The lights are put away, the tree is recycled, the ornaments are carefully stowed awaiting next year’s journey to the tree once again. Now what? That’s a question that has been on my mind as a Pastor coming out of this Christmas season. There is SO much to talk about during Advent, so much to ponder in our hearts during Christmas, and when the Magi make their appearance to worship the Christ child, there is so much light and joy it is truly uplifting.

                But now, those things are in our rear-view mirrors. For me, it leads to a writer’s block for a newsletter article for the post-Christmas time of the church year. Even in the secular calendar, there is a kind of doldrums on the calendar post New Years that have all the days meld together. It can be hard to focus, to have the same drive compared to the prior few weeks when there is so much to look forward to, so much activity and life to be lived.

                This writer’s block, this doldrums experience can maneuver into our personal and faith life as well. When it comes to prayer, there are many things to pray for and contemplate at Christmas. Other times of the year also lend themselves to much prayer and reflection. Now? At this point in the church year? It can be easy to get writer’s block for prayer as well. We might not know what we ought to pray for or how to vocalize a certain prayer. We might get wrapped up in a new routine and fall off on prayer all together.

                However, all is not lost, nor are you all alone to try to figure out how to break any doldrums/ writers block in your prayer and worship life. The first resource we all have are the Psalms, the prayerbook of the Church. In the Psalms you will find the full range of human emotions and experience. Everything from anger, uncertainty, sorrow, joy, rejoicing, and absolute trust are located with the 150 Psalms we have in scripture. The other resource we have and will always have even if we don’t physically have the Scriptures with us, is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is constantly interceding for us, even with groanings too deep for words, as St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans. Regardless of where we find ourselves at any given moment, no matter how strong our writer’s block may be, the Holy Spirit and the Psalms are an inexhaustible source of words, prayers, and life to help us in whatever time of the year and life we are in. Do not fear the doldrums or writer’s block. Rather, trust that in all times, the Spirit is with you, the Psalms are there for you, and our God hears you, no matter what.