Epiphany Dawns

The following is my article for the January 2018 edition of the Church of the Advent parish newsletter.

2018 - It’s the dawn of a new year on our global calendars, even though for us in the church, our “New Year” was a month ago at the beginning of Advent! During that month, we spent time in preparation for the birth of Christ in our world, and we rejoiced at the celebration of his arrival in the Christmas Season. Now that Christ, the Word made flesh, is born among us once again, we stand at the edge of another joyous and profound celebration. It’s not New Year’s Day, it’s the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. Epiphany is the day when we remember the visitation of the Magi (often known as the Three Kings or Wise Men) who traveled from the East, following the star to find Mary and Joseph with the young boy Jesus. Of course, these Wise Men famously bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to honor and serve this child who would be called King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

As we collectively turn the page to 2018, God reminds us again to consider how each of us is called to offer our own gifts to Christ in serving the Church and supporting one another. What skills and talents might God be growing in you & challenging you to share in 2018? How might God be nudging you in new directions, or moving you to nurture others to share in new ways? 

Maybe it’s as an acolyte, or altar guild, or as a lay reader or usher or as a Vestry member. Maybe it’s by bringing others to church with you, or by visiting someone who is sick or alone. Maybe it’s something else entirely! 

At the end of January we will have our Annual Meeting of the whole congregation. This is our chance to take stock of our successes and challenges of the past year, and plot a course for the journeys on which God is guiding us for 2018. We will continue to examine where our Lord is leading our whole congregation in the new year, and how to continually offer our gifts to Christ in Walnut Hills and beyond. Join us, and discern with us together as we look to share the treasures of our lives with the newborn King.