Ring Out the Old

Year End Examen Resources

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
   The flying cloud, the frosty light:
   The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
   Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
   The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
   For those that here we see no more…


Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
   The faithless coldness of the times…


Ring out false pride in place and blood,
   The civic slander and the spite;
   Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good…

   Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
   Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
   The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
   Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
In Memoriam, [Ring out, wild bells]
Alfred, Lord Tennyson – 1809-1892

Ringing church bells on New Year’s Eve prompts Alfred Tennyson’s tribute to his close friend who died suddenly at age 22. Tennyson wants to put an end to the “grief that saps the mind.” Everything that Tennyson sees wrong with the coldness of his times: injustice, disease, greed, and war, he hopes will be rung out and let go. With the ringing of the bells, his prayer, his hope is that the New Year will bring in courageous people with big hearts who are kind, compassionate, and peaceful, those living as Christ would have us to be.

REFLECT. Ring out the false, ring in the true. Author and psychologist David Benner writes on the gift of being our true self: We do not find our true self by seeking it. Rather, we find it by seeking God. For it is in finding God that we find our truest and deepest self. The true self is who, in reality, you are and who you are becoming. It is not something you need to construct through a process of self-improvement nor deconstruct by means of psychological analysis. Rather, it is your total self as you are created by God and as you are being redeemed in Christ.

As you take a look back into the year past, what would you let go of? ” Ring out the want, the care, the sin, the faithless coldness of our times.” Now look into the year to come, and seek to become more your own true self in Christ, with a larger heart, and kinder hand.

PRACTICE. An Annual Examen is a spiritual practice of reflection with gratitude for the past year as well as looking forward with hope into the New Year. Try one of these resources:

The Great Annual Examen, is offered by Stephen W. Smith at Potter’s Inn. The reflection questions are quite extensive and review your health, relationships, emotions, work and spiritual life. These questions guide you to process the events, experiences, joys and sadness of the year by letting go and leaning into gratitude.

I find it helpful to do this Examen with a small group or a soul friend to encourage our shared humanity with accountability and love.

A few of the questions:

What are the most important events that have happened to me this past year?
Where have I most experienced the presence of God, and why?
List the people who have been life-giving this past year.
What are feelings (positive or negative) that I believe have dominated my year?

Click on the link to order for a nominal price.

Great Annual Examen

For those who like to draw, doodle, and creatively reflect, try this free resource at JennCobbleworks:

Free examen minibook

Leadership Transformations invites you to grab your journal and settle into a quiet space and use their Year End Examen, a simple 2 page PDF that is inviting and easy to use.

YEAR END EXAMENDownload

So this is Ringing Out the Old.

Next blog will be: Ringing In the New featuring a Spiritual Practice called “The Rule of Life.”

As always, I’m available for spiritual direction and friendship. robbijames@gmail.com