See A Star, Say A Star

Stories, Star Words, and Other Epiphany Resources

Dear Friends,

Just another brief check-in while we’re all in this not-quite-anything place. Are you having a good Christmas?

My brain is occupied by those last-minute “did I use up all my allocated funds” budget check-ins and spring program calendar writing thoughts. I’m organizing bigger picture goals and details. I’m feeling grateful for the colleague whose church does an Epiphany pageant, giving me a little buffer to write her parish’s church school calendar. There’s event planning and podcast prep and a few events on the horizon that need paperwork and registrations and all those other fun administrative projects.

What else occupies the in-between as we look towards a long Epiphany?

If you missed it last week, you can download my Epiphany door chalking and blessing card here.

I chalked the inner lintel of our apartment unit last year (we share all the other entries in our duplex) and the other day my wife asked if I was simply going to erase the “4” of the still visible blue sidewalk chalk and replace it with a “5.” We’ll see.

My much-raged about colleague, Mtr. Emily Garcia partnered with a phenomenal deacon in our diocese, the Rev. Ema Rosero-Nordalm, and illustrator Julia Emiliani on a beautiful bi-lingual storybook download, “The Adoration of the Shepherds.” Get it here!

If you somehow don’t have the Illustrated Ministry Epiphany star page in your files, you can find that here.

In many ways, Epiphany lines up well with other “New Year’s”-type traditions like making resolutions or choosing a word that serves as an intention for your year. If you’d like to experiment with a Star Words practice in your family, classroom, or community, A Sanctified Art has a lovely set of liturgies and words available. The Riverside Church of NY also has a Star Word generator if you’re looking for a simpler option for exploring this practice.

What do you need to make your 2025 a success? I’ve got big ideas – now it’s all about carving out the time and space to make them happen.

I’ll be back with my normal full reflections in the New Year! For now, I hope those of you who enjoy seeing midnight have a grand time staying up and that those who are more of my temperament enjoy going to bed at the same time they normally would.

With gratitude for another excellent year with you all –
Bird