Daily Compass

As someone who feels more connected to celebrations of the Winter Solstice than of Christmas, I’ve often longed for an ancient story that I can call upon for Solstice celebrations, just as narratives about Jesus’ birth are told over and over again this time of year. It feels like my ancestors may have had those stories, but they were lost to time and Christian dominance — which leaves me in a strange position as a modern person, knowing that it is an ancient thing to celebrate the Solstice, but not having stories to hold me in that knowing. Last year, I wrote a story about the Solstice for the children of my congregation to perform as a pageant, and we’ll be doing the same story again this year; it doesn’t fill the gap of an ancient story, but feeling the potential of starting new rituals now, seeding the new stories that may hold us in future, helps feed that longing for me. – Rose Gallogly (CLF)

What are new stories you can tell this time of year? How are you planting the seeds of future traditions?

As our Jewish siblings around the world begin their celebrations of Hanukkah tonight, we pause to honor the stories told at this holiday. Stories of the rededication of holy space that was defiled by violence and war, and the persistence of those who were called to uphold the highest callings of Judaism to pikuach nefesh–saving of lives. May it be possible this year to resanctify as holy everywhere that has been touched by violence and hate.

Light a candle tonight. Think about how you can rededicate yourself to the highest values you know.

“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.” – Brandon Sanderson

When has a good story left you with questions to ponder?

“Blessed One, we also know so many stories about ourselves, some of them the same stories we tell about others: Beautiful, Ugly, Simple, Difficult, Joyous, Useful, Worthless. Stories about who we are, what we know, and the potentials and impossibilities of our future. Stories about our purpose and the meaning of our lives. We have countless stories buried too deep in our souls for us to even recognize them.

“God of Discovery, help us find the strength to excavate those buried stories. Let us lean on one another as we brush them off, hold them up to the light, and find their meaning and use. May our roots nourish us, so that we might grow abundantly and flower into blessings for one another and the world.”   -from “Prayer of Storytelling,” by Mandie McGlynn

What are the beautiful stories about yourself that you need to excavate?

My mother told me stories about our family members that are now ancestors, especially of her younger brother. I don’t remember him, he died when I was two, but apparently I was ‘his baby’ and we had a strong bond. Hearing the stories of how he loved me helped me to feel a connection with him that I never would have remembered. The stories we tell of our loved ones who are no longer with us keep their spirits alive and connected. -JeKaren Olaoya (CLF)

Who do you feel connected to through stories?