Reflections on the New Year 2012

 Stand at the crossroads and look,
Ask for the ancient paths;
Which was the good way? Take it
And you will find rest for yourselves.
Jeremiah 6:16

Each New Year I revisit Joyce Rupp’s meditation on “January: The Road of Life” in her book entitled May I Have This Dance? (1992, Ave Maria Press) “Our life is a journey,” she writes. “We are always ‘on the road.’” We come into each new year a different person because the events on our road of life have continued to shape and mold us.

Rupp reminds us that “the road” as an image of the spiritual journey is present in both Hebrew and Christian scriptures: Sarah and Abraham’s road of faith; Joseph’s road to forgiveness; the road through the wilderness; Esther’s road of justice; the star-marked road of the Wise Ones; the road of the prodigal son; the road to Jerusalem; the road to Gethsemane, the road to the empty tomb, the road to Emmaus, Saul’s road to conversion. These travelers who have gone before us are our inspiration, comfort and hope on our own journeys.

“Whenever we walk into a new year, we are invited to enter into the unknown. We do not know what events will surprise us along the way. We can only see life for today. But we can risk the road because we have the tremendous assurance that God goes with us on the journey – ‘Be confident. For go where you will, your God is with you’ (Joshua 1:9). As we enter the new year, we trust God with our lives. We trust that there will be enough strength and beauty amid all the pain to sustain us and to urge us forward. We trust that on this road we will come to greater wholeness and transformation” (p. 23).

A New Year’s Prayer

     Response: God, surprise us again.

When we miss the beauty and the joy of earth’s goodness…
When we grow too accustomed to life’s busyness…
When the goodness of others gets lost in the rush…
When our frailty outruns our strength…
When the hope in our heart fades away…
When the call to serve others loses its flavor…
When we search for the way home to you…
When loneliness pursues us…
When it seems the darkness will never give way to the light…
When the ache of the world wears our compassion thin…
When the troubles of others seem more than we can carry…
When even you seem far away from us…

     Response: Walk closely with us, God.

As we strive to live our lives well…
As we enjoy the treasures we’ve found in the field of faith…
As we continue to surrender ourselves to you…
As we journey into the unknown territory of a new year…
As we hurt in the process of loving our enemies…
As we learn to accept our weaknesses and our strengths…
As we open our hearts to the messengers you send to us…
As we stay faithful to our relationship with you…
As we give ourselves to the poor and the powerless…
As we keep searching for the truth…
As we try to live in the heart of the scriptures…
As we accept your constant love for us…

  Closing Prayer

God of this new year, we are walking into mystery. We face the future, not knowing what the days and months will bring to us or how we will respond. Be love in us as we journey. May we welcome all who come our way. Deepen our faith to see all of life through your eyes. Fill us with hope and an abiding trust that you dwell in us amidst all our joys and sorrows. Thank you for the treasure of our faith life. Thank you for the gift of being able to rise each day with the assurance of your walking through the day with us. God of this new year, we praise you. AMEN

  A New Year’s Blessing

May you be aware of all the places your feet carry you in the new year. May you know “How beautiful are the feet of the messenger of good news” (Romans 10:15).

Rev. Cheryl Paulovich, Chaplain
Providence Place at Glencroft