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Why Do We Celebrate Epiphany

by Vicar Lisa

Epiphany? What is It? Why Do We Celebrate It? Growing up in the Church of Christ, we didn’t follow a liturgical church calendar, so I was curious about the upcoming celebration of Epiphany. It’s the 12th day of Christmas -- for some, the day the wise men arrived and for others the day that Jesus was baptized by his cousin. But that’s not all!

Epiphany is celebrated every Jan. 6 by millions and is the day the wise men finally found the Christ child. Celebration varies widely around the world. Greek Orthodox youth take a frigid swim. In New Orleans, it is the start of Carnival, which ends with Mardi Gras. In Russia, any water poured on Epiphany is regarded as holy. In Latin America, children receive gifts. In Shakespeare’s England, it was the last day of a series of wild parties!

The word Epiphany comes from the ancient Greek and means a sudden, brilliant realization – the light bulb over cartoon characters’ heads when they experience a sudden revelation. Archimedes’ realization of how to determine the density of an object came in such a flash of brilliance, he wrote. Sir Isaac Newton experienced an Epiphany when he suddenly grasped that a falling apple and Earth’s orbiting moon are both pulled by the same force – gravity. 3M-Scotch Tape chemist Arthur Fry describes his invention of the “Post-it Note” as a similar Epiphany. The original Jan. 6 Epiphany was when the wise men suddenly realized the babe in the manger was Almighty God who had come to live among us.

We commemorate Epiphany as the coming of the wise men or Magi. Greek Orthodox churches also celebrate on Epiphany the baptism of Jesus at age 30 and his first miracle at the wedding at Cana when he turned water into wine.

In both traditions, the idea is the same: the revelation of Christ to the world -- whether as an infant or as a 30-year-old. On the Feast of the Epiphany, priests traditionally bless water, frankincense, gold, myrrh, and chalk which is used to write over doorways Christus mansionem benedicat, Latin for "may Christ bless the house."

During the Middle Ages, back before calendars were common, the priest would announce on Epiphany that year’s date for Easter, Ash Wednesday, Ascension Day, Pentecost, and the First Sunday of Advent for the new year. The earliest reference to Epiphany is a remark by St. Clement of Alexandria who lived between A.D. 150 and 210. The feast was also mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus in A.D. 361, so the celebration has been happening for a very long time.

10 a.m. Worship with Communion

Announcements

  • Church Council: Each year the congregation elects three members of the church to serve 3-year terms on the church council. We also have positions open for the nominating committee. If you are interested, please contact Vicar Lisa or Julie Wersal.
  • Thank You! Thank you to everyone who prepared Christmas meals and delivered meals last Friday and Saturday. Approximately 500 meals were delivered.
  • After Worship: Join us in the Fellowship Hall for coffee, snacks, and conversation.
  • Next Sunday: After worship next Sunday, we will have our first Sunday potluck and Sunday Bible Study, as we continue the series, “How Lutherans Read the Bible”.
  • Church Council: The next church council meeting will take place after worship on Jan. 14, downstairs at the Fellowship Hall.
  • Goodbye and Farewell: We will say our goodbye and farewell to Hal and Rita Burton on Jan. 14.
  • Save the Date: The Congregation’s Annual Meeting will take place on Sunday, Feb. 4. We will have our first Sunday potluck that day too.
  • Newsletters: Zion’s January 2024 Connections Newsletter should be in your email boxes soon, and hard copies will be available in the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall as well. The deadline for the February 2024 newsletter is Jan. 24.

E-formation – First Sunday of Christmas
Dec. 31, 2023

First Sunday of Christmas

During medieval times, Christmas was celebrated for twelve days, culminating at Epiphany, the thirteenth day. The first Sunday within these twelve days focuses on the biblical stories about Jesus’ childhood: last year God’s protection of the infant Jesus, this year the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple, and next year the boy Jesus conversing with the temple authorities.

Luke 2:22-40

Luke’s narrative of Jesus presented in the temple is a stark reminder that Christmas is the beginning of the death of Christ. Animals are slaughtered, the infant son is temporarily saved from sacrifice, and two old people are themselves ready to die. Yet in this word of death is the very light of the world.

Isaiah 61:10—62:3

Continuing the reading that began on Advent 3, this joyous poem is chosen today because of the image of light. Christmas is celebrated in the northern hemisphere at the dark of the year. We always live in darkness, yet in Christ we celebrate the dawn God gives.

Galatians 4:4-7

At the presentation the infant Jesus was redeemed, and so in the mystery of salvation, we are now redeemed. God is no longer our master and we God’s slaves. Rather, God is the loving father, and we are God’s family. Just as Isaiah said, we are given a new name.

Zion's Lutheran Church

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785