Gifts and a Warning

Happy Epiphany!

May God bless you, your loved ones, your home (that's a thing with Epiphany - google it) this holy day, and throughout another calendar year.

This Sunday we have 2 big church celebrations - Epiphany is January 6th, and then on the 8th we celebrate the baptism of the Lord.

There is a lot happening in all of these texts. In a nut shell:

Kings come (Jesus is probably about 1 1/2 when they arrive and celebrate the birth.

They stop by Herod and are warned in a dream that they should avoid him.

They share this warning with the Holy Family and they flee for safety to Egypt.

A few years later after Herod dies, they return, according to the gospel of Matthew to Nazareth because Herod's son is in power in the region Bethlehem is in.

Jesus grows up. (in many places)

Jesus gets baptized by his cousin John, and starts his public ministry.

Whew!

The incarnation is the cornerstone of Christian faith. The liturgical year helps us to live into the hope and joy of God coming to earth, living life among us - teaching, healing, guiding, and loving humanity even to the cost of death. Even as a baby, Jesus lives the realities of life - a refugee fleeing for his life before he can most likely even put together his first sentence.

What does it mean for us that our God has lived, struggled, suffered, and loved here in our realities?

We don't know much about how Jesus grew up, in fact the gospels of Mark and John jump right into his adult story, kicked off with his baptism.

What a special baptism! As we gather to worship this Sunday, we will remember our own baptisms. A time of celebrating our place in the family of God, our welcome into the church. A sacrament that through God's blessing we are claimed as God's own children, a light to the world. The sacred waters of baptism connect each of us to one another and to Christ.

During the season of Epiphany as the days grow longer and the light returns to our days (in the Northern hemisphere at least) let us reaffirm our baptism and follow Christs example by spreading light, and sharing our faith with the world around us.

In the next 6 weeks until Lent, consider adopting a spiritual practice that will help you and your light grow, especially something that may help you share your faith with others.

Ideas - join a book club, find a ministry to volunteer weekly (Chicago Temple Homeless Ministry anyone?), make care packages with your family to give out to anyone who seems to need a pick me up - try even if appropriate getting to know that person! So many more options - as we open our hearts and serve our neighbors out of the love God has poured into us.

Peace,

Deacon Erin