Of course, traditions typically involve fun, which is amazing. But what I love most about traditions is the way they keep me connected to people. Especially with my pumpkin-carving, cookie-decorating, movie-watching, drive-in group, we all used to see each other almost daily! But as life has taken us in different directions, we see less of each other. Our well-established traditions never fail to keep us stuck together, though, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Truly! Every time we say our goodbyes, I find myself thinking about how thankful I am for the traditions we all love that never fail to bring us back together periodically throughout the year. 

Traditions can serve so many beneficial purposes. Have you ever thought about starting some spiritual traditions? If we establish intentional practices/events/experiences, they may reconnect us to God, mature us in our faith, and even be fun. 🙂 Here are five ideas.

1. Take time to set goals at the start of each calendar year. Along with personal, relational and work goals, set some spiritual goals! Jennie Allen provides a free “Dream Guide” resource at the start of the new year. Check out her website in late December or early January, and start the tradition of setting spiritual goals each January. 
2. Set aside one weekend every year for a spiritual retreat of some kind. What an incredible tradition this could be! The possibilities are endless… Book yourself a hotel in a nearby city, roam around from coffee shop to coffee shop for a weekend, ship your kids to their grandparents’ or a friend’s house for a couple days, and simply spend time alone with God. Read your Bible, read a Christian book, pray, take walks and talk to God, journal, follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Let this tradition be a spiritual marker for your year each year.
3. Re-read a book. Is there one book, whether it’s a book of the Bible or a book written by a Christian author, that’s made a huge impact on you? Perhaps it literally changed your life. Start a tradition of re-reading that book once a year. Go back and revisit its words and truths that influenced you. Reflect on the transformation they triggered or the transformation you wish they had triggered. Look for new ways the Holy Spirit might be speaking to you through that special book. Jot down notes in the page margins so you’ll remember how God was at work each time you read it! 
4. Meet with a pastor or mentor for a spiritual life check-in. Schedule an annual meeting! …but have it at a restaurant or coffee shop, and definitely call it a tradition instead of a meeting. That just sounds a lot more fun. Talk to this person about how God has worked in your life over the past year. Talk through the ups and downs and how your relationship with God changed along the way. Share your hopes and dreams for your walk with the Lord in the coming year. Ask questions, seek advice and pray together. 
5. Write a letter to yourself. Make it a tradition that on your birthday every year (or any other certain date you choose), you’ll set aside an hour or two to write a letter to yourself. Recap your spiritual growth over the past year, and write about where you hope to be on your next birthday. Each year, you can go back and read the previous year’s letter, take stock of whether or not you made the spiritual growth you were aiming for, and either celebrate the growth or mourn the struggle. Or both. Be specific as you write! That way when you’re revising your traditional birthday letter years down the road, you’ll remember exactly what was going on. You can look back and trace the Lord’s faithfulness through the years of your life. A letter-writing tradition is a perfect, non-threatening place to start, especially if you’re nervous about any of my other suggestions. Start the tradition!

Maybe your mind is now spinning and other ideas for spiritual traditions have popped into your brain! Be creative, and put the wheels in motion. Start several traditions, or start just one. Whatever you do, challenge yourself to begin traditions that will be fun and will further connect (and reconnect) you to God. Then, do whatever you need to do to faithfully maintain your carefully chosen tradition(s). You won’t regret it.