STARs in 2014

/ January 6, 2014

Today the church celebrates the Feast of Epiphany.

But since we’re Presbyterian flavored Christians, we actually celebrated it yesterday in worship. (Mid-week worship for most Presbyterians I know is limited to Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, and maybe Maundy Thursday.) Anyhow, we received our new STARwords in worship yesterday and I’ve been drawing stars for blog and Facebook readers.

I didn’t invent this idea, but a friend shared it with me a number of years ago, and the congregation I serve has found it to be a meaningful experience.

In our church, people pick a star when they come forward for communion. Some people just take the one on the top of the pile. Others dig down to grab one from the middle. Some look at the word immediately. Others stick it in a pocket without glancing at it. Occasionally, people will trade out their star for a different word. But most people trust the word they receive will have something to offer, even when they don’t like the word (or maybe especially when they don’t like the word!).

If you’d like a STARword for the year, to guide your prayers and start a new conversation with the Divine, let me know in the comments and I will draw a word for you.

But what I really hope for is that you will share with us how your word works on your life this year. The stories people have shared about their words in the past few years have really inspired me.

So, if you have your own blog, and want to write about it there, please put a link in the comments here. Or if you’d like to “guest blog” on my blog, we can publish your reflections that way. Or you can just leave a comment on this post throughout the year, as you have further epiphanies.

If you’d like to read what others have written in the past year, the top of my blog page has a tab called “STARward”, and all reflections are tagged to post there.

my word for 2014

my word for 2014

I look forward to reflecting on my new word and trust that God has something for me in the journey as has happened the last two years with my other words. Can’t wait to hear how your words speak to you this year!

And here’s a prayer my friend Michelle Thomas-Bush wrote that she uses when she passes out Epiphany gifts:

God, we acknowledge that we are not always ready to receive your best gifts for us. You have given us an epiphany word in order that we might be MORE.

It is often our habit to turn aside, stumble over, or even reject experiences and encounters that we later understand to have been precious gifts.

Help us to be open to the gift that you offer us now through our star words. We acknowledge that we do not fully understand what this word might mean for our faith, but we receive it from you with gratitude and pray that your Spirit will enable us to live into our word with intentionality and faithfulness.

Amen.

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91 thoughts on “STARs in 2014”

  6. Please draw a word for me. I live in Albuquerque and we are friends with Bill and Judy Pederson and I have met your parents at Santa Fe Presbytery meetings. I am also Jennifer Kirby Wilson’s Mom and through her I started following your “Glass Overfowing” God bless you as I look to you as one of my Pastors. Thanks for your “words” -star words and blog words. Linda Kirby

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  17. Hello Marci,
    Long time my friend. Heard about this on Whitney’s blog. After two very long hospice days…I know I need a word. Thank you.

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  25. What a wonderful idea. A woman in our church made prayer beads, and this would fit in so well. Please give me a star word for this year. Thank you.

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  26. Marci, I am going to use this with my congregation tomorrow, and even though I will pick a word there, I would like you to give me one as well.
    Thanks in advance! And blessings on you for sharing this.
    Katherine

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  28. Marci, if your offer to draw Star Words is still open, please draw one for me as well. I just heard of star words for the first time today and am trying to jump in and figure out how it might work for me and my congregation.

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  31. May I have a star word please for me, Sandy, my husband, Doug and my son, Joe. Thanks so very much for the words and the prayers.

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  36. Marcia, last year’s word was PATIENCE and this year’s is TRUST as in “trust the process”. I was a forced retirement due to disability. It’s taken a lot of patience with myself to accept that. Trust is the logical progression, IMHO

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  38. If possible, please send me a word for 2019. Last year I had “distinction” – it was a tough year and tough word for me. I have just joined a new church and am looking forward to living out the challenge of a new word. I’d like to introduce this idea/activity next year. Where could I find a list of words?
    Many thanks!
    Karan

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