I’ve Had an Epiphany
Sunday, January 4, 2026
Rev. Diana Johnson, IM, RScM, with Sherri Dotter, RScP, Chris Johnson, RScP, & musician Marsh Brodeur
Video Chapter Index
| 0:00 | Taizé | Clicking on a chapter link will play the segment in a new YouTube tab. Your link to this page will remain open in this tab, but the video will play in the new window. Clicking on the Play arrow in the video screen above will play both Taizé and the Conscious Conversation on this page. To make the picture bigger, you may click the full screen icon in the lower right corner:  To cast the video to your Smart TV, click the Play on TV button:  . Also, we now have Closed Captioning available! To access Closed Captions, start the video and click on the CC icon next to the gear in the lower right of the video screen:  |
| 22:46 | Guided Meditation | |
| 49:36 | Conscious Conversation |
Taizé
Call to Awareness – 3 Bells
Sherri – Opening Prayer
Rev. Diana – Good morning…Happy New Year…and welcome. If you’re new with us here this morning… my name is Rev. Diana Johnson. We begin our Taizé Journey in musical prayer.
Rev. Diana, Chris, & Marsh – Taizé Chants
- Welcome Home to Your Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- I Am Letting Go, written by Sky Nelson
Rev. Diana – In the stillness of this moment, we breathe…allowing that to be enough…with full awareness of this moment…content to simply be who we are, where we are….Just being here…now. We bring our awareness to our connection with all of Life. There is an illusion of separateness, as we are individualized expressions of the One Source…each of us bringing forth a unique version of Spirit in form. But the word individual gives us away…it means not able to be divided…indivisible…inherently part of One Whole, an intrinsic thread in the fabric of life.
We use the Inner Eye to envision a web of Light, a web of Life, encircling our beautiful planet, and infusing everything on it…each one of us, a point of Light in that web…every human being without exception…every creature, large and small…every plant, rock and grain of sand…every drop of water…all that exists is an intricate and irreplaceable part of the One. The Earth that sustains us is God taken form, and all that exists beyond our beautiful planet. One Radiant Light, glowing with Intelligence…One Life, taking form as all Life. Take a moment to breathe in that deep sense of connection…
Breathing in, I receive the Life that connects all beings, all of Creation. Breathing out, I give back to Life. I serve as a conduit for Life to take form.
As a human expression, I Am given the priceless gift of self-reflection and choice. In gratitude, I accept the responsibility of making choices wisely… caring for my brothers and sisters, human and otherwise…caring for the Sacred Mother as she gives of her nourishment…making an honorable and noble contribution to Life Itself, doing no harm, and aiding in the transformation that is happening in our world.
We approach the New Year with the suggestion that we, and in fact all of Life, is Forever Changing…that the only thing we can really count on is change. This month, we contemplate the idea of Shedding Old Skin…of letting go of all that no longer serves…of literally allowing old ways of being and seeing to Gracefully and Easily fall away. Of course, the first step is to acknowledge and accept that a behavior or pattern is holding us back. Our point of contemplation this morning is, I’ve Had an Epiphany…in other words, suddenly I am aware of something that needs to change if I am to step into a healthier, more Joyful and Contented version of myself.
We hear a lot about new beginnings this time of year. We are sometimes encouraged to make New Year’s Resolutions…to resolve to do something differently in the year to come…to improve our lives, or ourselves in some way. This idea has worked its way into our Race Consciousness. And yet, I am finding that people are more hesitant to make resolutions than in years past…perhaps because experience tells us that they often fall away for one reason of another.
What is a resolution? In the modern day, it means “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” But the root of this word actually means “to loosen, or release.” So a resolution, by its original meaning, is more about letting go than making a firm decision. It seems to me that the New Year is an ideal time to let go of what no longer serves us, allowing us to move into something new.
What if we were to couple the idea of making resolutions…with letting go…with that of setting intentions?
The root of the word intention means to stretch, or the process of extending inward. So, consciously setting an intention could be thought of as using my Inner Wisdom and Inner Strength to permanently let go of something that doesn’t serve me. And in letting go, I empty myself just a little bit, making room for something new to take form…I stretch myself by allowing myself and my life to be different…I re-write my own story.
Why is it important to set conscious intentions? I would like to suggest that we are always setting intentions, either consciously and specifically, or unconsciously by refusing to set intentions, which can open us up to a life of apparent chaos, unexpected and undesirable situations and conditions.
In the New Thought tradition, we accept the Spiritual Truth that our thoughts create our experiences. Author, Lynne McTaggart says that, “…thought does shape reality, but much depends on how skillfully the thinker can use their intention.” So setting intentions goes beyond just improving the quality of my thoughts. It is being clear what I want my life to look and feel like…and allowing my Inner Power and Wisdom to lead me as I take one step forward at a time. Caroline Myss says it this way: “Intention serves as the engine on the train. Choice is the caboose… Intention serves as the engine on the train. Choice is the caboose.” (Pause)
If I’m going to set intentions for this New Year, and I’m aware that I haven’t been successful in the past with follow-through, it’s important for me to look at that. What has gotten in my way?
Maybe I don’t believe I have what it takes…I don’t deserve to have good things in my life…I’m stuck in a current situation that doesn’t allow the time, money, or energy required…these are the stories we tell ourselves. And it’s likely that these were stories told to us as we grew up, either by our families, teachers, or culture in general. And we took them on for ourselves.
In her book The Dark Side of the Light Chasers, a look at shadow and story, author Debbie Ford says this:
Every human being is born with a healthy emotional system. We love and accept ourselves when we are born…we dwell in the fullness of our being, living in the moment and expressing ourselves freely. As we grow older we begin to learn from the people around us. They tell us how to act, when to eat, when to sleep, and we begin to make distinctions. We learn which behaviors bring us acceptance and which bring us rejection…we learn to trust people around us or to fear them. We learn consistency or inconsistency. All of this distracts us from living in the moment and keeps us from expressing ourselves freely. We need to revisit the experience of our innocence that allows us to accept all of who we are at every moment.
That said, I have some good news for you… all of these things you have come to believe about yourself? They’re just stories. Stories are made up…not real…made up by authors. And who is the author of my story? I am. Who is the author of your story? So, what if I’m not happy with my story? I change it.
Chris – Guided Meditation
Having an epiphany means that we receive a sudden insight… an unexpected perception of Ultimate Reality… a revelation of the essential nature of Creation… It is a mystical event… a Divine Gift that, if we act on it, has the power to transform us… Spirit has imparted Wisdom… Now what?… What is our appropriate response?…
Insight… intuition… inspiration… all are the working of the Infinite Intelligence that I call God within us… our human minds give way to Divine Mind… for a moment, our small self is eclipsed by our Higher Self… we are completely surrendered to the Awe and Majesty of Spiritual Revelation… The question is, “Can we stay surrendered?…”
This is the crucial moment of our epiphany… will we let our habitual thinking talk us out of responding?… will we shrink back from fear of the unknown?… Or can we stay in the cloud of unknowing?… can we live with the uncertainty long enough for our faith to emerge?… can we trust in our vision so completely that we stay surrendered to it?…
This is a time of action… when insight inspires intention… and intention compels us to act on our vision… We are vulnerable and mystified… we have no familiar landmarks… yet we are called to commit to our epiphany… to leave all the other options behind, and take the leap of faith… and follow wherever Spirit leads…
We have all had epiphanies… insights great or small… Some we acted on and some we didn’t… As we share our three minutes of silent meditation this morning, I invite you to recall an insight you have had… you may or may not have followed its lead… What was your initial reaction?… What was your eventual response?… If you pursued your vision, how deep was your level of commitment?… Use your imagination and faith to envision how your inspiration might have unfolded if your commitment to it was completely wholehearted…
Silence – 3:00
O Divine Beloved… Great Mystery that gives rise to all that is… we thank you for continuing to inspire and guide us… grant us the faith and courage to act boldly on your guidance… Thank you for these Holy Saints who worship with me and support my spiritual evolution… May we always be receptive to mystical Insights…
Mountaineer William Hutchison Murray wrote, “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it…” Our wholehearted commitment to our intention summons all the infinite power of creation to bring it into our experience…
As we continue our Taizé meditation, we receive Rev. Diana’s inspiring words like the soil receives seeds… with faith that they will sprout into insights… into epiphanies that can transform our lives… and have the power to change the world…
Rev. Diana – Sometimes the direction of our stories is changed by forces outside of ourselves…by God working through people or situations, because we are not getting the message…not tuning in or receiving what is trying to be revealed directly. At such a time, the epiphany might be, “Oh, I was on the wrong track…there is a better way for me to go.”
This is where writing the story of my life can get confusing. I feel like I know where I want to go and I’m consciously creating to get there, but things are just not working out the way I planned.
As human beings, we tend to be pretty narrow in our vision for setting intentions for our lives. What if, in 2026, I expand my view? What if you expand yours? What if I let go of what the outcome needs to look like for me to be happy? What if I let go of having so many preferences to begin with? What if my conscious intention becomes to align myself with the Natural Order of things, with the Divine Blueprint for my life, with Flow and Wholeness? What if I set an intention to allow my Inner Wisdom to guide me, and to take one step at a time in following that Guidance?
What if I set an intention to write the story that God intended for me at birth?
The story that says I Am perfectly and intentionally made, that I am not broken, have never been broken, can never be broken… and that there is nothing missing in me or in my life? The story that says I am Powerful beyond belief, and that I have Purpose here on earth…that I have unique gifts to share…gifts that nobody else can offer? The story that says I am loveable, loved, and capable of loving in return? What if my story can revolve around the inherent Peace, Joy, Beauty, and Freedom that are my Divine Birthright?
I can literally choose to author my life…to step into my Spiritual Authority…the Authority that comes from knowing Who and Whose I Am…
…from knowing and acknowledging where my Wisdom and Power come from and inviting It to Live Its Life through me. I can literally complete the final chapter to this book of my life and begin chapter one of the sequel. In fact, I am doing that right now…and so can you.
Let’s close in prayer.
Musical Meditation – Winds of Change by Karen Drucker
Rev. Diana – We bring our awareness back to this space, and to our Community. As you feel ready, look around and really see those beautiful souls who are gathered here with you this morning.
Love Offering
As we close our Taizé Meditation, we offer the opportunity for you to share your financial good in support of the work we do in the world. If you’re joining us online, you can find a Donate Button and our mailing address at mysticheart.org. We are an independent, self-supporting organization, and your financial gifts are what make it possible for us to do our work and provide this beautiful and safe space to gather.
As we honor the Spiritual Practice of Circulation, we remind you to Let Your Light Shine.
Offertory Music Video – Waiting on the World to Change, by Playing for Change https://youtu.be/yTU2J2xnkbg?list=RDyTU2J2xnkbg
Rev. Diana – Blessing for the Offering
Rev. Diana, Chris, & Marsh – Taizé Closing Song
- A Soul’s Blessing, written by Chris Johnson
Conscious Conversation
Sherri – Opening Prayer
Rev. Diana – Welcome or welcome back…Happy New Year…and thank you for being here. I know you’ll be glad you came. If you’re new with us here this morning… my name is Rev. Diana Johnson, and I am the Pastor and Spiritual Director of Mystic Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Independent Interfaith Community that teaches Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality, tracing the common threads of Truth that run through all the world’s great traditions. It is my prayer that something you hear this morning will lead you back to the Wisdom and Guidance of your own Mystic Heart.
Let’s get our Conversation started by joining our voices in song and giving our bodies a chance to wake up!
Rev. Diana, Chris, & Marsh – Opening Music
- Welcome to the Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- One Big Family, written by Robin Hackett & Gary Lynn Floyd
- Song – Relax, Let Go by Karen Drucker
Rev. Diana – Let’s take a moment to consciously engage the body in the Sacred Practice of Visioning for a Love-Soaked World…where all humans are embodying and living from their Highest Selves, their deepest Wisdom, their most generous and Loving nature…honoring and caring for one another, and for our beautiful planet, is second nature…all needs are met…all beings have plenty of nourishing food, the safety of a warm and comfortable home……mental/physical health, education, and healthy relationships are ensured by social systems grounded in Integrity and Wholeness…
In our newly created world, all beings work and play at whatever feeds their soul and are well compensated for their Service…all beings are valued and respected for their inherent Goodness and Light…authenticity and vulnerability are not only welcome, but celebrated…and the Peace we cultivate within shows up as a world free of hatred or violence.
Each one of us is living into a world where greed is no more, where there is abundance in having enough…where generosity is the norm…where every being receives all that is needed for a full, rich, and contented life.
By the Power of our collective intention and powerful imagining, we have written a new story…a world that works for all beings. We trust and know that all is always being turned to Good, and so it is. We walk in gratitude, respect, reverence, and humility as we recognize the Sacred in everyone and everything…there is a general sense of thriving.
It is through our hands, feet, hearts, and voices that positive change is forever happening. We aligned all of our actions with our Vision, living these changes in our own lives, with our families, friends, communities, and other nations…
We recognize that transformation is an on-going process, and in times of great change, people benefit from working, playing, and simply being together. And so this Community stands as an open and welcoming place for all who seek support, belonging, and a sense of Family.
By the Power that is inherently ours, this prayer is acted upon, answered even as it is spoken. I trust and know that this is so…I rest in Divine Presence that works in Its own time, and by Its own Process…and with the deepest humility and gratitude, I release my Word, calling it done…And so it is!…Amen!
Let’s take a moment to bask in that creative and powerful energy…look around to say good morning to your Spiritual Family.
If you were with us at Taizé this morning, you know that our topic of reflection has been I’ve Had an Epiphany.
The events of 2025 have brought a stark reminder that Life is Forever Changing. It seemed like a good time to use that as a theme for 2026. I’ll be looking at change through a number of different lenses throughout the year. If you were with us at Taizé this morning, you know that our monthly theme for January is Shedding Old Skin; and our topic of reflection this morning has been I’ve Had and Epiphany.
We reflected on the idea that a resolution, by its original meaning, is more about letting go than making a firm decision…and that the word intention means to stretch, or the process of extending inward. We contemplated the coupling of resolutions and intentions in their truest form, so that consciously setting an intention could be thought of as using Inner Wisdom and Inner Strength to permanently let go of something that doesn’t serve me. And in letting go, emptying myself just a little bit, making room for something new to take form…stretching myself to be different in some way…re-writing my story.
We also considered the importance of setting conscious intentions, since we are always setting intentions, either consciously and specifically, or unconsciously by refusing to set intentions. This is similar to the idea that not choosing is making a choice. It’s like saying, “Yeah, Whatever…” to God. This can open us up to a life of apparent chaos, unexpected and undesirable situations and conditions. This is not to say that refraining from making choices or setting intentions is not sometimes the best thing to do, but usually if that’s the case, we have consulted Higher Wisdom, and so really, we have done so consciously.
Okay, here’s the jumping off point for today. The day after tomorrow is Epiphany on the Christian liturgical calendar.
Does anyone know what Epiphany celebrates?
What do we mean when we say we’ve had an epiphany?
Going back to our Taizé contemplations, what does it mean to set an intention?
(checking in with my Higher Wisdom, my Still, Small Voice, to get clear about what I want my life to look and feel like)
Have any of us set intentions for the coming year?
Would you like to share what they are? There is Power in speaking it out loud and being witnessed.
I’d like to share a quick story with you. Is anyone here familiar with Harold of Purple Crayon fame?
Meet my good friend, Harold. Harold and the Purple Crayon
How are we like Harold?
(We use our thoughts, imaginations, and intentions to create our lives, our experiences)
Do we sometimes create scary stories?
How about delicious stories, like the nine kinds of pie he couldn’t finish?
Do we sometimes create on purpose, and sometimes unintentionally, like the deep water he fell into?
Do we sometimes not watch where we are going, and we fall?
Do we manage to get back on our feet, or be lifted out of our circumstance?
How is it that Harold finds his way Home? (by keeping his vision on his point of reference)
Interesting that Harold’s point of reference is the position of the moon.
Does anyone know what the moon symbolizes metaphysically? Power
And does it make its own Light? It reflects the Light of the sun.
So this story holds deep Truth…that if we focus on our own Power and Light…on the God within…and share that Light with the world, we never stay lost for long.
Are we the sole authors of our lives? Say more…
Sometimes the direction of our stories are changed by forces outside of ourselves…by God working through people or situations, because we are not getting the message…not tuning in or receiving what is trying to be revealed directly. Ever had that experience? “No, God, it’s not this way, it’s that way…wait, wait, wait! Let me show you!”
This is where writing the story of my life can get confusing. I feel like I know where I want to go and I’m consciously creating to get there, but things are just not working out the way I planned. My purple crayon is broken. Maybe, like Harold drawing hundreds of windows, I am being too specific in my intention.
How does that get in the way?
As long as Harold was focused on drawing windows, that’s all he got…windows. But when he stopped and remembered his own Power and Light…the moon, he regained his frame of reference.
When we set our intentions, it is wise to maintain a clear focus, but without attachment to the specific form it takes.
What might that look like?
(“This or something better;” focusing on the qualities you wish to experience, rather than the specific form it needs to take; giving attention to the feeling you are seeking…allowing my Inner Power and Wisdom to lead me as I take one step forward at a time)
How does this month’s topic, Shedding Old Skin, tie into this morning’s Conversation?
Is there anything else that wants to be spoken right now?
I have a couple of closing comments and questions to leave you with. As human beings, we tend to be pretty narrow in our vision for setting intentions for our lives. Would you agree? What if, in 2026, I expand my view? What if you expand yours?
What if I let go of needing to determine what the outcome needs to look like for me to be happy?
What if my conscious intention becomes to align myself with the Natural Order of things, with the Divine Blueprint for my life, with Flow and Wholeness?
What if I set an intention to allow my Inner Wisdom to guide me, and to take one step at a time in following that Guidance?
What if I set an intention to write the story that the God intended for me at birth? The story that says I Am perfectly and intentionally made, that I am not broken, have never been broken, can never be broken… and that there is nothing missing in me or in my life? The story that says I am Powerful beyond belief, and that I have Purpose here on earth…that I have unique gifts to share…gifts that nobody else can offer? The story that says I am loveable, loved, and capable of loving in return?
What if my story revolves around the inherent Peace, Joy, Beauty, and Freedom that are my Divine Birthright?
So what if my story so far has been a drama, a tragedy, a tall tale, or even a horror story? Have you ever heard of a sequel? Have you ever heard of a Choose Your Own Adventure story? I can write one of those.
I can choose to author my life…to step into my Spiritual Authority…the Authority that comes from knowing Who and Whose I Am…from knowing and acknowledging where my Wisdom and Power come from and inviting it to Live Its Life through me.
I can literally complete the final chapter to this book of my life and begin chapter one of the sequel. In fact, I have…and so can you. And if you need help finding your Authority, knowing the Truth of who you are, we have Trained Prayer Practitioners to help you, to know the Truth for you, and to remind you Who you are.
As we complete our time together this morning, I want to thank you for being a part of my Story, and letting me be part of yours. Ours is a Beautiful story of growth, expansion, fulfillment, authenticity, vulnerability, belonging, family…it is a story of Vision and Grace…of Shedding Old Skin. And we are writing it together.
Closing Prayer –
Love Offering
Thank you so much for joining me here today. We’re going to bring this part of the morning to a close, but before we do, we’d like to invite you to join in the celebration of the work we are doing in the world by sharing of your financial Good. If you are at home, you can go to mysticheart.org to use our Donate Button or to find our mailing address.
We are an independent, self-supporting organization, and your financial gifts are what make it possible for us to do our work and provide this beautiful and safe space to gather. We thank you in advance for your generous hearts. We acknowledge and give thanks for the Infinite Abundance of Spirit moving through you.
As we engage in the Sacred Practice of Circulation, we’re going to share one more song by Formidable Vegetable.
Offertory Music Video – Change by Formidable Vegetable
Sherri – Blessing for the Offering
Sherri –Invitations
- The Mystic Heart Book Club meets every Tuesday from 3-5 We are currently reading Braiding Sweet Grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. You can drop in anytime.
Looking into January…
- This Friday, January 9th – Join April and Maile for a potluck and dance party reception, in celebration of their marriage on December 20th!
- The Science and Spirit class will be meeting on Wednesdays, beginning January 14th from 2:00 – 5:00 and will be completed on January 28th. It will be followed by Part 2 of this Consciousness Studies Series, using Christian de Quincey’s Radical Knowing, times TBA.
- Shining Light on Scripture is taking one more week off and will begin again on Wednesday, January 14th from 11:30am – 1:30pm. Note the slight time change. We are currently reading The Dhammapada by Eknath Easwaran. This is a drop-in book study.
- Announcing two new Book Studies/Support Circles on Wednesdays, beginning in February, and facilitated by Rev. Diana. We are all engaged in the process of grieving at some time in our lives, and we all have habits and patterns of behavior that would be best left behind. Both of these studies/support circles would be beneficial for anyone.
- On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Grief by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler. Begins Wednesday, January 14th from 1:30 – 3:15. AND
- Triumph of Principles: The Story of American Spirituality in Twelve Steps by Benjamin Riggs. Begins Wednesday, January 14th from 3:30 – 5:15.
- Fast Track to Wellness will take one more week off, returning on January 15th from 11:30am – 1:30pm. This is a body/mind/spirit support circle. We are currently listening to and discussing selections from Good Stress and Life in the Fasting Lane. You can drop in any time.
- SQ21: The Twenty-One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence (book by Cindy Wigglesworth) begins Thursday, January 15, 2 – 5 pm. The supplemental text is Praying Dangerously: Radical Relince on God by Regina Sara Ryan. This is a 10-week accredited class. There is a pre-reading assignment for those who will be attending. Register with Rev. Diana.
There is more information available on new classes and activities in the January Bulletin and on our website. We thank you for your patience as Rev. Diana and Chris take this time to move into their new home.
Information Cards only if new people
Prayer Requests: I am available after service for prayer, in our beautiful Prayer Room or fill out a prayer card and I will get your request to our Prayer Team for daily prayer.
Rev. Diana, Chris & Marsh – Closing Song
- Love Be With You, written by Lainey Bernstein & Gary Lynn Floyd
©2025 Mystic Heart Spiritual Center, All Rights Reserved
Permission is granted to duplicate for non-commercial educational use only.
All rights to music performed remain with the copyright owners.
Diana Johnson’s music is © by Barefoot Angel Publishing, ASCAP.
Chris Johnson’s music is © by SeaJay Music & Publishing, ASCAP.