Making Resolutions? How about making a spiritual one?

I know, I know, it’s gotten kind of cheesy to make New Year’s resolutions, after all you’re just going to break them right? But still, there is something about the turning of a calendar year to help us focus in on what we’re doing and take an assessment of our lives.

Our theme this month at Queer Theology is “New Year, New You.” We’re using the month to focus in on the changes we might need to make in our lives that will lead us toward health and wholeness: body, mind, AND soul.

Often we make resolutions about health and fitness, finances, and work. But what about our spiritual lives? Do we take stock of how we’re caring for our souls and what might need some fine tuning? When we talk about resolutions we’re talking about being intentional about the lives that we live.
So what does that look like? What are some spiritual resolutions you might make?

• Maybe you’ll resolve to serve somewhere 4 times a year (and bring your family or friends with you)!
• You could resolve to read a book or two this year that will deepen, challenge, strengthen, or inform your faith (one such book could be What is the Bible? by Rob Bell or The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. Then you could discuss that in the Sanctuary Collective book club!).
• You could find ways to connect your justice work to your faith more deeply.
• You could study what the Bible says about a particular topic.
• You could resolve to make it to church more often or to connect with your friends from church more than just once a week. Or, if there aren’t affirming church close to you, you could look at starting a spiritual group with a bunch of friends.
• You could start a morning or evening meditation/prayer practice.
• You could start a gratitude or prayer journal.

There are lots of things you can do to take care of your spirit. Making a spiritual resolution is simply about approaching your spiritual life with the same intentionality that you approach the rest of your life with. Making sure that your spirit gets as much attention as your body and mind.

So what will you resolve to do this year?