Epiphany 2018

-


"As we observe Epiphany, we celebrate the journey to the manger and the showing forth of God in unexpected places."- Transforming Center 

How have you seen or experienced light? 
How have you shared light with others? 


you are both guidance and mystery, 
Visit our rest with disturbing dreams, 
and our journeys with strange companions. 
Grace us with the hospitality 
to open our hearts and homes 
to visitors filled with unfamiliar wisdom 
bearing profound and unusual gifts. 
Amen. 


Bright Morning Star, 
your light has come, 
and the birth of Jesus 
has overwhelmed us with joy. 
Like the magi of long ago, 
may we be drawn to you 
and offer you such gifts as we are able.
Amen.


O God of light and peace, 
whose glory, shining in the child of Bethlehem, 
still draws the nations to yourself: 
dispel the darkness that shrouds our path, 
that we may come 
to kneel before Christ in true worship, 
offer him our hearts and souls, 
and return from his presence to live as he has taught.
Amen. 


Annual chalking of the door 


The season of Epiphany extends from January 6 until Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent.  My friend Robert Benson wrote this:   
"Now the season of looking for Him everywhere is upon us — the season of Epiphany is what they call it.  Heads up. Keep your eyes and ears and hands open. He is everywhere, and He moves in pretty surprising ways. You do not want to miss Him." 



Dream of the Magi (2001) by Qi He in China
(professor at the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary and a tutor for master candidate students in the Philosophy Department of Nanjing University. He is also a member of the China Art Association and a council member of the Asian Christian Art Association.) 


Adoration of the Child, Arrival of the Magi  (mid 4th century) - Rome, Italy 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

St. Nicholas' Day 2015

-
Image
St. Nicholas' Feast Day is December 6th, but it seems that as with holiday busyness and with a lot going on, some celebrations have to get extended or postponed.  Grace abounds this season. :)  So, we celebrated a couple days late with our annual secret St. Nicholas candy delivery. We covered little candy bars with these St. Nicholas' papers (instead of the traditional practice of baking St. Nicholas cookies) and delivered them to neighbor's doorsteps under the cover of the night.   (It's like "booing" around Halloween and dropping off May Day flowers in the spring.  We practically have one time each season to try to knock on neighbor's doors, leave a treat, and run like the wind trying not to get caught!)  There is a wonderful reflection on St. Nicholas  here  from a weekly blog that shares on art and faith.  I loved the benediction in the reflection:   "May God give us all a heart of mercy like St. Nicholas; eyes that see the needs
Read more

College Care Packages (for the Parents!)

-
Image
  Last year when we took Anna to college, I wrote this: " If we didn't love Anna so fiercely, we wouldn't have had to brace ourselves for the terrible ache of saying goodbye today—but then we also wouldn't have felt the keen joy of watching her launch.  We are grateful for a day filled with final errands, unpacking, and tearful goodbyes, and we are excited and hopeful about what God has in store for Anna in the next four years at Scripps. "  Emotions were all over the map last summer with how bittersweet it all was, so I wanted to make care packages for friends who were launching their own kids off to college this summer.  Here's what I came up with: 
Read more

Rite of Passage

-
Image
This text above deserves some background....  When Anna was in 6th grade or so, we went a fabulous talk that Julie Metzgar gave at Children's Hospital about puberty.  The talk was presented under a program called "Great Conversations" and is tagged as one that is for "helping preteens and their families in conversations about body changes, sex and other growing-up stuff."   During one of the talks about girls getting their periods, Julie Metzgar showed slides of girls in villages around the world where the girls are honored and highly esteemed when they get their first periods.  This rite of passage  is celebrated as girls are preparing for their roles as women.  In some cultures, these celebrations are as lavish as weddings and they are significant markers for the young women and their families.  Rather than whisper about this behind closed doors and pretend that nothing has happened, Julie encouraged us to talk to our daughters about somethi
Read more