Arise,
shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon
you…Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. [Isaiah 60:1, 3]
For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress,
and the oppressed who has no helper. [Psalm 72:12]
Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of
God’s grace…This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried
out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and
confidence through faith in him. [Ephesians
3:7a,11-12]
“Go and search
diligently for the child…” When they saw that the star had stopped, they were
overwhelmed with joy. [Matthew 2:8b, 10]
Although technically
this Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Christmas, because of its close
proximity ~ 2 days ~ to the feast of The Epiphany of Our Lord, January
6, The Epiphany will be celebrated by many non-Orthodox Christian denominations
on this Sunday. The Orthodox Christians around the world, however, will
celebrate Christmas either on January 6th or 7th [see* below], while Orthodox Epiphany is also celebrated later, as the celebration
of the Baptism of Jesus. Back in the olden days when I was, ahem, young-er, Epiphany was
known as “Little Christmas” in my Roman Catholic upbringing, perhaps a nod to
our orthodox brothers and sisters, and it seems to have gotten lost to many along
the way. With its depiction of the Magi, or Three Wise Men, in
many Nativity scenes on Christmas, it’s just become a non-event with all the
hype for Christmas shopping stealing the scene as early as September. For me the
cultural change explains, sadly, the appearance of a few leftover Halloween skeletons
with Santa hats, and large lawn balloon figures of Darth Vader, dinosaurs, unicorns,
etc., from Thanksgiving until perhaps as late as February. Not screaming “Christmas”
to me, rather, in a piece I wrote recently, it’s more crissmiss.
The Epiphany is meant to be a bright shiny
and HOLY Revelation. It IS the continuing and the expanding of the
celebration of the birth of our Messiah, and His importance to us all! But
perhaps we are worn down after the four weeks of anticipation in Advent, the
hustle and bustle of preparation for gifts and food and gatherings, the
familiar rush of the time of year, followed by the pageantry and the
glorious music, and then the usual “let down.” Perhaps Epiphany, the 12th Day
of Christmas, has become an anti-climax, the end of the story, yet it is meant
as a beginning.
We open new chapters of the swiftly moving
Lectionary Story that will take us from Jesus the Baby, to Christ our Redeemer.
While we celebrate the birthday with great fanfare, the Epiphany moves us into
the reason for which this Child was born of a woman, the revelation
of God’s eternal purpose is upon us. A “theophany” ~ the
manifestation of God visible to humans ~ a re-discovery now. One
definition of “epiphany” is “a sudden insight or intuitive understanding.”
While
dates are relative to a given denomination or organization, at the Nativity of
Jesus, Luke tells us that the angels appeared to the shepherds
who received the good news of great joy, but Luke never
mentions the Three Kings. Matthew never mentions the shepherds or even the
birth itself except for a brief phrase: "...until she had borne a
son; and he [Joseph] named him Jesus." But Matthew did tell us of the "...wise men from the
East..." They saw a great star revealing to them the need for a
journey to pay homage to a new born king of the Jews. Herod gets involved and
we begin to see the ominous cloud moving in to shadow the glorious
star. But having heard this story so very many times perhaps we’ve tuned
it out. Generally arriving on a week day rather than a Sunday, when Christmas
is over and the work and school weeks are back in swing, Epiphany is not what it
has meant in the past. It’s time, as a
new year begins, to be re-awakened to the wonder and to ponder what it might
mean for each of us in our own time? What sudden insight or understanding
might come?
These three “Kings” weren’t likely kings at all but
rather astrologers and astronomers. Possibly, as they have been called, they
were Magi, priests of Zoroastrianism** from ancient Persia,
who saw a sign to follow in the famous star. Traveling as many as a thousand
or more miles, their journey would likely have taken months, not days, and they
would have had an entourage carrying food, tents, supplies, etc. At last they found
King Herod to tell him, and us all, of the significance, power, and majesty
this Child brings. And as the Magi left by another road to avoid Herod,
we learn in later verses we don’t read on this day, that Joseph, Mary, and the
baby Jesus fled to Egypt. Emigrants, perhaps illegal, being warned of the acts
of Herod murdering male children trying to kill the One. They didn’t return
until after Herod’s death.
Today, it is a new dawn, another chance to
read these Scriptures, not only on this day, but each Sunday (and weekdays,
too!), especially the Gospel, and to hear, feel, and know the message deeply
within. In the compression of time given in the Gospels and the Church
calendar, it is a short season indeed before we begin the unfolding of the
ministry, miracles, teaching, sacrificial execution, and resurrection of Jesus.
It is time again to rediscover the astonishment, the amazement, the true
adoration in this event.
Hear the
story as if for the very first time ~ know that we have been
given an extraordinary gift in Jesus, our Christ, Our Lord, who has been born
to us! Let us be overwhelmed with joy! Let us search
diligently for the Child within us and around
us. Epiphany is a time to seek the Magi-cal gifts in my own life
that call me to pay homage, follow, and live into the light and life of
Christ in boldness and confidence through faith in him. Isaiah seems almost to be shouting: Arise,
shine; for your light has come! It is time for each of us to experience finding
The Epiphany again or for the first time.
* https://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/orthodox-christmas-day/
** https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zoroastrianism
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE,
PRAY
Leader: ~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, as we arise in the
shining Light of your glory, help us to come together as your people, to seek
the joy that you bring to us again and again, and to share in your eternal
promise.
Jesus, Light of Heaven
RESPONSE:
Our
Strength and our Redeemer
~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, guide all nations and all
leaders of governments to be drawn to the brightness of Your dawning. Let us each
model the very compassion and peace needed in the world to reverse
the damage of oppression, violence, and injustice in our own time. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
Jesus, Light of Heaven
Our
Strength and our Redeemer
~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, deliver from distress all
who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and comfort all who give them support. We
now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Jesus, Light of Heaven
Our Strength and our Redeemer
~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, lift the hearts of those
lost in grief as those we love now receive the boundless treasures of eternal
life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Jesus, Light of Heaven
Our Strength and our Redeemer
~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, we pause in
this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
Jesus, Light of Heaven
Our Strength and our Redeemer
~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, lavish special blessings
upon the wise women and men who lead us in Your Church, as they prayerfully
bring us Your words, works, and wonders on our life’s path toward
Redemption. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Jesus, Light of Heaven
Our
Strength and our Redeemer
The Celebrant adds: Most Holy Child, God’s Eternal Purpose, grant us the
willingness to become a servant to You, our guiding star in the dark moments of
life, and our rising and sustaining sun in each and every day. We ask with deep
humility grounded in our Almighty Creator of all that is, and in the Holy
Spirit, the Wisdom of our souls; who together with You are One God, now and
forever. Amen.
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