Welcome to the Season of Epiphany, which lasts until Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17. Consider an intentional Epiphany Season spiritual practice of discerning a Star Word.
For many years, my fellowship group invited us to seek one word in January on which to focus for the year. Sometimes the word would simply appear; other times I sought one prayerfully for quite some time. But once it landed in my “spiritual inbox,” I wrote it down and taped it on my office window so I could reflect on it throughout the year. Sharing our words was a fun way to remain accountable to each other, as we met regularly to share our lives, our spiritual growth, our prayers and our words.
It seems others engage in this practice, and specifically during Epiphany! Leslie Scanlon, in the Presbytery Outlook, writes:
With many churches worshipping remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, church leaders have come up with some creative approaches for distributing Star Words as a way of celebrating Epiphany. Star Words is an Epiphany spiritual practice some congregations have adopted — with each person given a word in early January they are encouraged to pay attention to throughout the year, “a lens through which to view God at work in the world,” as one pastor put it. (https://pres-outlook.org/2020/12/how-will-congregations-observe-epiphany-in-the-year-of-covid-19/).
Instead of Grace staff sending out Star Words, consider engaging in your own spiritual practice of discerning a word for this Epiphany season. There are many ways: meditating, paying attention to specific words in devotions or scripture, or picking one out of a hat! For the next few days, I will offer suggestions for how to discern a Star Word and share stories of those who have found this an edifying practice.
Read Ephesians 3:1-12 and pray that the mystery of Christ, which the apostle Paul describes, may be made known to us, through the power of the Holy Spirit.