Star Words - A Weary World Rejoices

Written by Vicar Jennifer Schneider

“O holy night! the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope- the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn! Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother, And in His name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we; Let all within us praise His holy name. Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!”

(O Holy Night, public domain)

The nights have been frosty and cold recently, but I welcome the opportunity to take out the garbage after the kids are tucked into bed so I can grab a few minutes of peace and quiet for myself. I suck in the cold air into my nose and allow it to burn in the back of my nostrils. Then I puff it out of my mouth, watching my breath escape into the night. I welcome the stillness in the air as my eyes gaze up into the night sky. Even though it is clouded by light pollution, I am still in awe at the stars and planets dotting the sky. God is at work in these far away places.

I am like one of those tiny dots, a single star in the vastness of space and time, generations before me and all that is yet to be created. But God cares enough about me, the tiny dot of existence I make up on earth, to reveal love, peace, grace, and mercy in my life. Through the kindness of strangers, through the beauty of creation, through my family and friends who give me companionship, through other believers who help me wrestle with my faith, and through the hurts and heartaches of all humanity that I hear about in the news and see on the street corner. God is at work here in the world and in our lives.

The words of O Holy Night ring out in my head, “A thrill of hope - the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn! Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!” I have a thrill of hope deep within my being, even in these challenging times of homelessness, job layoffs, recent air travel disasters, and pollution form plastics.  God is at work indeed as we have noticed in our “star words” reflection over the past month.

The following are just a few of the tidbits of wisdom and noticing that people shared from their mindfulness practice…

• Gentleness: God showed me the need for being gentle with myself and others. 

• Selflessness: I love seeing this happen. It reminds me there is still humanity in the world. 

• Appreciate: My family showed up for me as I was preparing for a big home improvement project that I could not do on my own. 

• Cheerfulness: God was at work in me! I put a smile on my grandson's face before he headed back to college after winter break. 

•  Friends: (From a very young member of OKLC) God is in my life when I am coming back to daycare and seeing my friends (after Christmas break.) 

• Empathy: God showed up by giving me empathy for those without heat during the really cold temperatures we have had. 

• Justice: I have seen the need for justice so that there is equality for all God's kids. 

• Help: I felt God helping me when I took my math test.

Thank you dear friends for participating in this holy experiment using star words and mindfulness as an Epiphany prayer practice. I hope that you found this to be a meaningful exercise. Practicing mindfulness changes the patterns of our thoughts—especially self-doubt, anxiety, and negativity. Mindfulness gives us the clarity to pause, reflect, and choose our next step with confidence, trusting in God’s unending love for all people.