Reflection of the Month - January 2026 

As the quiet of the break gives way to a new year, I’m drawn to simple, steady rhythms. In the Seventh-day Adventist tradition, the Sabbath is a weekly constant in life’s equation - a gracious limit that guards our margins. From one sunset to the next, we let go, breathe, and remember that rest isn’t the absence of work; it’s the proofing that gives life its rise. 

I feel this truth in our bread-baking masterclasses. Flour, water, salt, and time become more than ingredients - they become a lesson. Hydration ratios and stretch-and-folds are small, repeated actions that, when integrated, transform the dough - just as small kindnesses integrate into community. Fermentation teaches patience; warmth and waiting do invisible work. The loaf you share tomorrow begins with the margin you protect today. 

As term begins, perhaps we can reset our initial conditions: keep humane limits, choose nourishment over mere fuel, and let hope be the leaven in our plans. Whether or not Sabbath is your practice, may you find Sabbath moments - pauses that steady your steps, meals that gather friends, and quiet that restores courage. This year, let’s tend the dough of our common life - and watch the good rise. 

This reflection was written by Pastor Obi Iheoma, our Seventh-day Adventist Chaplain. You can find out more about Pastor Obi by clicking here to visit his profile.

The views expressed in this reflection are those of the Chaplain and do not necessarily represent the position of the University of Birmingham's Multifaith Chaplaincy.