January 7, 2024
It's Epiphany Sunday friends! But what is Epiphany?
Epiphany is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of Jesus! The word epiphany comes from the Greek word meaning “manifestation.” Some Western Christian churches know the feast day as Three Kings Day. It recalls the visit of the Magi, or wise men, to the infant Jesus, and their sense of wonder at the encounter. It is the 12th day after Christmas and closes the Christmas season.
The traditional scripture used for Epiphany Sunday is in the book of Matthew, and we encourage you to reflect on chapter 2:1-12. We highly encourage you to move through this exercise with family or a friend, but it can also simply be a personal reflection as well.
First, read through the scripture aloud and just take in the story.
Matthew 2:1-12 (CEB)
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”
3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. 4 He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 You, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah,
because from you will come one who governs,
who will shepherd my people Israel.”7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” 9 When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.
After a few minutes of reflection, have someone else in the group read the story aloud (Or read it aloud again yourself if you are on your own). Then reflect on these questions:
Enter into the story. What would you have heard, what would you have (tactilely) felt, what would you have smelt, what would you have seen?
Is there one particular character or group of characters with whom you identify? What would that person have felt emotionally—happy, sad, confused, angry, joyful, contented, surprised? Why do you identify with these persons/people?
Read the passage again (have someone else read aloud this time if possible!) Then reflect on these questions:
Pick out a word, idea, or phrase that strikes you in a personal way; something that might jump out to you—perhaps a particular metaphor or image. Ponder, “How does this reading connect with my life today?”
Have each person state out loud, in just a few sentences, the connection between their chosen word/phrase and their lives. (Or do this in writing if you are on your own)
What from this exercise offered you hope, or challenged you in some way? How will this hope or challenge stay with you throughout 2024?
Thank you for participating, friends!
We hope to see you again in person at the Union building at EMU at exactly 10ish next week!
REMEMBER - YOU ARE A GIFT!
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