January 2023
How good it is to center down!
To sit quietly and see one’s self pass by!
The streets of our minds seethe with endless traffic;
Our spirits resound with clashings, with noisy silences,
While something deep within hungers and thirsts
for the still moment and the resting lull.
~ Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart
“Something hungers and thirsts for the still moment and resting lull.” We had a wonderful week with our eager and curious seven year old grandson, his sisters and parents, and his “Tito” Eliot, our younger son.
A full, busy week, with more uncles and aunts, with games, puzzles, short excursions, laughter, stories, lots of hugs, a few real and important conversations, and food: good healthy food, plus pizza, donuts, and candy.
Everyone is safely home again, and I’m ready for a brief still moment and resting lull.
My sisters and I tried an experiment this Christmas - giving each other a book we treasure from our own collections. I was tempted to dive into their offerings, but it wasn’t a week for reading. I reminded myself to treasure and be present in my time with family.
Our January theme is “finding our center.” What does that mean to you? Do you know where your own center lies, or does it shift and change? Does this time of year help you find it - with its musings on the year gone by and and its invitation to a fresh start?
You are welcome to request a packet of materials for self-reflection on the theme and/or to join a discussion on January 15 after the service. Contact Jessica at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for information.
I look forward to seeing what the new year will bring, and what we will make of it. I look forward to a new year as your minister.
