Let Us Embrace Humble Discipleship

Walking Together into God’s New Work

As we begin the new year, my first word is gratitude.

I give thanks for the people of Ohio – pastors, lay leaders, congregations, and communities – who have walked faithfully through seasons of change. Across this State, I have witnessed quiet courage, generous service, and love that sought no recognition. These moments have stayed with me, strengthening my hope and deepening my trust in what God is doing among us.

With gratitude for the past and with expectancy for the year ahead, we pause to listen.

“See, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19)

God’s word through Isaiah reminds us that the future does not begin with our plans, but with God’s faithful action. The question before us is not whether God is at work, but whether we are attentive enough to notice it. This new year invites us to listen carefully for what God is already bringing into being.

The God who makes a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert (Isaiah 43:16-18) continues to lead us – often quietly, often unexpectedly – calling us to walk by faith rather than familiarity.

The Way of Humble Discipleship

At the heart of God’s new work is humility.
The coming of Jesus Christ teaches us again that God chooses the way of self-giving love. “The Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14) – not in power but in presence, and not in spectacle but in nearness.

Humility opens our hearts to see what fear and certainty often obscure. When we make room through self-emptying, we become attentive to God’s presence in ordinary days. As Paul reminds us, Christ “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). This is not weakness, but the strength of love.

My hope for this year is simple: that following Jesus will feel less like a burden and more like a source of life – less like obligation and more like joy. May humble discipleship quietly renew and steady us for the journey ahead.

Turning Toward Our Neighbors

Humble discipleship always turns us outward.
Again, and again, Scripture calls us to a life that is open and generous toward the neighbor. Jesus tells us plainly, “Just as you did it to one of the least of these … you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). In caring for our neighbors, we encounter Christ himself.

In a time when our society feels weary and divided, the Church is invited to embody openness – listening across differences, caring without conditions, and choosing compassion over fear. God’s abundance is not discovered by holding tightly to ourselves, but by offering ourselves in love.

When the Church lives not for its own preservation, but for the sake of others, Christ is made visible again.

We hold our churches, our leaders, and our communities across Ohio before God, trusting that we do not walk into this new year alone. As we pray for one another, we lift our eyes to see the light God is revealing among us. In this season of Epiphany, we move forward together – guided not by fear, but by the light of Christ already shining across Ohio.

An Epiphany Prayer

God of light,
in this season of Epiphany,
we give you thanks for the light we have already seen
in faithful people, quiet courage, and grace that has carried us this far.

Where our vision has grown dim,
shine upon us again.
Where our hearts have grown crowded,
make room for your presence.

As the star once led the wise ones to Christ,
lead us now into your new work.
Teach us the way of humble discipleship:
to follow Jesus with trust,
to recognize his face in our neighbors,
and to walk as children of your light.

May your light be made known
in our lives, in our churches,
and throughout Ohio,
until your love is revealed for all to see.

Amen.