New Word, New Commitment
A Reflection by Christine Jurisich
New Word, New Commitment
As we begin this new year, I am thinking a lot about the word “commitment.” The invitation to focus on a new word for the upcoming year is a January ritual for Retreat, Reflect, Renew. I get excited to see your intentions in the comments space and listen to them during our Sacred Circle sessions. Choosing a word is not about creating a goal or adding to your “to-do” list. It is about being attentive and listening to your values and desires and where God resides in all of them. Whether your word is more about “being” or “doing,” it will require a commitment in order to be fruitful.
Commitment
As you read the word “commitment,” what is your internal reaction? Perhaps your body tenses up as you think of all your obligations. Maybe your heart warms as you reflect on the loyalty you experience in particular relationships in your life. Words such as commitment and expectation stir up different responses in each of us. A quick search for the definition of commitment online reveals the tension you may experience with the word commitment.
the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.
an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action.
One definition shows the positive feelings that come with connection, while the other speaks to the fear and burden of “one more thing to do!” The invitation here is to explore your relationship with commitments. I think that commitment is an unpopular word these days, yet we are living at a time when there is such a desire for wholeness by way of community, healthy living, and spiritual connection. Each of these values requires intention and some type of commitment.
Author Parker Palmer is known for his work on community. In the book “Hidden Wholeness,” he discusses the catch-22 many experience with wanting community yet fearing commitment.
People who feel at risk of losing touch with their souls will say that they need such a circle (faith group). Yet they often claim that their fragmented and frenzied lives—the lives that put them at risk—make it impossible for them to join! The very situation that creates our need for safe space seems to prevent us from getting what we need.
But hidden in that little phrase “seems to” is the way out of a catch-22. The notion that we cannot have what we genuinely need is a culturally induced illusion that keeps us mired in the madness of business as usual. But illusions are made to be broken. Am I busy? Of course, I am. Am I too busy to live my own life? Only if I value it so little that I am willing to surrender it to the enemy.
We cannot get snared in a catch-22 unless we consent to it, so the way out is clear: we must become conscientious objectors to the forces that put us at war with ourselves, assaulting our identity and integrity, violating the sanctity of our souls. [1]
Commitment and Covenant
We can turn to God’s covenant with the Israelites in the Hebrew Bible as a model for commitment. In Deuteronomy 7:9 God says, "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations." The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV) translates “covenant loyalty” to mean “steadfast love.” The word steadfast is “hesed” in Hebrew, which translates as mercy, kindness, loving-kindness, or loyalty. Hesed is a love that is based on covenant commitment; love that is loyal and faithful. Covenant is about a loving relationship that requires both sides to give something of themselves. If I want love, I have to give love. If I seek connection, I have to give connection.
I witness covenants play out in Retreat, Reflect, Renew during Sacred Circles and retreats. There is a covenant in the form of pledge agreements: asking for confidential, respectful, structured listening and sharing. When people agree to the promise of confidentiality and respectful listening and sharing, they receive the beauty of a sacred sharing experience. I am looking forward to seeing it in our new Sacred Self, Sacred Community program that starts this month. Participants will enter into a covenant by way of making a time commitment and agreeing to a loving and respectful way of interacting with one another in the name of building community. The gift will hopefully be one of deep connection and mutuality.
In a book on how to create Sacred Circles of trust, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe says, Making a commitment is the opportunity to receive that for which we desire. The moment one definitely commits oneself then Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings, and material assistance that no man would have dreamed would come his way. [2]
Be Attentive
As you enter this new year and reflect on your chosen word, be attentive to your relationship and experience with commitment. By the way, you do not have to choose a word. Maybe you are committing to being open to a word choosing you throughout 2025. Even so, I invite you to join us in the ritual of taking time to reflect on how you want to enter the new year. Blessings on your journey to a new year, new word, and possibly a new commitment, however that commitment may look for you.
[1] Parker Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004), 72.
[2] Von Goethe’s quote is found in the book, “Sacred Circles: A Guide to Creating Your Own Women’s Spirituality Group” by Robin Deen and Sally Craig (New York: Harper One, 1998), 43.
Share Below
What is your relationship with commitment? What is your word for the year?
Share your reaction in this month’s Sacred Circle
The second full week of the month, we offer a chance to share the month’s topic in Sacred Circles on Zoom and in-person. Come to one or come to all. New particpants are always welcome.