Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022
Journeying on the Way of Love for the
Christmas & Epiphany Seasons
The Rev. anne williamson
I have been so blessed to spend time with a wonderful group of folks gathering after church on the Sundays of Advent to talk and pray and wonder as we journeyed on the Way of Love together. I am so grateful for the Advent meditations on Sunday evenings that helped us explored the Way of Love as individuals, with family and friends, in community and in the world. I know a number of people have been using the Advent Calendar of Spiritual Practices as well and I have had great conversations during Advent about how following these practices have gone well or been challenging. On Advent Four, at the very end of our time together on Sunday morning, I mentioned the idea of taking the practices from the Advent Calendar and creating a ‘rule of life’ for the Christmas and Epiphany season.
The phrase ‘rule of life’ can sound rather formal and constrained but it is meant to be a gift, not a burden! It is meant to help us live lives that are intentional and purposeful; we are invited to create a rule for ourselves which is realistic, flexible and achievable. Many of us already have such ‘rules’ – exercise three times a week, have dinner with family or friends regularly, get enough sleep! A full ‘rule’ would give consideration to all aspects of our life, including our spiritual practices.
Even if you have formed a ‘rule of life’, it is always good to reevaluate on a regular basis those practices to ensure that they remain life-giving and not life-sapping. Think about what would be life-giving to you as you read through the seven practices that make up the Way of Love:
Sunday: Worship
Gather in community weekly to thank, praise, and dwell with God
When we worship, we gather with others before God. We hear the Good News of Jesus
Christ, give thanks, confess, and offer the brokenness of the world to God. As we break
bread, our eyes are opened to the presence of Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit,
we are made one body, the body of Christ sent forth to live the Way of Love.
Monday: Go
Cross boundaries, listen deeply and live like Jesus
As Jesus went to the highways and byways, he sends us beyond our circles and
comfort, to witness to the love, justice, and truth of God with our lips and with our lives.
We go to listen with humility and to join God in healing a hurting world. We go to become
Beloved Community, a people reconciled in love with God and one another.
Tuesday: Learn
Reflect on Scripture each day, especially on Jesus’ life and teachings.
By reading and reflecting on Scripture, especially the life and teachings of Jesus, we
draw near to God and God’s word dwells in us. When we open our minds and hearts to
Scripture, we learn to see God’s story and God’s activity in everyday life.
Wednesday: Pray
Dwell intentionally with God daily
Jesus teaches us to come before God with humble hearts, boldly offering our
thanksgivings and concerns to God or simply listening for God’s voice in our lives and in
the world. Whether in thought, word or deed, individually or corporately, when we pray
we invite and dwell in God’s loving presence.
Thursday: Bless
Share faith and unselfishly give and serve
Jesus called his disciples to give, forgive, teach, and heal in his name. We are
empowered by the Spirit to bless everyone we meet, practicing generosity and
compassion and proclaiming the Good News of God in Christ with hopeful words and
selfless actions. We can share our stories of blessing and invite others to the Way of Love.
Friday: Turn
Pause, listen and choose to follow Jesus
Like the disciples, we are called by Jesus to follow the Way of Love. With God’s help, we
can turn from the powers of sin, hatred, fear, injustice, and oppression toward the way of
truth, love, hope, justice, and freedom. In turning, we reorient our lives to Jesus Christ,
falling in love again, again, and again.
Saturday: Rest
Receive the gift of God’s grace, peace, and restoration
From the beginning of creation, God has established the sacred pattern of going and
returning, labor and rest. Especially today, God invites us to dedicate time for restoration
and wholeness - within our bodies, minds, and souls, and within our communities and
institutions. By resting we place our trust in God, the primary actor who brings all things
to their fullness.
I invite you to consider what spiritual practices you might commit to practice each week through the seasons of Christmas and Epiphany. Remember: the best rule of life is the one you actually practice!
As we seek to walk the Way of Love together as individuals and as a community of faith, I offer you the prayer which ended our Way of Love conversations on Advent Four:
God who makes the impossible possible, quicken our hearts to follow the shepherds who went
with haste to see Jesus and told the world what they had heard and seen. Enliven our
imagination to the many ways to walk the Way of Love with Jesus. Strengthen our resolve to
remain on the journey with Jesus as individuals, with family and friends, and in community to
proclaim your word in the world; through Jesus Christ, your Son, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, one God, whose way is love. Amen.
Christmas and Epiphanytide blessings to you.