Epiphany is more than an insight

The subtitle of Kimberlee Conway Ireton’s book is Meeting God in the Church Year.

Meeting.

Not finding, discovering, or hoping to bump into. Instead: meeting. In many ways it frees us up, doesn’t it? If I need to find God or an insight about God, I’ve got to be game on. Discovering put pressure that encounters with God need to have that “wow” factor. Hoping to bump into seems too dependent on timing. But meeting takes the pressure off, as I just have to show up and trust that in the showing up, God will show up too.

Today is Epiphany, the culmination of Christmas. I have to say, my soul is saying, “This is a Wednesday and it feels more like time to get back to school or get ready for Chinese New Year. It does not feel like one of the three major feasts in the Christian year.”

This is why we need to keep showing up, in our stories, in the church calendar—because what feels like a random Wednesday is anything but.

In The Circle of Seasons, Kimberlee wrote about the two themes of Epiphany. But before we get to the themes, I actually looked up what “Epiphany” means: the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi.

I think I may be overly tired as I type this, why else would I feel so ecstatic at this definition? I actually want to clap. It’s a bit like having an epiphany. Okay, now we know I need more sleep. But isn’t that cool? An epiphany is not just a deep insight, it is a supernatural insight due to Jesus manifesting himself.

The two themes of Epiphany are:

1. Gift-giving: “What Epiphany calls us to is extravagant giving with great love, without counting the cost.”

I want to pause here for a moment as we will be entering Ordinary time tomorrow. Is it just me, or is Epiphany setting us up for Ordinary time?

2. Call and Response: Kimberlee nails it on the head when she said that loving those around her isn’t easy. I know I’ve shared before, but the idealized version of me is so much more patient and loving than the me that actually has to interact with people. People can be annoying! Oh wait, love, right.

“For most of us, following the start means paying attention to the people around us, our families, friends, neighbors. . . . Epiphany calls us to move beyond the familiar, to be sure. But sometimes, maybe even most of the time, the familiar is not geographical.” I really liked that part of the chapter. If you’re reading along, what did you think of this section?

I’ve shared before why I love “We Three Kings” {even though I was screamed at}. It’s still my favorite Christmas song—though the story behind “I heard the Bells on Christmas Day” have it nudging near the top this year. On Epiphany as we think about the theme of giving gifts and responding in Ordinary Times, I want to leave us with a reflection based on the three gifts. It is from Tara Owens author of Embracing the Body:

Gold – what has been the treasure of your year? What are your glory moments, your beautiful blessings? For what are you most deeply thankful?

Frankincense – what are your earnest prayers? What do you most need to reach the ears of God? Where are you holding out hope above hope?

Myrrh – what must you leave behind, as we turn the calendar over? What needs to be buried, ceremonially put to death that you may have life more abundantly?

Britta and I did a short Christmas/Epiphany video as we are learning what these seasons look like lived out. If you seeing this in an email, you can watch it here. 

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I don’t know what one says on Epiphany. Since it’s a feast day, after a long season of waiting and then celebrating the birth of Christ, may I offer a blessing?

May the God who met you as you actively waited, offering peace, hope, and joy, still meet you.

May He help you to pay attention to those around you.

May He enable you to move beyond the familiar as we enter Ordinary Time. 

Amen.

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Grace and Peace,

Amy