SEASONS | RESOURCES
Winter
Winter is a season where we are invited to remember the long wait for the birth of Jesus, to receive the gift of his coming, and to notice how God’s story continues—right here, right now, and still unfolding in the future.
“Darkness deserves gratitude. It is the alleluia point at which we learn to understand that all growth does not take place in the sunlight.”
ABOUT THE SEASON
Winter cold narrows our world: we’re tempted to avoid our sidewalks, cancel the walk, and huddle indoors. But what if winter is an invitation—not to withdraw, but to turn toward one another? To check in on neighbors. To shovel a driveway that isn’t yours. To invite someone in for a meal, a fire, a simple conversation. Winter can become a reset: a chance to establish new rhythms in the new year and embrace a steady practice of community—small, faithful, and close to home.
Rhythms
RESOURCES FOR WINTER
Winter rhythms are simple practices that help us meet this season with open eyes and open doors. They look like winter play and delight: finding the nearest sledding hill, laughing until your cheeks burn, letting joy be a form of resistance to the dark. They look like steady care—clearing snow from sidewalks and steps, making a path where others might slip, doing the unnoticed work that sees and celebrates, God with us.
Prayer |Warmth
Father in Heaven,
We pray for warmth this winter.
May Your love ignite the embers of our faith
When the winter presses the bitter cold
Against the doors of our hearts and homes.
May Your light illuminate the darkness
Where suffering and sorrow are all too familiar
To our family members and nearby neighbors.
May we not quickly pass by those without warmth,
Who live on the icy coldness of our sidewalks and streets.
Jesus, may we follow Your example as the Good Neighbor,
May we bring warmth to the chill of loneliness by
A warm meal shared,
An invitation to restoration,
An hour of tutoring and re-learning,
A gentle knock and a listening ear.
May our homes have a hearth
To focus our families and friends
On the holy flames of Your forgiveness
And the warmth of Your grace.
May we be people of warmth this winter
Extending welcome and participating in restoration,
Embracing others with compassion
And together experiencing Your Kingdom come
In our neighborhoods as it is in heaven.
Prayers
Practice | Check In During Winter
“There is nothing in the world so good as good neighbors.”
In the chill of the winter months, it is instinctive to retreat into the warmth of our homes. But winter also presents unique opportunities to love our neighbors in tangible and practical ways. Checking in on neighbors is a practice that can foster meaningful connection and offer important physical, emotional, and relational care.
When cold temperatures set in, sending a brief text to check in on the safety of neighbors is a simple, yet greatly appreciated, practice. We live in a neighborhood with older overhead power lines that are often impacted by heavy snows and freezing temperatures. When the power goes out, our first response is to send a text to nearby neighbors to assess the scale of the outage and the safety of those affected.
Winter can be a challenging season, especially for older neighbors or those with limited mobility. Checking in to ask if they need someone to pick up groceries, a prescription, or run an important errand is a small act that may lift a heavy burden. Sharing seasonal comforts like a batch of cookies, a container of soup, or a simple handwritten note are ways to remind neighbors they are remembered during days when weather may keep them home bound.
Look for signs during winter that a neighbor may need someone to check in. An unshoveled sidewalk, mail piling up, or lights remaining on are good reminders to send a text or knock on their door. Checking in communicates they are seen and can counter the overwhelming emotions of loneliness and isolation.
Winter is a season that often invites us to slow down and stay in. But it is also a season to act. By practicing checking in on neighbors, we embody a love that warms both hearts and homes.
Practice checkin in
Send a text. Confirm neighbors are safe during heavy storms and low temperatures.
Share seasonal comforts. Drop off cookies, a soup, or a simple handwritten note.
Provide practical support. Clear sidewalks, pick up groceries, or run errands.
Pay attention. Watch for lights left off, piled-up mail, or an unshoveled sidewalk.
Practices
Places for Winter: Sledding Hill
A sledding hill is a sacred place. It is a place of winter play where children and adults alike experience the thrill of speeding down a snowy surface. Many winter sports can be exclusive based on finances, but a sledding hill is an inclusive gathering. A sledding hill is an open invitation to anyone willing to risk. Sledding is winter enjoyment that comes from effort. You learn how to “earn your turns” as the excitement of going down comes with the work of hiking back up the hill.
Almost any object can be used to descend a snowy hill—from heirloom wooden sleds to oversized metal sheet pans. An inflatable tube is widely agreed as the best way to go further and faster. A well-designed tube with a simple tow rope makes walking back up the hill easier work. The argument against tubes is the inability to steer them. For those wanting a bit more control on their descent, toboggan style sleds are a great option.
Ruby Hill Park has become Denver's most popular sledding hill. Located in southwest Denver, at over 250 feet, it is the largest designated sledding hill in the city. Beyond an abundance of space, there are some aspects that set Ruby Hill apart as an iconic sledding hill.
Ruby Hill Rail Yard is a unique winter skatepark for skiers and snowboarders. When it launched in 2007, it was the first free winter terrain park in an urban area according to Denver Parks & Recreation. The Rail Yard maintains a snowy surface throughout the season with snowmaking machines in collaboration with Winter Park Resort. There are designated areas adjacent to the Rail Yard groomed for sledding. The Rail Yard is illuminated which allows for the unique experience of nighttime sledding.
For children who tire of sledding, there is a large playground at the top of Ruby Hill Park. And for those who enjoying watching instead of working, the location provides beautiful 360-degree panoramic views of Denver, most notably at sunset each day.
Eugene Peterson wrote, “Praying and playing are deeply congruent with each other and have extensive inner connections.” The sledding hill at Ruby Hill Park is an amazing place of winter play. The sledding hill is a sacred place.
Here is the best tube to purchase to enjoy on sledding hills according to Popular Mechanics.
Places
More rhythms to root your faith in place.
RESOURCES FOR EPIPHANY
Recommended Resources
These curated resources help you hold winter’s full movement—waiting and welcome, darkness and dawning, birth and revelation. Each one is chosen to deepen your awareness of God-with-us in your community, offering grounded hope, honest reflection, and practices for noticing the light that has come and keeps shining.
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Epiphany
We have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father."
This line from the prologue of the Gospel of John declares the theme of Epiphany. Christmas celebrates Christ's birth; Epiphany manifests his glory.
The feast of Epiphany and its following season are not as well observed as they should be. Many of us associate Epiphany with the visit of the Magi but don't know much more about it. In this short volume, priest and theologian Fleming Rutledge expounds the primary biblical texts and narrative arc of the season, inviting us to discover anew "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
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2024 Good Shepherd Epiphany Guide
This thoughtfully crafted guide invites individuals and communities into a season of reflection, wonder, and belonging. It offers Scripture readings, prayers, and practical prompts that connect the spiritual journey of Epiphany. Whether used personally or in a group setting, this guide helps deepen our understanding of how Christ’s presence is revealed through place, people, and everyday life.
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2025 Epiphany Guide
This thoughtful Epiphany Guide from Good Shepherd New York offers a season‑long invitation to see Christ’s light in everyday life and in community. Rooted in Scripture and shaped by practices that help readers reflect deeply on the meaning of Epiphany, the guide includes spiritual reflections and suggested practices to help individuals and groups embody Christ’s love beyond belief into action. Designed to support personal devotion and communal connection during the Epiphany season, it helps anchor one’s year in the light, hope, and mission of Jesus.
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Sacred Ordinary Days
The Epiphany of the Lord is a feast day that celebrates the revelation of God as a human being in Jesus Christ. It is observed on January 6 and marks the official end of the Christmas season.
