A New Year’s Intention

Happy New Year Everyone! As we enter this new year, I wonder what spiritual practices we might embody to help us nurture and strengthen our relationship with God. I’m not one for resolutions, and I don’t think God is either. I think God prefers that we make a covenant, or promise with one another. In the ritual and sacrament of baptism our response to the promises we make to God and to each other is phrased like this: “I will, God being my helper.” I have always liked this response because it reminds me that I have support as I try to make changes in my life. 

Rather than making a resolution, I invite you to think about your intentions for the year 2026. Think of a word that describes your intention for this coming year. If you are struggling to come up with one, start by reflecting on these 3 questions: What helps me feel close to God?; What restores me?; What drains me? Maybe your intention is to be kind. Maybe you wish to focus on being a presence to God, to yourself and to others. Maybe your intention is to be courageous, or to come to understand that what you have is enough. Whatever word you decide on, I encourage you to write it on a piece of paper and put it some place where you will see it when you start your day. 

My intention this year is to be grounded. I’m not focussed on being calm but rather being rooted. Spiritually speaking, being grounded means that I will trust that I am held by God in love which will hold me steady in times of fear, stress or grief. I want to be deeply rooted in the love of God. I believe that this intention will remind me to return to things that I find life-giving rather than draining. I hope that being emotionally grounded will help me to respond rather than react to situations, and that it will remind me to always pause before speaking or acting. I want to be more aware of my body, my breath, posture, and tension. I will trust the signs that my body gives me and respond in a way that is healthy and grounded. Being grounded will help me stay true to myself even when others are anxious or reactive. 

Here is what I hope it will look like in my daily life. I hope that being grounded will help me know my limits and honour them. I trust that by grounding myself I will be able to say, “this is enough for today” and mean it. I believe that in order to live a grounded life I need to take time each day to return to prayer, ritual and nature. If you think about it, Jesus himself practiced grounding. Jesus was known for withdrawing from the crowds to pray. He intentionally rested, and ate with others. He returned to God when pressure was mounting all around him. I hope and pray that Jesus’ teaching will remind me of the importance of being grounded.

Here is a prayer that I will say, weekly if not daily in 2026 in order to live this intention: Holy One, root me in what is real, steady me in love, and help me live this day - not rushed, not afraid, but present. Amen.

I hope that you too will engage in this new year's spiritual practice and name your intention for 2026. Create a plan, and then ask God to be your helper. 

Blessings, Rev. Karen