Community Connection ~ January 11, 2026: A New Year's Phrase

The beginning of the new year is, for many, a time to set intentions for the year to come. Today we’d like to shine a light on the history of this tradition and offer a new approach to creating a New Year’s resolution. 

January is aptly named to represent the beginning of the year - it takes its label from the Roman god Janus, who was said to preside over transitions and beginnings. Janus was often depicted with two faces, one looking to the past and the other to the future. Given the similarity of his name to the word for door, “janua,” Janus’s place as the guardian of thresholds of all kinds even extended to doorways. 

While Roman gods may no longer be top of mind, many religions give special consideration to the importance of transitions and new starts - just think of the sacrament of baptism, which Pastor Michael focused on in his sermon today. But while we don’t often think of Janus himself, we invoke him every time we set a New Year’s resolution - the tradition comes directly from celebrations honoring him. If you haven’t yet created any resolutions for 2026, or even if you can, consider creating one that incorporates not just the things you’d like to achieve or the blessings you hope will come your way, but also the ways in which you will live into the person you’d like to be in the coming year. Choose a phrase for the year and let it guide you. You can still create a to-do list of items if that works for you, but your phrase isn’t something you can achieve or fail to achieve. Instead, it should encourage you to reflect - and course correct as needed - each time you think of it. 

We invite you to share your phrase with someone so it exists somewhere other than in your head. You can keep each other accountable throughout the year, reflect on how things are going, and move through obstacles together. If you’d like to share your phrase with us, you can do so on Facebook or Instagram. Have a joyful 2026!