The Rev. Kristin Krantz, St. James’, Mt. Airy, December 26, 2021
Isaiah 61:10 – 62:3
Psalm 147
John 1:1-18
Gracious God, take our minds and think through them; take our hands and work through them;
take our hearts and set them on fire. Amen.
Today we read the beautiful and poetic prologue from John’s gospel that begins, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jesus, John proclaims, is the Word of God, and in him is life. We read this gospel every year on the first Sunday after Christmas Day, because it is a different “birth” narrative of sorts, imaging Jesus with God from the very beginning.
The word “Word” comes from the Greek logos. Traditionally meaning word, thought, principle or speech, it has been used among both philosophers and theologians alike.
In the New Testaments, the phrase “Word of God” shows God’s desire and ability to “speak” to humanity as evidenced in Christ who is the “Word become flesh.”
Words are powerful things, and in recent years it has become a practice for many people at the beginning of the new year to choose a “Word of the Year” as a way of setting their intentions and hopes for the year ahead, a word that can guide them over the next 12 months.
Less of a rigid resolution, a word of the year is a constant yet gentle reminder to focus on creating positive change. Your word of the year sets an intention for how you hope your year will unfold, a word to organize your heart, your head, and your hands. It can be a faithful way to discern God’s leading in our lives.
As I wrote about in the Shell newsletter last week, my hope for today is that we can preach together – that is we can share a word together, by sharing our 2022 words of the year.
In just a moment I’ll invite anyone who’s here today who would like to share their word and a brief explanation of why they chose it, to either come forward to the mic or shout out from their seats. For those joining online you’re invited to write your word in the comments, and I’ll read those aloud towards the end.
And if you’re coming into this cold today, not having given it any thought, that’s okay. Maybe a word immediately comes to you right now in the moment, or maybe you just need to listen today and pray and think about it more later. Either way, I hope you’ll join me in this practice.
I’ll get us started. My word for 2022 is strength. I chose this word because as look ahead to the things I know are coming in the year ahead I will need to cultivate and depend on physical, mental, and spiritual strength.
Next summer and fall will be my delayed sabbatical, and right now the plan is still for my kids and I to walk about 200 miles of the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
2022 will also be year two of our launch of the College for Congregational Development in the Diocese of Maryland and this year I will be taking on more responsibility as my training to be the director wraps up.
There are many opportunities and challenges in ministry for St. James’ in the year ahead, and as we get ready to enter the third year of the pandemic the only word other than strength I can think of that we will need is endurance, or perhaps persistence.
Yes, strength will be my intention and my reminder for the year to come – both an aspiration and a reminder.
So, how about you?
Thank you all for sharing. May God bless us all in our hopes and intentions for the year to come. Amen.