuck in a rut, take things for granted, or let things go a little stale. Of course, it’s not really God who is letting things flounder, but rather I am the one who gets a little lazy or distracted.   (Sometimes the feeling of boredom or being stuck in a rut in prayer can really be God calling one to a deeper way of prayer—but that is the subject of another article.)

One way I hope to put a little pizazz into my prayer life this summer is by meeting with a small faith group to explore various contemplative spiritual practices. For six sessions, meeting every other week, we will be exploring different ways from the Christian tradition to pray and relate to God.

We will be meeting every other Wednesday beginning on June 29th, from 7:00 to 8:30 at a member’s home. Because of my background and training in this area, I will be facilitating the first few meetings. This group is part of the small group ministry at Easter Lutheran Church (ELCA) here in Eagan, Minnesota, but one does not have to be a member in order to join us. So you are welcome to attend if you are interested.

To begin with, the book we will be using is called Creating a Life with God: The Call of Ancient Prayer Practices by Daniel Wolpert. The author lives up in the area of Crookston, MN, and is a church pastor with many  credentials and experience in teaching Christian prayer. We’ll be looking at only 2 chapters per meeting so as to allow time between sessions to experiment with prayer on your own. The book is available from Amazon, Border’s, and Barnes and Noble for about $11. Local stores would probably order it for you. Topics include how to pray using short passages from Scripture, journaling, praying in nature, integrating prayer and life experience, finding God in silence, and other topics. The book is very helpful, but you do not have to obtain it before the first meeting.

Creating a Life with God explains how to pray with Scripture using the ancient Christian method called lectio divina (sacred reading), the Jesus Prayer, entering into silence and solitude, finding God in day-to-day experiences, journaling, the role of body in prayer, praying in nature, etc.  It looks at how various Christians of the past used these different ways to build their spiritual lives. You can read more about this book at the publisher’s site here  and a review of it here.

As I mentioned, if you live close enough to join us, we would love to have you come. Just contact me for more info and directions to our first meeting location at a member’s home. (Click on contact page above.)

And if you are interested but cannot attend, think about reading the book yourself. Feel free to send questions to be discussed on this blog if you like.

Until next time, God be with you,  Amen! 

Spiritual Aerobics–Making Choices

Spiritual Aerobics
Spiritual Aerobics:
To go with the “Making Choices” reflection just posted moments ago

  1. Consider something in your life that feels “stuck” or undecided. What is one, small positive step you could take to move the process along? (Example: Making one phone call to gather info about the matter.) 

 2. Journaling: Think of a time in your past when you made a good decision. What helped you through the process of decision-making at that time?

(Photo credit: “Yoga” by Zdenka Darula–Dreamstime)

On By Julie McCartyIn Discernment, Journaling, Making Decisions, Spiritual aerobics, UncategorizedLeave a comment