Resolving to Get More in Touch With the Spirit

If you’re feeling spiritually flabby and want to get back into shape with God, here are some New Year’s resolutions from Orange County religious leaders to inspire you.

P.S.: A special thanks to those whose new year isn’t the Christian new year but got into the millennium spirit just the same.

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I have two simple resolutions for the new year.

The first is from Philo of Alexandria: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.” We imagine that there are those who have an easy life and those who have a tough life, but the difference is really between those who know how tough life is and those who don’t yet. The first group needs my comforting solidarity and the second needs my kindness to give them courage to see things as they really are. The second resolution is to set aside time to read really good, enlightening books. I look back at the last century and notice, besides great accomplishments, murderous rages led by torturers, dictators, fanatics, and demagogues who already knew what the world needed and who believed without doubt whatever they knew was enough for them once and for all. Only by listening carefully to those wiser than ourselves can we hope to turn the tide away from terror in the next century.

FATHER MIKE HEHER

Saint Irenaeus Church

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Making resolutions right after [the Muslim holy month of] Ramadan is good timing. That’s when people are spiritually charged. I’d like to spend more time with my family and more time learning and reciting the Koran. We end up missing a lot because of the busy schedule we have in this country. I’ll also try to be more active in terms of educating others as to who we are as Muslims. There’s much misunderstanding.

HUSSAM AYLOUSH

Executive Director

Council on American-Islamic Relations

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A question is asked concerning Adam: Why didn’t God give the first man all the commandments of the Bible right away? Why did he wait until Moses? The answer: Adam couldn’t even keep the one commandment he had received, let alone hundreds more!

My resolution is to try to remember the resolutions I made during the Jewish New Year celebration of this past September. Once I recall them, I will again be reminded how easily commitments rise to our lips in our higher moments but fall to our feet as we walk through the more mundane times. What happened to those pious resolves of the High Holy Days now that October, November and December have intervened?

My resolution, therefore, is not to make another resolution until I fulfill the ones already made. It’s more than enough to deal with those!

RABBI MARK MILLER

Temple Bat Yahm

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Less red meat; more spiritual food. Finish taxes by April 15; read entire Bible by Dec. 31. Get seven hours of sleep a night; keep people from sleeping while I preach. Do God’s work and have good time!

SENIOR PASTOR KEVIN HAYASHIDA

Crossroads Community Church

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I resolve to focus less on my problems and more on God’s purpose for my life; focus less on religion, rules and rituals and more on growing my relationship with Christ; I resolve to tell as many people as I can in 2000 about God’s love, forgiveness, grace, strength, peace and purpose that Jesus offers to anyone who will accept it.

SENIOR PASTOR RICK WARREN

Saddleback Church

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My daily prayer works as a New Year’s resolution--it’s something that I work toward every day. To see the child of God in everyone everywhere. For myself, I try to express it--the nature of God--as well as seeing it in others.

MARY ANN KROPP

Christian Science practitioner

San Clemente

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We look forward to the new millennium that will bring a new era of racial harmony and unity. We don’t have any specific resolutions other than working toward racial harmony and unity. We don’t normally call them resolutions, but it’s something we do continually.

AFSHIN AFROOKHTEH

Local Spiritual Assembly

Baha’i Faith of Laguna Niguel

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As we move into the year 2000, I have considered the following changes good for soul, mind, and body. For the soul, more time to pray. I love to talk about prayer, but after a few minutes on the knees, I know why I need a knee replacement. For the mind, more time to read. I encourage people to read the Bible, and I need to be a good example, but with these new bifocals, I am going to the Bible on audiotape. For the body, more physical exercise. I am putting down the remote control and walking around the block. Of course, I will stop later for some fresh cookies at the bakery.

REV. STEVE BLANKENSHIP

Santa Ana Free Methodist Church

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To finally get the baptistery to stop leaking once and for all. Method: Remind the deacons that more baptisms mean shorter sermons!

SENIOR PASTOR ROBB RING

East Anaheim Christian Church

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Spiritual food is available in abundance if one reads, understands and then follows any Holy Scripture and also joins holy congregations. Guru Nanak says: “One who earns his bread by honest means and shares the same with the needy is truly religious.” We have to remember this every moment of every day.

GURBIR SINGH

Sikh Temple of Orange County

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Jesus gives us a great focus, not just for resolutions, but for life in the new millennium. His greatest commandment is also the greatest of resolutions: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

That’s a lifelong quest worthy of my pursuit--to excel at loving God, loving people and encouraging those under my teaching to join me in that pursuit.

PASTOR H. DALE BURKE

First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton

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My main resolution for the year 2000 is to celebrate the wonder that we have survived this long without trying God’s patience to the limits. I am, of course, smiling. We all know that his mercy endures forever. Actually, I want the year 2000 to be special for our church and our membership. It is our goal to reach 2,000 people for Christ this year to celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of God’s great gift of love to us.

Please pray with us that we can accomplish this overwhelming goal for a church our size. Of course, it is more than just reaching. It is discipling the new believers that makes this such a great task.

PASTOR ED RUTHERFORD

Orange Hills Assembly

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To become a beacon of hope to all who know me and a trusted individual at home, at work and in my community.

MICHAEL FRIEDMAN

Soka Gakkai Buddhist

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As each year begins, I recommit to these resolutions: Walk with God daily by journaling. Treasure my family--Laurie and our four sons. Value people--seeing them through God’s eyes. And define success as building character.

PASTOR KENTON BESHORE

Mariners Church

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Recognize that God has a sense of humor and cease to take myself too seriously. Provide service to others rather than talking about it. And listen more in my prayer life.

THOMAS THORKELSON

Director of Interfaith Relations,

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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On Faith is a forum for Orange County clergy and others to offer their views on religious topics of general interest. Submissions, which will be published at the discretion of The Times and are subject to editing, should be delivered to Orange County religion page editor Jack Robinson.