As one who was born and raised in an evangelical Quaker family, I was never well-versed in the liturgical seasons on the church calendar during my early days as a Christ follower, but I have grown to appreciate them more and more over the years. Any tradition has the potential to be completely empty or rich with meaning, depending on how we approach it, but I know that my life and ministry has been greatly enriched as I have grown in my understanding and practice of a wide variety of Christian feasts and festivals.
Epiphany, the season between Christmas and Lent, has become one of my favorites in recent years. Most of us tend to experience a bit of an emotional letdown following the Christmas season, and for some of us this is often accentuated by the onset of winter, bringing with it colder temperatures, decreased sunlight and fewer opportunities for outdoor activity. What a wonderful time of the year to devote renewed energy to an intentional meditation upon the “appearance” (Gk., ἐπιφάνεια, epiphaneia) of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Light of the World!
In the western church, Epiphany is celebrated on January 6 (the twelfth day of Christmas, based on the Gregorian calendar), and the primary focus is upon the visitation of the Magi, the initial “revelation” of Jesus to the Gentiles. The eastern church (following the Julian calendar) typically celebrates Epiphany on January 19 and tends to place primary emphasis upon Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan River, the first public “manifestation” or “theophany” (Gk., Θεοφάνια, theophaneia) of God the Son.
Either way, Epiphany is a holiday that has been celebrated by Christians of various traditions from around the world for at least 16 centuries now. It is intended to remind us that God is always at work in the world, regardless of any apparent evidence to the contrary, and he is continually making personal “appearances” through an endless variety of ways and means (e.g., nature, archaeology, relationships, current events, conscience, miracles, prayer, Scripture, etc.).
When I consider the infinite number of ways that our Lord makes himself manifest to us all on an ongoing basis, I am reminded of a story I once heard about a man who came to G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945), the prominent Congregational preacher and Bible scholar, with an honest question: “Why is it that God does not speak today as he did to men of old?” to which Morgan quickly responded, “Perhaps the answer is that God has not stopped speaking at all, but that we have stopped listening to God as men of old once did.”
O Lord, as we begin a new year together as a family of Friends here in Mid-America, please give ears to hear you, eyes to see you, minds to understand you, hearts to receive you, hands to embrace you, and feet to follow you. Thank you for your promise to be with us always, to the very end of the age. Amen.
– David O. Williams, General Superintendent
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