An epiphany about Epiphany

January 3, 2019

This year, the Feast of the Epiphany, which is always January 6th (the 12th day of Christmas), falls on a Sunday, so we'll have an opportunity to give this holy day it a bit more attention than we normally do.

The word "epiphany" means two things, and both meanings can be helpful to us early in the new year. 

When the word "Epiphany" is capitalized, it refers to the religious holy day we'll observe on Sunday: the manifestation or "showing" of Christ to the wider world. It's the day we commemorate the Magi, or wise men ("three kings") coming from the East and bowing down before the baby Jesus and offering them their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

The more common use of the word "epiphany," however, is when we say we've "had an epiphany," meaning a kind of "ah-HA! moment" or a sudden insight. 

There's a wonderful poem written by the African-American preacher and civil rights leader Howard Thurman called "The Work of Christmas" which, I think, pulls together the two meanings of the word "epiphany," and does a good job of putting this time of year in perspective:

"When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock... The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among others, To make music in the heart."

What a great way to begin our new year.  Epiphany means Christmas is over.  But Epiphany is itself a season, inviting us to have an epiphany of our own -- that now more than ever, we're being asked to do the work of Christmas. And the work of Christmas is of course Jesus' work: to find...heal... feed... release... rebuild... bring peace... make music. See you Sunday, 

John

Want some good news?

December 27, 2018

Want some good news?  Here's some, in a quick little Bible study refresher course:  As you may know, only the Gospels of Matthew and Luke tell what have become familiar the Christmas stories of Jesus' birth and early days. It's from those two books that we get the familiar stories of Joseph and Mary's travel to Bethlehem, Jesus being born in a manger, shepherds, the wise men, and so on.  The Gospel of Mark has no such stories: it starts out with Jesus already a full-grown adult.  And the Gospel of John refers to the birth of Jesus by telling us that that birth was the Word of God, which (who) has always in existence from the very beginning, becoming enfleshed, or human, in the person of Jesus.  Each of those Gospels adds a valuable perspective.  And all four convey good news: Matthew and Luke emphasize the good news that God chooses to be involved in ordinary human history and uses ordinary human beings for extraordinary purposes.  Mark gets right to the point of the birth, which are the things Jesus said and did while alive, and how those words and deeds are good news for us, because of what they say about God.  John reminds us that while Jesus was unique, he was not out of character for God, because Jesus, as the Word-made-flesh, was the culmination of the good news that God has been trying to get through to us ever since creation, which is to make God's goodness and love known to us human beings in ways we can understand.    In other words, no matter who is telling the story of what God was doing in and through the person of Jesus, it's good news. As in Good News.  If you ever encounter a preacher or a church conveying any other message, you can bet they aren't basing their religion on the God revealed most fully in Jesus. Because while the four Gospels vary quite a lot in the WAY they tell the story, the story is the same:  Jesus is "good news of great joy" of God's loving involvement in the world. 

See you Sunday, 

John

Sadie-like Waiting (verses Vizzini-like Waiting)

Earlier this week, our daughter Elizabeth made the seven-hour drive home from her college town of Boone, North Carolina to join us for Christmas.  Our dog Sadie and Elizabeth have a special bond. Elizabeth is the one who first picked Sadie, a rescue dog, out from her litter, and who has always taken special care of her.   So, earlier this week, as soon as Elizabeth told me she was in her car and on her way home, I told Sadie, and here was her reaction.  I almost regretted telling her, because from then on that day, she wouldn't leave the this spot at the front door.

I share this video and photo because they seem to capture the spirit of Advent. 

Advent is a season of joyful anticipation. Advent is a season of waiting.  Waiting can be difficult, especially in our instant message, overnight delivery, immediate results-oriented culture.  But the waiting we do at Advent is a special kind of waiting.  It's not Vizzini-type, impatient waiting:

If you don't haven't watched The Princess Bride, you really must.

and Advent waiting is certainly not fearful, uncertain, or anxious waiting.  That's because we KNOW what's coming, and it is Christmas, Emmanuel, God-with-us, which is proclaimed by God as "good news of great joy."  The waiting we do one more Sunday -- this, the Fourth and final Sunday of Advent -- is Sadie-like waiting: it's eager, joyful, expectant waiting of the one we love coming to spend time with us.  Because the One we love, loves us, even more!  See you Sunday (for one combined 10:00 service of Lessons and Carols, and then Monday, Christmas Eve, at either 10 am, 4 pm, or 8 pm!),

John