Photo credit: Artem Sapingen, used with permission via Unsplash
Last Sunday, Dvera brought us to the cusp of the new year – that liminal space as one year draws to a close, and another is just around the corner. On Wednesday, we moved through that cusp. We crossed the threshold from one year into the next. And here we are – it is a new year and a new day.
I don’t know about you, but as 2024 was winding down, I heard a number of folks say, “Good riddance!” Or, as we might say in the South, “See ya, 2024! Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.” And I get that, we know the shocks and the losses of the past year. I know my family has plenty of reasons to say “good riddance” to 2024. Maybe you do too.
As we say that at the end of a year, though, usually we can turn and look with bright hope toward the new year. Welcome, 2025!!! But, this year, I also notice that a number of folks are turning toward 2025 and saying: Ugh! – anticipating, among other things, a change in our nation’s governance – and the uncertainty we feel about that. To be sure, 2024 had its share of troubles, and oh my gosh, here comes 2025.
So I want to start by saying this: Time is neutral. To be sure, each year comes with its good and its bad. Some years feel better than others, some worse. But time itself is neutral.[1] Time is the medium in which we live – one of them. We inhabit time like we inhabit space. We move through it; we make our way; we make our life. In the course of each year, there are things that arrive that are beyond our control – some bad – illness and loss – and some good – love and grace, and things like the rising of the sun, each new day. They come whether we will it or not.
And, we have agency – choice – we have the opportunity to make something of our days. Martin Luther King, Jr. put it like this: “Time is neutral. It can be used either destructively or constructively... We must use time creatively in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right. Now is the time...”[2] As those who practice and teach mindfulness might say: “The past is done. The future is not yet here. What we have right now... is this present moment.”Now is the time.
All of our calendars and clocks – looking back on the year just past, looking forward in hope or dread – those aren’t determinative. The coming year doesn’t have to be good or bad. The ways we measure time and reflect on it are ways that we make meaning of our days. They give us occasion and opportunity to stand in our present moment – learning from yesterday – considering the possibility of tomorrow – and deciding how we shall live today – this new day.
Standing now as we do on the cusp, the threshold of the season Epiphany – Epiphany offers us the chance to make meaning of our days by looking, intentionally and specifically, for how God is showing up in the world. Epiphany means, essentially, showing up... making manifest... coming to life. During the season of Christmas we think of Incarnation – God showing up in human flesh – our flesh. And then Epiphany gives us time and space to continue to notice and reflect on all the ways that God shows up in the world – in every bit of creation.
As we stand in the midst of our tumultuous world, I want to suggest that we ground ourselves in the present moment, first by looking for what God is doing in the world – and beginning every new day there: Looking for what God is doing in the world – and living from there.
That’s what the prophets do. As I’ve mentioned, this year, we’ll be spending time in the Gospel of Luke. We’ll also be spending some time with the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures. The basic task of the prophet is to stand in the midst of a turbulent word – and to see and to say out loud what God is doing in that world – how God is at work.
Speaking that reality may not be popular. But we know... because we’ve talked about this before... that the prophets are doing two things when they speak that reality.[3]
(1) First, the prophet is naming the things that God says must come to an end. The prophet calls out the abuse of power and the harm that the powers do to the people and creation. And the prophet says this must stop. This will stop. All the injustice, all the harm, all the systems that grind away at the expense of the poor and the marginalized – at the expense of the children of God. God will stop this harm – whether it is comfortable or not.
And (2) second, the prophets then announce the new thing that God is doing in the world – the new life God is bringing – the healing, the justice, the freedom, the peace – the new life that God is breathing into the world, even now.[4] As we spend time with the prophets this year, we’ll use this as our framework for hearing their challenging, but life-giving words: What is God doing in the world? (1) What is God saying must come to an end? and (2) What is the new life that God is bringing, even now?
This morning’s Scripture takes us into the heart of Jeremiah.[5] Now, most of what Jeremiah has to say stays in that “coming-to-an-end” part. Jeremiah is sometimes called “the weeping prophet.” We might call him the wailing and railing prophet. Jeremiah don’t play. Jeremiah speaks to the powers and says, “Can’t you see? All the ways that you oppress the poor – all the ways that your economic systems benefit the few at the expense of almost everyone – all the ways you mistreat the stranger in the midst of you – all that must end.” Chapter after chapter.
These hard words from the prophet – this is part of how the people come to terms with the calamity that has befallen them. You see, the Empires have swept in.[6] Years ago, the Assyrian Empire swept in and scattered 10 of the 12 tribes – they are nowhere to be found. And now, the Babylonian Empire has swept in and taken a good number of the remaining 2 tribes into captivity. Desolation upon desolation – Jeremiah wailing and railing in the midst of it.
But this morning’s scripture – this morning’s scripture – comes from this beautiful little portion of Jeremiah – chapters 30 and 31 – that is often called the little “book of consolations”[7] – as Jeremiah gets to the prophet’s second task: “But wait – look – here’s the new life that God is breathing into us even now.”
Just before this passage, Jeremiah has God speak, and God says: “All that oppression had to end, but I will not end you. To all you who are scattered, I will gather you up, and I will bring you back home – I will bring new life for this new day.” In the midst of their turbulent world, the prophet looks first to what God is doing in the world, and grounds the people there.
Notice what God is doing in the world. This people who have been scattered into exile – God is gathering them up and bringing them home. As the empires rage, this is what God is doing in the world.
Notice God’s focus and emphasis on the vulnerable: “I will gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, and I will bring them home – among them the blind and the lame, those with children – those in labor – a great company – I will bring them home.” As one writer says, God’s full attention and tender care is centered on this “community of the weak and vulnerable, not on the strong and powerful.”[8]
And in their world of desolations, God leads them with consolations – by streams of water, by direct paths. God keeps their feet from stumbling. God gathers and keeps their flock. (Do you recognize those images – it’s all the best of our favorite Psalms!) God leads the people like a shepherd, and comforts the people, and turns their mourning into joy, their sorrow into gladness. Notice the new life – they are like a watered garden coming to life.
And notice, too, in all this tender mercy and refreshment – God continues to challenge the powers. The people come home weeping – remembering – still feeling the pain – of what power-over can do. And God speaks to the powers – to the nations – “Hear, O nations, these are my children. I will gather them and keep them and care for them.”
And as we enter into this world of the prophets – in our day – we should also notice – that God speaks all this to a refugee people – to a people on the move. Most of the words of the prophets – spoken over the history of the Hebrew people – are gathered up and written down in the context of exile – to a displaced people – to a migrating people. It is a relevant word then and now.
In their turbulent times, the prophets look first to what God is doing in the world – and insist that we ground our lives there. God is bringing new life for a new day. Let’s begin every day there.
As we stand in these first days of 2025, we face this new year with some apprehension. On January 20th, we know there will be a change in our government and national leadership. And, we have lived under this leadership before. At a minimum, we know that this leadership thrives on creating chaos. We know what they have threatened and promised to do. And I, for one, take them at their word. We know that things are going to get bumpy.
And so for our turbulent times, I want to suggest that we follow the prophets, and ground ourselves first – and every day – in what God is doing in the world – NOT first in what the powers are doing, and their chaos. But ground ourselves first and every morning in the new life that God is always bringing for each new day –care for the vulnerable, justice, freedom, and peace.
Now, I don’t want this to be abstract about that. I want to be specific. I want to offer 7 spiritual practices for waking every day to the new life that God is bringing into the new day. So get out your pencils and write these down:[9]
1. First, an easy start is to claim one of our morning mantras – just a short truth to say again and again as a prayer – to ground your day. We have the one we say every Sunday: “This is the day that God has made.” Or, one of my go-tos: “Today is a brand new day with no mistakes in it.” We are beginning this new day with God – fresh. That’s one.
2. Second, begin the day with some basic mindfulness – focus on your breathing.[10] Ground yourself in your breathing in and your breathing out. This miraculous bit of life that we do without having to think about it – breathing in, breathing out. Breathe in the new day, and breathe out. You could even connect it to some words: Breath in – “New Life” – Breathe out – “New Day.” Let’s try that one.
3. Third, begin the day leaning into our gratitude practice.[11] We do that every Sunday – embrace it every day. What’s one thing for which you are grateful? And another? What’s one good thing that’s come your way that you neither created nor deserved? Hold that. Savor that. Give thanks.
4. Fourth, you can start to engage the world, but do it selectively – begin with some “spiritual reading.”[12] Read Scripture – like the two we read today: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt in the midst of us full of grace and truth.” But it doesn’t have to be Scripture. It could be poetry – Mary Oliver is a good one. Or, have you ever read MLK’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” all the way through? It’s life changing. For generations, our spiritual ancestors have been writing down and sending on to us word of how they experienced God at work in the world. Begin the new day there. With them. With their wisdom.
5. Fifth – and this is the counterpart of number 4 – NO INTERNET BEFORE 8AM. I’m serious. Remember what I said about the chaos that these particular powers to create to distract us. Don’t bite. Don’t give them that power. Power down an hour before you go to bed. And don’t power back up until you have consciously chosen how to begin your day.
6. Sixth – now eventually, we need to engage the day – so try setting a daily intention. This is one of the more recent practices I’ve embraced. Think on the day ahead – the things you have to do – the people you will encounter. What qualities do you want to bring into the day? Calm, courage, preparation, steady, replenish, generosity, compassion, capaciousness, welcome – those are just some of mine from last year – What intention do you want to bring into the new day? And then come back to it throughout the day.
7. And seventh, say a prayer for someone.[13] Begin your day with lovingkindness. Doesn’t really matter who. Imagine that someone. May you be safe. May you be happy. May you be healthy. Pray for someone. Choose to begin your day with lovingkindness. I promise. It will do you a world of good. It will do the world a world of good.
Here we stand in these first few days of 2025. The past is past. The future isn’t here yet, though we have the sense that things are about to get bumpy. What we have is the present moment. What we have is the agency to choose how we will live. What we have is each other – and a God who is always with us, and always on the way.
In the turbulence of the world, the prophets look first to what God is doing in the world – tender mercy, justice, healing, freedom, and peace – and insist that we ground our lives there. Always, always, God is bringing new life for a new day. Let’s begin this new year, this new day – let’s begin every day... there.
© 2025 Scott Clark
[1] Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr,. wrote “time is neutral” in his Letter from Birmingham Jail, in that context responding to white liberal clergy who had suggested that the civil-rights movement wait because, as they argued, “time” would work things out.
[2] Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail at https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
[3] See Walter Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1978), pp. 13-14.
[4] See id.
[5] For general background on this scripture and the Book of Jeremiah, see Madipoane Masenya (ngwan’a Mphahlele), in The Africana Bible: Reading Israel’s Scriptures from Africa and the African Diaspora (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2010), pp. 147-55; Patrick D. Miller, “The Book of Jeremiah,” New Interpreters’ Bible Commentary, vol. vi (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2001), pp.555-63, 797-823; Glen Bell, Commentary in Connections, Year C, vol. 1 (Louisville, KY; Westminster John Knox Press, 2018), pp.127-29.
[6] See Masenya, pp.148-49; Miller, pp.555-63.
[7] See Miller, p.797.
[8] Miller, p.809.
[9] Each of these practices (except number 5) is featured in an earlier sermon (or sermons) I have preached while serving at First Pres San Anselmo.
[10] For more on mindfulness practices, I highly recommend the Ten Percent Happier podcast and its companion Happier meditation app – both of which offer meditation teaching and practices, many of which are grounded in Buddhist mindfulness practices. I find these helpful and wholly compatible with Christian contemplative traditions.
[11] See id., and also Diana Butler Bass, Grateful (New York: HarperOne, 2017).
[12] In the prayer groups of this church, we often engage the practice of lectio divina – a practice of reading scripture and listening for a word, phrase or image that shimmers for you. An even simpler practice is to read Scripture, with this question in mind: “What do you notice?”
[13] This is of course the Christian practice of intercessory prayer – prayer on behalf of others. What I write here incorporates aspects of Buddhist lovingkindess (metta) practice. For more on that, see the several excellent books on the topic by Sharon Salzburg.
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