Happy New Year from Jamie!

Happy New Year!

It's time to turn to New Year's resolutions.
What kind of goals are you setting?
Health and fitness?
Spiritual?
Relationship?
Work?

There are so many kinds, aren't there?

Mine always include how many books I'm going to read, how many Divine Offices I will pray, how many Jesus Prayers I'll say each day, how much I will meditate, how much I will write, and yes, how much weight I will (no I won't!) lose! Some of these are mundane, some are vital to who I am. You can try to guess which ones are in which category.

The spiritual goals are the best, because they are farther -reaching than the more mundane ones. I think of reading as a spiritual exercise (although I admit that I will read several collections of ghost stories just for fun in among all the other reading I do). I try to set a percentage of spiritual books and non-fiction books in amongst the others, but that's me. Too many years spent among scholars and monks, I think, has warped me in some peculiar ways, but they are ways that I pretty much like.

I encourage people to set goals that are interesting and won't fall by the wayside. Give some consideration to serious and growth-inspiring resolutions these coming weeks. Think about them. Write them down. Print them out. Put them somewhere you can see them. Maybe you could resolve to listen to a Psalm every day on the way to work. Maybe find a serious spiritual podcast and listen to it a couple of times a week. You could resolve to spend five minutes three times a week in total silence, just following your breathing and listening for God. How about going for a walk outdoors somewhere and watch how the natural world changes through the year?


There are so many good ones! Whatever you do, don't beat yourself up for failures. When you break one, re-adjust your resolutions. Save something for Lent!


Let's agree to make 2023 a year of personal growth.
Your growth might be infectious, and inspire some of the rest of us to follow your lead!

We're all in this together!
God bless your 2023,

- jamie 
​First Christian Wilson Interim Minister